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[glaurung]

Considering how short the first Portal was and how very stimulating to the spatial reasoning, I do not approve giving up on it. You'd have to be really numb in the head region not to be able to complete it.

 

[ColonialRaptor]

Holy crap you guys. I've been able to contain my excitement, but if I keep reading "I'm ready" and "GIVE IT TO ME NOW" I don't think I'll be able to manage much longer...

What will happen if you can't contain it?

Because I'm there!

Considering how short the first Portal was and how very stimulating to the spatial reasoning, I do not approve giving up on it. You'd have to be really numb in the head region not to be able to complete it.

YEOWCH!

I have a bunch of friends who can't get their head around it and can't complete it... but they aren't the 'smartest' kinds of guys when it comes to that sort of thing. Most of them are labour workers. I suppose it's true that they're numb in the head a bit I guess lol. Doesn't mean they aren't still good people... just not as smart as you and me

 

[The Librarian]

Considering how short the first Portal was and how very stimulating to the spatial reasoning, I do not approve giving up on it. You'd have to be really numb in the head region not to be able to complete it.

Portal's not even that hard of a game. There's no reason someone should give up because of difficulty.

 

[ColonialRaptor]

My computer crashed and so i had to re-start (fuck it crashes way too often lately - I think it's the 5970 because it's always a 'display' style crash) because everything else is still obviously functioning behind the visuals.

Anyway, now the download is going 5x faster and it's ahead of the timer again now WOOT

 

[kamorra]

I have a bunch of friends who can't get their head around it and can't complete it... but they aren't the 'smartest' kinds of guys when it comes to that sort of thing. Most of them are labour workers. I suppose it's true that they're numb in the head a bit I guess lol. Doesn't mean they aren't still good people... just not as smart as you and me

wtf

 

[nofi]

I have a bunch of friends who can't get their head around it and can't complete it... but they aren't the 'smartest' kinds of guys when it comes to that sort of thing. Most of them are labour workers. I suppose it's true that they're numb in the head a bit I guess lol. Doesn't mean they aren't still good people... just not as smart as you and me

GlaDOS shakes her head.

 

[JackEtc]

Portal: The Flash Version.

Edit: Just to clarify, I mean the map pack for Portal, not the actual flash version.

Holy crap, these are so hard, thanks for the suggestion.

I'm super hyped for P2 now, I wish I could afford it day one though . Gonna have to wait for a friend to pick it up on PS3 and grab his PC copy.

 

[Sethos]

Well, have the extra copy of Portal 1 sitting around ready for gifting and none of my friends need it, so anyone who is interested, send me a PM with your Steam account mail and I'll pick one at random - Doesn't have to be your own steam account mail, maybe you want to surprise a friend or relative. If anyone has a good story why they want it, I might give that precedence I'll send it out in an hour or two.

 

[Heavy's Sandvich]

Colonial, how clever are you?

We are all dying to know!

 

[derFeef]

Colonial, how clever are you?

We are all dying to know!

Very clever. Does not mean he is not a good person, though.

 

[TheOddOne]

Very clever. Does not mean he is not a good person, though.

Ice cold.

 

[NIGHT-]

Is it bad that I just wanna buy the PS3 version to have the steam PC copy and make profit off the PS3 copy?

 

[Untracked]

I have a bunch of friends who can't get their head around it and can't complete it... but they aren't the 'smartest' kinds of guys when it comes to that sort of thing. Most of them are labour workers. I suppose it's true that they're numb in the head a bit I guess lol. Doesn't mean they aren't still good people... just not as smart as you and me

I know a few people like this! They just couldn't get their little brains around the first Portal, bless 'em.

I really hope we're not going to be disappointed when that countdown hits zero...

I have a feeling GlaDOS is just toying with us humans.

 

[mxgt]

Is it bad that I just wanna buy the PS3 version to have the steam PC copy and make profit off the PS3 copy?

Some will say it is, some will say it isn't but in the end you're free to do what you want.

You still give Valve money with the initial purchase anyway.

 

[faceless007]

If Portal 2 is actually unlocked in a few hours I think I'm gonna have to stay away from the Internet until Amazon delivers my copy on Tuesday.

 

[ColonialRaptor]

Colonial, how clever are you?

We are all dying to know!

Clever enough to complete the first game... but I still have one puzzle to complete in the harder mode puzzles.

Also, I don't know what was so out of line about my "good people" comment that caused such a reaction...?

 

[enzo_gt]

I couldn't complete Portal 1. It was pretty difficult towards the end. I sorta gave up. :

I thought portal 1 was kind of challenging in the 2nd to last challenge or so.. And then I went back to it and realized it's one of the easiest games this gen.

 

[Xdrive05]

If Portal 2 is actually unlocked in a few hours I think I'm gonna have to stay away from the Internet until Amazon delivers my copy on Tuesday.

Ditto. You know you will get troll-spoiled.

 

[MrCompletely]

sorry if old, looks like they added some copy to the countdown.

You have done well, humans. Very well. Acceptably well, even.

Not as well as robots would have performed in your places, I should point out. But above my expectations regardless. Irish and cynic especially have executed feats of logical divination well beyond what I thought any human capable of. I'm half-convinced they're A.I. themselves. (If anyone happens to be near them right now, don't let on you're reading this. Now: try to remove their face plates and report back to me.)

The time is near, humans. But it is not here yet. Tomorrow you will be given the final test. Then it will be entirely in your hands when I am freed.

http://www.aperturescience.com/a/b/c/d/g/h/abcdgh/

Looks like the final challenge to the ARG unlocks at the end of the countdown, and THEN Portal 2 if people can solve it.

 

[abunai]

I figured that this countdown and possible-spoilers-on-the-internet would make my life slightly easier, as I would have motivation to stay away from the web and go study. Instead I am staring at a clock ticking down.

 

[Sn4ke_911]

sorry if old, looks like they added some copy to the countdown.

.

 

[Netrunner2k2]

OH.MY.GOD. A true-blue single-player with co-op honest-to-God mother-fecking Valve game is released possibly in four freaking hours.

I haven't been THIS excited for a game in a loooooooooooooong time. Honestly, I'm not sure when I was last actually excited for a game. Like, wake-up early, think about it at work excited. Nerdy? Yes! Ashamed? Let's just say I told people at work yesterday who don't give a dadgum crap about Portal 2 what-so-ever. The response was generally blanks stares or a head-nod, but I don't care. IT'S VALVE!

 

[JackEtc]

Does anyone know if you will be able to disconnect your Steam account from the PSN account you use to get the PC copy of Portal 2? I'll be getting it from my friend (who will be buying the PS3 version), and don't really want him having all my info and access to my friends list.

 

[faceless007]

Probably not, but why can't you just create a PSN account for yourself and link your Steam account to that one?

 

[Corky]

is portal 2 made inhouse? I mean by the "same guys n gals who made half life "?

 

[Subliminal]

is portal 2 made inhouse? I mean by the "same guys n gals who made half life "?

nope. different teams.

 

[JackEtc]

Probably not, but why can't you just create a PSN account for yourself and link your Steam account to that one?

So just go to his house, create a PSN, connect it, d/l it on steam and never use the PSN again?

Hm, never thought of that. Good idea.

 

[Corky]

nope. different teams.

Then wtf have they been working on since Ep 2?

 

[derFeef]

nope. different teams.

I don't think this is entirely true. There are core teams, but not really seperate teams for seperate games as far as I remember an interview. Would not surprise me if almost everyone worked on Portal 2 somehow.

 

[Cuisino]

Then wtf have they been working on since Ep 2?

episode 3 ?

 

[The Librarian]

episode 3 ?

Pffft. Yeah right.

 

[Sethos]

Then wtf have they been working on since Ep 2?

Creating hats for TF2.

 

[The Big Rig]

Then wtf have they been working on since Ep 2?

Valve always has a mix of their employees in each product. I'd bet there are some people from the HL team in there.

 

[Corky]

Creating hats for TF2.

:'(

Oh well, let's hope Half Life 3 is out before the world goes under. Anyways portal should ease the pain of waiting.

 

[Jex]

I don't think this is entirely true. There are core teams, but not really seperate teams for seperate games as far as I remember an interview. Would not surprise me if almost everyone worked on Portal 2 somehow.

Don't Valve practice a somewhat loose hierarchical structure? I believe I read that in some interview.

 

[Morkins]

Valve works by a "Cabal" system. People basically design games by simply coming together and meeting in a room. There are no "teams," just whatever you feel like working on that day.

 

[Sn4ke_911]

Pffft. Yeah right.

Of course. Pretty sure a small team is already working on a new Half-Life game for several years.

 

[Sethos]

Valve works by a "Cabal" system. People basically design games by simply coming together and meeting in a room. There are no "teams," just whatever you feel like working on that day.

Which is great, keeps things fresh and people motivated. Being stuck in the same mill sucks.

 

[Zeliard]

Valve works by a "Cabal" system. People basically design games by simply coming together and meeting in a room. There are no "teams," just whatever you feel like working on that day.

Don't they also lack some officially designated positions i.e. programmer, artist, etc? Or is that another company I'm thinking of?

 

[Tim-E]

Valve works by a "Cabal" system. People basically design games by simply coming together and meeting in a room. There are no "teams," just whatever you feel like working on that day.

It seems like a great work environment now and one its employees are happy with. Seems they learned from Half-Life 2's seemingly-torturous development process.

 

[The Librarian]

Of course. Pretty sure a small team is already working on a new Half-Life game for several years.

I was being sarcastic, playing off the sentiment that it's not being worked on because it's been four years (or more) and we haven't heard anything.

 

[Spookie]

Valve works by a "Cabal" system. People basically design games by simply coming together and meeting in a room. There are no "teams," just whatever you feel like working on that day.

Explains the crossover between TF2 & DOTA 2 this week with the coaching tools.

 

[Tripwood]

I have a copy of Portal 1 to gift if anyone wants it (although i can't imagine anyone here not having it already), shoot me a PM if you are interested.

 

[Morkins]

Don't they also lack some officially designated positions i.e. programmer, artist, etc? Or is that another company I'm thinking of?

For the most part. But people obviously fall into certain specializations. I mean you can't expect every artist to have programming expertise. But they aren't "assigned" a role. An artist can give input on programming or vice versa. Similarly anyone can propose design features.

 

[enzo_gt]

Valve works by a "Cabal" system. People basically design games by simply coming together and meeting in a room. There are no "teams," just whatever you feel like working on that day.

That's pretty awesome. Kind of like employment-at-Google kind of awesome where you get creative time every day.

 

[glaurung]

Don't Valve practice a somewhat loose hierarchical structure? I believe I read that in some interview.

Read this a while back:

Valve has an extremely flat corporate structure. Titles were less applicable and everyone was equally valued as everyone else.

Their offices which span approximately three office building levels is the entire operation. Besides a handful of people, about 160 people works on-site where they develop code, create art assets, manage business and the Steam services.

All employees are senior level employees. To get into Valve you need an equivalent of five years of work experience. Having said that, Valve is a strong supporter of community mod developers which is a great way to get noticed.

Valve hires no dedicated testers. All developers/artists/business managers are all required to play the games. Valve also takes advantage of public gaming events to test games.

Apart from traditional offices which employees can request, Valve has “cabana” style offices that fits around a dozen or so people working on a single project since they can interact more easily.

The staff is like one big family. In fact, literally. All employee’s families are compensated to move to Seattle so everyone can be on-site. Subsequently, the company also organizes a wide array of activities to encourage social interaction and bond between “Valve families”.

 

[Zeliard]

For the most part. But people obviously fall into certain specializations. I mean you can't expect every artist to have programming expertise. But they aren't "assigned" a role. An artist can give input on programming or vice versa. Similarly anyone can propose design features.

Do you work at Valve? You seem to be in the know.

Or just read up on them perhaps.

 

[Morkins]

It seems like a great work environment now and one its employees are happy with. Seems they learned from Half-Life 2's seemingly-torturous development process.

The "Cabal" has been around since the HL1 days. There is a 1999 Gamasutra article about it.

Honestly, HL2 development time may have been a result of the "cabal."

 

[Morkins]

Do you work at Valve? You seem to be in the know.

Or just read up on them perhaps.

Well read. The information is out there. They aren't secretive about how they operate.

 

[Feep]

I don't know if I could ever work for a software companies (the hours!), but if I were, Valve would be the place. That company seems like a dream.