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[Trickster]

The ARG as a whole was fun, and this whole ordeal is such a minor part of the ARG that there's no reason to complain whatsoever.

Joke post... right?

 

[.nimrod]

This was a failure.
I'm making a note here:
"Waste of time."
It's hard to overstate my disappointment.

 

[Zombie James]

The potato multiplier keeps going up but i'm honestly not seeing any multiplier effect going on...

 

["God's Beard!"]

Best Buy has the game for ten bucks cheaper and it comes with a ten dollar gift card. I think I'll just cancel my Steam pre-order and get it from them. I don't see any reason to stick with Steam at this point when I can save money.

 

[Twig]

I dunno about that. It was basically to the point where you could wake up every day and something new about the ARG would have come out. It was constantly moving and evolving for a week or two. Now we've been grinding games for 2 full days and still seemingly have another day or more to go with nothing else to break up all that time. They effectively took all the wind out of their sails, whether you enjoy playing the Potato Sack games or not.

It's over. The ARG is done. This isn't even part of the ARG.

There, I solved your dumb problem. Now stop crying!

 

[EVIL]

I almost wonder if the site is just busted and no one is in the office to fix it.

I am pretty sure they have home acces to whatever needed to adjust the thing if they wanted to. I doubt "not at the office" would stop anyone.

 

[Banjo Tango]

Just a few leaks from the looks of things.

Gotcha.

For the people who are mad at Valve, what do they want Valve to do? Release Portal 2 right now? Release it two days ago? Clarify how the GLaDOS@Home ARG works?

 

[Sgt.Pepper]

Best Buy has the game for ten bucks cheaper and it comes with a ten dollar gift card. I think I'll just cancel my Steam pre-order and get it from them. I don't see any reason to stick with Steam at this point when I can save money.

You can cancel Steam pre-orders??

 

[sflufan]

You can cancel Steam pre-orders??

I've done it before as well.

From Steam FAQ:

QUESTION

I bought a game with my credit card through Steam and either don't like it or don't want it anymore. Can I get a refund?

ANSWER

As with most software products, we will not offer refunds for purchases made online as outlined in the software license - please review Section 4 of the Steam Subscriber Agreement for more information.
[snip]
We can make an exception for pre-ordered games if the request is received prior to the release date.

 

[Hylian7]

Gotcha.

For the people who are mad at Valve, what do they want Valve to do? Release Portal 2 right now? Release it two days ago? Clarify how the GLaDOS@Home ARG works?

Yes to all of them.

Spoiler

At last one for christ's sakes

 

[TheExodu5]

Yeah it seems as though the best case scenario is a midnight launch on Tuesday.

And since I'm part of the working class, that means fuck all to me.

 

[epmode]

You can cancel Steam pre-orders??

Yes. Open a Steam Support ticket.

The last time I did this, they mentioned that they would honor any such request so long as it is made before the game is released. I hope that applies here too.

 

[Discotheque]

It's over. The ARG is done. This isn't even part of the ARG.

There, I solved your dumb problem. Now stop crying!

Wow, okay we all love Valve here. But seriously it's becoming comical how much you're defending this.

No company is flawless. This was a great idea but it was executed poorly...I'm sorry.

 

[Twig]

Wow, okay we all love Valve here. But seriously it's becoming comical how much you're defending this.

No company is flawless. This was a great idea but it was executed poorly...I'm sorry.

Valve is the best goddamn company the world has ever known. FACT.

 

[Prophet Steve]

You can cancel Steam pre-orders??

By using a ticket yes.

 

[Stabby McSter]

Yeah it seems as though the best case scenario is a midnight launch on Tuesday.

And since I'm part of the working class, that means fuck all to me.

So does that mean it wouldn't have released at midnight otherwise?

 

[EVIL]

Gotcha.

For the people who are mad at Valve, what do they want Valve to do? Release Portal 2 right now? Release it two days ago? Clarify how the GLaDOS@Home ARG works?

have something in return for the time invested. releasing portal for the weekends would have been enough, but now that they dropped that ball, it would be such a disappointment if it would simply end with nothing in return.

what would make things worse (for me) would be at the end of the counter, start up a trailer of a date (e3) and show the counterstrike 2 logo.

 

[NIN90]

Look on the bright side: Even an early release on tuesday is still several days earlier than the default euro release.


Yay?

 

[CarbonatedFalcon]

Best Buy has the game for ten bucks cheaper and it comes with a ten dollar gift card. I think I'll just cancel my Steam pre-order and get it from them. I don't see any reason to stick with Steam at this point when I can save money.

Heavily considering this at this point now as well. Especially when I already have a $15 BB gift card, it would essentially lower the price of Portal 2 to $10 for me.


EDIT: AAaaand forget that. Listed as unavailable for store pickup at the local BB, and BB Online doesn't offer release day delivery (even then, you'd have to pay like $11 more for it.) Not worth it

 

[Baha]

This is like that episode of The Simpsons with Kamp Krusty

So how long before Gabe Newell shows up and takes us to Tijuana?

 

[Zombie James]

So does that mean it wouldn't have released at midnight otherwise?

I think the original release was 10am EST on Tuesday.

 

[Sibylus]

Exactly. Even if every one of the 2-3 million Steam users were in Potato Pack games from start of this promotion, we'd still be getting it on Tuesday morning.

The bars would fill instantly but since each is only knocking off 30-60 minutes, it wouldn't amount to much.

Uh, no. If all the bars fill, the game launches at that point. If they don't, the game comes out a little bit ahead of schedule (completing individual bars pushes up the projected launch).

 

[Hylian7]

Look on the bright side: Even an early release on tuesday is still several days earlier than the default euro release.


Yay?

Are you referring to the console version?

 

[NIN90]

So how long before Gabe Newell shows up and takes us to Tijuana?

I think we are still at the phase where Barney impersonates Gabe.

Are you referring to the console version?

For some reason I thought that the PC version releases on Thursday.

 

[darkpaladinmfc]

Look on the bright side: Even an early release on tuesday is still several days earlier than the default euro release.


Yay?

No, that only applied to retail, Portal 2 unlocked worldwide simultaneously on Steam.

 

[.nimrod]

Look on the bright side: Even an early release on tuesday is still several days earlier than the default euro release.


Yay?

It says april 19th for me on the store page and i'm in europe.

 

[Treefingers]

HL3 trailer is the only way to redeem yourselves Valve.

 

[Phantom Limbs]

HL3 trailer is the only way to redeem yourselves Valve.

^^^^

Won't happen, but..... ^^^^^

 

[shuyin_]

The ARG as a whole was fun, and this whole ordeal is such a minor part of the ARG that there's no reason to complain whatsoever.

Just curious, how many hours of your weekend have you invested in idling or playing TWEotW, AAA, 1 2 3, Rush and Cogs? If you spent all weekend with them and you enjoyed it and you have no complains, then good for you.

But you have to accept there are people who are entitled to complain, whether you like it or not.

Yeah all the data we've seen so far seems to indicate the whole thing is fixed, to be honest. Even though the users participating has fluctuated in between 14-22k, the rate of progress has been the same the whole time. Potatoes have absolutely no effect either.

In my humble opinion it is 100% fixed.
I doubt they would've risked getting complains from console users for screwing them over if PC users had played it on friday or even saturday. I believe they scripted the bars to fill in such way that the game would be released a few hours earlier. Thus they are keeping the appearance of an early release, without upsetting anyone.

HL3 trailer is the only way to redeem yourselves Valve.

You just have to play some indie games for about a month to unlock it

 

[epmode]

I'd have been happier with a single piece of HL3/Episode 3 concept art instead of this trainwreck.

Uh, no. If all the bars fill, the game launches at that point.

We'll see!

 

[Arozay]

So how long before Gabe Newell shows up and takes us to Tijuana?

Tijuana = Episode 3

 

[EVIL]

Look on the bright side: Even an early release on tuesday is still several days earlier than the default euro release.


Yay?

ehh .. the only version that had the chance of an early release was the pc version, and any sane person would buy it on steam, so then I would have had it the same day as everybody else

 

[sflufan]

I wonder where this rates on the scale of Valve screw ups?

We have:

- HL2 releasing on September 30, 2003
- Disastrous launch of HL2 on Steam in 2004
- L4D2 boycott
- "Episodic format will allow us to release a new part of the HL2 story every 6 months"

Where you would you put this one?

 

[Twig]

Just curious, how many hours of your weekend have you invested in idling or playing TWEotW, AAA, 1 2 3, Rush and Cogs? If you spent all weekend with them and you enjoyed it and you have no complains, then good for you.

Only game I've played this weekend is League of Legends. I refuse to participate in Valve's idiocy.

Oh, I guess I played a few rounds of Killing Floor! But that was for fun.

But you have to accept there are people who are entitled to complain, whether you like it or not.

SAYS WHO?!

 

[Treefingers]

I wonder where this rates on the scale of Valve screw ups?

We have:

- HL2 releasing on September 30, 2003
- Disastrous launch of HL2 on Steam in 2004
- L4D2 boycott
- "Episodic format will allow us to release a new part of the HL2 story every 6 months"

Where you would you put this one?

#2 next to TF2 hats

 

[Spookie]

In my humble opinion it is 100% fixed.
I doubt they would've risked getting complains from console users for screwing them over if PC users had played it on friday or even saturday. I believe they scripted the bars to fill in such way that the game would be released a few hours earlier. Thus they are keeping the appearance of an early release, without upsetting anyone.


You just have to play some indie games for about a month to unlock it

I said this when I saw the bar it's another 'golden wrench'.

 

[Drkirby]

I wonder where this rates on the scale of Valve screw ups?

We have:

- HL2 releasing on September 30, 2003
- Disastrous launch of HL2 on Steam in 2004
- L4D2 boycott
- "Episodic format will allow us to release a new part of the HL2 story every 6 months"

Where you would you put this one?

Between L4D2 and Half Life Episodes.

 

[dream]

I wonder where this rates on the scale of Valve screw ups?

We have:

- HL2 releasing on September 30, 2003
- Disastrous launch of HL2 on Steam in 2004
- L4D2 boycott
- "Episodic format will allow us to release a new part of the HL2 story every 6 months"

Where you would you put this one?

Pretty low. This is annoying and a terrible lapse in judgement but nobody will care in 2 days.

 

[Red]

Gotcha.

For the people who are mad at Valve, what do they want Valve to do? Release Portal 2 right now? Release it two days ago? Clarify how the GLaDOS@Home ARG works?

We know how it works. It ramps up progress in a straight line regardless of CPU completion.

What I want is for Valve to stop this nonsense and give us something proper to do in the meantime, or call the whole thing off so we can stop wasting our time worrying about it. Not getting an early release is not what the problem is. Not getting an early release is not what the problem is. How many times does this need to be said? The problem is Valve ending this whole thing on a sour note by essentially encouraging us to waste our time.

 

[clip]

I wonder where this rates on the scale of Valve screw ups?

We have:

- HL2 releasing on September 30, 2003
- Disastrous launch of HL2 on Steam in 2004
- L4D2 boycott
- "Episodic format will allow us to release a new part of the HL2 story every 6 months"

Where you would you put this one?

I personally had nothing but good experiences with the HL2 Steam launch.

 

[Sgt.Pepper]

I've done it before as well.

From Steam FAQ:

QUESTION

I bought a game with my credit card through Steam and either don't like it or don't want it anymore. Can I get a refund?

ANSWER

As with most software products, we will not offer refunds for purchases made online as outlined in the software license - please review Section 4 of the Steam Subscriber Agreement for more information.
[snip]
We can make an exception for pre-ordered games if the request is received prior to the release date.

I'll keep this in mind.

 

[Barrett2]

You guys buy enough stuff to unlock the game yet?

 

[Trickster]

Wow, okay we all love Valve here. But seriously it's becoming comical how much you're defending this.

No company is flawless. This was a great idea but it was executed poorly...I'm sorry.

It was a great idea to go "To all of our fans that love our games, if you want to have the chance of getting the portal 2 before the official release date, go pay money for some random games and do stuff in them"?

No of course it wasn't, It was a terrible idea, and if it had been almost any other developer people would be up in arms over it.

 

[megalowho]

Gotcha.

For the people who are mad at Valve, what do they want Valve to do? Release Portal 2 right now? Release it two days ago? Clarify how the GLaDOS@Home ARG works?

I'd say clarification would be a nice gesture, and not just via cryptic "oh, isn't GLaDOS tricky" posts in a forum. Steam is plastered with banners promoting the early release of Portal 2 if you buy more games, I don't think it's asking too much to know how this whole process is intended to work.

 

[Twig]

I wonder where this rates on the scale of Valve screw ups?

We have:

- HL2 releasing on September 30, 2003
- Disastrous launch of HL2 on Steam in 2004
- L4D2 boycott
- "Episodic format will allow us to release a new part of the HL2 story every 6 months"

Where you would you put this one?

L4D2 boycott is not a Valve screw-up. That's a stupid-people-being-stupid.

 

[Sibylus]

I'd have been happier with a single piece of HL3/Episode 3 concept art instead of this trainwreck.

We'll see!

The "computations complete for launch" bar is an average of all the game completion bars (ran the numbers myself to confirm this), it's not the same thing as the projected launch. Reaching 0 on the clock would be the failure state, hence the slightly early launch, but not the potentially bigger gain by completing all needed calculations.

 

[heyf00L]

They also refunded me a gift I bought but didn't send.

 

[Nuborn]

I wonder where this rates on the scale of Valve screw ups?

We have:

- TF2 Hats
- Disastrous launch of HL2 on Steam in 2004
- L4D2 boycott
- "Episodic format will allow us to release a new part of the HL2 story every 6 months"
Where you would you put this one?

Fixed. I would rank this above l4d2

 

[Cindres]

Yeah L4D2 was fine in they end, we got a better product that couldn't really have been delivered as free DLC. Followed by a load of awesome free DLC.

 

[Ridley327]

I personally had nothing but good experiences with the HL2 Steam launch.

I didn't run into any issues, either, but god help you if you were one of the ones that weren't so lucky. The only good thing to come out of that was Valve having to improve Steam so that something like that would never happen again.

I don't think anything will ever top the original HL2 release date for me, especially with the last minute denial of it being delayed. That was some tragedy right there.