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[XeroSauce]

There are nine test subjects already!!! What is this!!!!

Those are the "infected" players previously mentioned in the ARG.

You know what, I don't see why they can't just say "We fucked up" and release it now, because clearly the build works. Making people wait is just going to leave a bittersweet taste in their mouth when they finally do play.

 

[Red]

Good. And what does it mean if the launch occurs out of that window?

Are you honestly expecting it to? Or are you asking a hypothetical question about an alternate world where the whole thing wasn't fixed?

 

[fallengorn]

Let's face it. Valve has a history of lying about stuff like this. Most likely they knew exactly when Portal 2 would end up launching way ahead of time and designed a game/promotion to make people think they had some control over it.

I wouldn't go so far as to say we had no sway in how early it will release, but they stacked the odds against us.

 

[TheExodu5]

Imagine if the Friday counter was moved to yesterday instead. The bars would have built up quickly, and people would have felt a sense of progression. Artificial or not, the whole "starch power!" bit is pretty cool, and if it was done in a more condensed fashion, it would have felt far more exciting. Valve could have said "hey, guess what? MIDNIGHT RELEASE!", and we would have been ecstatic.

Instead, they said "if you buy games, it could come out earlier!". They did this 4 days ahead of launch, giving us the impression we could actually shave days off. The point where some of us realized this was either a) hopeless or b) fixed, we turned sour on the whole ordeal.

 

[Oreoleo]

"Hi is this gulfstream? Hi, it's Gabe Newell, I'd like to buy a Gulfstream V. What do you mean you don't accept payments in goodwill? "

Never said it was good business. But then, Valve isn't publicly traded so that shit shouldn't matter. Everything Exodus is saying about retailer launch date agreements makes sense. That said, I think most people saw that countdown on Thursday and assumed it was counting down to release on Friday. Who wouldn't have rather spent the weekend playing Portal 2 instead of being where we are now?

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

I thought midnight EST was when the potatoes would run out (meaning end of overclocking).

Potatoes run out at 12:40am EST.

 

[Rainier]

Being played like a fiddle.

Of course 'some' people are going to be playing the games. All Valve has to do to make it seem legitimate is distribute the load in accordance to the weight distribution of the playerbase. If Valve wasn't accelerating this last phase, several of these bars wouldn't even be finishing by launch. Valve is making them finish exactly when they want them to. The whole thing is artificial, and I'm dumbfounded that some of you can't see that.

Pretty much this. Hell, if everyone stopped participating, Valve would bring in potato peelers or something that would magically speed things up to the midnight release.

 

[drhankmccoyphd]

Let's face it. Valve has a history of lying about stuff like this. Most likely they knew exactly when Portal 2 would end up launching way ahead of time and designed a game/promotion to make people think they had some control over it.

That's what I'm thinking. If you look at the graph on http://cpucount.zapto.org/ the % completed is almost a straight fucking line. You'd think there would be a bit more variance if user participation actually mattered especially considering the active CPUs fluctuating so greatly. All I'm hoping for at this point is a release at a reasonable hour in EST tonight.

 

[IceMarker]

 

[dollartaco]

Are you honestly expecting it to? Or are you asking a hypothetical question about an alternate world where the whole thing wasn't fixed?

I'm just trying to figure out what that would mean for the entire theory. Does it mean it was bullshit, or that you simply need to revise your premise to match the new result?

 

[Hitmonchan107]

Sounds like the checklist for my last masturbation session.

Comedic gold, sir.

I think the ARG was a wonderful marketing tool. The mystery of this has hyped me up far greater than any typical advertisement could have.

I think, realistically speaking, brick-and-mortar stores like GameStop would've been miffed had Valve released the game a week or so early. It paid for all of that advertising time, and regardless of whether people were going to buy the game in their stores or not, you have to keep your advertisers happy.

I feel bad for the people who spent so much time on this game for what amounts to a very small reward, but it was a smart business decision on multiple levels.

Edit: If that photo above is correct, and someone got invited to Valve's HQ, my God. This is me eating my small reward remark.

 

[Backfoggen]

Doesn't even have a golden potato!

 

[Corky]

Never said it was good business. But then, Valve isn't publicly traded so that shit shouldn't matter. Everything Exodus is saying about retailer launch date agreements makes sense. That said, I think most people saw that countdown on Thursday and assumed it was counting down to release on Friday. Who wouldn't have rather spent the weekend playing Portal 2 instead of being where we are now?

Everyone I hope, but yes this whole "arg" has been absurd. An no, in no world would a company as big as Valve ( publicly traded or not ) care about the fans in the way fans think that companies should "treat" them.

Thinks like releasing a game earlier by the effort of said fans for example.

 

[Twig]

Those are the "infected" players previously mentioned in the ARG.

You know what, I don't see why they can't just say "We fucked up" and release it now, because clearly the build works. Making people wait is just going to leave a bittersweet taste in their mouth when they finally do play.

I'd thought it was decided the infected users were a hoax - all that Steam chat console stuff? - so I'm a little confused that they're now a thing again. (I guess I wasn't following close enough.)

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

I'm so lost...

 

[wind_steaker]

But what would have happened if every game bar had been filled much earlier, it must have been possible right? Would they just have had the potato countdown last a day or longer?

The idea it's fixed seems pretty obvious but it's also so lame it's almost impossible to believe.

I remember someone pointing out that there were diminishing returns on having lots of people playing one game, so at some point extra players may not have increased the speed at all.

 

[EternalGamer]

exactly.

This isn't rocketscience people it's basic buisness practice. The longer this whole shit keeps going the more revenue is generated from people buying the potatopacks and portal2 bundles.

Why would they even have wanted to release the game on friday?

So a company is using an ARG to help promote their product. Why is this in any way revelatory? Is not both this and the idea that there is a set outcome--assuming the later is actually true, which I am skeptical of-- pretty par for the course for almost any ARG?

How many company created ARGs aren't trying to markets product?
How many do not have a set, linear conclusion to be reached?

I would imagine very few, if any, on either account.

 

[StuBurns]

I remember someone pointing out that there were diminishing returns on having lots of people playing one game, so at some point extra players may not have increased the speed at all.

Shady shit.

 

[XeroSauce]

I remember someone pointing out that there were diminishing returns on having lots of people playing one game, so at some point extra players may not have increased the speed at all.

Which adds even more to the whole "fixed" theory.

 

[Spire]

If he's from Texas, they flew him up? I wonder how long ago they contacted those guys.

I'm also curious as to why they brought them to Valve at all. They'll be given some info relating to the ARG, I bet.

 

[Corky]

So a company is using an ARG to help promote their product. Why is this in any way revelatory? Is not both this and the idea that there is a set outcome--assuming the later is actually true, which I am skeptical of-- pretty par for the course for almost any ARG?

How many company created ARGs aren't trying to markets product?
How many do not have a set, linear conclusion to be reached?

I would imagine very few, if any, on either account.

Huh? I'm not sure if you're agreeing with me or not but all my posts have been pointing out that all of this was marketing from the get go and in no way shape or form was there even a slightest chance of portal 2 releasing "early", because they want the exposure rather than to jump the gun and release the game earlier.

 

[Drkirby]

Doesn't even have a golden potato!

He bought the $100 TF2 Charity hat though.

 

[zyxwvu4321]

How are these things usually handled? How are Blizzard game launches handled for those on the West coast? Can you guys download and play the game at 9:00PM PST (12:00 AM EST), despite a midnight launch at retailers?

This may have been answered by the time I post, but for the first 2 WoW expansions, I was able to buy and be in the new zones at midnight Eastern, where as the other time zones still couldn't sell the game until midnight their time. For Cataclysm, the game went on sale at midnight local everywhere, but the servers weren't switched over to "Cataclysm Mode" until midnight Pacific. They said something about not wanting East coast players to get a head start on the content, though I also think (may be wrong, though) that Cataclysm was the first expansion that could be preloaded, so the server delay would also keep West coast preloaders from being in game before the launch day.

 

[XeroSauce]

I'd thought it was decided the infected users were a hoax - all that Steam chat console stuff? - so I'm a little confused that they're now a thing again. (I guess I wasn't following close enough.)

See the post below yours. Weren't the "infected" players the ones with the weird Portal 2 Banner?

 

[EternalGamer]

Comedic gold, sir.

I feel bad for the people who spent so much time on this game for what amounts to a very small reward, but it was a smart business decision on multiple levels.

Edit: If that photo above is correct, and someone got invited to Valve's HQ, my God. This is me eating my small reward remark.

I honestly have never paid much attention to any other ARG before. What kind of rewards do people usually get for participating?

 

[enzo_gt]

I remember someone pointing out that there were diminishing returns on having lots of people playing one game, so at some point extra players may not have increased the speed at all.

Damn.. more evidence of minimal community impact?

 

[dream]

Haha, wow. I decided to check out that new Portal song in Audiosurf and someone on my Steam list yelled at me for playing a game that's already been completed in that release thing.

 

[Sn4ke_911]

http://portal2countdown.com/

 

[CharlesSurge]

The wiki now says: "Focus should now be shifting to Amnesia. The Ball will finish itself."

 

[enzo_gt]

http://portal2countdown.com/

http://i.imgur.com/1yOkg.png[IMG][/QUOTE]
WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT.

Someone check the website registrar?

EDIT: Read the bottom bit. Lame.

 

[XeroSauce]

http://portal2countdown.com/

http://i.imgur.com/1yOkg.png[IMG][/QUOTE]


It says 7 and a half hours now. It's not even Valve affiliated.

 

[TheExodu5]

Haha, wow. I decided to check out that new Portal song in Audiosurf and someone on my Steam list yelled at me for playing a game that's already been completed in that release thing.

Be like me and call him a delusional nitwit, and go and play a super awesome song! Seriously, I had that song in my head all weekend.

 

[Hitmonchan107]

I honestly have never paid much attention to any other ARG before. What kind of rewards do people usually get for participating?

From Halo's ilovebees ARG wiki:

The game culminated by inviting players of the game to visit one of four cinemas where they could get a chance to play Halo 2 before its release and collect a commemorative DVD.

 

[dave is ok]

Says 7 hours for me

 

[The Elite]

http://portal2countdown.com/

I have 7 hours... what?

 

[Backfoggen]

http://portal2countdown.com/

Based on your computers timezone.

 

[Twig]

See the post below yours. Weren't the "infected" players the ones with the weird Portal 2 Banner?

Ohhh yeah, I remember that now.

Hah, so much shit. I have a horrible memory. U:

 

[Salsa]

http://portal2countdown.com/

http://i.imgur.com/1yOkg.png[/ IMG][/QUOTE]

says 6 hours and a half for me

 

[Oreoleo]

WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT.

Someone check the website registrar?

EDIT: Read the bottom bit. Lame.

"This page is NOT affiliated with Valve Corporation."

All you need to know.

Edit: Oh curse your edit!

 

[NMan]

It's based off whatever your computer's clock is set to.

 

[heyf00L]

 

[AwShucks]

Those are the "infected" players previously mentioned in the ARG.

You know what, I don't see why they can't just say "We fucked up" and release it now, because clearly the build works. Making people wait is just going to leave a bittersweet taste in their mouth when they finally do play.

Sucks for those people then. The taste in my mouth will be nothing but sweet tonight when playing Portal 2.

 

[Rainier]

Haha, wow. I decided to check out that new Portal song in Audiosurf and someone on my Steam list yelled at me for playing a game that's already been completed in that release thing.

Ha, that's pretty funny.

 

[EviLore]

"Hi is this gulfstream? Hi, it's Gabe Newell, I'd like to buy a Gulfstream V. What do you mean you don't accept payments in goodwill? "

Actually, good will is very important for PC-centric devs. When PC gamers feel they're being treated well, they're less likely to pirate, more likely to spread the word to their friends, and more likely to support games with mods. The PC gaming scene does not revolve around 100 million dollar advertising campaigns, it revolves around social networking. Tripwire and CDProjekt are in the positions they are in large part due to how they've treated the PC gaming community. Valve would not have near so many people clamoring for a Steamworks future or auto-prepurchasing every Valve game or preferring Steam over other DD services at the same price if not for the good will they've built up.

Gabe talks about this himself in that recent high school conference call. He talked extensively about how successfully leveraging the PC gaming community is so much more important and effective than throwing money at advertising campaigns.

 

[Burger]

I haven't really been following this but...

Is the countdown on the store page wrong? It currently says 18 hours for me, and then that countdown on the release status page is at about 10hrs?

 

[Corky]

Actually, good will is very important for PC-centric devs. When PC gamers feel they're being treated well, they're less likely to pirate, more likely to spread the word to their friends, and more likely to support games with mods. The PC gaming scene does not revolve around 100 million dollar advertising campaigns, it revolves around social networking. Tripwire and CDProjekt are in the positions they are in large part due to how they've treated the PC gaming community. Valve would not have near so many people clamoring for a Steamworks future or auto-prepurchasing every Valve game or preferring Steam over other DD services at the same price if not for the good will they've built up.

Gabe talks about this himself in that recent high school conference call. He talked extensively about how successfully leveraging the PC gaming community is so much more important and effective than throwing money at advertising campaigns.

I very well realize the value of goodwill, my post was pointing out that in this situation ; clearly Valve doesn't value it at ALL.

 

[dave is ok]

I haven't really been following this but...

Is the countdown on the store page wrong? It currently says 18 hours for me, and then that countdown on the release status page is at about 10hrs?

When the bars fill time comes off. There's five more bars to fill

 

[VGChampion]

All this ARG has done besides hyping me up for Portal 2 has made me dislike a great deal of people on the Internet. Valve I like even more.

People talking about wasting money on the potato pack and wasting their time playing games all weekend just hurts my mind. Haven't seen a bigger group of weirdos in a long time.

 

[mazeedibeedi]

The focus is now on Amnesia
Edit: Beaten

 

[StuBurns]

2 hours 26 mins for me.

Or 'bullshit' as I usually call it.

EDIT: Actually, that's 12 exactly. Okay, it was a huge fix.