All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

Valve has released a new patch for Portal on Steam, and the patch notes say only that it has "changed radio transmission frequency to comply with federal and state spectrum management regulations." A curious note, especially since Portal, as a computer game, doesn't actually transmit anything over the radio. That got the forum train a'moving on the Steam boards, and they eventually discovered that radios have been added to each level of the game which, when carried to the correct spots in each level, will tune in a series of coded messages. Connecting to all (or any, according to some reports) of the 26 messages in the game will supposedly unlock a new hidden achievement called "Transmission Received." At least, we think so -- as of this writing, no one seems to have unlocked it yet.

Some of the messages are morse codes that range from the technical ("External data line active") to the silly ("Beep beep beep beep"), and some are encoded images of numbers and equations ("B.dA=3"), but the whole thing appears to be hinting that AI antagonist GLaDOS may have transmitted information or part of herself out of the Aperture Science facility before the first game ended. Which would probably mean that a sequel reveal is imminent. We'll stay tuned for more information -- we didn't really expect to hear from Valve at GDC next week, but a Portal 2 reveal would make our San Francisco visit that much nicer.

[Thanks, Rob!]

I hear there’s a quick snippet of a special cameo in this week’s episode. It’s so special, I didn’t even know I was involved!

#perfecto MLB 2K10 releases tomorrow, and the first person to chuck a perfect game on it - under certain conditions - gets a million bucks. 2K Sports has posted those conditions, and they read like a Charlie Sheen restraining order. More »

#atari During tonight's Fourth Meal-timed trip to Taco Bell, you might want to bring some extra cash. The fast food joint is apparently handing out classic Atari games alongside purchases of its popular imitation of Mexican food. More »

Valve has released a new patch for Portal on Steam, and the patch notes say only that it has "changed radio transmission frequency to comply with federal and state spectrum management regulations." A curious note, especially since Portal, as a computer game, doesn't actually transmit anything over the radio. That got the forum train a'moving on the Steam boards, and they eventually discovered that radios have been added to each level of the game which, when carried to the correct spots in each level, will tune in a series of coded messages. Connecting to all (or any, according to some reports) of the 26 messages in the game will supposedly unlock a new hidden achievement called "Transmission Received." At least, we think so -- as of this writing, no one seems to have unlocked it yet.

Some of the messages are morse codes that range from the technical ("External data line active") to the silly ("Beep beep beep beep"), and some are encoded images of numbers and equations ("B.dA=3"), but the whole thing appears to be hinting that AI antagonist GLaDOS may have transmitted information or part of herself out of the Aperture Science facility before the first game ended. Which would probably mean that a sequel reveal is imminent. We'll stay tuned for more information -- we didn't really expect to hear from Valve at GDC next week, but a Portal 2 reveal would make our San Francisco visit that much nicer.

[Thanks, Rob!]

We've apparently made it through the worst of the storm, friends. We've received a number of tips informing us that the internal clock bug that was affecting non-Slim PS3s for the past 24 hours has been fixed, rendering all games playable once more. We tempted fate shortly after receiving these reports by testing out a few of our PS3 Phat units and can confirm that they're running games just fine. Additionally, our "lost" Trophies appear to be properly re-synced to our PSN accounts.

The extent of the damage incurred during the bug-out is unknown, but will likely surface in the next few hours. No Joystiq staffers lost any of their hard-earned Trophy data, but we're an awfully small sample group for a problem that affected every living being on Earth.

Update: PlayStation Blog confirms that PSN service has been restored and all PS3 systems should be operating normally.

Click past the jump for additional information.

This speed drawing of Tamiko runs at approximately 200% speed--you can win one of five signed copies of the Tamiko print featured.

The franchise gets an update with new controls and graphics on the Nintendo Wii.

New level design and gameplay tools makes for an upgraded Sin & Punishment experience.

#pc Doom fans looking to squeeze more life from Doom II, technologically resistant to joining us in the 21st century, can still see some of Rapture's underwater delights, thanks to this BioShock-inspired "demake" crafted for id Software's classic PC shooter. More »

#home Now that everyone can finally connect to PlayStation Network, this is probably a good time to tell you that you can pick up a free baseball jersey for your Home avatar, just by going and watching a trailer. More »

There was a lot to love last month. Our favorite games on every platform.

Is everyone's favorite evil robot making a comeback?

Felix Bohatsch drops knowledge on the new platformer for Wii called And Yet It Moves at Nintendo Summit 2010.

Click often on a unit and it'll surprise you with deeply intimate thoughts.

#numbernone Last summer, developer Number None of Braid fame announced its next game, The Witness. It was described as "philosophical and quiet" and feature "a heavy emphasis on the way things look." Well, this is what things look like. More »

Epic Games president Mike Capps is already teasing some kind of new announcement at E3. Speaking to VentureBeat at the Interactive Achievement Awards, Capps responded to a question about possible new games by saying that "We might have a new one coming. I think E3 is going to be really exciting for fans of Epic." You can see him make this statement on video after the break.

It might have a new one coming? Shouldn't he know? What kind of company doesn't keep its own president in the loop? Oh, we get it. He's being coy. So what's this new game? It could be the "Shooter from Epic TBA" listed in EA's schedule for early 2011. Which could be People Can Fly's "Bulletstorm." We suppose "fans of Epic" would be happiest with a sequel to one of the company's franchises, so a new Unreal, Gears of War or even Shadow Complex is always a possibility. It's probably not a new Jill of the Jungle. Which is too bad.

Bakugan is back, and this time it's in space.

Microtransactions, subscription model mentioned.

The Virtual Console is back off its one week long hiatus. Even though things are kinda overshadowed by a certain other release today, we've still got a new game to play. The latest episode of VC in Brief above checks out Fatal Fury Special, an improved version of Fatal Fury 2 with more playable characters and gameplay tweaks. Check it out above!

• Fatal Fury Special (Neo Geo, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)

Every week, we like to check out what's new on the Virtual Console. We offer these videos as a sort of taste to help you decide whether or not you would want the game in question. We also toss in our own two cents because we're pushy jerks like that.

More than two minutes of gameplay from Mega Man 10 for WiiWare.

A sampling of various levels from Mega Man 10 for WiiWare.

There was a lot to love last month. Our favorite games on every platform.

There was a lot to love last month. Our favorite games on every platform.

There was a lot to love last month. Our favorite games on every platform.

*SPOILER* Defeat the final boss of the Predator single-player campaign with the help of WikiCheats.com's strategy guide!