Portal 2 Message Board older than one year ago

#advice Portal 2, the latest rare release from one of the best game studios in the world, is one month away. How will you play it? Will it be too tough? One of the game's creators, Valve Software writer Erik Wolpaw offers some spoiler-free tips. More »

Snuck out of the recent Coin Gallery Conference is some impressively stable weakman footage of Portal 2 – eight minutes of agreeably mirthsome material from famous persons Stephen Merchant and the newly-announced JK Simmons. It’s on the mildly spoilery side, so look away now if you don’t want to know about how Chell ends up snogging Gordon Freeman in the second level.

Oh lord, what have I done! (more…)

#video At some unspecified moment in Portal 2, we're going to hear from Cave Johnson, the man who founded Portal research lab Aperture Science. Why we're hearing him is a mystery still unexplained. More »

One husband and wife DIY team recently announced on Reddit that they'd unlocked the secret of portal technology* using everyday, off-the-shelf parts. By attaching LED rope light to the backs of two oval mirrors, they succeeded in creating one of the most effective (and easily replicated) displays of video game related wall art we've ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on: Portal portals that look strikingly authentic.

The Redditors in question, corttana and dahburbb, say that the "spiraling" effect of the lights is actually the unexpected result of curving the light rope they used into an oval shape. When asked by other users, the duo said they plan to building a Companion Cube storage chest to round out their personal Enrichment Center. You can see more photos of it at the source link.

*Portal Technology is a registered trademark of Aperture Science

PAX East attendees were treated to Valve's Portal 2 intro which includes the voice of the President and founder of Aperture Science, Cave Johnson.

Portal 2 writer Erik Wolpaw wants you to know that Valve's upcoming sequel isn't as difficult as it looks. Trailers for the game show off plenty of insane action, filled with daring leaps, breakneck speeds and physically impossible tricks. "We're going to train you," Wolpaw told us at PAX East, "At no point are we going to ask you do something that we haven't prepared you to do."

Ohio-born indie rock group The National has officially become video game famous. The band, responsible for such tunes as "Bloodbuzz Ohio" and "Conversation 16" (video after the break), will be lending its sound to Portal 2 with a new song written expressly for the game.

There's nothing but an announcement for now. And while pop songs in games are hardly new, considering how suited The National's music is to a dirty, near-future landscape—and how Valve has already shown themselves how capable they are at integrating songs into a game in Portal 2—I think it's okay to get a little excited about it. More »

The National’s Fake Empire is one of my favourite songs in years. Which means I come to the news that the glum band has recorded an original song for Portal 2 with a happy heart. There’s not really any more to the story than that at this stage. There’s a press release where Valve and the band’s management both say that it’s a good thing. And then there’s an aching gap of silence where a clip of the song could have appeared.

There is, however, one nice detail in there. The press release recommends that we press visit thinkwithportals.com for more details. But doesn’t link there. No, it links to the confusingly broken, presumably intended in-office insult, www.chet’smom.com. Complete with the %27 ascii code for the apostrophe. There, I bet they’re glad we’re mentioning that.

Valve, creator of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life, Portal, Left 4 Dead, and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced an original song by popular recording artist The National will be included in its upcoming game, Portal 2, when it is released the worldwide the week of April 18...

If you needed another reason to get excited for Portal 2 -- you know, beyond the first game being awesome -- Valve's PAX East demo debuted a brand new character that just so happens to be voiced by Juno's dad and Spider-Man's J. Jonah Jameson himself J.K. Simmons...

#valve Half-Life and Left 4 Dead developer Valve has been toying with new ways to use biofeedback—heart rate, facial expressions, eye-tracking, levels of physical arousal—for years. What does that mean for the future of people who like Valve video games? How about controlling games with your eyes? More »

Exploring the narrative tricks behind Portal 2.

In the midst of GDC, Valve have released a bundle of new screenshots for Portal 2. Some of them are indescribably boring, but others are completely ace, and one of them features everyone’s favourite friend, the Weighted Companion Cube! Hooray! That little box of love is to return, despite his tragic destruction in the first game. What cruel fate awaits him this time around? It’s enough to make me go hug my freezer in delight. They’re all below.

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Valve took the opportunity of GDC today to announce its latest enhancement for Steam: "big picture" mode. What's "big picture" mode, you ask?

"With big picture mode, gaming opportunities for Steam partners and customers become possible via PCs and Macs on any TV or computer display in the house," Valve marketing veep Doug Lombardi said in a press release. Valve will be sharing details of "big picture" mode with devs and pubs at GDC, showing off "controller support and navigation designed for television interaction." It sounds like you home theater PC owners may be in for a treat.

All fifty of Portal 2's Achievements have been uncovered by Xbox360Achievements.org. In typical Valve fashion, there are some comedic gems in the list, like "The Part Where He Kills You," and some in-jokes, including "Narbacular Drop" and, yes, "Still Alive." But one Achievement is generating some real buzz: "Ship Overboard" has players discovering "the missing experiment."

Some have suggested that this Achievement is a possible reference to the Borealis, an Aperture Science vessel first mentioned in Half-Life 2: Episode Two. In the brief scene (embedded after the break), Isaac Kleiner notes that the Borealis contains some kind of technology that can help humanity. Could Portal 2 tie into the final Half-Life 2 episode? Or are overeager fans simply grasping at nothing? April 20 can't come soon enough.

#speakuponkotaku In today's silent-but-deadly episode of Speak-Up on Kotaku, commenter Inspector-Jones quietly sings the praises of video game characters that have nothing to say. More »

#valve One of the stars of Portal 2, the human heroine Chell, has undergone a few changes during her centuries-long sleep. And during the last year, she's been given a new makeover by Valve's art team, ditching her "dressed by machines" look for something more familiar. More »

Update [2:45PM]: "Portal 2 does not include support for Sony's motion controller," Valve clarified in a press statement today, calling the German language PlayStation Blog quote (see original post below) "'lost in translation.'"

Original: As if cross-platform Steam support (and a free Steam copy) wasn't "compensation" enough for Valve's previously shoddy PS3 support, Portal 2 will also include PlayStation Move support, according to Valve lead writer Chet Faliszek. In an interview on the German language PlayStation Blog, Faliszek was apologetic to PS3 owners for the Orange Box port that Valve "made the mistake of" letting an external team at EA develop. The port "didn't quite achieve the same quality level that we have at Valve," he understated, before reiterating that Valve has since established a dedicated, in-house PS3 team.

"As a small, remedial measure we have PS3-exclusive cloud storage [of saved games], a free code for [the PC/Mac version] and complete PlayStation Move support [in Portal 2]," Faliszek said (according to a translation), adding, "See it as compensation for Left 4 Dead" -- or, rather, the lack thereof on PS3.

Faliszek noted that Move is a "completely new experience" for the development team, and it's "not yet fully integrated" into the game -- perhaps a factor in the short delay of the game's release to April. The late addition of Move support runs contrary to statements made by Valve's Gabe Newell last fall when he joked with PSM3 that Move and 3D-display support would "have to wait for 'Portal 3' or another title. We won't be supporting those in Portal 2."

Faliszek confirmed that Valve is still not integrating 3D into Portal 2, which is already disorienting enough in 2D. "The levels are changing -- sometimes you stand on your head -- and then again the world seems to turn." It would be too difficult to accurately place portals in 3D, he added.

Finally, he acknowledged that it's "very difficult" to build console-specific mod tools, and user-generated content for Portal 2 will only be creatable on the PC. Given cross-platform compatibility, however, "we are working with Sony to find out a way to get the biggest and most important modifications and maps of PC users on the PS3." Faliszek noted that the mods could possibly be delivered as free DLC (via PSN) or through the Steam Play service itself. As for premium DLC, "we've got quite a lot of crazy ideas," Faliszek teased.

Spoiler Alert! The headline should make it pretty clear: the following is a detailed recap of the introductory moments of the game. Only click past the break if you want to know how the story begins.

As if cross-platform Steam support (and a free Steam copy) wasn't "compensation" enough for Valve's previously shoddy PS3 support, Portal 2 will also include PlayStation Move support, according to Valve lead writer Chet Faliszek. In an interview on the German language PlayStation Blog, Faliszek was apologetic to PS3 owners for the Orange Box port that Valve "made the mistake of" letting an external team at EA develop. The port "didn't quite achieve the same quality level that we have at Valve," he understated, before reiterating that Valve has since established a dedicated, in-house PS3 team.

"As a small, remedial measure we have PS3-exclusive cloud storage [of saved games], a free code for [the PC/Mac version] and complete PlayStation Move support [in Portal 2]," Faliszek said (according to a translation), adding, "See it as compensation for Left 4 Dead" -- or, rather, the lack thereof on PS3.

Faliszek noted that Move is a "completely new experience" for the development team, and it's "not yet fully integrated" into the game -- perhaps a factor in the short delay of the game's release to late April. The late addition of Move support runs contrary to statements made by Valve's Gabe Newell last fall when he joked with PSM3 that Move and 3D-display support would "have to wait for 'Portal 3' or another title. We won't be supporting those in Portal 2."

Faliszek confirmed that Valve is still not integrating 3D into Portal 2, which is already disorienting enough in 2D. "The levels are changing -- sometimes you stand on your head -- and then again the world seems to turn." It would be too difficult to accurately place portals in 3D, he added.

Finally, he acknowledged that it's "very difficult" to build console-specific mod tools, and user-generated content for Portal 2 will only be creatable on the PC. Given cross-platform compatibility, however, "we are working with Sony to find out a way to get the biggest and most important modifications and maps of PC users on the PS3." Faliszek noted that the mods could be delivered as free DLC (via PSN) or through the Steam Play service itself. As for premium DLC, "we've got quite a lot of crazy ideas," Faliszek teased.

#preview There are games you can play in a very loud nightclub, with public relations people hovering, reporters sharing the couch, notebook in your lap, distractions everywhere and yet you can tell: This game is very good. More »

Valve has opened pre-orders for April's Portal 2 via Steam. Your incentive to pre-purchase? Cash savings and a free copy of the original Portal, either to keep or gift. Let's hope this means no more delays! More »

Celebrate your Valentine's Day safely with these tips and guidelines from your friends at Aperture Science!

When Left 4 Dead Valentine's Day cards can't quite express your love for someone anymore, it's time to whip out the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device for some twisted, experimental cuddle creation.

Variety of savings and exclusive content offered at participating outlets worldwide.

#video Or, they do in this clip for Valve's upcoming first-person puzzler, anyway. More »

#toyfair The people at Gaming Heads make some impressive statues based on Valve's best games. Mixed in with some Left4Dead statues we've seen before, here at Toy Fair 2011 there are debuts of a Portal turret and a Left 4 Dead smoker. More »

#portal Chell, the player's character in Portal, was never really the star of the game. You barely even saw what she looked like. Seems that approach is out the window for Portal 2. More »

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