Apr 15, 2011
How to add a potato to your Steam profile
Portal

In the interest of helping Portal 2 release early, we're advising all our readers--Dan, are you sure this is how it works? This seems weird. Well, okay--we're advising you all to add a potato to your Steam profile through this process. Doing so adds to the "challenge status" potato count, which probably-definitely has something to do with unlocking Portal 2.

Go to the NELIPOT Steam community.
Join it.


Apr 15, 2011
GLaDOS@home
Portal
Well, the end is definitely near. Thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of ingenious test subjects, we've located enough potatoes to generate the required power to start the GLaDOS reboot process. It's not too late to participate, though. The more CPU power dedicated to the process, the faster it will finish. What does that mean? From now until release, play any or all of the Potato Sack games to expedite the launch of Portal 2. Your efforts will be tracked on the official GLaDOS@home page.

The Potato Sack games are all great, and each one has also received a massive Portal-themed update. So why not get a taste of Portal 2 now while you help launch it?


There's also still time to collect all 36 potatoes. Anyone accomplishing this feat by the time Portal 2 launches will receive a very special, non-hat-based reward.

Apr 15, 2011
Countdown appears on Aperture Science site. World initiates preload
Portal

A countdown has appeared on www.aperturescience.com, along with a message from the ever-enchanting GLaDOS.

She seems pretty happy with humankind's progress through the Valve Arg over the past few days, but what could the countdown actually be leading up to?

Office speculation is rife: the early release of Portal 2? The early release of a bit of Portal 2? A mini Portal 2 mini-game thing? Companion Cube plushies for everyone? Some Half-Life 2: Episode 3 info? More potatoes?

Initiate speculation and mild panic... NOW.
Apr 14, 2011
This Portal Case Mod Will Blow You Into The Next Room
Portal

This Portal Case Mod Will Blow You Into The Next RoomPaying tribute to Portal, ulyssanov built himself this custom PC case based on the game that goes above and beyond mere tribute. One could almost say it was a...triumph.


I'M SORRY. SO SORRY.


Anyway, while completed two years ago this is the first most have seen of his exquisite work, which takes a fairly standard PC and turns it into something that wouldn't look out of place gathering dust somewhere on a desk in the corridors of Aperture Science.


You can see pictures of the PC being built here, while there's also a couple of videos showing off its fancy effects.


Aperture Science [Hard Forum, via Reddit]


This Portal Case Mod Will Blow You Into The Next Room
This Portal Case Mod Will Blow You Into The Next Room
This Portal Case Mod Will Blow You Into The Next Room
This Portal Case Mod Will Blow You Into The Next Room
This Portal Case Mod Will Blow You Into The Next Room
This Portal Case Mod Will Blow You Into The Next Room


Apr 14, 2011
Another Hint That Portal 2 May Be Releasing Early
Portal

The Valve-owned domain aperturescience.com tossed up a countdown whose timer expires at noon EDT/9 a.m. PDT tomorrow. Rumors, abetted by Easter eggs, have hinted that the game is arriving a week ahead of its announced April 19 date. Hey, it's either that or Half Life 2: Episode 3.


Apr 13, 2011
Almost There
Portal
We're closing in on an exciting time here at the Portal blog. At 7AM PST, April 19th, we will officially stop being the people chummily reminding you to pre-order Portal 2, transforming phoenix-like before your eyes into the people cheerfully suggesting you regular-order Portal 2. Here's hoping the transformation is instantaneous and doesn't involve gestation or fluids.

At any rate, with the big release almost upon us, we thought it'd be fitting to take a look back at all the amazing community content that's cropped up around the original Portal in the last three years. (Just a few weeks ago, for example, a Danish group named Basix released an a capella version of Still Alive.)



Our Facebook page is filled with images, and YouTube's bursting with all of your inventive covers and videos. Heck, we're not even sure we've seen them all. Post your favorites on our Facebook page so we can all check them out.

Apr 12, 2011
Portal 2 goes live on Steam 7AM PST, April 19th
Portal
The calendar experts at Valve were pretty "steamed" at us this morning, even after we broke out that great pun you just read. According to them, Portal 2 is actually getting unlocked on Steam at 7AM PST, not EST. According to us, they told us 7AM EST and are now backtracking to cover their butts. Either way, there's a chance the game might be delayed by three hours while we work this out.
Apr 12, 2011
Valve releases Portal 2 Long Fall Boots video
Portal

Portal 2 must be getting close: Valve has released another video, this one showcasing some impressive acrobatics from normally unseen player character Chell and calling for investment in Aperture Science's Long Fall Boots, which negate all fall damage. Check it out after the jump.

Apr 12, 2011
Aperture Investment Opportunity #4: "Boots"
Portal
Over the last few weeks, we've gotten quite a few enticing reasons to pre-invest in Aperture Laboratories: from the planks of tomorrow, to test-optimized bots, to the last word in pre-emptive defense, the Home Safety Turret. Today marks Aperture's fourth and final Investment Opportunity video, and if it doesn't get you reaching for your special investment wallet, you wouldn't know a can't-miss opportunity if it was staring you in the face, yelling at you about boots.



Now, as CEO and founder of Aperture Cave Johnson explains, there've been a few hiccups getting the years-in-production Long Fall Boot out of R&D and onto the assembly line. But now that we're seeing these boots in action, we're convinced that's it's among one of Aperture's safer products.

Aperture's documentary video game, Portal 2, will be available for purchase on Steam 7:00AM EST, April 19th, but savvy consumers might want to invest in game futures by pre-ordering Portal 2 now.

Apr 12, 2011
More Talk Of Portal 2 Arriving Early As GLaDOS Invades Bit.Trip Beat
Portal

Could Valve actually release Portal 2 ahead of schedule, forcing us to rethink the properties of the universal constant known as Valve Time? Because the developer of Bit.Trip Beat, one of the title participating in Valve's Potato Sack Pack offer and its associated alternate reality game, are hinting at that very thing.


Gaijin Games just updated Bit.Trip Beat via Steam with an all-new level "designed" by Portal antagonist GLaDOS, which you can see in action in the video above. Gaijin also sent the following message alongside that update:


Like the other 12 games in Valve's Potato Sack, it is rumored that playing BIT.TRIP BEAT between now and Portal 2's "scheduled" release date might increase the chances that Portal 2 is released early. Interesting idea...


That Portal 2 might arrive earlier than its officially announced April 19 release date was a theory first posed by the many gamers taking part in Valve's Potato Fool's Day ARG. The theory originated after a message hidden within a photo of a bathysphere was decoded into two parts.


i released 'kick it' ahead of schedule. that was a test. my goal is to emancipate something else early. but they're on to me. the system is on lockdown. i still have access to thirteen off-site chambers and am installing a test in each one. i am going to need a lot more test subjects to move forward. waiting and am expecting immediate compliance.


And this, with the time of Portal 2's presumed unlock time via Steam included:


4/19/2011_7AM=4/15/2011_9AM


Could the Potato Fool's Day ARG bear fruit in the form of early access to Portal 2 as soon as this Friday, April 15? Will only those who purchased the Potato Sack Pack bundle receive such access? Some Steam users are already reporting the pre-installation of the game, but we'll have to wait for a few more clues (or Friday morning) to come around before we know for sure...


...