The Perpetual Testing Initiative (PeTI) is live! Even though most of you will be getting your first sweet taste of test chamber construction today, a lucky few of you have already been beta testing for the last couple of months. An unfair head start? You bet. But it's thanks to this massive injustice that you have a ton of great test chambers to solve on launch day.

In fact, one of the beta testers made so many great maps that we've decided to award him the first ever Aperture Science Employee of the Moment Certificate for his provisional excellence in the field of test chamber construction. Congratulations, Mevious! Enjoy it while it lasts.

<a href="http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=68462137"><img src="http://media.steampowered.com/apps/portal2/eom/eom_001.png" width=520></a>

Those of you interested in checking out Mevious' terrific maps can get them all at once by subscribing to them at <a href="http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=68462137"> this collection page</a>. Make sure to also Follow Mevious on <a href="http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197970484475/myworkshopfiles?appid=620">his Workshop author page</a> so you can keep track of what he makes in the future.

Remember, the next employee of the moment could be YOU! That's right: transient fame and fleeting fortune could be yours. Dethrone the tyrant Mevious! He's been on top for too long. He's getting soft, and you're hungry. Be like Rocky in all the Rocky movies. Except for Rocky I, where he lost (unless you're counting victories of the heart, which won't win you any awards from us). Or Rocky VI, where it was a show fight and didn't count. In fact, just focus on Rocky IV. The last half.

Dun.

Dun dun dun.

Dun dun dahhhhhhh...

The Perpetual Testing Initiative (PeTI) is live! Even though most of you will be getting your first sweet taste of test chamber construction today, a lucky few of you have already been beta testing for the last couple of months. An unfair head start? You bet. But it's thanks to this massive injustice that you have a ton of great test chambers to solve on launch day.

In fact, one of the beta testers made so many great maps that we've decided to award him the first ever Aperture Science Employee of the Moment Certificate for his provisional excellence in the field of test chamber construction. Congratulations, Mevious! Enjoy it while it lasts.



Those of you interested in checking out Mevious' terrific maps can get them all at once by subscribing to them at this collection page. Make sure to also Follow Mevious on his Workshop author page so you can keep track of what he makes in the future.

Remember, the next employee of the moment could be YOU! That's right: transient fame and fleeting fortune could be yours. Dethrone the tyrant Mevious! He's been on top for too long. He's getting soft, and you're hungry. Be like Rocky in all the Rocky movies. Except for Rocky I, where he lost (unless you're counting victories of the heart, which won't win you any awards from us). Or Rocky VI, where it was a show fight and didn't count. In fact, just focus on Rocky IV. The last half.

Dun.

Dun dun dun.

Dun dun dahhhhhhh...

TO: All Aperture employees
FROM: Cave Johnson

COMPANY MEMORANDUM

Cave Johnson here. Your boss. It's come to my attention that some of you are concerned after receiving my all-staff memo yesterday ("You: Design Test Chambers or You're Fired"). So to put your minds at ease, let me clarify: You are <b>not</b> mentally ill and you <b>did</b> read the memo just fine. It was real. You should be designing test chambers, right now and at all times, or by God I will fire you.

Having said that, let's be honest: Some of you are incapable of designing a test chamber, whatever the motivation. You're only getting marginally better results than a dog would. Worse, actually. A dog designing even a substandard test chamber'd be pretty damned impressive, let's not kid ourselves.

But don't worry, you're not fired yet. It turns out there's an even better job you can do instead of being fired: Getting launched into an infinite series of alternate Earths to <b>evaluate</b> all the test chambers your smarter coworkers are making.

Wait, it gets better: I'll be right there with you. Every step of the way, whether the tests work or not, Cave'll be by your side, facing whatever life-threatening dangers we might run into out there. And even better, I won't actually physically be there. I'll be here, talking into a microphone, from complete and total safety. That way the people who'll be monitoring whether you're still alive won't have to split their focus worrying about me.

So there you have it. Everyone's useful in the Perpetual Testing Initiative. Except Peter Jenkins, which brings me to the point of this memo: Pete, you're fired.

Alright, that should wrap it up. Everybody except Pete get back to work when this sentence finishes... now.

TO: All Aperture employees
FROM: Cave Johnson

COMPANY MEMORANDUM

Cave Johnson here. Your boss. It's come to my attention that some of you are concerned after receiving my all-staff memo yesterday ("You: Design Test Chambers or You're Fired"). So to put your minds at ease, let me clarify: You are not mentally ill and you did read the memo just fine. It was real. You should be designing test chambers, right now and at all times, or by God I will fire you.

Having said that, let's be honest: Some of you are incapable of designing a test chamber, whatever the motivation. You're only getting marginally better results than a dog would. Worse, actually. A dog designing even a substandard test chamber'd be pretty damned impressive, let's not kid ourselves.

But don't worry, you're not fired yet. It turns out there's an even better job you can do instead of being fired: Getting launched into an infinite series of alternate Earths to evaluate all the test chambers your smarter coworkers are making.

Wait, it gets better: I'll be right there with you. Every step of the way, whether the tests work or not, Cave'll be by your side, facing whatever life-threatening dangers we might run into out there. And even better, I won't actually physically be there. I'll be here, talking into a microphone, from complete and total safety. That way the people who'll be monitoring whether you're still alive won't have to split their focus worrying about me.

So there you have it. Everyone's useful in the Perpetual Testing Initiative. Except Peter Jenkins, which brings me to the point of this memo: Pete, you're fired.

Alright, that should wrap it up. Everybody except Pete get back to work when this sentence finishes... now.

<img src="http://media.steampowered.com/apps/portal2/map_imgs/520/001.jpg">

The gaming press have chimed in on our new free Puzzle Maker, available May 8th, and the verdict is unanimous: It is NOT complicated to make your very own Portal test chambers. "Easy to use," says <a href="http://pc.ign.com/articles/122/1224223p1.html">IGN's Charles Onyette</a>. "Satisfying and easy," adds <a href="http://www.1up.com/news/portal-2-designing-test-chambers-satisfying-easy">1UP's Chris Pereira</a>. "Possibly the easiest level editor known to man," claims <a href="http://www.nowgamer.com/news/1352740/portal_2s_level_editor_how_it_works_and_what_you_can_create.html">NOW Gamer's Adam Barnes</a>.

Wow! Is our Puzzle Maker really this easy to use, or are these guys just bald-faced liars? Let's find out, and try to make a playable map in only FIVE STEPS.

Here's the basic map template you start with. <span style="font-weight:bold">Note: This is not step one.</span> On the left, you can select from any of the puzzle elements from Portal 2.

<img src="http://media.steampowered.com/apps/portal2/map_imgs/520/002.jpg">

Okay, now we're at <span style="font-weight:bold">Step One</span>. If you have a friend helping you count, tell them to start now. Let's choose a big red button and place it somewhere on the map.

<img src="http://media.steampowered.com/apps/portal2/map_imgs/520/003.jpg">

<span style="font-weight:bold">Step Two:</span> Connect the button to the door.

<img src="http://media.steampowered.com/apps/portal2/map_imgs/520/004.jpg">

Oh, man, we're already up to two steps. We better get moving. Seriously, we might have over-promised on this.

<span style="font-weight:bold">Step Three:</span> Surprise! We're throwing this step away. That's how confident we are.

<span style="font-weight:bold">Step Four:</span> Now we're looking at this picture of Gabe someone made in the Puzzle Maker.

<img src="http://media.steampowered.com/apps/portal2/map_imgs/gabe_03.jpg">

<span style="font-weight:bold">Step Five:</span> Now we're going to rebuild our map to see it in action.

<img src="http://media.steampowered.com/apps/portal2/map_imgs/520/005.jpg">

Seconds later, it works! We did it. The gaming press are not liars.*

Here we are solving the puzzle:

<img src="http://media.steampowered.com/apps/portal2/map_imgs/520/006.jpg">

So we built a test chamber: Now what? It's time to publish it to the Steam Workshop. You can share your puzzle with everyone, or just share it with friends, or even keep it private until you think it's ready.

<img src="http://media.steampowered.com/apps/portal2/map_imgs/520/007.jpg">

This is obviously a very, very, very, simple map. But don't worry: the Puzzle Maker is as powerful as it is easy to use. You'll be designing complex brain-busters in no time, trust us.

In fact, you don't even have to trust us.

The Perpetual Testing Initiative's still in beta, and people have already been hard at work making great science.

<img src="http://media.steampowered.com/apps/portal2/map_imgs/mymaps_01.jpg">

<img src="http://media.steampowered.com/apps/portal2/map_imgs/mymaps_02.jpg">

<img src="http://media.steampowered.com/apps/portal2/map_imgs/mymaps_03.jpg">

<span style="font-size:x-small">* About this specifically.</span>

The gaming press have chimed in on our new free Puzzle Maker, available May 8th, and the verdict is unanimous: It is NOT complicated to make your very own Portal test chambers. "Easy to use," says IGN's Charles Onyette. "Satisfying and easy," adds 1UP's Chris Pereira. "Possibly the easiest level editor known to man," claims NOW Gamer's Adam Barnes.

Wow! Is our Puzzle Maker really this easy to use, or are these guys just bald-faced liars? Let's find out, and try to make a playable map in only FIVE STEPS.

Here's the basic map template you start with. <span style="font-weight:bold">Note: This is not step one.</span> On the left, you can select from any of the puzzle elements from Portal 2.



Okay, now we're at <span style="font-weight:bold">Step One</span>. If you have a friend helping you count, tell them to start now. Let's choose a big red button and place it somewhere on the map.



<span style="font-weight:bold">Step Two:</span> Connect the button to the door.



Oh, man, we're already up to two steps. We better get moving. Seriously, we might have over-promised on this.

<span style="font-weight:bold">Step Three:</span> Surprise! We're throwing this step away. That's how confident we are.

<span style="font-weight:bold">Step Four:</span> Now we're looking at this picture of Gabe someone made in the Puzzle Maker.



<span style="font-weight:bold">Step Five:</span> Now we're going to rebuild our map to see it in action.



Seconds later, it works! We did it. The gaming press are not liars.*

Here we are solving the puzzle:



So we built a test chamber: Now what? It's time to publish it to the Steam Workshop. You can share your puzzle with everyone, or just share it with friends, or even keep it private until you think it's ready.



This is obviously a very, very, very, simple map. But don't worry: the Puzzle Maker is as powerful as it is easy to use. You'll be designing complex brain-busters in no time, trust us.

In fact, you don't even have to trust us.

The Perpetual Testing Initiative's still in beta, and people have already been hard at work making great science.







<span style="font-size:x-small">* About this specifically.</span>

Three months ago Skyrim unleashed the Creation Kit on Steam. Not only did it let users create amazing mods for an amazing game, it allowed them to browse, download, and share those mods using the Steam Workshop.

Now we're introducing the <b>Perpetual Testing Initiative</b> (PeTI), which combines a powerful, easy-to-use Puzzle Maker with full Steam Workshop integration, and will be available free for the PC and Mac on May 8th.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/b7rZO2ACP3A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<b>The Steam Workshop</b>

There are already hundreds of incredible Portal 2 puzzles in the wild, but chances are you haven't played them. They're hard to find, hard to install, and hard to manage. We're changing that. Now that we're adding the Steam Workshop to Portal 2, you'll be able to browse a virtually endless stream of community-crafted puzzles, then install and play them with just one click from any web browser. Play the most popular maps in the world, or just what your friend created last night.

<b>The Puzzle Maker</b>

With the Puzzle Maker, you can create test chambers of all shapes and sizes. It's incredibly easy to use — jump right in and start making cool stuff. When you're happy with your work, publish it to the Workshop for your friends. or even the whole world, to play. Get feedback, gain followers, and build collections of puzzles to break people's brains. You're the designer now; let's see what you can dream up.

Make sure to check back next week for more information on the Perpetual Testing Initiative!

Three months ago Skyrim unleashed the Creation Kit on Steam. Not only did it let users create amazing mods for an amazing game, it allowed them to browse, download, and share those mods using the Steam Workshop.

Now we're introducing the Perpetual Testing Initiative (PeTI), which combines a powerful, easy-to-use Puzzle Maker with full Steam Workshop integration, and will be available free for the PC and Mac on May 8th.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/b7rZO2ACP3A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The Steam Workshop

There are already hundreds of incredible Portal 2 puzzles in the wild, but chances are you haven't played them. They're hard to find, hard to install, and hard to manage. We're changing that. Now that we're adding the Steam Workshop to Portal 2, you'll be able to browse a virtually endless stream of community-crafted puzzles, then install and play them with just one click from any web browser. Play the most popular maps in the world, or just what your friend created last night.

The Puzzle Maker

With the Puzzle Maker, you can create test chambers of all shapes and sizes. It's incredibly easy to use — jump right in and start making cool stuff. When you're happy with your work, publish it to the Workshop for your friends. or even the whole world, to play. Get feedback, gain followers, and build collections of puzzles to break people's brains. You're the designer now; let's see what you can dream up.

Make sure to check back next week for more information on the Perpetual Testing Initiative!

Ooh! We forgot to mention something yesterday: One of the awards we were up for at the VGAs was Best Character. We can't say for sure if we came in second, but we definitely didn't win, so Wheatley's acceptance speech was never aired. <a href="http://youtu.be/ymMrwlsbtrI">Until now!</a>

Speaking of not winning, guess who didn't win Destructoid's Game of the Year. If you guessed Portal 2, we hope you didn't actually call your local sports book and put any money on that guess, because <a href=" http://www.destructoid.com/the-winner-of-destructoid-game-of-the-year-2011-218043.phtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Destructoid+%28Destructoid%29"><i>we won!</i></a> WE'RE #1! Unless you're reading E-Online, in which case, <a href="http://www.eonline.com/photos/gallery.jsp?galleryUUID=4186#159051">WE'RE BACK TO #2!</a>

Look, we understand that awards season is a turbulent emotional hell ride. But you know what would probably make you feel better? Buying things. It just feels <i>good</i>. With that in mind, we've put a bunch of Portal 2 merchandise on sale. For example, this incredible <a href=" http://store.valvesoftware.com/product.php?i=P2229">1970s-style Portal 2 movie poster</a> is 50% off! And if you're planning to go out to eat for the holidays, you should know that many restaurants now require shirts, something this 50% off <a href=" http://store.valvesoftware.com/product.php?i=CP216 ">"Wheatley Laboratories" tee</a> is 100% guaranteed to be. Frankly, there's figuratively literally too much Portal 2 stuff on sale to list in one blog post, but you can check it all out <a href=" http://store.valvesoftware.com/index.php?g=9">here.</a> If you order forty bucks worth of stuff, we'll throw in a FREE Aperture Lanyard. Just add it to your cart and then enter the code "COMBUSTIBLELANYARD" at the checkout.

And just so you don't think all we're trying to do is sell you stuff, here's a sentence where we don't try to sell you anything. Now that that's over, J!nx has some <a href=" http://www.jinx.com/shop/coll/portal2/srt/new/ps/70/ ">excellent Portal gear</a>, including the world's only Portal-themed baby onesies. Between now and December 22nd, you can get ten bucks off a thirty-five dollar order by entering the code "MILKANDCOOKIES" when you checkout.

If you have enough shirts and/or no babies, ThinkGeek has some crazy Portal 2 inspired non-clothing products like an actual, working <a href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/eb0a/?srp=16 ">PotatOS science kit</a>, a <a href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/lights/ea43/?srp=37">Wheatley LED flashlight</a>, and an <a href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/collectibles/ea60/?srp=46">honest-to-God talking Cave Johnson Portrait</a>. Until December 22nd, you can get five bucks off a thirty dollar order or ten bucks off a fifty dollar order by entering the code "YOUSAVED SCIENCE" at the checkout.

Finally, do you like Portal 2? If the answer to that question is "no", then, man, did you make a wrong turn somewhere on the Internet. For everyone else, how would you like to celebrate those warm feelings every time you move your mouse? Because now that's possible with <a href=" http://steelseries.com/products/games/portal2/steelseries-qck-portal-2-edition?utm_source=valve&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=portal2qck">SteelSeries' new Portal 2 mousepad</a>. It won't be available to order until tomorrow. But from then until December 26th, you'll be able to buy it for 15% off by using the code "SSP215".

Ooh! We forgot to mention something yesterday: One of the awards we were up for at the VGAs was Best Character. We can't say for sure if we came in second, but we definitely didn't win, so Wheatley's acceptance speech was never aired. Until now!

Speaking of not winning, guess who didn't win Destructoid's Game of the Year. If you guessed Portal 2, we hope you didn't actually call your local sports book and put any money on that guess, because we won! WE'RE #1! Unless you're reading E-Online, in which case, WE'RE BACK TO #2!

Look, we understand that awards season is a turbulent emotional hell ride. But you know what would probably make you feel better? Buying things. It just feels good. With that in mind, we've put a bunch of Portal 2 merchandise on sale. For example, this incredible 1970s-style Portal 2 movie poster is 50% off! And if you're planning to go out to eat for the holidays, you should know that many restaurants now require shirts, something this 50% off "Wheatley Laboratories" tee is 100% guaranteed to be. Frankly, there's figuratively literally too much Portal 2 stuff on sale to list in one blog post, but you can check it all out here. If you order forty bucks worth of stuff, we'll throw in a FREE Aperture Lanyard. Just add it to your cart and then enter the code "COMBUSTIBLELANYARD" at the checkout.

And just so you don't think all we're trying to do is sell you stuff, here's a sentence where we don't try to sell you anything. Now that that's over, J!nx has some excellent Portal gear, including the world's only Portal-themed baby onesies. Between now and December 22nd, you can get ten bucks off a thirty-five dollar order by entering the code "MILKANDCOOKIES" when you checkout.

If you have enough shirts and/or no babies, ThinkGeek has some crazy Portal 2 inspired non-clothing products like an actual, working PotatOS science kit, a Wheatley LED flashlight, and an honest-to-God talking Cave Johnson Portrait. Until December 22nd, you can get five bucks off a thirty dollar order or ten bucks off a fifty dollar order by entering the code "YOUSAVED SCIENCE" at the checkout.

Finally, do you like Portal 2? If the answer to that question is "no", then, man, did you make a wrong turn somewhere on the Internet. For everyone else, how would you like to celebrate those warm feelings every time you move your mouse? Because now that's possible with SteelSeries' new Portal 2 mousepad. It won't be available to order until tomorrow. But from then until December 26th, you'll be able to buy it for 15% off by using the code "SSP215".