The Portal 2 Pre-release Thread - Now Decrypting!

[schenks]

Dependent on the Wiki being up (it's been getting hammered all day), the info on the individual potatoes is found here.

 

[Nytegard]

Your conclusion is equally flawed. The very top of the page says to play these games to release Portal 2 early. Valve could be outright lying, but I doubt that. Obviously, a logical conclusion upon reading tha page is that the timer is going to reach the "in any event" release date. You jumped to the conclusion that the game is only going to released on time, despite the fact that none of the individual progress bars are filled and the top of the very page says to play them for Portal 2 to be released early.

I never said anything of the sort. I just stated that it's a marketing gimmick and I'm not going to buy into the ignorant BS that many people seem to fall victim too over and over again.

This whole attitude of it's such a great idea, it's your own fault if you pay attention to it, it won't hurt you, etc. is false.

This Pro-Valve attitude is hurting my game-playing hobby, regardless of if I choose to buy Portal 2 or not. They're going to release it when they're going to release it, and all this proves is that you can sell **** to people and make them think that they're getting a good deal. I'm not stating that all the games are bad, but it's not about the Potato Sack games. Two minutes after Portal 2 is released, those games will be forgotten about anyway. But it's this attitude of getting people to spend extra money that's lead us from free editors and maps to having to purchase DLC. It's what's lead to PC games now costing the same as the console version. It's a great marketing gimmick, but all I see is how it proves how ignorant and self-destructive we as consumers really are.

 

[jiminator]

just learned that you get a non-hat with portal - a pin for your chest....

 

[drako]

This Pro-Valve attitude is hurting my game-playing hobby, regardless of if I choose to buy Portal 2 or not. They're going to release it when they're going to release it, and all this proves is that you can sell **** to people and make them think that they're getting a good deal. I'm not stating that all the games are bad, but it's not about the Potato Sack games. Two minutes after Portal 2 is released, those games will be forgotten about anyway. But it's this attitude of getting people to spend extra money that's lead us from free editors and maps to having to purchase DLC. It's what's lead to PC games now costing the same as the console version. It's a great marketing gimmick, but all I see is how it proves how ignorant and self-destructive we as consumers really are.

That's the way capitalism works buddy. I don't like the proliferation of "DLC" either but others do and the majority rules with their wallets. That said I think your supposition connecting this promotion to trends in addon pricing and mod tool availability is tenuous at best.

 

[FreiDOg]

I never said anything of the sort. I just stated that it's a marketing gimmick and I'm not going to buy into the ignorant BS that many people seem to fall victim too over and over again.

This whole attitude of it's such a great idea, it's your own fault if you pay attention to it, it won't hurt you, etc. is false.

This Pro-Valve attitude is hurting my game-playing hobby, regardless of if I choose to buy Portal 2 or not. They're going to release it when they're going to release it, and all this proves is that you can sell **** to people and make them think that they're getting a good deal. I'm not stating that all the games are bad, but it's not about the Potato Sack games. Two minutes after Portal 2 is released, those games will be forgotten about anyway. But it's this attitude of getting people to spend extra money that's lead us from free editors and maps to having to purchase DLC. It's what's lead to PC games now costing the same as the console version. It's a great marketing gimmick, but all I see is how it proves how ignorant and self-destructive we as consumers really are.

I'm not a big fan of this or the treasure hunt they had before the Christmas sale either.
But, Valve is consistently one of the best companies for supporting their paying customers with content.
From the Source SDK tools,
the character and map updates in TF2,
all the new and ported left 4 dead 2 campaigns.


If you want to lament the nickel and dimming of gamers, I'm sure there's a Call of Duty map pack, or [EA annual sports title] release thread around here somewhere that would be much more appropriate.

 

[Jellylesg]

Yes, what a good idea because we all know that if you don't participate Valve won't release the game at all. The bastards. Why don't you pull that stick out of your ass or just go away if you insist on being a crude, violent, humorless dick.

I'm not humourless at all, but I hate the way everyone seems to jizz all over themselves at the merest mention of Valve. It's not like this huge fanfare is even warranted - it's just Portal 2. Was the first portal a good game? Yes. Was it a AAA title? No. Was it popular due largely to the forced whimsy and the CAKE IS A LIE LOOOOOL nonsense? Largely.

Heaven forfend someone should voice an opinion that differs from the majority on a public forum. They must have something up their backside or be a dick.

Basically what it boils down to is my hatred of the simpletons that gush and fawn over Valve unconditionally, as though they're some kind of gracious gaming benefactors, and who buy into marketing. It's marketing; it's the worst thing on the planet, and this is no different. It's asinine. The game's going to come out but will come out earlier if you pay more money and play some games? Balls to that. Do you really want to play the game so badly that you'd encourage and reward that sort of tactic?

 

[saedrin]

You mad.

 

[krotch]

I'm not humourless at all, but I hate the way everyone seems to jizz all over themselves at the merest mention of Valve. It's not like this huge fanfare is even warranted - it's just Portal 2. Was the first portal a good game? Yes. Was it a AAA title? No. Was it popular due largely to the forced whimsy and the CAKE IS A LIE LOOOOOL nonsense? Largely.

Heaven forfend someone should voice an opinion that differs from the majority on a public forum. They must have something up their backside or be a dick.

Basically what it boils down to is my hatred of the simpletons that gush and fawn over Valve unconditionally, as though they're some kind of gracious gaming benefactors, and who buy into marketing. It's marketing; it's the worst thing on the planet, and this is no different. It's asinine. The game's going to come out but will come out earlier if you pay more money and play some games? Balls to that. Do you really want to play the game so badly that you'd encourage and reward that sort of tactic?

I like Valve. Mainly cause it seems like it's still a gaming company that cares for it's fans. I have yet to see a single DLC (which costs money) for any of their games. Well, maybe on Xbox, as MS forces that on them.

I remember CoD when it first came out. They were awesome games. Then they turned into complete crap and they pretty much turned their backs on those who helped them get to where they were. Other companies went the same way or went bankrupt.

 

[ilikecake]

I caved. This is the first game I have preordered since Starcraft (not Starcraft 2). Preloading now at 1.8mb/sec....

 

[Katalysis]

It's not like this huge fanfare is even warranted - it's just Portal 2. Was the first portal a good game? Yes. Was it a AAA title? No. Was it popular due largely to the forced whimsy and the CAKE IS A LIE LOOOOOL nonsense? Largely.

I dislike this marketing stunt, but you, sir, you are insane.

Please tell me what is a AAA title if Portal isn't? Portal has a 90 on metacritic, putting it in roughly the top 50 games of all time on PC, and higher than Starcraft, Morrowind, Warcraft III, and Counterstrike. Portal has a 9.6 user rating on metacritic. The Orange Box has a 9.6 on metacritic, making it the second highest rated of all time. Are these all "simpletons who gush and fawn over Valve?" Portal was a revolutionary puzzle game that Valve thought was a throw away and people loved it to death, and now they are putting big resources behind it. I think it is pretty clear why everyone is excited.

It's pretty clear that u mad. The question is, why u so mad bro?

 

[Plague_Injected]

I'm not humourless at all, but I hate the way everyone seems to jizz all over themselves at the merest mention of Valve. It's not like this huge fanfare is even warranted - it's just Portal 2. Was the first portal a good game? Yes. Was it a AAA title? No. Was it popular due largely to the forced whimsy and the CAKE IS A LIE LOOOOOL nonsense? Largely.

Heaven forfend someone should voice an opinion that differs from the majority on a public forum. They must have something up their backside or be a dick.

Basically what it boils down to is my hatred of the simpletons that gush and fawn over Valve unconditionally, as though they're some kind of gracious gaming benefactors, and who buy into marketing. It's marketing; it's the worst thing on the planet, and this is no different. It's asinine. The game's going to come out but will come out earlier if you pay more money and play some games? Balls to that. Do you really want to play the game so badly that you'd encourage and reward that sort of tactic?

I'm with you Jelly, for what it's worth. I don't hate Valve and I like the post-release support, but the fan worship is ridiculous.

If EA pulled the same stunt but wanted people to play a heap of full-priced EA games, there would be outrage. The fact that it's indie games and indie developers getting the rewards here is the stunt's saving grace.

I dislike this marketing stunt, but you, sir, you are insane.

Please tell me what is a AAA title if Portal isn't?

I won't define what a triple-A title is, but I don't think it's a 3-hour Source mod.

 

[saedrin]

Is it a third-time clone like Black Ops then?

I don't understand the hate.. The game is being released on time either way, if you don't want to play the indie games you don't have to. Valve isn't holding a gun to anyone's head.

 

[Plague_Injected]

Is it a third-time clone like Black Ops then?

I don't understand the hate.. The game is being released on time either way, if you don't want to play the indie games you don't have to. Valve isn't holding a gun to anyone's head.

Mild disagreement/disapproval ≠ hate.

And I'm not a COD fanboy, so I don't really know what you want me to bite at.

 

[Jellylesg]

I dislike this marketing stunt, but you, sir, you are insane.

Please tell me what is a AAA title if Portal isn't? Portal has a 90 on metacritic, putting it in roughly the top 50 games of all time on PC, and higher than Starcraft, Morrowind, Warcraft III, and Counterstrike. Portal has a 9.6 user rating on metacritic. The Orange Box has a 9.6 on metacritic, making it the second highest rated of all time. Are these all "simpletons who gush and fawn over Valve?" Portal was a revolutionary puzzle game that Valve thought was a throw away and people loved it to death, and now they are putting big resources behind it. I think it is pretty clear why everyone is excited.

It's pretty clear that u mad. The question is, why u so mad bro?

Memes and channery demean only yourself.

Portal's rating I don't see as an indicator of a triple-A title. It was an entertaining diversion but a lot of the popularity I'm afraid it seems came from the same contrived fanaticism for anything FUCKAWESOME YEAH that channers and internet stars latch onto, like anything related to bacon or whatever. It was a lighthearted and whimsical game which put it in a niche, and people latched onto the fucking song and cake business like it was the second coming of Christ.

Valve's a great company, and I agree with everything everyone says about post-release support. I like their games, but I don't like how people act like their shit doesn't stink. This marketing strategy, an attempt to get more sales for a game to release "early" a game - which is evidently already finished if they're saying a premature release is viable - as Plague already pointed out is not met with the same bile and vehemence that any other company would be purely because it features some indie games. And I'm willing to bet that that's simply because there's a higher profit margin for Valve on those games than any big titles.

 

[Katalysis]

Memes and channery demean only yourself.

Portal's rating I don't see as an indicator of a triple-A title. It was an entertaining diversion but a lot of the popularity I'm afraid it seems came from the same contrived fanaticism for anything FUCKAWESOME YEAH that channers and internet stars latch onto, like anything related to bacon or whatever. It was a lighthearted and whimsical game which put it in a niche, and people latched onto the fucking song and cake business like it was the second coming of Christ.

Valve's a great company, and I agree with everything everyone says about post-release support. I like their games, but I don't like how people act like their shit doesn't stink. This marketing strategy, an attempt to get more sales for a game to release "early" a game - which is evidently already finished if they're saying a premature release is viable - as Plague already pointed out is not met with the same bile and vehemence that any other company would be purely because it features some indie games. And I'm willing to bet that that's simply because there's a higher profit margin for Valve on those games than any big titles.

You can look at my posts in the rest of this thread where I bitched and moaned about the potato sack early release thing. It's a cash grab, pure and simple, and I agree with you 100% on that.

I also agree that Valve does not deserve to be put on a pedestal because they are independent or because people think they are "in it for the games." They are in it for the games because they are in it for the money just like EA, Activision, etc. They just happen to care enough to maintain their reputation by supporting titles. I am not one of these people who think Gabe Newell is some sort of business genius or the saving grace of PC gaming. I think Valve just treats their customers right and have maintained a rabid fan base because of it. Stunts like this, however, knock them down for a lot of people, myself included, even though I have loved just about every game they have made, as have most PC gamers.

However, to claim Portal was just an internet fad is simply wrong. It was a revolutionary puzzle game. If the game sucked, people would not have latched onto the "fucking song and cake business" as you called it. It was a great game with a great atmosphere. Was it short? Yes, but no more so than the single player campaigns of "AAA titles," and it was not designed to sell or be a stand alone product. Portal was just a toss in to the Orange Box and the fact that it was so loved is what has made Portal 2 a fuller experience and a stand alone title.

I'm not sure what Valve's profit margin is on games they merely distribute. I don't know their business structure. The only thing I will give them credit for in this whole thing is that at least they used games that were not Valve games. If this had been one of the other companies everyone rages at, you better believe they would not be using indie games.

 

[drako]

I see a lot more irrationality coming from the haters here than the "worshippers." Of course it's a marketing stunt. What companies don't do marketing stunts? You are right that if EA did this more people would bitch, and guess what, they'd be wrong in that case too. I see absolutely no reason to get mad about this. If you are patient and can wait until Tuesday, this affects you in absolutely no way! Nothing is forced on you, the game still comes out when it is supposed to.

I don't know what it is but the majority of the community here doesn't seem to be happy unless they are bitching about something AND everyone else agrees with their bitching. The PC gaming community is as dysfunctional as modern political discourse. I certainly wouldn't want to develop for it, but as somebody who actually enjoys playing games instead of forcing righteous indignation at every little thing, I'm glad there are those that do.

And now inevitably someone will call me a stepford because I refuse to be cynical about everything.

 

[Nytegard]

I see a lot more irrationality coming from the haters here than the "worshippers." Of course it's a marketing stunt. What companies don't do marketing stunts? You are right that if EA did this more people would bitch, and guess what, they'd be wrong in that case too. I see absolutely no reason to get mad about this. If you are patient and can wait until Tuesday, this affects you in absolutely no way! Nothing is forced on you, the game still comes out when it is supposed to.

I don't know what it is but the majority of the community here doesn't seem to be happy unless they are bitching about something AND everyone else agrees with their bitching. The PC gaming community is as dysfunctional as modern political discourse. I certainly wouldn't want to develop for it, but as somebody who actually enjoys playing games instead of forcing righteous indignation at every little thing, I'm glad there are those that do.

And now inevitably someone will call me a stepford because I refuse to be cynical about everything.

The irrationality as you stay is a PoV subject. It's fairly hard to get an unbias opinion, because the people who would be unbias about it would not be reading this thread to begin with.

And while I can't speak for anyone else, it's not about Valve per say, but the worshippers. It's not about looking for topics to complain about. Yes, many of my posts lately have been negative. But it's a trend that companies are going toward, and the hypocracy that I see coming from people. They put blinders on when it comes to Valve while complaining about other companies. You're either part of the solution, or you're part of the problem, and honestly, most people are part of the problem.

*EDIT*

And as far as the previous post, I'm not complaining about Portal being a rising cost. (I'm actually not talking about cost at all.) I'm complaining about idiots who fall for stupid (but effective) marketing gimmicks.

 

[drako]

And while I can't speak for anyone else, it's not about Valve per say, but the worshippers. It's not about looking for topics to complain about. Yes, many of my posts lately have been negative. But it's a trend that companies are going toward, and the hypocracy that I see coming from people. They put blinders on when it comes to Valve while complaining about other companies. You're either part of the solution, or you're part of the problem, and honestly, most people are part of the problem.

I have a problem with equating people who don't have issues with this marketing scheme to being Valve worshippers. It's an unfair characterization of the people in this thread who are excited about the game and enjoy what Valve puts out.

Look, I don't like many of the trends found today in gaming either. I don't like companies withholding mod tools because I get less value from a product. I don't like companies charging for additional content (MP maps) that used to be free because I have to pay money to keep my product complete. I don't like always on DRM because it means I can't play SP games on an offline computer whereas before I could. This Portal 2 promotion, or the TF2 hats, are not equivalent to those trends. I can not spend a dime on the indie games and still get the full Portal 2 experience when it is scheduled to be released. I can not buy a single TF2 hat and still get the same gameplay experience that I would if I had.

The reason Valve doesn't get the same kind of crap that other developers do is that their monetization of the experience is completely optional and doesn't affect your gameplay experience in any way. The important content (additional maps and levels) is still released for free by them, which makes them one of the very few. If and when (I think it will probably be when) Valve starts charging $5 for an additional Portal 2 scenario or Counter-Strike map, then you'll hear people complaining. But to expect people to get mad at Valve for doing something that affects them in no way is silly.

It's like getting mad at Six Flags for having a promotion where you need to a certain amount of Coke to get a discount on tickets. I don't drink soda, so I won't participate. But I'm not going to get all in a tizzy about it because two companies thought up a creative way to market their respective products.

 

[Technater]

Valve is a monster. They have fun all day long making video games, then then have the audacity of release free content on a regular basis. What sick F***s.... They make other great companies, like EA, look bad.

 

[Johnked6]

I applaud Valve for this promotion. It's a win/win for everyone, the fans gets free content and the chance to have Portal 2 released a little early. Valve gets free publicity and a chance to sell more games.

I just played the free content for Amnesia, Justine. Wow, Justine is just as scary as the main game. Must play for any Amnesia fan.

 

[gssjr]

Seems that one game always has accelerated progress until it is complete. Then, a new game will be accelerated. I suggest testing this by having people focus on games which seem to have low CPUs but high progress complete. For example, Killing Floor has consistently had the highest number of CPUs since GLaDOS@Home launch, and it has one of the lowest completed progresses. I think it's awarding players for playing the lesser known indie games. GO GO GO

 

[The King of Pants]

Seems that one game always has accelerated progress until it is complete. Then, a new game will be accelerated. I suggest testing this by having people focus on games which seem to have low CPUs but high progress complete. For example, Killing Floor has consistently had the highest number of CPUs since GLaDOS@Home launch, and it has one of the lowest completed progresses. I think it's awarding players for playing the lesser known indie games. GO GO GO

I'm guessing the weekend Killing Floor players have few Potatos...

Edit: also please notice the total number of processor hours needed for compleation of Killing Floor, 1.2 mil vs 60k for AAAAAAA!!!

 

[The King of Pants]

In other news: Are you playing AAAaaaaAAAaaa? Well get cracking!

 

[Serpico]

I picked up a copy of Portal 2 for the PS3 from an indie shop yesterday afternoon. It comes with a code for the PC version and that's all preloaded, but I played through the PS3 version yesterday afternoon and night. For those concerned, the PS3 version is an excellent port. It looks amazing, significantly better than the console versions of Orange Box or Left 4 Dead.

Anyway, the game is phenomenal, better than I was expecting even with my ridiculously high expectations. The writing and voice acting are A+ and the puzzles are alternately delightful and diabolical. Anyone concerned about length shouldn't be, the single player campaign on a first playthrough will range anywhere from 6-10 hours, depending on how stuck you get on certain puzzles.

It is my favorite single player Valve game. I'll be playing the single player again when it unlocks on PC. Onto co-op!

 

[Jellylesg]

You can look at my posts in the rest of this thread where I bitched and moaned about the potato sack early release thing. It's a cash grab, pure and simple, and I agree with you 100% on that.

I also agree that Valve does not deserve to be put on a pedestal because they are independent or because people think they are "in it for the games." They are in it for the games because they are in it for the money just like EA, Activision, etc. They just happen to care enough to maintain their reputation by supporting titles. I am not one of these people who think Gabe Newell is some sort of business genius or the saving grace of PC gaming. I think Valve just treats their customers right and have maintained a rabid fan base because of it. Stunts like this, however, knock them down for a lot of people, myself included, even though I have loved just about every game they have made, as have most PC gamers.

However, to claim Portal was just an internet fad is simply wrong. It was a revolutionary puzzle game. If the game sucked, people would not have latched onto the "fucking song and cake business" as you called it. It was a great game with a great atmosphere. Was it short? Yes, but no more so than the single player campaigns of "AAA titles," and it was not designed to sell or be a stand alone product. Portal was just a toss in to the Orange Box and the fact that it was so loved is what has made Portal 2 a fuller experience and a stand alone title.

I'm not sure what Valve's profit margin is on games they merely distribute. I don't know their business structure. The only thing I will give them credit for in this whole thing is that at least they used games that were not Valve games. If this had been one of the other companies everyone rages at, you better believe they would not be using indie games.

Conceded. I'm being influenced by my hatred of all the people who post "THE CAKE IS A LIE HAWHAHHAWHAWHAHWHAW" at every opportunity.

 

[Drudenhaus]

Too much money. I'll wait to see if it has 4-5x the content of the original and still will likely end up getting it on a weekend sale.

 

[TheSmJ]

Is it just me, or does the counter not move forward any faster after a game's CPU time is "finished"?

I checked the release time yesterday and today, before and after the two games collected enough CPUs, and the timer seems to be the same as it would be if there was no progress at all.

 

[Serpico]

Too much money. I'll wait to see if it has 4-5x the content of the original and still will likely end up getting it on a weekend sale.

The single player alone is over 4-5 times longer than Portal, given that Portal is about 90 minutes to 2 hours and Portal 2 (at least on first play) is 6-10 hours depending on how long it takes to solve certain puzzles.

And there is co-op that is supposed to be about as long.

 

[rigphoria]

It's amazing to me that so many people are getting their panties twisted over this early unlock thing. The game was slated to come out on Tuesday, then Valve decided to give some indie devs a nice marketing bump in addition to giving the steam community a chance to unlock Portal 2 a bit early. A win/win situation for everyone involved and still Valve is taking flak for doing something fun and a bit original.

 

[Dion]

It's amazing to me that so many people are getting their panties twisted over this early unlock thing. The game was slated to come out on Tuesday, then Valve decided to give some indie devs a nice marketing bump in addition to giving the steam community a chance to unlock Portal 2 a bit early. A win/win situation for everyone involved and still Valve is taking flak for doing something fun and a bit original.

Well said. Indie devs need more support as it is. They make great games and don't get alot of the attention they deserve. Maybe if we added a Call of Duty tag to there name they would. Call of Duty Torchlight !

 

[drako]

Stuff about the game...

I'm incredibly jealous! I'd love to be able to play it this weekend as this coming week is just going to be really busy unfortunately.

Thanks for the report though and leaving out any spoilers. Glad to hear you liked it so much.

 

[Drudenhaus]

The single player alone is over 4-5 times longer than Portal, given that Portal is about 90 minutes to 2 hours and Portal 2 (at least on first play) is 6-10 hours depending on how long it takes to solve certain puzzles.

And there is co-op that is supposed to be about as long.

I'll wait until reviewers confirm. If that is in fact the case, it'll be a must buy for me. I'm just ever the skeptic ya know lol.

 

[timtheenchantor]

Good info from the latest posters. Also, this strategy to release Portal 2 early is a good one. Keep it up Valve!

 

[TheSmJ]

It looks like each game represents one hour of time, based on the two that already completed. It appears as though the very earliest the game could be released is 4/18/11 @ 10 PM EST.

Since it's pretty safe to assume all games won't finish, at best we could get portal 2 released 2-4 hours ahead of time. Nothing worth getting excited about.

 

[The King of Pants]

Next Game! Fire Fire Fire!

(moving to Audiosurf my self because I don't have any of the ones that come before it. )

 

[stiltner]

I wish Audiosurf worked for me. It crashes on my MP3's and WMA's. Which kinda sucks I was enjoying it a lot.

As far as crying about selling the potato sack thing. Its a sale, like any other sale, it just has added benefits of helping Portal 2 release early. If you're angry about that, how about I take some of your paycheck away and claim its because your marketing worked.

Then let's see how angry you get. It got me to buy the product, and you know what, I've had a lot of fun over the past few days playing the games. Will I play them more after Portal 2 comes out? Yep, I've enjoyed a few and haven't played a few yet either.

Oh and before AAAAAH hits 100%, the timer just dropped by 2 hours FYI

 

[krotch]

w00t, was able to preload Portal 2 before it's release. Now...a 1 gig update. WTF.

 

[Serpico]

I'm incredibly jealous! I'd love to be able to play it this weekend as this coming week is just going to be really busy unfortunately.

Thanks for the report though and leaving out any spoilers. Glad to hear you liked it so much.

Fortunately I live near a store that doesn't understand the concept of "street date".

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it is my favorite single player game from Valve yet. It is so funny and polished and confident in what it is. I wish I could talk about it more, but nobody else here has played it and the last thing I would want to do is spoil anything that happens.

Go into it knowing as little as possible. You will be smiling, guaranteed.

Easy GOTY for me, and I haven't even cracked the co-op yet.

 

[Andrew_Carr]

Thanks for the great news Serpico. I loved the first game and was really hoping the sequel could live up to its expectation.

 

[The King of Pants]

Just under 1000 Potatoes to go!