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Valve plans to release a surprise before Portal 2

Because I suck at making threads.

“We’re actually going to release something that we’re not talking about yet that will give a little bit of the story of the interim time,” Erik Wolpaw, one of the writers on Portal 2 told me at PAX East today. “We’re doing that before release.”

SPOILERS

http://kotaku.com/#!5781121/valve-plans-to-bridge-portal-and-portal-2-with-a-surprise-keep-gordon-freeman-out-of-it

"Portal is after Half-Life 1 and before Half-Life 2," Wolpaw said. "Without getting into it too much, Portal 2 is further down the line."


I'm as hardcore of a Valve fan as they come. What I know is that Portal 1 linking to Black Mesa was kinda of accidental since the team was very small and they had to use HL2 assets. After release, Valve backtracked about the connection multiple times. However, this is the first time anyone from Valve has finally said there is a connection. They have finally decided to link both series!

But the big question is whether Portal 2 will contain any info about Episode 3/HL3. OMG I can't wait till April!
 

ZealousD

Makes world leading predictions like "The sun will rise tomorrow"
It was pretty obvious, wasn't it? Didn't Episode 2 also tie itself to Portal?
 

StuBurns

Banned
Well we knew Portal 1 was in the HL universe, and we knew Portal 2 was in the Portal universe so I don't think there was every any doubt about this.

And based on
what we know from the achievements list, there will be a clear story connection as many people expected, and it's probably why they won't talk about EP3
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
As I posted in the other thread awhile ago, there is a very interesting achievement listed in Portal 2. I'll put it here spoiled. Those who want a media blackout best not look, but its...exciting.

Portal 2 achievement:
Ship Overboard - Discover the missing experiment.
 

An-Det

Member
We pretty much knew this already, but official confirmation is nice. Only 38-ish days now until we learn more about the connections, ignoring Valve time.
 

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
StuBurns said:
Well we knew Portal 1 was in the HL universe, and we knew Portal 2 was in the Portal universe so I don't think there was every any doubt about this.

And based on
what we know from the achievements list, there will be a clear story connection as many people expected, and it's probably why they won't talk about EP3

This.

Lasthope106 said:
I'm as hardcore of a Valve fan as they come. What I know is that Portal 1 linking to [the HL universe] was kinda of accidental since the team was very small and they had to use HL2 assets. After release, Valve backtracked about the connection multiple times. However, this is the first time anyone from Valve has finally said there is a connection. They have finally decided to link both series!

The place of Portal within the HL universe wasn't accidental, and Valve never backtracked on such; previews from 2006 mention the game taking place in said universe.
 

bernardobri

Steve, the dog with no powers that we let hang out with us all for some reason
Zeliard said:
So who's Gee-man

GlaDOS, obviously.

V_Ben said:
Also, J.K. Simmons is in the game. Like, seriously.

r6JkF.gif
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Wait, why didn't you include the other news in your post? Valve will be releasing something pre-launch to bridge the time gap.

“We’re actually going to release something that we’re not talking about yet that will give a little bit of the story of the interim time,” Erik Wolpaw, one of the writers on Portal 2 told me at PAX East today. “We’re doing that before release.”
 

StuBurns

Banned
EatChildren said:
Wait, why didn't you include the other news in your post? Valve will be releasing something pre-launch to bridge the time gap.

“We’re actually going to release something that we’re not talking about yet that will give a little bit of the story of the interim time,” Erik Wolpaw, one of the writers on Portal 2 told me at PAX East today. “We’re doing that before release.”
He picked the non-news, strange.

That's awesome to hear, assuming it's not so animated comic garbage.
 
EatChildren said:
Wait, why didn't you include the other news in your post? Valve will be releasing something pre-launch to bridge the time gap.

“We’re actually going to release something that we’re not talking about yet that will give a little bit of the story of the interim time,” Erik Wolpaw, one of the writers on Portal 2 told me at PAX East today. “We’re doing that before release.”

Ok, now I added it at the top. Don't kill me guys, this is my second thread ever. Now if a mod could please change the title.
 
Neuromancer said:
I don't know how you can really marry something so silly (Portal) with something that takes itself so seriously (Half Life 2.)

I don't think the story in Portal was silly. On the contrary it was pretty grim. The ratman went insane!
 
Neuromancer said:
I don't know how you can really marry something so silly (Portal) with something that takes itself so seriously (Half Life 2.)
Portal was frakking unnerving and creepy. I can only hope that Episode 3 catches the awesome.
 

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
StuBurns said:
He picked the non-news, strange.

That's awesome to hear, assuming it's not so animated comic garbage.

It could be a short Source-rendered film a la the "Meet the" series of TF2 shorts.
 

Spire

Subconscious Brolonging
Portal 1 being linked to HL wasn't accidental, there is a damn powerpoint presentation in Portal that's all about Black Mesa for christ's sake.
 

StuBurns

Banned
Neuromancer said:
I don't know how you can really marry something so silly (Portal) with something that takes itself so seriously (Half Life 2.)
Half-Life isn't without levity. It's somber when Gordon is alone, but it's often punch marked with moments of humor and 'silliness', Gabe said they found playing with Dog was the game's highlight for a lot of people, so I could see it being something they do more going forward.

Portal itself is very funny, but it's dark humor, it's really reflective of a twisted person presumably being responsible for the AI of Glados, which ironically relates to Wolpaw himself. If you take the actual subject matter and remove the comedy, it's a lot more sinister than HL2. It's strange, if you play the Milkman level of Psychonauts, it's like a preamble to Portal in tone.
 

Brazil

Living in the shadow of Amaz
Neuromancer said:
I don't know how you can really marry something so silly (Portal) with something that takes itself so seriously (Half Life 2.)
Portal isn't silly at all.

I mean, ok, it is kind of, but it still has a Half-Life feeling to it. I think they fit in the same universe perfectly.
 

WillyFive

Member
Neuromancer said:
I don't know how you can really marry something so silly (Portal) with something that takes itself so seriously (Half Life 2.)

Because that's how it should work? Orange and Blue. Something light balances something dark. If it's too dark then it's not enjoyable, too light and it's a joke. But together, it's a classic.
 

Angry Fork

Member
Can someone refer me to a link or maybe explain in spoiler tags exactly what places/events etc. are shared between Portal and Half Life? I played all of them but I can't remember since I haven't played them for a while now. I want my memory refreshed in time for Portal 2 (or in this case this special thing Valve is doing.)
 

StuBurns

Banned
Angry Fork said:
Can someone refer me to a link or maybe explain in spoiler tags exactly what places/events etc. are shared between Portal and Half Life? I played all of them but I can't remember since I haven't played them for a while now. I want my memory refreshed in time for Portal 2 (or in this case this special thing Valve is doing.)
In Portal there is a projector in a room that compares the performance of Aperture Science to Black Mesa, and in the final song Glados mentions the company.

At the end of HL2:EP2 we're told Gordon must go to find a ship that is part of Aperture Science.
 

Ferrio

Banned
Angry Fork said:
Can someone refer me to a link or maybe explain in spoiler tags exactly what places/events etc. are shared between Portal and Half Life? I played all of them but I can't remember since I haven't played them for a while now. I want my memory refreshed in time for Portal 2 (or in this case this special thing Valve is doing.)

Not to mention
Glados refers to the combine at the end when you destroy her
 

Emitan

Member
Angry Fork said:
Can someone refer me to a link or maybe explain in spoiler tags exactly what places/events etc. are shared between Portal and Half Life? I played all of them but I can't remember since I haven't played them for a while now. I want my memory refreshed in time for Portal 2 (or in this case this special thing Valve is doing.)
Portal is assumed to be taking place during the Seven Hour War, which is when the Combine come to Earth and take over. GlaDOS mentions being the only thing between "us" and "them" or something like that. At the end of Episode 2, you find the remains of the Borealis, an Aperture Science research ship that mysteriously went missing. I'm assuming that some special Aperture experiment that is necessary to fight the Combine is inside, but is extremely dangerous and unstable and could doom everyone.
 
Willy105 said:
Because that's how it should work? Orange and Blue. Something light balances something dark. If it's too dark then it's not enjoyable, too light and it's a joke. But together, it's a classic.
I don't know. To me it feels more like forcing something unnaturally. I think they should have just let it go with the PowerPoint presentation and the bit in the end song, as an Easter egg more than anything else.
 
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