Portal 2 ARG, it begins...

[Drac]

Earlier today halelift2.net editor posted on a forum about an image he was emailed from Gabe himself:



Most curious.

However, it wasn't long before other reports surfaced. The joystick editors tweeted about a similar email, with a different image.

Also of note, over the past day Aperture Science login screens have started to crop up in other games! Most of them all from the Potato sack indy pack on steam:

Save 75% on The Potato Sack on Steam

These login screen pop open in the steam browser overlay after you've completed a certain hidden task. So far people have found them in Audiosurf, Cogs, Killing Floor, BIT.TRIP BEAT, Toki Tori and Super Meat Boy, details of each can be found here: Portal 2 - Valve ARG

Yet more website editors have also received emails from Gabe with similar images only hours after Joystick and HL2.net editor reported their cryptic gifts.

This one's from MacRumours:


"sorbet coopers.jpg"

then MacWorld.com editor David Chartier tweeted about his email here:

Twitter / David Chartier: Looks like Valve is beginn ...

It appears all of the image names are anagrams of "REBOOT PROCESS" and some people have started to jig-saw them together, here's the current "solution" once most of the image colours had been inverted:



Clearly more images are yet to surface, but no one knows which websites they've been sent to. The sequence of numbers or perhaps some other final image analysis is sure to lead us down yet another rabbit hole. I think this is only the tip of the iceburg.

[Drac]

More images rolling in.



Haven't heard of anyone being able to get into any of the Aperture Science login screens yet.

[astrospud]

Really? I mean, I love Portal, and am anticipating 2 - I even have an Aperture Science T-shirt - but the whole teaser thing is a tad overdone, is it not? We will be getting it soon enough...
Maybe I'm just old.

[MadMax]

I find the more overhyped a game is the worse it actually is. Or it often leads to let downs as it gets built up so much.

[astrospud]

I think Valve has integrity and builds upon past success of the original Portal, and as such, I believe I'll find P2 to be just as good...I could care about the hype tho.
You are right about that, Max, with regard to games as well as movies, but there will be exceptions.

[Drac]

They're just a good bit of fun you can indulge in if you wish.

My mistake, I clearly had the erroneous impression that this website was for game fans.

[astrospud]

Please don't take it personally, Drac.
I only posted my opion, as I thought it was valid, and in a way that no one would take it the wrong way. Clearly I was mistaken and I apologise for any dampening of fun I might have brought to this thread.
Like I said in my original post, I must be getting old.

[Drac]

I didn't take it personally, was just having some fun with the odd track the conversation was taking. Perhaps I should have put a in it.

It's hard to do "funny voice" lines on a forum to spin things in a different context. Perhaps it's my avatar change but people have been taking me waaaaay too seriously on this forum of late.

[Chief]

Don't worry Drac, I'll never take you seriously

[Unknown]

The ARG powers ahead... logins are now working/being found for various games, adding potatoes to peoples' Steam Community page, plus new "DLC" for some games, containing some images, no doubt some red herrings along with more clues...