Valve at it again

cherryghost

Apparently the Potato Aprils fools was more than just April fools. Some users have been trawling to the games in the Potato pack, uncovering glyphs and uncoded messages.

As of last Friday, April 1, Half-Life and Left 4 Dead developer Valve has been dropping cryptic clues in its own games (Team Fortress 2, Portal 2) and games made by others (Super Meat Boy, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, AudioSurf). The common thread? Potatoes. What appears to be a complex alternate reality game, or ARG, started last week with the announcement of the Potato Sack Pack, a collection of 13 indie games ranging from Amnesia: The Dark Descent to Killing Floor to Toki Tori. Purchasers of the collection were promised a Potato Hat in Team Fortress 2 on April 5.
Then things got interesting.
Valve and the developers of the titles included in the Potato Sack Pack began sneaking glyphs, codes and hidden messages into those games. Some messages were buried in simple text files. Some games had all-new levels based on potato themes. Super Potato Boy became playable in Super Meat Boy. Potatoes were popping up everywhere.
Today, encoded messages were discovered in the latest Portal 2 promotional video. Decoded, phrases like "You found many.Find the rest." and "Here's Da Beens, Dougtato:" were discovered. Team Fortress 2 was also updated via Steam, making the Potato Hat available but further deepening the mystery with the game's update notes, which read:

Team Fortress 2
- [ restricted ]

What does it all mean? Right now, we've got more questions than we have answers. But the exhaustive Valve PotatoFoolsDay ARG Wiki is archiving everything that the community has unearthed from the 15 games involved.
Is this all leading up to some Portal 2 announcement? Is this related to the surprise that Valve's Erik Wolpaw promised us last month?
What we do know is that the last time Valve went to such lengths to confuse and confound its biggest fans, there was a Portal 2 announcement at the end of it. So we'll keep watching.

The thread here is one of many popping up on the games forums trying to decypher what it all means.


So go on, throw your best idea at it :pac:

Kiith

Obligatory 'Stop with the fancy crap and finish Episode 3/Half Life 3 already!' post.

Seriously though, i love when they do stuff like this. I'm always way too lazy (stupid?) to try and decipher these sorts of things, but it's always interesting to read.

Mr E

The Half Life of a potato is about a week, so that means Episode 3 is out next week. :pac:

Kiith

Mr E wrote: »

The Half Life of a potato is about a week, so that means Episode 3 is out next week. :pac:

It makes perfect sense! :pac:

cherryghost

Mr E wrote: »

The Half Life of a potato is about a week, so that means Episode 3 is out next week. :pac:

I think they're reincarnating Gordon Freeman as a potato tbh. It'll still sell millions!

Shiminay

Mr Potato Head Portal robots I'd say like these guys:

stevenmu

Ep3 is set in Ireland ?

Jim

stevenmu wrote: »

Ep3 is set in Ireland ?

Racist.

Magill

stevenmu wrote: »

Ep3 is set in Ireland ?

HAHAHAHA Best one yet.

Retr0gamer

They can put as many stupid easter eggs in the games that they want. I'm just happy I picked up a load of indie games I wanted for a long time for half price

Healium

Gordon or GTFO

Healium

Makes me want Mass Effect 3 even more, now

Also, IT'Z DA COMBINE

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-04-06-mystery-concept-art-teases-new-valve-ip

Genghiz Cohen

Healium wrote: »

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-04-06-mystery-concept-art-teases-new-valve-ip

Why do I think Valve just put up those pictures to confuse and infuriate us?

Gunmonkey

Was wondering why Killing Floor had gone Irish and all currency converted to potatoes.

Healium

Genghiz Cohen wrote: »

Why do I think Valve just put up those pictures to confuse and infuriate us?

Oh yeah, there's no way a magazine "secretly" snapped pics of 30 concept art pieces. They may not have anything to do with a new game.

After all this, they'll just be like "SURPRIZE, IT'Z HALF LIFE 3, BETCHES"

Skerries

the gravity gun now replaced with the formidable spud gun



Pew! Pew!

Healium

it

http://i.imgur.com/pxbME.png

Mantel

There's a strange update to Super Meat Boy today

http://store.steampowered.com/news/5235/

Ability to Die
7fa6ce99d281 > 68657873697676697982657765
Oiled squeaky saws
Cursor for Level Portal
HDR

Any relation?

Liber8or

Something is definitely up...

Those "updates" makes no sense for Super Meat Boy. Hopefully, an announcement for Half-Life 3 will come in the next few weeks.

Antar Bolaeisk

Some new updates over at RockPaperShotgun

I wonder does this mean we are getting Portal 2 early?!

K.O.Kiki

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

Some new updates over at RockPaperShotgun

I wonder does this mean we are getting Portal 2 early?!

Antar Bolaeisk

There's another tidbit in Defense Grid: The Awakening. Apparently someone on my friends list has the required credentials but unfortunately I do not.

Take a look here for more info.

Mantel

Dejobaan games posted what's basicly a quick catch up guide via their twitter for the ARG stuff that has happened since april 1st. The last page
(and what's currently happening in games points pretty much only at one thing - http://dejobaan.net/dl/helpme/

Gunmonkey

Another update for Killing Floor:

One additional map has been prematurely released.

Aperture

Yeah, its exactly what you think it is. Also features a slightly more negative female trader-simulation, saying stuff like "I've, come find me...but you probably wont as you will be dead"

Antar Bolaeisk

The Ball level is pretty cool. It also offers a chance to see some of the new items in Portal 2.

Healium

GLaDOS has started invading the wiki, and she's also messing with people's Steam profiles

http://valvearg.com/wiki/Valve_PotatoFoolsDay_ARG_Wiki

Antar Bolaeisk

Possible Ep3 clue has surfaces. Salt at the ready!

Kiith

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

Possible Ep3 clue has surfaces. Salt at the ready!

You say that without linking something? :eek:

cherryghost

The Borealis was found



Discussion is ongoing as usual here

EDIT: I should say, the Borealis appeared as the first concept art for HL2:EP3

DOUBLE EDIT: They also found some code relating to 15/4/2011, which is tomorrow

TRIPLE EDIT!: The above picture is not the found picture. I've lost where I seen it, its a zoomed in blurred picture of the top of the Borealis.

Antar Bolaeisk

This one?

cherryghost

That's the one!

Antar Bolaeisk

Kiith wrote: »

You say that without linking something? :eek:

I didn't want to get your hopes up. Besides, it's just speculation right now though I think perhaps phase 3 of the arg has to be for Episode 3 (please please please please please please).

Kiith

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

I didn't want to get your hopes up.

TOO LATE!! :pac:

Mantel

So what does



represent?

Can't see the connection between that vague pic and Ep3 tbh unless portal 2 is Ep3.

ProjectColossus

Regarding the release date brought forward theories, this countdown is further evidence. 5pm tomorrow evening, brace for epic?

http://www.aperturescience.com/a/b/c/d/g/h/abcdgh/

tman

Looks like TF2 has an update available now... Hmmmmm....

Kiith

If it's an early release date, i'm assuming it will only be through Steam? Shops probably don't have the stock yet, would they?

Healium

tman wrote: »

Looks like TF2 has an update available now... Hmmmmm....

Go look for potatoes!

Steam-only early release, I'd imagine

Mantel

Healium wrote: »

Go look for potatoes!

Steam-only early release, I'd imagine

There's the golden Potato now and it looks like the TF2 update is the Hatless update http://www.teamfortress.com/hatless/

Antar Bolaeisk

ProjectColossus wrote: »

Regarding the release date brought forward theories, this countdown is further evidence. 5pm tomorrow evening, brace for epic?

http://www.aperturescience.com/a/b/c/d/g/h/abcdgh/

Of course we all know what's going to happen when the clock reaches 00:00:01 don't we.

It'll stop!