Valve 'announces' Half-Life2:Episode 3 [EDIT: MAYBE]

Being the typical Valve fanboy that I am I applied my steam updates and noticed that Portal had been given a fair number of new sound files. Wondering what the hell they were I went to the steampowered forums to see what it was all about.


Some folks also curious about the new sound files played them and to their surprise through the terrible static they felt they could hear Barney and Dr. Kleiner! There was also a non-GlaDos computer voice.

In an even more sneaky turn of events Valve had embedded images in the audio containers. When unscrambled these images gave a telephone number. This, another turn of genius, turned out to not be any old switch board. It was a data line. Those that had the old BBS software of course dialled in.
What they got no doubt surprised them again.




It was a GlaDos login prompt!

Its clear, at least to me, that in the Half-Life canon the missing Aperture Science ship is the one that is home to the whole game of Portal. I hope, nay - pray, that Gordon Freeman gets hold of the portal modification for his gravgun. I would wet myself with glee.


I've been pretty excited for this game since I finished episode 2 all that time ago. I'm a pretty patient man and upon finding out that Valve delayed it further so that they could make the game accessible for the hearing imparied - through the storyline that Alyx Vance had a deaf lover so had to learn to sign - I had yet more patience. However, my hype gland is in trouble of causing a myocardial infarction [that's a heart attack for those who don't watch House (although they'd think it was lupus first), ER, etc.]. I want to spend some more quality time with the bearded wonder. I want to mourn the loss of the end of Episode 2, I want to feel the pain as Gordon. Nobody could do this but Valve.

I want all of this and I want it now.


Capcom - pay attention. THIS is how you should do hype. Not by announcing a game, having the 'secret character list' leaked, pretending they aren't actually in it, then showing us one/two chars per month. Screw you - the Steam community jumped on this and within half day cracked it - working together like this provides an added layer of excitement and fun that isn't making money, just creating more hype.

I <3 u Gabe, once again I tip my hat at thee. You are an inspiration to us all.



[EDIT]:

Valve have changed the ending for portal!!!!!!!!!

SPOILERS WARNING: If you've not completed it don't hit play.




Does this mean we are to be recycled into a companion cube? Does the companion cube live and is it what's dragging us away? The asset in the game's files is actually a radio but has the settings of being roughly person sized, could it be combine? Is Half-Life 2 Episode 3 actually also Portal II? So many questions. So much awesome.


[/EDIT]