[SPOILER] Hidden Developer Commentary - Adam Foster

Dawlight · 04-19-2011, 06:39 AM

I finished the game earlier today, and now I am playing with developer commentary.

In the last test chamber before Chapter 4 (utilizing a hard light bridge and a thermal discouragement beam to raise a platform) there is a hidden room with an entrance near the ceiling. It's pretty cleverly hidden.

I was expecting some Ratman stuff, but there was actually a commentary node, the only one in the level at that.

It's apparently Adam Foster speaking - creator of the popular Half-Life 2 singleplayer mod MINERVA - but all you hear is noise, like some screwed up dial-up modem.

Here's a video of it.

I don't know how to to these ARG things, so I am asking for help.

GO!

slipperywhenwet · 04-19-2011, 06:40 AM

YouTube that ♥♥♥♥!

Dawlight · 04-19-2011, 08:07 AM

Updated the opening post with the video.

Geotpf · 04-19-2011, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawlight

Updated the opening post with the video.

The link got censored. Tiny url it or something.

Dawlight · 04-19-2011, 08:15 AM

Finally. First it censored my youtube, link. Then it censored my shortened URL.
Anyway, it's up.

04-19-2011, 08:27 AM

It's SSTV. This is what I managed to get.

http://i54.tinypic.com/30ndrtg.png
http://i51.tinypic.com/2h2pmiw.png
http://i53.tinypic.com/302uo9l.png

I think someone else will need to try to get a cleaner copy of the third message.

domdove · 04-19-2011, 08:39 AM

http://cl.ly/67gS
http://cl.ly/67El
http://cl.ly/67Dt

+rep for that find, man.

domdove · 04-19-2011, 08:47 AM

Basically, they explain the announcement ARG. The budget, who did it, estimates. Cool background!

Thanks Valve! Now spread this around, guys!

domdove · 04-19-2011, 08:55 AM

Portal 2 Announcement ARG

Created by people working on Portal 2
Intended for enthusiastic superfans
Budget of less than $100
Portal updated to include radios, broadcasting mysterious SSTV images
Certain images contained pieces of an MD5(?) hash of a phone number
Phone number led to an old-fashioned BBS
Estimated time to 'solve': 7 hours
Actual time to solve: 7 hours 16 minutes

Portal 2 SSTV Images

Analogue format used in HAM radio
Watching video of ISS SSTV with SSTV software running sound from laptop speakers unexpectedly picked up by microphone
Peculiar squeaking and beeping degrades in visually interesting ways
Photos of Valve whiteboards, equipment and anything science-related lying around
Finding radios in Portal made for fun meta-game - everyone could join in

Aperture Laboratories BBS

Single analogue phone line in a designer's kitchen (phone systems in Valve office too modern)
Old PC running Linux, attached to a 2400 bps modem from 1987 (via USB to serial adaptor)
[?] to handle calls, custom PHP script looping through plot fragments and home-made ANSI-art conversions of Portal 2 artwork
Transmitted about 20MB of data in total
Phoneline constantly engaged!
Several spare modems in case one died - none did
SSH backdoor for updates and monitoring (possible to watch exactly what people were seeing as they dialed in)
Combined might of internets is terrifying

domdove · 04-19-2011, 09:02 AM

I don't like bumping, but I can't be the only one who appreciates this Easter Egg, surely? Or is the [SPOILER] in the thread title stopping people from viewing it?

Toad King · 04-19-2011, 09:16 PM

Pretty sure that word you can't make out in the third image is mgetty.

Dawlight · 04-20-2011, 02:41 PM

Thank you. Cool! ARG-credits, ARG-style!

SilentGTboy · 04-25-2011, 12:08 PM

Just came across this developer commentary node. Any News?

Venari · 05-05-2011, 06:16 PM

how do you get those images from sound?

FusedCore · 05-05-2011, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Venari

how do you get those images from sound?

Ever send or receive a fax? Well it sounds the same.

04-19-2011, 06:39 AM	#1
Dawlight Join Date: Feb 2009 Reputation: 37 Posts: 242	[SPOILER] Hidden Developer Commentary - Adam Foster I finished the game earlier today, and now I am playing with developer commentary. In the last test chamber before Chapter 4 (utilizing a hard light bridge and a thermal discouragement beam to raise a platform) there is a hidden room with an entrance near the ceiling. It's pretty cleverly hidden. I was expecting some Ratman stuff, but there was actually a commentary node, the only one in the level at that. It's apparently Adam Foster speaking - creator of the popular Half-Life 2 singleplayer mod MINERVA - but all you hear is noise, like some screwed up dial-up modem. Here's a video of it. I don't know how to to these ARG things, so I am asking for help. GO! Last edited by Dawlight: 04-19-2011 at 08:14 AM.

04-19-2011, 08:15 AM	#5
Dawlight Join Date: Feb 2009 Reputation: 37 Posts: 242	Finally. First it censored my youtube, link. Then it censored my shortened URL. Anyway, it's up. Last edited by Dawlight: 04-19-2011 at 08:17 AM.

04-19-2011, 08:55 AM	#9
domdove Join Date: Apr 2011 Reputation: 53 Posts: 494	Portal 2 Announcement ARG Created by people working on Portal 2 Intended for enthusiastic superfans Budget of less than $100 Portal updated to include radios, broadcasting mysterious SSTV images Certain images contained pieces of an MD5(?) hash of a phone number Phone number led to an old-fashioned BBS Estimated time to 'solve': 7 hours Actual time to solve: 7 hours 16 minutes Portal 2 SSTV Images Analogue format used in HAM radio Watching video of ISS SSTV with SSTV software running sound from laptop speakers unexpectedly picked up by microphone Peculiar squeaking and beeping degrades in visually interesting ways Photos of Valve whiteboards, equipment and anything science-related lying around Finding radios in Portal made for fun meta-game - everyone could join in Aperture Laboratories BBS Single analogue phone line in a designer's kitchen (phone systems in Valve office too modern) Old PC running Linux, attached to a 2400 bps modem from 1987 (via USB to serial adaptor) [?] to handle calls, custom PHP script looping through plot fragments and home-made ANSI-art conversions of Portal 2 artwork Transmitted about 20MB of data in total Phoneline constantly engaged! Several spare modems in case one died - none did SSH backdoor for updates and monitoring (possible to watch exactly what people were seeing as they dialed in) Combined might of internets is terrifying Last edited by domdove: 04-19-2011 at 09:04 AM.

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04-19-2011, 06:40 AM	#2
slipperywhenwet Join Date: Oct 2009 Reputation: 1855 Posts: 6,766	YouTube that ♥♥♥♥!

04-19-2011, 08:07 AM	#3
Dawlight Join Date: Feb 2009 Reputation: 37 Posts: 242	Updated the opening post with the video.

04-19-2011, 08:27 AM	#6
EatYouAlive Guest Posts: n/a	It's SSTV. This is what I managed to get. http://i54.tinypic.com/30ndrtg.png http://i51.tinypic.com/2h2pmiw.png http://i53.tinypic.com/302uo9l.png I think someone else will need to try to get a cleaner copy of the third message.

04-19-2011, 08:39 AM	#7
domdove Join Date: Apr 2011 Reputation: 53 Posts: 494	http://cl.ly/67gS http://cl.ly/67El http://cl.ly/67Dt +rep for that find, man.

04-19-2011, 08:47 AM	#8
domdove Join Date: Apr 2011 Reputation: 53 Posts: 494	Basically, they explain the announcement ARG. The budget, who did it, estimates. Cool background! Thanks Valve! Now spread this around, guys!

04-19-2011, 09:02 AM	#10
domdove Join Date: Apr 2011 Reputation: 53 Posts: 494	I don't like bumping, but I can't be the only one who appreciates this Easter Egg, surely? Or is the [SPOILER] in the thread title stopping people from viewing it?

04-19-2011, 09:16 PM	#11
Toad King Join Date: Feb 2008 Reputation: 0 Posts: 30	Pretty sure that word you can't make out in the third image is mgetty.

04-20-2011, 02:41 PM	#12
Dawlight Join Date: Feb 2009 Reputation: 37 Posts: 242	Thank you. Cool! ARG-credits, ARG-style!

04-25-2011, 12:08 PM	#13
SilentGTboy Join Date: Apr 2011 Reputation: 1 Posts: 55	Just came across this developer commentary node. Any News?

05-05-2011, 06:16 PM	#14
Venari Join Date: Jul 2010 Reputation: 17 Posts: 334	how do you get those images from sound?