Valve are doing something odd with Portal

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/valve ... rtal-patch

Quote:

Valve has updated the PC version of its first-person puzzle classic Portal with an enigmatic patch which has set fans on a trail of code-cracking and puzzle-solving.

The patch notes for the update simply, but enigmatically, read: "Changed radio transmission frequency to comply with federal and state spectrum management regulations."

What it didn't mention was a new Steam achievement for the game called Transmission Received. Completing the achievement involves carrying a radio around the game and receiving broadcast interference noises in certain places.

Analysing these sound files, Portal fans have begun unravelling a thread of puzzles and challenges apparently set for them by the Seattle developer. As Steam user relaxeder summarised in the lengthy forum thread:

"Smart people yank .wav files out of game content folders and run them through steganography programs. Produces 26 weird cryptic image files in a numbered sequence.

"Some dude runs the number string through an md5 hash translator and gets a landline number. Internet traces it to Kirkland, WA (near Valve HQ).

"People find out it's not a phone/fax line but a data line hosting a BBS and telnet it. Use a clue from one of the files to figure out the BBS user/password login info. End up with a bunch of weird ASCII artwork.

"We're trying to figure out WTF it means."

Aren't we all, but we wouldn't be surprised if the trail led to an announcement of some sort related to Portal or the loosely-connected Half-Life universe. More as it breaks.

metalangel · **Posted:** Wed Mar 03, 2010 17:14

That trail of crumbs is dangerously geeky!

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

I

that's it's a proper dial-in BBS. I haven't even seen a modem for five years now, let alone used one in anger!

kalmar · **Posted:** Wed Mar 03, 2010 17:16

How do you telnet a dial-in BBS?

Wullie · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 6183

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

I

that's it's a proper dial-in BBS. I haven't even seen a modem for five years now, let alone used one in anger!

I've a USB one that I bought in Liberia, brought back memories so it did. Especially when it took 5 or 6 goes to connect at a crappy speed >:(

metalangel · **Posted:** Wed Mar 03, 2010 17:18

I was wondering that too...

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

They mean "make a VT connection", of course.

Dimrill · **Posted:** Wed Mar 03, 2010 17:19

Sounds like a watered down version of the geek stuff they hid on the I.T. Crowd DVDs.

GazChap · **Posted:** Wed Mar 03, 2010 17:20

How about Global Thermonuclear War?

kalmar · **Posted:** Wed Mar 03, 2010 17:23

I was recently tempted to dig out my old Amiga and modem specifically for the purpose of receiving faxes with GPFax. Since I don't have a fax machine any more.
But it seemed like too much of a chore in the end. Likewise for connecting it to the mac.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/im ... 2_sstv.jpg

The hidden images. Theory is that the static is some sort of extra signal, overlaid with the steganographically concealed image.

kalmar · **Posted:** Wed Mar 03, 2010 17:25

MetalAngel wrote:

I was wondering that too...

Actually what it could mean is that someone in that local call area (for free calls) set up a permanent dial-in and then provided access to it via telnet for the geeks to hack.

In the late 90s all the BBSs migrated to telnet before vanishing altogether.

Dimrill · **Posted:** Wed Mar 03, 2010 17:26

I hope there's a picture of a bunch of water in there.

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Wed Mar 03, 2010 17:30

From another site I visit.

This is what people found in the morse code...

#1-Dinosaur 1
I-N-T-E-R-I-O-R
T-R-A-N-S-M-I-S-S-I-O-N
A-C-T-I-V-E
E-X-T-E-R-N-A-L
D-A-T-A
L-I-N-E
A-C-T-I-V-E
M-E-S-S-A-G-E
D-I-G-E-S-T
A-C-T-I-V-E
#2-Dinosaur 5
9-E-J-0-7-D-3-7-2-B-B-6-8-2-6-B-D-8-1-D-3-5-4-2-A-4-1-9-D-6
("The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog")

#3-Dinosaur 12
S-Y-S-T-E-M
D-A-T-A
D-U-M-P
A-C-T-I-V-E
U-S-E-R
B-A-C-K-U-P
A-C-T-I-V-E
P-A-S-S-W-O-R-D
B-A-C-K-U-P
A-C-T-I-V-E
#4-Dinosaur 17
B-E-E-P
B-E-E-E-E-P
B-E-E-P
B-E-E-P
B-E-E-E-E-P
B-E-E-E-E-P
B-E-E-E-E-P

B-E-E-P
B-E-E-E-E-P
B-E-E-P
B-E-E-P
The beeps translate into lol.

kalmar · **Posted:** Wed Mar 03, 2010 17:32

For proper geek value they should have transmitted it over actual radio.

Wullie · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 6183

kalmar wrote:

For proper geek value they should have transmitted it over actual radio.

Using HAM radio signals bounced of the Ionosphere

kalmar · **Posted:** Wed Mar 03, 2010 17:38

HF signals bounced off the MOON, man!

Wullie · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 6183

kalmar wrote:

HF signals bounced off the MOON, man!

HOLY WTF!!! If I head down the river I get Irishers on the VHF from time to time (weather dependant) & that's pretty cool, but moon signals would be way betterer.

Pundabaya · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5016

Is it Portal... or is it HL:EP3? We're going to an Aperture facility in that, apparently...

sinister agent · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 7046

Stop being viralled, damn it. Just wait and they'll update or release whatever it is they're working on. Hmph.

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 1:37

Pundabaya wrote:

Is it Portal... or is it HL:EP3? We're going to an Aperture facility in that, apparently...

Could be EP 3. I mean, it's taken them bloody long enough.

Bethesda are far smaller than Valve yet created Fallout 3 in two years and Valve take like, six years to do each Half life.

They even said it's using the same graphics engine.

tossrStu · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 1326

Another update tonight; this time, it changes the game's ending slightly.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2010/03 ... l-updates/

sdg · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 2:12

sinister agent wrote:

Stop being viralled, damn it. Just wait and they'll update or release whatever it is they're working on. Hmph.

I like viral marketing campaigns. They did one for Cloverfield which totally passed me by but after I saw the film I searched for details online because I found it interesting. I think when they are done well (like this one) they are great and much better than traditional methods. It also creates a great sense of community among the target market and between the makers and the target market.

sinister agent · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 7046

It's the combination of marketing and a virus. Two wrongs don't make a right.

sdg · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 2:17

Does the advertising for that online game get classed as viral marketing? I don't like that- I don't think it's clever or funny or anything. So I don't like ALL viral marketing, just the stuff that shows thought on behalf of the creators as well as a certain level of respect for the audience and also the sense of a sort of wink to the audience as well. It's hard for me to articulate what I mean!

MrD · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 2139

sinister agent wrote:

Stop being viralled, damn it. Just wait and they'll update or release whatever it is they're working on. Hmph.

"Stop playing their game and wait for their game!"

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38651

I think it's great that Valve do this sort of thing. Portal is about as geeky as big AAA (

) titles get, so it's nice for the geeks on the inside to have fun with the geeks on the outside.

What's scary is, someone has probably analysed every single file now, looking for something else.

Grim... · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 10:35

sinister agent wrote:

Stop being viralled, damn it. Just wait and they'll update or release whatever it is they're working on. Hmph.

Meh - just wait for the game to be released and just watch the ending on YouTube.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

Pod · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 2568

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Valve are doing something odd with Portal

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