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[Bluerobin]

And we're not really getting an early release.  It's like a store jacking up their base prices 20% and then having a 20% off sale.  Nothing's actually cheaper.

By the same logic, you can't complain about a game being released late, either right? We don't actually KNOW they were planning on releasing on a certain date, they just said they were.

(I AM ticked off at the results of the ARG, but not really very much because I didn't personally invest much time or any money above what I was comfortable with. I can definitely see why a fair number of people are really annoyed. This guy on reddit has a good summary of the whole thing for anyone who's curious: LINK)

[Jreengus]

The number of potatoes is falling, and there's a new message: "Engaging starch based power cells."

Wonder what effect it's having on time/the bars.

[Bluerobin]

Hmm... at the current rate of decrease it could keep going for over 26 hours, so it's probably a boost of some sort (like the overclocking mentioned previously) rather than a countdown of its own. Edit2: redid my math/noticed other people talking and realized it's set to end around midnight.

Edit: oh and new text in the output there too

10:50 - Engaging starch-based power cells
11:00 - Reboot safety test protocol initiated...
11:00 - Relaxation chamber locks released...
11:00 - Involuntary hazard mitigation associates have assumed testing positions...
11:00 - Pre-release lethality assessment initiated...

and the big ZERO background has changed to NINE.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Metalax]

Got my last potato last night.

Nice to see another bay12'ver get all of the potatoes. 

The number of potatoes is falling, and there's a new message: "Engaging starch based power cells."

Wonder what effect it's having on time/the bars.

At it's current rate it will empty in about 10 hours, but that neglects any new ones coming in which may push it up by another hour or so.

edit:
Someone has made an appearance in the background image on the GLaDOS@home page.

[Soulwynd]

Maybe it's releasing the game for the top contributors?

[Metalax]

Actually I'm wondering if the various members of the arg community that have been hijacked by GLaDOS have been given the chance to play earlier.

[Draco18s]

BTW:

var g_currentPotatoConsumptionRate = 11.6771584699;

[Taco Dan]

So the timer on this page is broken...

[Draco18s]

From:

I like how everybody and their grandmother is saying "this means Portal 2 gets released early" when all I see is a bunch of countdowns leading to the normal release date. I don't recall Valve once saying buying those indie games would get Portal 2 released early, but I do recall sites like these jumping to conclusions and falling for a free marketing trap.

The little potato countdown is going at a rate at which it will reach zero in roughly twelve hours. There's only 14 hours until the standard release. There's a funky cryptic website with some bars and some numbers.

By all accounts, even if the game is unlocked right now, can you call 12 hours an "early release?" Come on, Kotaku. This is a launch countdown, not an early release. It never was an early release.

:|

So the timer on this page is broken...

How so?

[Taco Dan]

It's stuck at 14:42 while the timer on the official website is at 13:00.

[Draco18s]

It's stuck at 14:42 while the timer on the official website is at 13:00.

Ah, you are correct, I didn't even notice.

[Soulwynd]

I like how everybody and their grandmother is saying "this means Portal 2 gets released early" when all I see is a bunch of countdowns leading to the normal release date. I don't recall Valve once saying buying those indie games would get Portal 2 released early, but I do recall sites like these jumping to conclusions and falling for a free marketing trap.

What a douche.



What a blind douche.

[Draco18s]

By all accounts, even if the game is unlocked right now, can you call 12 hours an "early release?" Come on, Kotaku. This is a launch countdown, not an early release. It never was an early release.

[Bluerobin]

So... by reading reddit/blog comments/forum posts it sounds like there are a few camps that are starting to fight right about now all over the place. You have the "I guess it was a marketing ploy, but some good indie games got publicity and we're getting the game a few hours earlier than normal steam releases" crowd (that's me), the "We're not getting what we paid for when we bought these games we didn't want!" crowd (that seems like the comment you posted Draco), and the other more minority camps that lean one way or the other. I guess some people are ticked off they bought something they didn't want, while other are more satisfied with their indie game purchases? Edit: I like this comment that replied to the one you posted, Draco:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

No one made you get the Potato Sack (which was a great deal to begin with). And if you did get it in the hopes of making Portal 2 release early, hopefully you found that most of the games in that pack are pretty good and fun to play. Besides, people not directly involved in this got a whole bunch of free DLC: a new story for Amnesia, more levels for Toki Tori, more levels for Defense Grid, an new map for Killing Floor, a new level for Bit.Trip Beat, more levels for Rush, and an entire narrative that's been maintained for over 2 weeks based off of the changes made in these games.

Yes it is a marketing ploy. Yes it is somewhat invasive in that people who don't care for portal have to put up with the somewhat intrusive changes (see Audiosurf) to the games. Is the end of the ARG a little disappointing? Yes a little, but it was a ton of fun to watch this thing come together and in the end it hopefully led to more people playing some of the more overlooked games on Steam.

I have no complaints with this marketing ploy. I admit that I fell for it and got the Potato Sack. In a sense, I literally bought in to the ARG. I also don't have any regrets about that. I have enjoyed the world that Valve has created around Portal 2 and these games and their developers. It has gotten my friends to play more games that they wouldn't normally and they've been enjoying themselves immensely (one of them discovered Audiosurf and was surfing the entire weekend).

It may be a launch countdown. But it's been one hell of a launch party.

Oh, and Audiosurf finished, looks like The Ball's up next.

[Tilla]

I find it hilarious that people took it all so seriously honestly. Most I did was casually play some indie games I probably would have played anyway

And Draco: technically even 5 minutes earlier is still an 'early release', you can't just make everything comply to your own rigid definitions