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Skyrim's Creation Kit released with 'surprise' High-Resolution Texture Pack, Portal cameo
Tamriel's PC adventurers have finally been granted access to the long-awaited Creation Kit for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. A special surprise was promised with today's release, coming in the form of a High-Resolution Texture Pack for the game. "Experience The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim as you've never seen it before with the Skyrim High-Resolution Texture Pack," a press release noted.Skyrim also becomes the second title to be featured on the Steam Workshop, which acts as a "central hub of player-created content and tools to publish, organize, and download that content into your games."Valve and Bethesda have teamed up to bring users the Space Sphere mod, which adds the space-loving robot from Portal 2 to the game, following players around the world (pictured above). While the special mod appeared on Steam earlier today, it has since vanished. Joystiq has contacted Valve and Bethesda to find out when the new companion will land back on the dragon-infested planet. [Update: Steam Workshop is back online! Enjoy your new talkative friend!]Steam is also featuring the Elder Scrolls series in a mid-week sale, offering a discount on each game in the series or a bundle (Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim) for $49.99.
Skyrim takes top honors at NY Video Game Critics Circle Awards
You'd have to be a fus-ro-dummy to think that Skyrim would be through with receiving accolades. At last night's New York Video Game Critics Circle Awards, the Bethesda Game Studios-developed RPG took home yet one more, earning the "Big Apple Award for Best Game" as decided by a cabal of NY-based game journos from various outlets.Other winners include two apiece for Bastion and Portal 2, portable love for Super Mario 3D Land and Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP, and explosive nods to both Crysis 2 and Saints Row: The Third. Harold Goldberg's "All Your Base Are Belong To Us" took home the "Algonquin Roundtable Award for Best Book" and Sony's "Michael" commercial won the "Mad Men Award," mysteriously beating out Robin Williams' luxurious beard. Frankly, we were baffled. The full list of winners can be found below the break.
Valve games come to Impulse
Valve, proprietor of Steam -- which is basically the Walmart of PC digital distribution -- now has its games available on Impulse. Your confusion is as great as ours, but here we are.The Impulse store, owned by GameStop, announced last week that Valve titles would become available on the service. Apparently, the shock of this caused almost everyone in the media not to report this fact for an awkward length of time.The Valve games available through Impulse right now are Portal 2, Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, The Orange Box, and Half-Life Complete. Best part: the games still require Steam to play.
'This is Aperture' music video channels The Nightmare Before Christmas
This past holiday, while we were busy sipping eggnog and chorusing the neighbors with classic holiday tunes, a group of dedicated Steam forum members were creating an incredible Christmas music album featuring Valve characters. "Goodbye Christmas Caroline" spawned more than an album, though, as one especially holiday spirit-filled member then crafted an entire music video around one particular track."This is Aperture" takes the characters we've come to know and love fear from the world of Aperture Science and recasts them as singers in a magnificently dorky rendition of The Nightmare Before Christmas' "This is Halloween." Take a look at the rather impressive re-creation above and then compare it against the original just after the break! Consider it a late holiday gift from us to you, but, ya know, one that we totally didn't make.
Let GLaDOS guide you to your destination, you monster
She's certainly not the first celebrity to do some voice work for the GPS industry, but she's by far the coolest. Joining the likes of Snoop Dogg, Homer Simpson and Yoda is GLaDOS, available in a new fan-made custom voice pack over on Reddit. It's a zip file with a bunch of wav files in it, compatible with Garmin Nuvi units -- the files should also work with Garmin Mobile XT units -- and is available as a free download to everyone who wants to be berated by an artificial intelligence while hunting down the closest Burger King. Don't say we didn't warn you!
Platinum's Kamiya hoping to announce his own game in 2012, Fumito Ueda loves Portal 2, and more
Since Bayonetta's late 2009/early 2010 debut, director Hideki Kamiya has gone relatively quiet. And while he remains that way for now, it seems we may see some movement from him this year, as he told 4Gamer in its big "looking back on 2011" Japanese developer feature (via Andriasang) that he "would like to announce a new game and make a comeback on the game scene and be known as more than just some guy who posts on Twitter," as his hope for 2012. Bizarrely, he didn't name a single favorite game from the last year, choosing instead to say "nothing in particular" struck his fancy, while Nintendo's eShop "3D Classics" were his favorite entertainment content last year. The feature also features a cadre of Square Enix devs, who hilariously all named Skryim their favorite game of the year (with the exception of a single producer), while the no longer Sony-affiliated Last Guardian creative lead Fumito Ueda put Portal 2 at the top of his list. He was also quick to point out that "The Last Guardian is in development, with the staff hoping to meet expectations even though with each game they taste the difficulties of creation." Okay then! Catherine and Dark Souls also got nods from a variety of devs, as did Super Mario 3D Land. And hey, you know where we stand.
Joystiq Top 10 of 2011: Portal 2
The success of the Portal games comes from a combination of two completely different aspects: gameplay and narrative. Portal 2 is, on one hand, a great puzzle game in the classic tradition, sending you through a series of enclosed, self-contained puzzles. These require the arrangement of provided tools to create a single, predetermined "solution" and allow you to advance. On the other hand, it's the story of the rise and fall of a gigantic research company, and of '60s-style "for its own sake" science -- it even has Flubber! -- told years after the fact, diegetically, by two rogue AIs and a series of tape recordings. And it's genuinely funny!
Portal Christmas tree doubles our holiday cheer
Is there a Martha Stewart Living for Nerds monthly periodical we never knew about? We're all about games and interior decorations, but we don't know how one learns to combine those two with such grace and ease as this, the greatest Christmas tree ever, and perhaps the greatest tree ever. Behold: The Portal Christmas tree, the full glory of which can be seen after the jump. We're typically ones to pull down (and mulch) our arboreal holiday decor on December the 26th, but we don't know that we'd ever be able to part with a tree this magical. We'd leave it up, explaining to visitors that, oh, this is our Valentine's Day tree, and also our Easter tree, and Flag Day tree, and so on.
Portal 2 crowned best game of 2011 by the Associated Press
The AP has unleashed its list of top ten games this year and ... it's a pretty competent list. Not only did Bastion make the cut, but so did Rayman Origins and, as you may have guessed from the headline to this very post, Portal 2. Valve's game took top honors, followed by Skyrim and then Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Rounding out the top five are Bastion and Rocksteady's sequel, Batman: Arkham City. In a year so full of great games, we envy AP's finished list -- for us, the work of choosing our favorite games of 2011 is only about to begin.
GlaDOS' voice will return in Dota 2
Ellen McLain, the voice of none other than Portal 2's GlaDOS, was probably the most charming celebrity to stroll down the red carpet at the Spike Video Game Awards. Sure, the reality show stars and athletes may have attracted more attention, but McLain was all smiles as she used her operatic voice to talk about how great the limo ride to the show was. "This is so funny," she laughed, "the last time I was in a limo was in LA in 1981 with Rex Harrison! So only thirty years later, I have my second limo ride!" McLain said she too has been charmed, by the fan response to her popular character. "I love the way the fans are wondering who is Chell, is Chell the offspring of GlaDOS and Cave Johnson, all this stuff. And I also think that the Portal games have drawn a lot of young women into gaming." She said that she and husband John Patrick Lowrie, who also does voices for Valve's games, have "gone to some fancons, and the women are so excited, they come in and they're either dressed up like Chell or they're dressed up like GlaDOS." And we haven't heard the last of McLain yet. "Eric Wolpaw told me in the limo," she said, "that it has been announced, John and I have both done voices for Dota 2. So we're going to be in there." "There are a lot of characters in Dota 2," confirmed Lowrie. "There are like 100 characters, so we've done quite a few of them."
ThinkGeek and Aperture Science do what they must, intro more Portal-themed goods because they can
Been yearning for more Portal 2-inspired goods from ThinkGeek? Fret not, dear test subject, the company's got some products ways that should satiate your desire for Cave Johnson-approved chachkas. Newly up for grabs are a $15 Aperture Science shower curtain, a $35 motion-sensing plush turret and a $40 Cave Johnson talking portrait -- think Billy Bass, but with a Portal twist. ThinkGeek's also announced a $30 Companion Cube cookie jar (the perfect companion for its Portal cookie cutters) and a $30 PotatOS Science Kit, complete with an insult-spewing "talking GLaDOS module." Sadly, the latter duo don't have an official release date just yet, and are merely listed as "coming soon." Of course, like the cake, they could just be lie. For the sake of science, portal past the break to find a press release with more details.
Rate your childhood against this kid's Portal-themed bedroom
After ruminating on the things we're thankful for, spending days acting courteous and compassionate with family and friends, we're about due for some good, old-fashioned envy. Little Vector Farr has possibly the coolest bedroom a kid could ask for -- It's Portal-themed, complete with companion-cube plushies, propulsion gel on his mat, portal panels and a GLaDOS camera above his bed. But why stop there? We're not only envious of this kid's stuff, we covet his inclusion in a family that is obviously way radder than our own, and a father who is teaching him the truly important things in life, such as physics and how to treat our future robot overlords. His name is Vector. We want that too. And if all that jealousy weren't enough, Vector has a Portal-themed bathroom as well, attached directly to his Portal-themed room. Yeah. Happy holidays, everyone.
Portal 2's second DLC is an 'in-game editor,' arrives 'early next year'
Valve has just unveiled plans for the second downloadable content package coming to this year's big sequel, Portal 2: an "in-game editor!" According to a PR statement from the company, the next DLC is currently "in development and targeted for release early next year." Apparently some form of community functionality will be attached to player creations, allowing other users to "view, play, and vote" on various levels. Outside of some cursory details -- the editor will allow players to create and share both single-player and co-op levels -- little is known about how editing will work, or if the DLC will arrive on both PC/Mac and consoles. With Steam support on all but one console, the Xbox 360, we wouldn't be surprised if the second Portal 2 DLC doesn't arrive everywhere. But then Valve head Gabe Newell indicated differently in a recent interview, so we just can't be sure. We've reached out to Valve for some clarity.%Gallery-137276%
Final Hours of Portal 2 app talks possible level editor features
Earlier today, when Geoff Keighley tweeted that his own app for the iPad (also now available on Steam), The Final Hours of Portal 2, had been updated with a new (and free) 2,500 word chapter, we rushed to our iPad to check it out. After wrestling over the company iPad for a while, we finally came to an agreement: Justin would read it aloud in his best southern accent. It was the only peaceful solution, you see. While we can't relay the news with the dapper draw of a southern gentleman, we can confirm this new chapter focuses on Valve's attempt to make an easier-to-use level editor and an in-game level browser -- Valve even hopes to bring the latter to console versions of the game. The company is also looking at the possibility of adding GLaDOS to the editor. We can already imagine her berating us for how long it takes to rotate a ramp. Those who previously purchased the app get free access to the new chapter. The app itself is currently available on iPad and Steam for $1.99.
Official plush Portal turrets deploying this December
We've seen our share of homemade Portal turrets, even huggable ones. What we haven't seen, until today, is an official (and huggable) Portal turret that doesn't require crafting skills and a significant time investment. Enter ThinkGeek, which will exclusively offer its plushie Portal turret this December. The adorable menace comes complete with a glowing red eye and motion detector, and will spout its trademark lines when someone (or an unsuspecting pet) saunters by. The turret even has context appropriate quotes when it is picked up or knocked over ("critical error," etc). The plushie goes on sale in mid-December. Interested test subjects can sign up for an email notification of its availability over at ThinkGeek. Unlike real Aperture Science turrets, it appears the plush model only comes in one color.
This is your life if GLaDOS had control of your iPhone 4S
In many ways, Aldous Huxley was right -- our entertainment technology has made us a happily complacent species, imprisoned by our own electronic conformity mechanisms. George Orwell was also correct on a few theories of invasive government control. No one was more correct, however, than the great modern philosopher Erik Wolpaw and his overarching theses on Portal theory and lemons. Now, all of these dystopias have merged into one: GLaDOSiri on the iPhone 4S. Apple's Siri system enables natural-language voice control for a myriad of uses on the iPhone 4S, and GLaDOSiri makes all of those so much more masochistic, just the way we like it. If this were a real thing, we'd be all over it like children on Soma.
PSN Tuesday: Portal 2 DLC, PS2 Classics
There's new stuff on PSN today, most prominently that freebie Portal 2 DLC. But there's also an absurd wealth of old stuff! There's a new version of Crysis, HD Dreamcast ports (Sega Bass Fishing and Space Channel 5 Part 2), the PSOne port of Chrono Trigger, and five PS2 games -- including Clover Studio's brutally difficult, equally strange cult hit God Hand. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
PSA: Portal 2's 'Peer Review' DLC now available, full game for half price on Steam
It may have missed it's planned "summer" launch window, but Portal 2's first, totally free DLC "Peer Review" is being made available to download today via Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and Valve's own Steam distribution service. As previously detailed, the content delivers a brand new co-op track for everybody's favorite anthropomorphic duo, and once again features everybody's favorite murderous robot. And hey, if for some crazy reason you don't already own Portal 2, we're not sure we can continue this relationship. But we've got a way you can get things fixed up: pick up the game on the cheap right now, for just $14.99 (that's 50 percent off, folks).
Portal 2's Turret Lullaby comic sheds light and lasers on the singing turrets
Valve keeps plenty of secrets from the world, locked away and tied down with live, stripped wires above a shallow pool of stale water, surrounded by a moat of baby hippopotamuses -- but this secret got out. Turret Lullaby is a six-page Portal 2 comic that explains the birth of the singing turrets. We don't want to give it away, but it involves a baby, a burglar and a lot of bullets.
Free Portal 2 'Peer Review' DLC drops on October 4
So much for "mid-September," eh? Valve has announced that the first DLC for Portal 2, which is called "Peer Review," will be available for free download on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 on October 4. "Peer Review" continues the cooperative exploits of Atlas and P-Body, the two beloved robot protagonists in Portal 2's co-op campaign. GLaDOS will also be featured as the two tackle a new co-op test track. However, the DLC will also include a Challenge mode for both co-op and single-player with full leaderboard support. To help ease the pain of waiting for free stuff, Valve's offering, uh, free stuff! You can download the third and final group of tracks from Portal 2's soundtrack, Music to Test By, right now by heading on over to Valve's site here.
