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The amazing fan-made Portal gun
This replica Portal gun was created for Flickr user -- and soon-to-be Portal cosplayer -- emilyskeith by her boyfriend, and is clearly a triumph of prop making. In fact, we consider it a huge success. We're sure it was hard for Emily to overstate her satisfaction with the finished replica, which features working orange and blue LEDs and was weathered to convey the idea that she wasn't the first Aperture Science subject to use it. To her boyfriend: you've ensured that her love for you will be still alive for years to come. Also, we want one.[Via X3F]
Voice actor job posting hints at potential Portal 2 details
A Kotaku tipster seems to have stumbled upon a casting call for "a character for a new game in the Portal series from Valve Software" on subscribers-only actors resource Breakdown Express. The posting is loaded with character details for the game's "principal antagonist," including his history, demeanor and general outlook on life. The posting even details how the character's psychology changes as the story progresses, hinting at some intriguing story possibilities for the sequel to our top game of 2007.If you don't mind having such important details spoiled at least seven months before the game is released, follow the read link and, er, read all about it. Or, if you're a voice actor who can handle "dark comedy ... with occasional dramatic moments" starting next month, why not try out for a piece of video game immortality?
Separated at birth: Wii Fit Balance Board and Aperture Science turret
Is Nintendo an ancestor of Aperture Science? A dummy corporation? We recently recorded the North American voice of the Wii Fit Balance Board, and it bears an uncanny resemblance to Portal's happy little turrets. Even the hierarchy of henchmen follows Portal. Aperture science has GLaDOS, and Wii Fit has a male- or female-voiced personal trainer.Yes, there are still a few differences. The Balance Board voice -- and we presume nefarious AI -- comes through the Wii and out a TV, while the turrets are all self-contained. Plus the balance board might not be trying to kill us. The verdict is still uncertain, but be warned.Aperture Science turret
Cinemassively: The Device Has Been Modified
Let's say that Gnomeregan merged with Aperture Science. What would happen if you installed GLaDOS on mechanistriders? Baron Soosdon put that question to the test, in The Device Has Been Modified. If you like Rick Astley, Shepiwot, and Linkin Park, then this is the machinima for you! Baron turns World of Warcraft into the belly of the beast, as the heroine, a lone gnome on a journey to save her life, must fight her way against the rogue MechaMurlocs and mechanistriders. Will she survive, or will she go the way of the weighted companion cube?[Thanks, Baron!]If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them.
WoW Moviewatch: The Device Has Been Modified
(The sinister Baron Soosdon felt that Vimeo was the best quality stream, so he made me change it from the Veoh stream. Now it has a funky looking aspect ratio! However, he does not blame me for destroying his non-existant PR campaign, so it's okay.)The year is 1985. Gnomeregan merges with Aperture Science, which causes a chain reaction, altering history forever. In 1987, they decide to install GLaDOS on a mechanistrider, which leads to a killing spree in 1989. In the distant future, only MechaMurlocs exist, except for one determined little gnome.If you can believe it, Baron Soosdon completed this movie in one day! He was apparently inspired by an infectious tune that was mentioned in #machinima on Quakenet IRC. For more information about This Device Has Been Modified, check out his blog, but be sure to download the high quality version.[Thanks, Baron!]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
Make your own Aperture Science PC workstation
We don't know if this guy got his box running GLaDOS, but it sure as hell looks like standard issue Aperture Science, if you ask us. We'd like to see it running Portal though -- only that would be recursive enough for our tastes.[Thanks, Nick]
GDC08: Aperture Science San Francisco?
Imagine our surprise whilst walking the streets of San Francisco during GDC when we saw the images above. The sign out front claimed that the building was some sort of art gallery, but we know better. We know an Aperture Science Enrichment Center when we see one. Judging from the icons depicted here, it looks like test complexity will really be ramping up.%Gallery-16448%
Happy Holidays from Aperture Science
To spread holiday cheer and to prove that the cake was not a lie, team Valve and everyone at Aperture Science sent along this video holiday greeting. And please, try not to be creeped out by the embedded video holiday card. It's just security camera footage of the Companion Cube (with a Santa hat) and a piece of cake sitting in front of a fireplace with a remixed holiday version of "Still Alive" playing in the background. Right? Actually, that is quite creepy ... but we love our Companion Cube so much so we'll overlook that and watch the video knowing that Aperture Science love us. Happy (holiday name here)!
