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Rock Band Unplugged gets new DLC, including 'Still Alive'

by Justin McElroy { Jul 9th 2009 at 7:00PM }

It's so nice when things work out the way you hope. There's a handful of new songs available for download in Rock Band Unplugged and the one song we actually want ("Still Alive" by GLaDOS and Jonathan Coulton) is free, free totally free. Here's the rest, if you're curious, everything but "Still Alive" will run you $1.99:

Dixie Chicks "Sin Wagon"
GLaDOS and Jonathan Coulton "Still Alive" *
The Pixies "Here Comes Your Man"
R.E.M. "Losing My Religion"
Stevie Ray Vaughan "Pride and Joy"

Oh crap, we didn't see "Sin Wagon"! Please, disregard everything we said above.

Jonathan Coulton not (yet) working on song for Portal 2

by Kevin Kelly { Jun 19th 2009 at 8:30PM }

We still haven't had any confirmation of a Portal sequel, other than, you know, designer Kim Swift and Valve's lead marketing director, Doug Lombardi mentioning that the game is probably coming. Now internet songster and Portal theme -- "Still Alive" -- composer Jonathan Coulton has chimed in as well.

We recently interviewed Coulton about his upcoming "Best. Concert. Ever." CD & DVD set (look for the full interview soon where we'll be giving a copy away), and the first thing we asked him about was how his song for Portal 2 was coming along. "I haven't started it yet. I honestly don't know ... I haven't spoken to them in a long time about it, so I don't know much at all about their plans for Portal 2 and what they're thinking of doing," he told us. "And that's the truth, that's not an 'I signed a non-disclosure agreement and can't tell you what's going on' answer. I really don't know."

So it's still a non-confirmation of nothing, but it sounds like he may be on tap to write something for it. Maybe. Possibly. Speculatively. Hope is "Still Alive" (we hope).

April Fools: Chains of Olympus contains hidden 'Cube of War' mode

by Randy Nelson { Apr 1st 2009 at 8:05PM }

Hot off its "Best Handheld Game" win at the 2009 Game Developer Choice Awards, Ready at Dawn has divulged the existence of a previously undiscovered mode within God of War: Chains of Olympus. Called "Cube of War," it allows players to take on the game's menagerie of murderous malcontents as ... an Aperture Science Weighted Companion Cube.

RAD isn't saying how the deal to get the Cube in the game -- and out of Portal -- was struck, but it does have instructions on unlocking this tasty (like cake) triumph: "if you finish Chains of Olympus in god mode, no upgrades, and collect all the urns of power twice without dying you open up the companion cube as a hidden character." If you can muster that, we'd consider it a huge success. If you can't, at least watch what you're missing after the break.

Continued →

Joystiq Interview: Harrison Krix, replica designer

by Xav de Matos { Feb 26th 2009 at 7:01PM }

After wowing us with his Portal "gun" replica, Harrison Krix is at it again -- this time tackling the world of BioShock. His latest in-game item replica is the ADAM Syringe, used by the Little Sisters who roam the world of Rapture. We sat down with Harrison to discuss his work, reactions from video game companies and what he would build if money and time were no object.

Gallery: BioShock: ADAM Syringe Replica

Continued →

How to make a Portal gun replica (hint: it's not easy)

by Randy Nelson { Feb 3rd 2009 at 10:54PM }

Harrison Krix describes himself as a "dork," but we consider him very, very cool. He's the graphic designer who created the astonishingly accurate ASHPD (Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device) we first showed you a couple weeks back. Krix built the mock Portal gun for his cosplayer girlfriend -- if that's not devotion, we don't know what is -- and has now revealed the entire process to GameDaily.

The build is detailed in more than 100 steps, should you, ya know, want to try it yourself. There's even a gallery of a very happy Emily (above) showing off the finished gun. Speaking of which, our pals at Engadget recently posted a hands-on video of this most drool-worthy creation. You can check it out here.

Gallery: Portal Gun Replica

The amazing fan-made Portal gun

by Randy Nelson { Jan 21st 2009 at 2:01PM }

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]

The Best Thing You'll See Today: The Portal bar

by Justin McElroy { Dec 22nd 2008 at 10:55AM }

Well this is just magical. After a Final Fantasy-themed night became a big hit, the IT University of Copenhagen decided to celebrate their weekly gathering at Denmark's Scrollbar with an all-Portal evening. That meant tons of themed shots (that's the "Teleportation" up above -- you're apparently supposed to jump from one to the other), plenty of Companion Cubes, and, of course, cake.

If you're curious as to where we're we're going to end up when we die, you can check out all the pictures from the event right here.

Holidaze 2008: Live in the past, it's cheaper

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Nov 27th 2008 at 3:00PM }

Bad news, everybody: 2008 is the new 2007. Those of us lucky enough to have survived last year's unyielding flood of exquisite games expected the new holiday to provide some respite -- perhaps an influx of blessedly mediocre games -- but alas, our wallets are once again tugged in every $60 direction.

But what's worse? The deafening din of desirable games, or that irresistible impulse to play and master every adventure the very second it becomes available? Provided you can defeat the latter reflex, we have a simple suggestion: Live in the past. It's cheaper!

We've dredged up our decisive, if ever-so-slightly controversial list of the ten best games of Oh Seven, hoping you'll find a fantastic experience you mistakenly overlooked. You'll find that the passage of time has taken a pleasing toll on the recommended price of admission. In fact, we've traveled forward in time to this very moment, hoping to pick up our 2007 nominees on the cheap. What do you think? Should we make Portal our Game of the Year?

Continued →

Holidaze 2008: Live in the past, it's cheaper (Page 2)

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Nov 27th 2008 at 2:29PM }

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

What we said then: "Perhaps the most surprising thing about the game is how few actual revolutionary concepts are contained within. It selects existing game design tools, hones them to practical perfection and creates what is, in our opinion, the military shooter against which all others must be judged."

What we say now: "An essential 'tunnel of fun' shooter with a rewarding multiplayer component. If you find yourself disappointed by this year's Call of Duty: World at War, it's probably this game's fault."

Current retail price: $39.99 (Game of the Year edition)

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Miyamoto: Portal a triumph, Mario Galaxy 'conservative' in ways

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Oct 30th 2008 at 3:15PM }

He may not be intimately familiar with Ratchet and Whatshisface, but at least revered game designer Shigeru Miyamoto has had the pleasure of tumbling through dimensional shortcuts and outsmarting acerbic computers. In an interesting chat with MTV Multiplayer's Stephen Totilo, Miyamoto admits that he, like most rational human beings, thought Portal was "an amazing game."

Games that go without the "amazing" label? The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which the Mario maker describes as "not a bad game, by any means," but one that felt "like there was something missing." And while Miyamoto submits that Super Mario Galaxy did "some things that were very new and were very unique," he ultimately feels that some elements seemed "somewhat conservative."

And it's at this point that we strongly advise you to open an umbrella or don a durable raincoat. When faced with the choice of vehemently defending two prominent Nintendo games or agreeing with the creator, fanboy brains tend to explode quite violently.

Portal size the XBLA exception, not new rule

by Justin McElroy { Oct 30th 2008 at 12:15PM }

Sadly, it seems Joystiq Publishing's avant-garde video game project "629 MB Picture Of A Guy Wearing A Funny Hat" will have to stay on the shelf. According to Microsoft, the scale-tipping 629 MB of Portal: Still Alive was not the new standard for XBLA publishers.

The company told us, "We have set file limits as a general guideline. An important part of Xbox LIVE Arcade is easy access and keeping file size down is a vital part of that. Equally important is offering titles with superior game play. We weigh both considerations on a case-by-case basis, and will make exceptions when it makes sense to ensure the best customer experience."

Hope you don't mind inferior quality pictures of guys in funny hats, because it seems that's what you're getting.

XBLA in Brief: Portal: Still Alive

by Richard Mitchell { Oct 22nd 2008 at 4:45PM }

This week on XBLA in Brief, we take a look at Portal: Still Alive. Sure, it seems like an easy choice for those wanting to try Portal without paying for The Orange Box. 15 bucks for the original Portal and 14 new challenge maps? Sounds pretty good to us. The only real question is whether or not the 14 additional maps are worth it to Portal fanatics. At a buck a map, we're inclined to say yes. Check out the latest installment of XBLA in Brief to see what's new in Still Alive.

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Portal: Still Alive tips scales at 629 MB

by Justin McElroy { Oct 22nd 2008 at 10:25AM }

Is there some point at which an XBLA game has enough girth to drop that adorable "Arcade" moniker and just be, you know, a game? Weighing in at 629 MB, Portal: Still Alive seems to be pretty close to that limit. That means that if you're not sporting a hard drive in your 360, you're pretty much out of luck. It also means that the previously announced 350 MB limit has just been kicked in the teeth.

Still Alive is almost double the last King of Bytes: EA Sports Fantasy Football Live Draft Tracker, which boasted a comparatively paltry 334 MB. We've put a line out to Microsoft to see if this is a one-time thing or a new policy -- we'll let you know what we hear.

Next Wednesday: 'Portal: Still Alive' transports onto XBLA

by Alexander Sliwinski { Oct 16th 2008 at 2:00PM }

(Note to self: Must avoid Portal clichés. Must avoid Portal clichés!)

Microsoft announced today that Portal: Still Alive will bend reality on XBLA beginning next Wednesday, October 22nd. The title includes the original Aperture Science adventure (Joystiq's GOTY 2007), along with 14 new "exclusive" challenge maps and six advanced maps, complete with new Achievements. So, you can have your cake and eat it, too. (Damn.) ~~We've contacted Microsoft about a price for the game~~. Major Nelson tells us the game will be 1200

($15).

This isn't to say Portal: Still Alive is the only title coming next week to XBLA. The previous two weeks have had additional games announced on Wednesday.

Source - Announcement [Gamerscore News]
Source - Portal: Still Alive Achievements [Gamerscore Blog]

Portal: Still Alive to bend space on the XBLA this Wednesday [update]

by Xav de Matos { Oct 16th 2008 at 12:45PM }

Update: Major Nelson confirmed with us that Portal: Still Alive will be priced at 1200 Microsoft points.

Attention -- the Aperture Science Enrichment Center cordially invites you back to experience its award-winning testing facility very soon on the Xbox Live Arcade. Play it again and for the first time with the complete original, 6 advanced maps and 14 new challenge maps. GamerScore Blog officially announced today that Portal: Still Alive will land on the marketplace on October 22. Unfortunately no price was revealed, which makes us think we're going to have to open the wallet wider than the average 800MS points. We can still dream, together.

[Thanks, HazyCloud]