Portal

[Oath]

I meant Half Life 2: Episode 2...

Both games mention each other faculty, I don't remember the name of each, but in Episode 3 you should visit a site built buy the company who build the portal machine. And near the end you see a slideshow that mentions the company behind Black Mesa and Gordon. Who know maybe we'll find the portal gun in Episode 3

As far as I see it:

In Ep3 you'll probably get to visit the Borealis, a ship supposedly owned by/carrying equipment from Aperture Science Corporation. Aperture (the creators of portal technology) is/was a competitor to Black Mesa from back in the day, when they both were going for military contracts from the DoD. The Borealis disappeared some time ago, due to teleportation, and has recently been spotted again. Now the Combine are very interested in any technology might help them set up teleportation since they're cut off from their homeworld, so they're hunting the Borealis.

Regarding what you wrote:

Yes, in Ep2 you get a glimpse of the Aperture containers being loaded onto the Borealis. I don't really know what references to Ep2 there are in Portal, besides certain remarks made by GLaDOS that mention "they" which might mean Combine.

The company behind Black Mesa is Black Mesa, unless you're referring to the Gman's involvement which may have other corporate interests behind it.

[Nappi]

BTW. Did anyone try to type "play portal" on the aperture science site after logging in? It'll redirect you to a Youtube site, but it just says the video has been removed by the user. Did it work in the first place?

It could be something really lame like a Portal trailer, but then again, that would be kind of pointless, since people visiting the site most likely already own the game..

[Tanukitsune]

As far as I see it:

In Ep3 you'll probably get to visit the Borealis, a ship supposedly owned by/carrying equipment from Aperture Science Corporation. Aperture (the creators of portal technology) is/was a competitor to Black Mesa from back in the day, when they both were going for military contracts from the DoD. The Borealis disappeared some time ago, due to teleportation, and has recently been spotted again. Now the Combine are very interested in any technology might help them set up teleportation since they're cut off from their homeworld, so they're hunting the Borealis.

Regarding what you wrote:

Yes, in Ep2 you get a glimpse of the Aperture containers being loaded onto the Borealis. I don't really know what references to Ep2 there are in Portal, besides certain remarks made by GLaDOS that mention "they" which might mean Combine.

The company behind Black Mesa is Black Mesa, unless you're referring to the Gman's involvement which may have other corporate interests behind it.

When you start to escape you'll pass in front of a slideshow machine that talks about the project and mentioned Black Mesa

[Oath]

When you start to escape you'll pass in front of a slideshow machine that talks about the project and mentioned Black Mesa

Yes, I know. How does that change anything I wrote?

[DanJW]

OK, I still love Portal and everything, but the challenges are driving me absolutely insane They're just so frustrating. I could look up the solutions but that would completely defeat the point. ~Ahhhhg

[Kolzig]

Have you guys checked www.aperturelaboratories.com?

I'm loving all this backstory stuff. I can't wait for Ep3/ Portal sequel.

[Thrik]

You know, I've been hearing a lot about this companion cube and it sounds an awful lot like the box I produced for official Day of Defeat map 'Glider' back when those movable boxes in Half-Life were all the rage!

Clearly I should have got a cut of the DOD purchase.

[Cigol]

Thrik; you posted the same thing on RPS?

I do remember the map, but can't say I recall a moveable box with a heart on it. You should email Gabe asking for compensation, he'll probably respond as well

Something I found on another forum, thought it was quite funny; http://www.weebls-stuff.com/wab/cube/

[Thrik]

Hee, well I did find the reminiscence quite startling when I first saw the companion cube. So much that I wanted to tell the world!

I mean, my box had a heart on it, and it was moveable using the revolutionary 'physics' engine in Half-Life 1. It being moveable was in fact the whole point.

Then this Portal comes along, has a box with a heart on it, and it's moveable using the revolutionary (for real this time) physics engine in Half-Life 2.

It began with a regular moveable box in Glider; players found ways of essentially getting it anywhere in the map during beta testing, and it became a bit of a challenge to see how far you could get it. It was removed when Valve bought the game, but I was asked to do a texture for a tribute to it that'd be hidden in the map. You could only get to it by jumping into a hidden teleport near the bunkers, which'd take you to a crazy room where you could play with the love heart version to your heart's content. This later became a race track with multiple love heart moveable boxes to push along.

It probably is just a coincidence, but it weirded me out at first as it was probably the biggest easter egg DoD ever had. And nobody remembers it -- too well hidden!

[Cigol]

That sounds like the best easter egg ever. Can't believe I never experienced it first hand

[BigJKO]

To be fair, Thrik, what makes the Weighted Companion Cube so much more lovable beyond the heart, is GlaDoS' comments about it. And the fact that

you have to incinerate it, feeling like you destroyed your only comrade in the game.

Btw, is there any way not to incinerate it and still finish the level.. felt so bad after that.

[brkl]

I just went and tossed it right in there. It's just a fucking box.

[Thrik]

But didn't you see that tear forming on the right bulge of the heart? ;(

[vimes]

I didn't, but I didn't hear it speak either...

[BigJKO]

I just went and tossed it right in there. It's just a fucking box.

Heart-less bastard!

[n0wak]

I just went and tossed it right in there. It's just a fucking box.

I bet you did it in record time too.

[miffy495]

How could you feel bad killing that but not feel bad

killing that orange eye of GlaDoS'? The one that's so naive and happy.

"Ooh! Where are we going? What's that? Cool! Do you smell something burning? AHHHHH!"

I felt much worse killing that happy eye than killing the cube.

[Cigol]

My rationale is because it was for the greater good

[elmuerte]

I mean, my box had a heart on it, and it was moveable using the revolutionary 'physics' engine in Half-Life 1. It being moveable was in fact the whole point.

Unreal 1 also had moveable boxes (they would even float in the water (well, the wood boxes) and could be used to reach certain places by walking over them).

But I think there's even an earlier example of non-stationary boxes

[Erkki]

Sokoban?

[elmuerte]

well.. 3d game...

[DanJW]

System Shock 2?

[elmuerte]

that's after Unreal 1 and Half Life 1

[n0wak]

But I think there's even an earlier example of non-stationary boxes

What about Tomb Raider?

[elmuerte]

don't know, never finished the game, does it have crates with physics properties (like weight)? and can you only move them in a predetermined direction (i.e. not scripted)?

anyway, my point being was that Half Life is incorrectly being credited as the game that introduced physics into the gameplay.