The release of Portal 2 has apparently halted the earth's rotation for the day so that fans can play Valve's highly-anticipated sequel.
Valve Software's eagerly-awaited sequel to Portal launched today after nearly a four-year wait, landing on Windows PC, Mac, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 consoles. The game combines the first-person shooter viewpoint of other popular Valve games, a large dose of humor, and a unique portal-based puzzle element into an award-winning combination that earned Portal the coveted Game of the Year award at the 2008 Game Developers Choice Awards, among others.
That said, it's no surprise that the Internet has seemingly come to a halt as fans currently flock to stores and online digital distributors (like Steam) to get their copy of Portal 2. Even teachers are canceling classes because students are calling in sick to play the just-release sequel.
"I have already have had several students email me today and ask for tomorrow's lecture notes because they will be too sick to attend class," one teacher wrote to students via email on Monday. "Due to the high number of students that are feigning illness to play Portal [2], there will be no class tomorrow, April 19."
For the record, all articles published today on Tom's was actually written on Sunday and Monday, as we’ve closed the office to spend all Tuesday playing Portal 2 (or for me, the Gears of War 3 beta). If you have yet to purchase a copy, get out from under that rock and head over to Steam. Those who purchase the $59.99 PlayStation 3 version seemingly get the best deal out of all four platforms, receiving the PC and Mac digital versions for free.
For the uninitiated, here's a brief overview ripped from the product details:
"The single-player portion of Portal 2 introduces a cast of dynamic new characters, a host of fresh puzzle elements, and a much larger set of devious test chambers. Players will explore never-before-seen areas of the Aperture Science Labs and be reunited with GLaDOS, the occasionally murderous computer companion who guided them through the original game. The game's two-player cooperative mode features its own entirely separate campaign with a unique story, test chambers, and two new player characters. This new mode forces players to reconsider everything they thought they knew about portals. Success will require them to not just act cooperatively, but to think cooperatively."
Sounds like a lame excuse for the teacher to play Portal 2.
Sounds like a lame excuse for the teacher to play Portal 2.
And it's not disrupting the people who actually have exams at this point in time- such as myself.
If it was high school/other I'd be playing Portal 2 now!
No where here did it say that an entire university was shut down. A professor canceled their class, as they may do, at any time, to their own discretion.
Valve seems to be screwing me intentionally lately!
An excuse, sure. But hardly lame.
My old ChemE professors would just have taken a mental note to test heavily on anything lectured on that day and held class as normal.
Spoken like someone who has never been to college.
ya we got lectured about other things then class material on those days.
i miss college, i would go back and do it all again for another degree in something else except nobody leaves their wifi areas any more and the dude you just shot a spit ball into their ears turn out not to be the jerk that kept cappin you with an invincibility hack because he's on a different server or in a different session of the same game +_+
and yes i have had a professor un officially cancel a class by giving out a book reading assignment inorder to sit down and play with the rest of us,twas the best!
Digital download...
DERP! LOL
Same thought here!