Steam’s big Winter Sale included an alternate reality game that… really wasn’t. After following a rather unsatisfying breadcrumb trail, players unlocked a Steam badge titled “Red Herring”. Very funny, Valve. Now, though, joke’s on them.
A member of the subreddit dedicated to untangling Valve’s web of steamy secrets confirmed that a) they sent Valve some goddamn fish, and b) Valve received the goddamn fish.
There’s even a video of Valve employees unwrapping their present:
Fun! Also some Valve folks apparently wear sweet Ghost in the Shell cyberpunk outfits to work.
Oh, and here’s an image of the wrapping paper they sent it in:
So then, all’s well that ends well, I suppose. Here’s hoping, though, that next time Valve does a meta game (or, Gaben forbid, a video game) there’s a little more to it.
Comments
17 responses to “Players Duped By Steam’s Winter Sale ‘ARG’ Send Valve An Actual Red Herring”
For an extra layer of joke, open the wrapping paper image (http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_original/mjy2kwxbbj8hstwxf4j7.jpg) in your favourite image manipulator and adjust the levels so that 255 (white) = 0 (anything less than 40 should do you’re just trying to get white as close to black as you can.)
I won’t spoil the surprise.
Haha what a great Easter Egg
I suppose HL3 confirmed?I’m at work and can’t do that right now – can you spoil the surprise for me please?
Half Life logo with a number 3Nice
Can you post the resultant image? (Or is this a joke and I missed the whoosh as it went over my head…? )
It’s real. I saw it on the Reddit but wanted to confirm / prove that you could do it yourself with the original image and… you can!
https://i.imgur.com/VLqlWo8.jpgThanks! It’s like magic.
Think Valve are trolling us? 😀
Well since the wrapping paper was made by the people sending the gift… Then again………
I think you mean that we’re trying to get black as close to white as possible, not the other way around.
Also it says redjevel at the bottom right, lol’dI probably mean that, yes. 😛
Can you just walk into game development businesses and give them presents?
You can even go in and sell them a crate!
Yeah, this is the 2nd time I’ve heard of this happening (I remember the crate) so that was why I was asking. I didn’t really think they would be so accessible.
From the description in that video it seems like they managed to get in contact with GN and ask permission before they showed up with the crate.
In general, though, game studios aren’t exactly high security. They’re just like any other office. If you know where they are you can show up and ring the doorbell and you’ll usually get at least as far as reception.
^ Alternatively you can boost the Gamma level. hehe
Yep, I’m pretty sure the image I linked in spoiler tags was done with a gamma adjustment. It’s the same dialogue in GIMP so I didn’t even think to mention it.