The Cake is NOT a Lie – 'Portal' Port is Real
posted by Eli Hodapp on July 21st, 2009 7:39 PM EDT in Action, First Person Shooter, Games, Puzzle, Upcoming Games, iPhone games, iPod touch games
A few minutes ago we received a provisioned copy of the Portal clone built in Unity that we posted about last week. There have been suspicions since the original video was posted that the entire thing was an elaborate hoax, but we can now confirm that it actually does exist.
The game in its current state is rather buggy, I've fallen through the world a few times and the way gravity is handled when going through portals needs some tweaking. Also, according to the developer, the controls are not as good as they'd like them to be, a sentiment I can get behind as playing the game right now feels rather clumsy.
Here is a short video of me playing through the first room and entering the second room of the first level:
All in all though, we're looking at a very promising Portal clone that still needs a good bit of work before it's ready for prime time. Also, it remains to be seen what Valve's reaction to this project will be as ultimately they hold the keys to the castle and needless to say, this Portal clone is treading on some extremely thin legal ice.
This looks amazing can't wait for it to come out if it does.
Holy smokes, I must be dreaming.
And er… Valve is okay with this?
I really hope this makes it to the App Store.
I thought Valve sent them an e-mail stating good work or something. Wasn't this gone over already? Sorry I could be thinking of another game, but I thought for sure it was this.
That was regarding the PC fan mod "Portal Prelude". Valve wrote to them saying they'd done a good job.
Valve is usually extremely cool with mods and stuff…but there is NO WAY this thing is ever going to get released on the app store. Cool either way though.
Well, you saw it, they already have models and things and basics for the game, they could not do it without Valve's permission
The appeal for me on the portal game for pc is how you can fast and quickly shoot portals with extreme precision.
This just doesnt feel like it can create the same experience.
Can't they make 50:50 with Valve?;)
I think calling this a 'clone' is a bit generous. This isn't using similar gameplay etc, it looks like it is using identical assets. It looks like it could just be a video of portal on your iPhone (not suggesting it IS). I think this is as close to outright plagiarism as it gets.
I'm all for Portal on the iPhone, but only if it gets done properly, and isn't one of these, posted for a day, suspiciously disappearing soon after.
OK, what's this cake thing all about?
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=the+cake+is+a+lie
Yeah yeah, and that isn't a spoon and that's not a pipe…yawn…it's a cookbook!
If this is on "extremely thin legal ice" why isn't Gangstar?
gangstar is legal because the gameplay is NEARLY the same gameplay in GTA … its the same like when anyone would say that an egoshooter in WW2 is illegal because cod 5 has been made before and plays in WWII
This is awesome, but Valve has every right to do something about it. The only thing that is plausible that comes to mind is the free use clause, but I don't even know in this case.
fair use I mean. Not free use.
Yeah, fair use isn't going to help them now they've distributed it to other people. I think they're just trying to get some good publicity and hope that Valve decide it would be a good idea to make a deal.
Of course, if Valve had already been working on something of their own, he's screwed, but this is probably the only tactic to get it out there, or at the very least, to get publicity.
I like the idea that other could get the opportunity to discover Portal. But it required such mouse desterity that I'd probably only get this for the sake of being able to show it off. ..Assuming it works okay on a humble 3G. Is this running on a 3G, Touch2G, or 3GS?
It's running on my 3GS in the video.
Ah, cheers. Just more reason for me to upgrade.
Now they should start work on Left 4 Dead 4 iPhone.
This looks great. If they can add something like a sensitivty setting for the quickness of the crosshair acceleration it would be great. i think this could work really well.
Why are your thumbs sideways? Looks like two separate people are playing.
I just had to point out a few things here!
First, thats some pretty impressive graphics! I simply cannot see that run on a first generation iDevice, I could be wrong, but I doubt it.
Also, WHY! WHY did they port Portal! I think Valve will kill this as I recognize these level from my playthoughs of the actual game, if they just did like the Prelude guys and did their own set of levels, or maybe ported Prelude (thats free anyway).
I really wanted this, but I hardly see THIS end up in the app store, if this is truly a port of the source engine, its absolutely stunning news, but right now, I think this a a tech demo, and within 6 month or so when the game comes out there going to be maybe 15 custom made levels and more coming down the line (some free, some paid).
Sound plausible people?
While it seems unlikely this will get released, those graphics look amazing! Still, movement seems too slow to be but who knows, maybe it'll improve. Whatever happens, I hope SOMEBODY releases Portal to the iPhone.
Still shots look pretty good, but going through that portal it looked glitchy. Plus the portal didn't show up on the wall properly (part of it was below the ground.)
Also, the controls seem to be horrid. There's no way you can have the same frantic portal action speed runs as on the PC version.
yeah the gameplay will be different precisely because you cant control with as much precision.
I hope Valve have the good sense to realise that someone has done 90% of the work of porting Portal to iPhone. They should see it for what it is: a money making opportunity.
They should tell the developer that without their involvement it doesn't see the light of day. Then just give them all the help and assets they need to make it a 100% legit port. Then agree a cut of the proceeds.
Everybody wins.
don't see the point of porting the game… what's the benefit? even new levels would not be enough… make something new guys!
I hope steam embraces this and runs with the wind,
The awesome power of Unity iPhone!
If there was a profit deal worked out with the dev…
Ok so now my collection of ipod games is complete! I have the orange box for both 360 and PC and Portal is by far amazing! If it comes out for the ipod i think a lot of ppl will buy both the game and ipods, so this is a major money making game for both the dev and apple, I think Valve should ask the devs to share there objects and physics to the game to make it the real deal while also making maybe 40% profit, that way both the dev can make the game easyer and more reliable and valve can make some money, everyones a winner. I realy hope this game comes out!
Knowing how much Valve's fanboyism is, I'm sure this will well worked on project get rejected, or possibly throw on the Zune HD, since that is made by M$. Left4Dead being an example: How valve could have ported this to the PS3, yet they chose to screw with people thinking they were in development of forming a PS3 dev-team to work on it, and to everybody's surprise they were jackin-off on the job and decided to pretend like it never happened.
Can anyone send me a copy I would greatly appriciate it Manuel.Nila@gmail.com