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]

Tags: achievements, breakingnews, portal, portal-still-alive, still-alive, xbla, xblawednesday

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

NBShermanator @ Oct 16th 2008 2:05PM

price?

dark_inchworm @ Oct 16th 2008 2:28PM

1200, according to Major Nelson's twitter message I just got.

Jakka @ Oct 16th 2008 2:05PM

If it's 1800 Points, they can suck my balls!

dark_inchworm @ Oct 16th 2008 2:29PM

Damn, beat to the punch by about 15 minutes.

I'm making a note here: failure

Levi @ Oct 16th 2008 2:08PM

I'm dying for more professional levels on the pc version... I refuse to play user generated content, I'm afraid it will ruin it

Haggard @ Oct 16th 2008 2:12PM

Just hang around on some half-life and source modding forums and websites and you'll find some very good maps. Sure, rubbish ones might ruin it, but good ones can introduce completely new gameplay mechanics (such as the Bethesda 'rotating room' level).

Okänd @ Oct 16th 2008 2:40PM

Actually, the flash version mappack and Portal Prelude are pretty awesome.

http://portalmaps.wecreatestuff.com/
http://www.portalprelude.com/

Aero @ Oct 16th 2008 2:41PM

The extra levels in this XBLA version are user generated ones from the PC.

Levi @ Oct 16th 2008 5:43PM

wow are they really? That's pretty sweet. And yeah, I should go back and check out the forums. When I first checked out user maps, they looked like beginner maps - not just Portal beginner, but like.. learning how to make brushes and place entities...

TX2Step @ Oct 16th 2008 2:14PM

Major Nelson on his twitter: 1200 points!!!

http://twitter.com/majornelson

Mike @ Oct 16th 2008 2:17PM

Wow - Proved me wrong - I was guessing $25. Hopefully this is accurate - not like MN to lie, and he does get his info straight from the horses mouth - I guess what I'm saying is HUZZAH!!

TX2Step @ Oct 16th 2008 2:24PM

I never played the original one that came in the orange box and I think it's a fair deal. The others that think the experience is worth it is just cheap.

Premature ejaculation man @ Oct 16th 2008 6:19PM

Yeah I haven't played it...I think I'll buy it.

syrik zero @ Oct 16th 2008 2:11PM

I'm excited!

Ranus Studios @ Oct 16th 2008 2:11PM

My bank account! NOOOOOO!

Hogslap @ Oct 16th 2008 3:38PM

I'm confused, is this an expansion to orange box? Or a standalone download? :O

Vidikron @ Oct 16th 2008 3:48PM

A stand alone download, but it has some extra levels added that weren't in the OrangeBox version. BUT those extra levels aren't part of the story mode with GLaDOS.

Hala Madrid!! (www.realmadrid.com) @ Oct 16th 2008 2:13PM

Any news about the South Park game?

Bloo @ Oct 16th 2008 2:35PM

Last I heard it wasn't coming out until next year so I wouldn't hold your breath!

Antagonist @ Oct 16th 2008 3:44PM

Tell me Bloo, if you were to change your mind, how would you go about holding his breath? Is that a euphemism for suffocation?

Bloo @ Oct 16th 2008 4:01PM

Idiom:

"Don't hold your breath" - something that you say in order to tell someone that an event is not likely to happen.

Eaxample: She said she'd phone but don't hold your breath.

Antagonist @ Oct 16th 2008 4:19PM

Since you obviously missed the point, I'll just explain to you that I'm familiar with the idiom. However, I'm used to seeing it used properly.

"Last I heard it wasn't coming out until next year so I wouldn't hold my breath!"

FTFY

Farseer (GDI) @ Oct 16th 2008 4:23PM

lol, he's right Bloo. There's nothing wrong with telling someone "Don't hold your breath", it's the fact that you said "I wouldn't hold your breath". You meant "I wouldn't hold my breath."

Example:

"Don't squeeze your nose" /= "I wouldn't squeeze your nose"

They may both be true statements, but they definitely don't mean the same thing.

Bloo @ Oct 16th 2008 10:29PM

Thank you for setting the gamers-are-not-nerds movement back 200 years

Farseer (GDI) @ Oct 16th 2008 10:39PM

lol, I, for one, would rather have my statement corrected than be teabagged in Halo 3. To each gamer their own gamer, I suppose. ;)

Blank-Mage @ Oct 17th 2008 12:46AM

Vader can hold your breath from a distance.

Eric Gula @ Oct 16th 2008 2:14PM

Price is 1200 MSFT Points. ($15)

brother.rope @ Oct 16th 2008 2:14PM

YES!

Mike @ Oct 16th 2008 2:14PM

I'm so excited!! I'm so scared!!

Excited because I love me some portal - scared 'cause MS has a hand in this release - meaning it will probably cost more than the retail version of portal ($19.99). My guestimate? $25.

Also, with regards to surprise XBLA titles, remember this: If the first thing you hear about a new game is that it's coming out this Wednesday, that's a bad sign.

Mike @ Oct 16th 2008 2:21PM

Strike the first half of what I said there - 1200 pts = $15 = totally reasonable.

Dirty @ Oct 16th 2008 2:14PM

This is poorly timed. I wont be getting this because Im too fing busy with other games right now. Two weeks ago this would have been an easy buy.

Dirty @ Oct 16th 2008 2:15PM

easy sale I guess.

chispito @ Oct 16th 2008 4:55PM

The original game takes about 3-4 hours to play through at a leisurely pace. If you haven't played it yet, there is no game you could possibly be playing right now that is a better use of your time.

Just Mr ESC. @ Oct 16th 2008 2:17PM

1200p no wai too expensive!! Waaaa!!

J/K

Sold.

xFenixKnightx @ Oct 16th 2008 2:23PM

*pokes head out, checks if the coast is clear

THE CAKE IS A LIE!!1!!

*scuries off

Jakka @ Oct 16th 2008 3:16PM

Die.

xFenixKnightx @ Oct 16th 2008 3:26PM

*frowns

RobLink (Alex Kidd incarnate) @ Oct 16th 2008 3:44PM

*chuckles* that's one meme that still works for me.

Fox318 @ Oct 16th 2008 2:23PM

I feel sorry for all the suckers that will pay for this.

Birdshake @ Oct 16th 2008 3:01PM

I have to agree. You can get The Orange Box for $30 and that comes with Portal and four other games.

So pay half of that and get one game with a few extra maps? Meh.

Altairio @ Oct 16th 2008 3:16PM

Also agree. The new maps should just be DLC for the Orange Box and cheaper than $15.

Jakka @ Oct 16th 2008 3:16PM

More importantly it comes with TF2!

ScottG13 @ Oct 16th 2008 2:23PM

$10 would be a reasonable price for this old of a game with minor enhancements.

jynxycat @ Oct 16th 2008 2:24PM

Finished this on partnerNet last month. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't pick it up.

14 short levels with no Glados commentary, basically a very small pc map pack.

Dirty @ Oct 16th 2008 2:27PM

seriously, no GLADOS is lame.

FraGNeM @ Oct 16th 2008 2:28PM

Well, it's mainly designed as a game for new Portal players, and for that, it's probably a great deal.

That said, I hope the new maps are better than (3rd Party) Portal: Prelude's, which were awful from my experiences

Mike @ Oct 16th 2008 2:39PM

The thing to remember is this is for someone who missed Portal the first time around. The extra maps are more of a value add for newcomers than an incentive for portal veterans.

And yea, if you have a pc that can handle games, get portal off of steam and play it that way. There are plenty of community created maps to enjoy that won't cost extra money.