For the Spike TV Video Game Awards, each company with a character that’s been nominated for the “Character of the Year” award has to create two shorts using in-game content. One for their nomination, and one as an acceptance speech in the event that they win. Sadly, while he was nominated for the award, Wheatley did not win CotY. But Valve have released their never-before-seen acceptance short, and it includes a very interesting hint that indicates we might be seeing something big on the singleplayer front from Valve in 2012.
Here is the nomination short again, in case you haven’t seen it. And here is this never-aired acceptance short:
Pretty great! Wheatley gets his award, but he doesn’t get to keep it, as he is pushed back into the depths of space, presumably towards Earth. And it’s also a bit fitting: Wheatley doesn’t actually get to keep his trophy, so to speak, just as in the end, he never did receive the award. Keep in mind that in terms of canonicity towards the Portal universe and continuum, both of these shorts are non-canon.
However, there is something extremely interesting in this video. Something that we can’t just write off as a non-canon tidbit. The last words in this short come from Wheatley, who, upon noticing that he doesn’t get to keep the award, says: “Ah, maybe next year”. Now, I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t just sound like an empty phrase to me.
As some of you might know, no multiplayer-only video game character has ever been nominated for the VGA’s “Character of the Year” award in any past edition of the show. So, obviously, if Valve was to win CotY “next year”, they’d have to release a singleplayer game during 2012, one that we don’t know about yet. Because no character in either Dota 2 or CS:GO, the only Valve titles that we officially know will be coming out in 2012, seems like a decent contender for CotY, and I’m sure Valve is completely aware of that. Of course, there’s one Valve game franchise that’s known especially for its excellent characters. And excellent characters is exactly what would win “Character of the Year” in the 2012 VGA’s.
So… “what might this game be?”, I hear you ask? Well, I think we already know the answer to that question. I very seriously doubt Valve will be announcing another major game prior to revealing a new Half-Life game, so the answer might seem obvious: this unannounced 2012 singleplayer game that Valve believes might even win “Character of the Year”, might just be… well, I have absolutely no idea, but I certainly hope it’s something good.
19 Responses to “Valve Releases Wheatley’s VGA 2011 “Character Of The Year” Never-Aired Acceptance Short – Hints Towards A Secret Valve Single-Player Game To Be Released In 2012?”
AHMAGAAHD Well, once again I die a little because I read another article about “clues” that may have something to do with Half-Life 3. fkjdhsfk I’m all exited now. Probably over nothing, but who knows. This seems like an actual clue for something. *Dear Santa…*
Well, it’s nearing the end of 2012 and still no HL3 D:< I think the world's gonna end before we get to play this game!!
Or then again, maybe it’s just, you know… a joke?
I do think that we’ll get more Half-Life in 2012, but I don’t think this has anything to do with it.
If they wanted to make a joke, they’d make a joke. This is more than that. You don’t imply you’ll be winning the VGA’s next year unless you have a damn good reason for it.
I’m betting on Gordon too, I’m not putting all my complete faith into this, but it’s good to have hope
Vic, I think you need to have a lie down.
Ah, I laughed so hard.
Exactly.
Actually, Jon, I just woke up. Lying down didn’t seem to change the fact that Valve put this in there on purpose. Although I did have a very pleasant dream.
Oh, come on. We as a community are grasping at straws like our milkshake’s just arrived (if I can channel Yahtzee Croshaw for a second).
I think you’re looking too much into it…
http://valvearg.com/ (blog post)
http://twitter.com/#!/Steamcast/status/149415750623432704
here we go…
The simple fact that the text “observation Satellite” is written in Russian seems to me as a connection to the setting of the half life 2 games.
*puts on tinfoild hat*
Alright, I’m prepared!
You make a good point.
I’d like to see Gordon’s acceptance speech.
G-Man’s acceptance speech would be pretty terrific.
Hello, audience. I’d like to thank, well i’m really not at liberty to say. Goodbye.
My time to laugh.