Cod blimey! Disappointed by the outcome of the Steam ARG that ran over the holidays, one meddling prankster has taken it upon themselves to post Valve herring in the mail – a cheeky reference to the Red Herring Steam badge that popped up during the trail. There’s even a video of Valve unboxing the surprise.
So no Half-Life 3, then? Fret not, these upcoming PC games look pretty darn good.
Yes, the virtual easter egg hunt that was Steam’s alternate virtual reality game over the holidays was a bit of a flop. After some weaving and winding; some comic book clues, a Hitman barcode and the now infamous “Red Herring” Steam badge, not to mention some ridiculous rumours – some of which even linked the ARG to the North Pole – the quest culminated in a big bunch of nothing. No Half-Life 3, no big reveal, just a simple lampoon at the hands of Valve, it seemed.
Well, this didn’t sit very well with one Steam Sales Detectives – a subreddit organised to uncover the supposed secret – member, who sought to put the Washington-based developers in their plaice, sorry, place.
User redjevel posted photos and a video showing Valve team members receiving and opening individually wrapped packages that contained herring inside – a nod and a wink towards the Red Herring badge that ultimately proved to be just that. The wrapping paper was also themed, as pictured in the header image above. Have a look at the delivery:
The Valve employees on the receiving end seem to take it in good spirits, which is nice to see. Then again, they may well think twice about steering fans down a dead end street in future, depending on how bad the office smelled for the remainder of the day.
Thanks, Kotaku.