Valve: We Have a Surprise For You!

Tuesday evening we received a rather unusual email from Valve Software. On one hand , it shuffles in a bit of bad news for fans heading out to E3 2010 later this month. Apparently the developer is no longer planning its big Portal 2 reveal, but instead will showcase something it's keeping under wraps until the event. Given that Portal 2 is a huge release for Valve, setting it aside for something else has us wondering if Half-Life: Episode 3 will finally rear it's head.

Anyway, check out the mysterious email:

Dear Subject Name Here,

Aperture Science is pleased to inform you that we have partnered with Valve to announce the gala CANCELLATION of the June 14 Portal 2 event at the Regal Theater. The event will be replaced by a surprise. And even though the cancellation of the event certainly counts as a surprise, we are pleased to further announce that the cancellation of the event is not THE surprise. However, per International treaties regarding the definition of the word "surprise", of which both Aperture Science and Valve are signatories, the time, date and content of the actual surprise will only become available as you experience the surprise.

If you'd like to ask fruitless questions about the E3 Portal 2 surprise or, more fruitfully, schedule an appointment to attend a Portal 2 screening at the Valve booth during E3, please contact Valve's Special Envoy to Surprises.

Thank you for <<RECORD SCRATCH!!!>>

PS: The surprising record scratch is also not the surprise.

So what's the big surprise? Again, it may be Episode 3. The email itself is reminiscent of the Minerva episodic series created by Adam Foster, or at least, his method of writing. Foster announced almost two years ago that he joined Valve to work on the third episode, however details have been scarce ever since.

Could this be Half-Life 3? There's speculation. Tell us what you think... this could even be a brand new IP!