The Orange Box
October 7th, 2007
This news has been creeping out there since the official press release, so I will say here: Valve’s “The Orange Box” will be coming out soon, a collection of several most likely very awesome games, and it includes a new song by me in one of the games. I’m not sure how much I’m supposed to say about it, so I’ll just leave it a bit mysterious and say that it was fun and I’m very proud of it. Also the game it’s in RULES…
Fantastic song! I can’t think of anything better. Maybe Black Mesa? That was a joke. Ha ha. Fat chance.
you sir. You are a hero. You made Portal the single most best game ending in years of video game history. Your name will go down in books for my children’s children to read and listen.
naw not really, but the song is the greatest thing to happen to a video game ending since i can remember. Seriously. You made people wanna beat a game just to listen to your song.
Best Credits Song EVER.
Seriously, I have the MP3 on my Zune and everything. That song coupled with the AI’s personality made the game 100x more awesome than it already was.
Congrats on the song, it’s the first time I have deliberately sat through the credits at the end. the game is awesome and the song is… the icing on the cake? ;0)
heard the song before playing the game, now i’m gonna have to play it.
the song is amazing, so catchy and wonderfully morbid.
the first song i heard of yours, i hope it becomes a hit because it’s awesome, soooo good, i can’t get it out of my head.
Ye gods and little fishes. Wonderful piece of songwriting.
I hope you do get More Cake.
Also, Thankyou.
An extra set of smiles for the day is always a good thing.
The song’s already achieved some sort of cult status, and well deserved. It really is one of the most perfectly constructed pieces of music i’ve heard in a long time. And it’s just so damn addictive!. I keep playing it over and over and it’s beginning to drive everyone around me a little crazy
hey dude, i just beat the game… and the “still alive” song is awesome, good job.
Thanks for doing it
Wonderful piece of work. Once I heard your song would be in one of the games, I knew two things: it was Portal, and it would instantly make the game so much more awesome.
I have to say, I was not disappointed. I was in fact superappointed. The music, besides being very well done and incredibly catchy, fits the game perfectly. Also, I think the game fits your style perfectly.
It hasn’t been a week since release, and yet already I see the game getting a lot of well deserved praise, and Still Alive (along with the lovable Weighted Companion Cube) are getting some serious cult love.
Anyway, congrats on such a high profile job; Valve is arguably one of the greatest developers around today, and Portal is one of the most creative games released this year. I hope you get more stuff like this, and the opportunities to get more people to hear your music. Meanwhile, I’ll just keep referring people to your work.
Keep it up!
Excellent job! I keep listening to it over and over. This was the cap to a fantastic game. It inspired me to find the person who made it and post my thanks.
Wow! That song marries with the game perfectly!
This song makes the ending to Portal the single best ending to a puzzle game ever. Furthermore, this is one of the most well-rounded endings to a video game I’ve experienced.
Way to go!
The song is amazingly great!Great job!I was stunned when it came up in the end of portal
hahaha, such a well-written song! You captured GLaDOS’ passive-agressiveness in the song perfectly. I also like the key changes in the music.
My next favorite moment in Portal is while fighting GLaDOS at the end. If you turn on voice captions then let the blue sphere sit around it will go through GLaDOS’ entire cake recipe, including such tasty ingredients as “Fish shaped dirt”!
Anyway, excellent job and I can’t wait to learn more about your work.
I pray to whatever deity resides above us that you know how to play this on guitar and will use it at PAX next year.
Also that you will return to PAX next year.
[...] Got an Urnge Box? JoCo does.GB [...]
omg that portal credit song was awesome. your awesome. THE GAMES AWESOME. i think every one should play and beet the or go to youtube and here this song. Its could “still alive”. go and wach it.
GLINDA IS WACHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m making a note here:
HUGE SUCCESS.
By far one of the most memorable ends to a truly original FPS. Thank you for making it extra special! This was a triumph.
I’d like to add my congratulations on Still Alive: kudos for your part in making Portal one of the most original and enjoyable games I’ve played!
I’ve been listening to the song over and over and over for four days now…
I simply love the Portal ending Song. Awesome work. I’ll keep my eye (and ear) on your future works.
Been a fan for a while now, and I guess more than long enough for both my wife and I to confidently shout “HA!! I KNEW IT!!” during the credits.
You are the man. I’d love to DL your oiginal version along with the GLaDOS one.
What’s wrong with your legs?
OMG! This song totally made the game! Usually the music in the closing credits is just filler but this seems as if this was the first thing they did, like they designed the game after the song.
Anyways, I want to see a download for you singing this… it would sound very good.
Man…. I finished the portal game and had no idea that my favorite singer/songwriter was behind the hilarious song at the end. Hardcore and awesome =P
I want to know where the other version of the song is? you know, the one playing on his radio in lo-fi, in the faster tempo with the horns, love it….
You, have done something incredible with an already incredible game. something so awesome that it leaves me without words.
You had better be doing the whole score for Portals two, which had better exist.
Oooh whats THAT
I was listening to the song at the end and thinking “This sounds like something Coulton would have written…” Then of course your name appeared in the credits.
Great song.
Awesome song! Didn’t know it was your song, but after hearing it it should have been clear to me that it was “a Coulton”
Love it!
Bloody perfect job on the song, had me in stitches =)
Great song! I downloaded it free somewhere, but I’ll be buying one of your albums from iTunes to make up for it
Cheers!
I don’t have the orange box but my WoW guild posted a link to your end credits in our forum.
I loved the song and searched all over the internet for somewhere I could download it – in the process I learned that it was a JoCo song.
Jonathan:
You need to get this song added to your downloads section so that you can cash in on some of this viral marketing action!
WOW! Ya, I keep listening to it — it NEVER has ( nor ever will ) get boring in all my life ^_^
As did everyone before me, I had a HUGE Smile when I was listening to it, SUPER GOOD!
My question now is, WTF can I get the sheet music ( piano ) for it? : D
I am NO good at transcribing what I hear into notes ( already tried it ) if it is at ALL possible I would forever appreciate and be in debited to whoever publishes ( or transcribes ) the notes to sheet music.
CHEERS! And thanks for the AMAZING Song ^_______^
Just another of the almost 200 (so far) comments to say that ‘Still Alive’ made a good game with a good story an excellent experience for me – I was smiling through the credits and it’s one of a few ‘do you remember’ moments.
Another meme to add to the list!
I suspect that you will have a lot of gamers looking into your work and it might be worth your while asking Valve if they have anything else they want you to do.
Thank you for your hard work in making this song so right for the game, and I hope to hear more of your work.
ttfn
Man all I can say is the Orange Box Kicks butt. picked it up today and had some fun with it.
i loved this game it was awsome especaly the song i saved it 5 sec b4 song so i could here it when ever the only bad thing is after you kill it its “still alive” and you die but awsome game none the less stupid robot ate my cake ……
p.s. if you want to just HEAR the song it can be found on http://www.youtube.com
Jonathan,
I found your music by reading about companion cubes. I love your collaboration with John Hodgman too—I had no idea that all these things had so much in common! Keep up the good work!
I just finished Portal and was laughing at the song when the little light bulb went off followed by these thoughts….
* This sounds like something Jonathan Coulton would write.
* Doesn’t he have a song coming out in a game?
* Hey! It wasn’t song supposed to be in the Orange Box?
Great tune.
Wow…its all I could say after I finished the game…now, yesterday, I was in the middle of class doing my work, and I just suddenly started singing still alive. You can guess my teacher would say something eh? No. Instead, he started singing too!! That was one of the few lolzorz in a can moments in my whole entire life!