If I was you, I would dress up nice, and bring a camera. Take pictures of the whole trip from your house, to Valves office so we can see what it looks like traveling to their office. Take pictures of things like the Valve sign in the hall too. When you get to the receptionist, quick save (heh kidding on the quick save..), ask if you could take a picture with him/her, then ask if she could contact Gabe Newell, to take a picture with him, and after that you can perhaps ask him a question or 2, and then be on your way home. I bet you could ask the receptionist for a free HL2 hat or something too.
Do NOT bring food or beverages! No developer in their right mind would accept that from an outside source, fan or not. Also, don't expect them to allow you into the offices, odds are they don't want anyone seeing anything anyone else hasnt seen yet in HL2. I mean, what if everyone is play testing the final boss battle? You think they are going to let you wonder around viewing all that? Lets not forget that they will EXPECT you to have some kind of hidden camera on you. So they will most DEFINETLY not allow you into the offices.
Just be open with the receptionist, and take a picture with him/her. They are a Valve employee after all so its still kinda cool. Then ask if she could ask Gabe to come for a picture too. You know, we as the community could just email Gabe as usual, and just ask if he would allow you to come over for some pics or what not. Atleast if Gabe said it was ok, they'd be expecting you. Also another suggestion, go there EARLY in the morning, at like the exact point where Valve just starts working. Its better to try this early, than later when they are deeply buzy doing something important or are stuck on an odd bug for hours on end and then you all people show up...
If none of this works, theres always the final full proof plan...
If you can stay inside the Lobby where the receptionist area is for long enough, you should eventual see Gabe and the gang pass by on their way to lunch break or whatever other reason. Here's how you can stay there long enough without being asked to leave:
In WordPad, make up a FAKE Valve Software employment form. Print it out, and bring a resume and pen with you. Go to the receptionist area, but don't talk to the receptionist! Just sit in those chairs that they have scattered around the lobby, and take out your resume, employment form, and pen, and start SLOWLY filling out the form! (Its best to make multiple pages on the form so you can flip the page if you fill it all out early) Keep pretending to be filling out this employment form and if/when the receptionist questions you, just say your applying for the carreer opportunity posted on Valve Softwares website. Then quickly look back at your fake forms and continue filling them out. And say "Thanks, but I don't need any help yet until I finish filling out this form." She will hopefully go back to her business at her desk. At this point, keep looking back at your resume as if looking up some info, and then adding bull to your forms to buy more time. If she still questions you, just say that you emailed a Valve, and they replyed to you with this form, and that you were told to fill it out and leave it at the receptionists desk, and they would get back to you. (Hopefully that wont happen because this is a little hard to believe if not done properly.)
Basicaly continue buying time until you see Gabe and the gang. And thats when you introduce yourself to Gabe.
Well its either all that, or you just wait infront of the building right next to the front doors before the Valve work day begins, and just introduce yourself to Valve as they walk past you to get in...
Of course I would just do the first suggestion, and just be open about why your there.
Hmm, Im probably late with this suggestion.. I hope he reads it before he goes out there tomorrow. As you can tell, I was bored when I wrote this.
Do NOT bring food or beverages! No developer in their right mind would accept that from an outside source, fan or not. Also, don't expect them to allow you into the offices, odds are they don't want anyone seeing anything anyone else hasnt seen yet in HL2. I mean, what if everyone is play testing the final boss battle? You think they are going to let you wonder around viewing all that? Lets not forget that they will EXPECT you to have some kind of hidden camera on you. So they will most DEFINETLY not allow you into the offices.
Just be open with the receptionist, and take a picture with him/her. They are a Valve employee after all so its still kinda cool. Then ask if she could ask Gabe to come for a picture too. You know, we as the community could just email Gabe as usual, and just ask if he would allow you to come over for some pics or what not. Atleast if Gabe said it was ok, they'd be expecting you. Also another suggestion, go there EARLY in the morning, at like the exact point where Valve just starts working. Its better to try this early, than later when they are deeply buzy doing something important or are stuck on an odd bug for hours on end and then you all people show up...
If none of this works, theres always the final full proof plan...
If you can stay inside the Lobby where the receptionist area is for long enough, you should eventual see Gabe and the gang pass by on their way to lunch break or whatever other reason. Here's how you can stay there long enough without being asked to leave:
In WordPad, make up a FAKE Valve Software employment form. Print it out, and bring a resume and pen with you. Go to the receptionist area, but don't talk to the receptionist! Just sit in those chairs that they have scattered around the lobby, and take out your resume, employment form, and pen, and start SLOWLY filling out the form! (Its best to make multiple pages on the form so you can flip the page if you fill it all out early) Keep pretending to be filling out this employment form and if/when the receptionist questions you, just say your applying for the carreer opportunity posted on Valve Softwares website. Then quickly look back at your fake forms and continue filling them out. And say "Thanks, but I don't need any help yet until I finish filling out this form." She will hopefully go back to her business at her desk. At this point, keep looking back at your resume as if looking up some info, and then adding bull to your forms to buy more time. If she still questions you, just say that you emailed a Valve, and they replyed to you with this form, and that you were told to fill it out and leave it at the receptionists desk, and they would get back to you. (Hopefully that wont happen because this is a little hard to believe if not done properly.)
Basicaly continue buying time until you see Gabe and the gang. And thats when you introduce yourself to Gabe.
Well its either all that, or you just wait infront of the building right next to the front doors before the Valve work day begins, and just introduce yourself to Valve as they walk past you to get in...
Of course I would just do the first suggestion, and just be open about why your there.
Hmm, Im probably late with this suggestion.. I hope he reads it before he goes out there tomorrow. As you can tell, I was bored when I wrote this.
