Grave Gamer News & Views — ken levine

Irrational Games is Closing Down

This is a helluva head turner, given the Massachusetts-based studio’s recent successes.

The studio responsible for creating the original Bioshock as well as last year’s sensational piece of digital art, Bioshock Infinite, is closing its doors. Ken Levine, the developer’s most prominent figurehead and creative visionary, revealed his reason for shuttering a studio seemingly at the peak of its career:

“Seventeen years is a long time to do any job, even the best one. And working with the incredible team at Irrational Games is indeed the best job I’ve ever had. While I’m deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished together, my passion has turned to making a different kind of game than we’ve done before. To meet the challenge ahead, I need to refocus my energy on a smaller team with a flatter structure and a more direct relationship with gamers. In many ways, it will be a return to how we started: a small team making games for the core gaming audience.”

This new, refocused endeavor will only be taking fifteen Irrational employees aboard – the rest, unfortunately are being let go – and, according to Levine, will exclusively publish content digitally.

Founded in 1997 by three former Looking Glass Studios employees, Levine included, Irrational’s legacy spans titles the likes of System Shock 2, Freedom Force, and SWAT 4. In 2006, Take-Two purchased the studio, publishing their industry celebrated, publicly revered Bioshock series under the 2K Games label. Subsequently, the future of Bioshock franchise, now estimated to have made over a half billion dollars in revenue, is in 2K’s hands.

Irrational’s last effort will be Bioshock Infinite’s Burial at Sea: Episode 2; the final expansion to their last game. My best wishes go out to the studio’s team members. Thank you for the many, many hours we’ve spent lost, enthralled, and loving your worlds.

Concept Art for Abandoned Bioshock Movie Hits the Web 

Here lies what could have been. It really wasn’t too long ago that Hollywood, wishing to ride the success of Irrational’s intellectual shooter, was spinning the wheels on a full feature Bioshock film.

The silver screen adaptation was being backed by Universal Studios with Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski helming ship; all under the watchful eye of series mastermind Ken Levine. Originally supported by a $200 million dollar budget and Verbinski’s intent on making a “hard-rated,” rated R film, Bioshock seemed set to reign in a new era of video game film – one in which we wouldn’t be privy to two hours of cringe culling shit.

But like Halo before it, Universal was uncomfortable shilling out that much cash for both an R-rated film and a video game adaptation. Levine suspected the then-recent box office disappointment of the very expensive and very R-rated Watchmen led to Universal slashing Bioshock’s budget down to $80 million. “The studio got cold feet about making an R-rated $200 million film,” said Levine.

Soon after, development hell crept up on the project. Gore Verbinski, unhappy with the lowered budget, departed. A new director was chosen but Levine says he just didn’t fit. Take Two, Bioshock’s rights holders, went to Ken for the final say on the film. “They said to me, ‘if you want to kill it Ken, kill it.’ And I killed it.”

What remains of the film’s pre-production includes conceptual artist Jim Martin’s designs. You can view his entire gallery of work he laid out for the film here which features areas of Rapture never explored in the game. If Martin’s renderings are any indication, the film looked to faithfully recreate Irrational Games’ dystopia beneath the sea. Oh, what could’ve been.

I Hope you’re Sitting Down for This One: Bioshock Infinite Has Been Delayed Until 2013

This is some rather unpleasant news for Bioshock fans to digest today.  Irrational Games’ larger than life ambition for Infinite has riled fans up before with a delay here and a push there (original projections pegged the game for a February 2012 release), but that does little to brace patient, eager fans from the gruesome head-on collision with disappointment that was announced today.

Series creator Ken Levine went on record with a direct message to the game’s following, explaining that the delay comes about from a desire to make “some specific tweaks and improvements” in order for Infinite to transcend into something “extraordinary."  Levine states in his message, "We’ve decided to move the game’s release to February 26, 2013. We wanted to let our loyal (and very patient!) fans know this as soon as possible.”

Levine points to a like precedent set by the original Bioshock when that game was delayed several months because “Andrew Ryan’s golf club didn’t have exactly the right swing."  Following this announcement, Levine confirms that Irrational will not be showing the game off at next month’s E3, withholding footage until the game is closer to its final form.  "What does this mean for you? It means a bit more waiting, but more importantly, it means an even better BioShock Infinite,” according to Levine.

This one…this one hurts.  2012 has lost one juggernaut of a game.  I wouldn’t want to rush perfection – no, delays have saved some games and refined others.  But good goddamn, perfection takes such a grueling long time.  Remember, guys, keep your chins up – there’s no need for Irrational to see us cry.

Ken Levine, co-founder of Irrational Games, commenting on the internet’s reaction to Bioshock Infinite’s real stars: Elizabeth’s breasts.

Levine admits both Inifinite mains, Booker and Elizabeth, were purposely made easy on the eyes, “Generally, people in media are more attractive than the average person. People like looking at attractive people."  But he’s disappointed you noticed, though.

"Eyes...