The creator of Bioshock was shocked by the closure of Irrational Games

Summary

  • Ken Levine reflects on closing Irrational Games after the success of BioShock Infinite, a decision he considers “complicated.”

  • “I thought they would continue. But it wasn't my company,” Levine said, confirming that the studio's closure came as a shock to most of those involved.

  • Early builds of BioShock 4, possibly set in an open world, with fans looking at lessons learned from the release of BioShock Infinite.

BioShock Infinite Director Ken Levine talked about the past closure of Irrational Games under Take-Two Interactive and provided a retrospective retelling of the studio's closure that came as a shock to most. Ken Levine was the creative director and co-founder of Irrational Games, along with former Looking Glass Studios employees Jonathan Chey and Robert Fermier, and led the creation of the popular BioShock series, including the original 2007 entry, the 2013 entry BioShock Infiniteand the next BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea.

Levine announced in 2014 that Irrational Games would close, following the release of BioShock Infiniteand the studio was later renamed Ghost Story Games in 2017 while continuing to operate as a subsidiary of Take-Two. Unfortunately, the video game industry has gone through a harrowing few years due to mass layoffs, including the downsizing of its operations by Riot Games. League of Legends team and Ubisoft's layoffs at its US offices last year, to name just a few.

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In a recent interview with Edge Magazine (via PC Gamer), Levine spoke about shutting down Irrational and described the decision as “complicated.” The director spoke about his private difficulties during the development of Infinitewhich inevitably led to Levine's desired departure from Irrational, but he wanted the studio to continue despite his absence. “I thought they would continue. But it wasn't my company. said Levine, confirming that the studio's closure came as a shock to most of those involved. Irrational Games was best known for System shock 2's contribution to the best horror RPG genre, along with its fame BioShock Infinitebut unexpected pressures in Levine's personal affairs during InfiniteThe development of led him to resign. “I don't think I'm in a position to be a good leader,” Levine explained.

BioShock Infinite's Ken Levine explains why Irrational Games' closure was a shock

BioShock Infinite it might be one of the most depressing and saddest games, but its flavor had an impact on the players. In the wake of its success, Levine thought, in retrospect, that Take-Two might have allowed Irrational to work on the BioShock remake, saying “It would have been a good title for Irrational to give it a spin.” Bearing so much respect for the Irrational team, Levine sought to orchestrate “the least painful layoff we could possibly make,” offering transition packages and ongoing support despite the unfortunate circumstance.

Fans of the steampunk series have something big to look forward to in the future thanks to the announcement of the next main installment, and many believe BioShock 4 can learn from BioShock Infinitethe speech. Despite BioShock 4 was announced five years ago, an official release date has yet to be determined as 2K and Cloud Chamber Studios continue to develop. Fans speculate that the next game could be set in an open world while the new installment retains the first-person perspective of its predecessors.

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