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Going even deeper into BioShock Infinite's voice acting
Last week we brought you the first half of a two part feature with Irrational Games head Ken Levine coaching BioShock Infinite's two main voice actors. This week, we've got Booker (Troy Baker) yelling at Elizabeth (Courtnee Draper) to elicit emotion-filled lines. Next week? Tigers.
Ken Levine and Guillermo del Toro talk films, monsters, and narrative on latest Irrational Interviews
We've got a perfect excuse for you to once again don that Big Daddy costume from Halloween of aught seven: a podcast. Wait, wait, hear us out -- the podcast is Irrational Games' own "Irrational Interviews," and stars none other than BioShock and BioShock Infinite creative lead Ken Levine. Oh, also, it's totally Halloween again, so you probably need a costume anyway. Furthermore, Mr. Levine's speaking with film director slash game developer Guillermo del Toro -- behind films such as Pan's Labyrinth and Blade 2, and heading up creative duties on THQ's inSane -- and it's just the first half of a two-parter. If it were ever a good day to hear two creative virtuosos wax philosophical about making scary monsters, today is that day.
BioShock Infinite's main voice actors explore the creative process
What's it like expressing a total lack of remorse for a dying virtual horse in a fantastical city in the clouds? BioShock Infinite voice actor Troy Baker explains just that in this behind-the-scenes look at the voice actors playing Elizabeth and Booker in next year's big Irrational game.
Too many chefs: Ken Levine's thoughts on auteurship, editorship, and his work on the BioShock film
When it comes to the development behind BioShock 1 and BioShock Infinite, Irrational Games studio head Ken Levine described his role as that of "editor of a magazine ... but I'm also a writer for the magazine," putting things into terms that my word-addled brain could understand. "I believe more in editorship. Auteur sounds like you do everything," he began, making a point to preface his following description with a nod to the other 100-ish folks employed at his Massachusetts studio. That aside, Levine was clear that his role on Infinite is absolutely that of creative lead, not just creative oversight. "This is my game. And I love the fact that we sit down and chat with each other [Levine and other game devs outside of Irrational], but at the end of the day ... this thing's gotta be my decision." When it came to the translation of BioShock 1 from game to film, however, Levine's role changed -- even though he had been creative lead (head editor?) during the game's development. "If I were to make a game that was based on somebody else's franchise, you need somebody there who's going to say, 'This is true to the franchise, this isn't true to the franchise.' So that was more my role in the film," he explained.
Irrational's Ken Levine on BioShock's final boss and how Infinite's solution is 'more in our wheelhouse'
"So every game we make, we always say to ourselves -- back on BioShock 1, we had that terrible showdown fight at the end -- we're not good at that, let's not do that again. And then somehow, we end up ... it's like ... 'Baby I'll never hit you again, I'm changed, I'm changed!' And then we did it!" Irrational Games head and BioShock 1 creative lead Ken Levine struggled through that explanation this past weekend, pausing often, sighing a lot, and doubling back to be extra clear. His sentiment was certainly definitive, though: even he wasn't a big fan of the game's final boss fight with Atlas. "I think the boss battle in BioShock 1 -- the real boss battle -- is Andrew Ryan." I had asked about how BioShock Infinite, the studio's next game, would deal with boss fights, as the Atlas battle in the first BioShock title was seen by many as the lowest point in an otherwise spectacular experience. "I think we need to stay in our wheelhouse," he explained. "We're not Shadow of the Colossus. Those guys have a genius for that. We don't have that particular genius." Without getting into anything specific, and recognizing that it would be a "missed opportunity" not to do something with Songbird (Infinite's airborne antagonist), Levine said gamers should expect something more akin to the Andrew Ryan resolution in BioShock 1.
Ken Levine gives us an update on BioShock for PlayStation Vita
"We're still sort of in the paper design stage," Irrational Games head and co-founder Ken Levine told me this weekend. Sitting in a nondescript conference room four floors above Manhattan's Union Square, sipping on his second Diet Coke, Levine was referring to the new BioShock game coming to PlayStation Vita, which he announced himself on Sony's E3 press conference stage earlier this year. Despite the naming convention, BioShock on Vita isn't planned as a portable version of the upcoming game, Infinite, or the former two games set in the underwater city of Rapture -- at least, not right now. "That's not the current goal for what we're doing," Levine explained. While he admitted that "things can change," he added, "I think for us, the idea we have is a really good expression on a platform like that [Vita]. It's a different goal. And it has to sort of have its own voice in the franchise. If it just feels like a quieter voice in the franchise, I don't think that works. For us." Which isn't to say he derides other developers for taking the pared-down port approach. "I think there's room for every kind of game and every kind of approach. But just for what we do. That's not to say I won't play a lot of those games. I'd love to have that kind of game on a handheld." It simply means the development of the BioShock Vita game isn't taking that route. "I'd rather do something that's an experiment and that's a little different. And is unique for the franchise," he teased.
The RPG/RTS that Irrational never made: 'Dungeon Duel'
Back in 2002, the folks leading up development of next year's highly anticipated, high-flying FPS, BioShock Infinite, were hard at work on a game that never made it off the ground. It was a role-playing game crossed with a real-time strategy title, and it was aimed at consoles. As revealed on the Irrational Games blog, the game was known as "Dungeon Duel" never got past the concept stage. The gameplay seems to be a mix of dungeon crawl and card-based strategy, with cards representing actual monsters and spells rather than operating on a numbers level. Combat was described as both "fast-paced" and "real-time," though the design doc fails to go into too much detail -- it's an early pitch, after all. A handful of concept art shots and in-game artwork were also made available, which you can see over on the Irrational blog.
'Irrational Interviews' pairs Ken Levine with the BioWare docs on latest episode
When we tipped you in the past about Irrational Games' ongoing series of podcasts, dubbed "Irrational Interviews," we may not have been emphatic enough about becoming an ongoing listener. To date, not a single episode has been less than interesting, and this week's episode with the BioWare doctors goes far beyond that all-too-general adjective. The trio cover everything from their disparate, non-game industry backgrounds, to the myriad difficulties involved in growing a studio, to the requisite "where is the industry going" conversation (unfortunately, even these folks don't know for sure). And clocking in at around half an hour, you can easily fit it in while your significant other watches another episode of the Jersey Shore. [Image credit: Flickr user 'richcz3']
Irrational introduces 'Monster Island' ... which we'll never play
We think Bioshock Infinite looks great and all, but after seeing developer Irrational Games' decade-old pitch for a game about Godzilla-style monsters versus the humans trying to destroy them, we can't help but look at Infinite with a bit of contempt. Sure, it's irrational to think this pitch is what the team would be making if they weren't making the next BioShock -- but we are talking about Irrational Games here! "The pitch promised some 20 monsters, a living city, heavily destructible environments, and a dynamic civil defense network," Irrational's Chris Remo recounted in the studio's latest "From the Vault" feature. The game would have let players control either a monster or the defending forces. To twist the knife, Irrational artist Jorce Lacera went back and illustrated some concept art for the unmade game, including the image above and a reimagining of the classic movie monster Anguirus. Check out the article and spend the rest of the day dreaming about what will never happen.
BioShock Infinite gameplay video now on XBLM
The Xbox 360 Dashboard might not want you to know it just yet, but hidden among the 'Game Videos' section of the game marketplace is a just-released 10-minute gameplay demo for BioShock Infinite. The guided demo will go live everywhere else tomorrow, but if you've got an Xbox 360, we'd suggest queuing up the clip for download right now. It'll probably be the best ten minutes (involving telekinesis) you'll experience today!%Gallery-102914%
BioShock Infinite propaganda implores your patriotism
What will you say when little Sally asks, "Daddy, what did you do during the Siege of Columbia?" Will you tell her that you stood with your Ultranationalist compatriots against the foreign hordes, or that you rejected your floating paradise in favor of the common man? BioShock Infinite proposes just such questions with the recent release of a handful of propaganda art pulled directly from Columbia's walls. Game Informer has them exclusively as part of coverage of the game leading up to the Saturday Evening Post-style cover story in its next issue. We absolutely suggest you check out the pics, but try not to be swayed by the WWII-esque sentiments.
Irrational interviews Marvel's Brian Michael Bendis on writing
Moving from game development to multidisciplinary writing, Irrational Games' Ken Levine and Shawn Elliott chat with Amazing Spider-Man writer Brian Michael Bendis on the second episode of Irrational Interviews, released this week. Did you know that what became BioShock was heavily seeded by a trip Levine and his wife took to Rockefeller Center? You would've if you'd already listened to the episode! What're you waiting for, dummy? Direct Download / iTunes Feed / Irrational Interviews RSS Feed [Image credit: Pinguino]
What is Icarus? An Irrational teaser site, it seems
What good's a secret project without a secret teaser website? WhatIsIcarus.com isn't much at the moment -- as evidenced by the image above -- but it's likely to fill in leading up to the August 11 reveal of Irrational Game's "Project Icarus." While domain registry info does not directly link the mystery site to Irrational, its nameservers point to parent-company Take-Two, along with (curiously) sister subsidiary Rockstar Games. For those of you who enjoy a long tease (without a countdown clock), keep an eye on WhatIsIcarus -- and let us know when something happens!
New Irrational Behavior episode, 'How We Got Here,' launched
You too can be a game designer. You may not believe it now, but wait until you listen to the newest episode of Irrational Behavior, all about what the Irrational team did before they went on to make games like BioShock and Freedom Force. The careers range all the way from the mundane (fast food gigs and baristas aplenty) to the way-way-out there -- tent putter-upper, "Ass Guy" at OzzFest and builder of Patriot missiles, just to name a few. Side note: We would listen to a whole podcast of art director Nate Wells talking about stuff, though maybe that's just us.
Interview: Ken Levine talks Irrational site, next game announcement and BioShock 2 relationship
Irrational Games' head-honcho Ken Levine spoke to us today about the developer's new website and stronger community focus -- but of course, we wanted more. We tried to get an answer on when the studio's new project will finally be announced, asked him what the company's plans are for PAX East, and finally got to the bottom of what his actual involvement is with BioShock 2 -- which isn't much. Joystiq: Why does a studio that's well-known for focused single-player experiences need such a robust community site? Ken Levine: I don't think that single player ... I don't think community is just for multiplayer. People like talking about the games. You go to Cult of Rapture, BioShock was a single player game and there's a lot of people on that site. People want to learn about us, they want to learn about other people playing the game, they want to learn what's happening at the studio. They want to know about the the integration behind stuff we did. Maybe I'm high, I just don't make the connection between multiplayer titles and a web page. We've known this change has been in the works since last March during GDC, where members of your studio were wearing shirts that hinted toward this name change. What was the impetus for putting so much effort into trying to create a community around Irrational with the site? Why was that so important? We've had a big community, back in the day when we did Freedom Force. We had a huge website that supported them. It kinda broke our heart a little bit when that went away and we converted to 2K Boston. When we took the name back, Take-Two was kind enough to agree and allow us to build our community. ... I really wanted a website that was about interacting with fans. I don't really care about the marketing stuff, that's handled elsewhere. This is not a site where you get five flash videos selling you a product. This is a site about the audience and about the audience getting a better understanding of what it's like to work here, be here and getting us a better understanding of what they like and don't like about our games.
2K Boston is bringing back Irrational Games name, legacy
[Image credit: Game Informer] Halo: Reach isn't the only story that you'll find in next month's Game Informer -- the magazine's blog has also revealed that the developer known for the past two years as 2K Boston will be returning to its roots as Irrational Games. The change isn't unexpected, as we've seen hints of the old identity coming back to the spotlight for a while. But apparently the company is going full force with the "renewed commitment" to the legacy: it'll be kicking off a new website soon (in about three days and 16 hours as of this writing, according to the countdown now running on IrrationalGames.com) that will contain lots of community features and information about Irrational's past -- including fan favorites like System Shock 2 and Freedom Force, in addition to 2K Boston's BioShock and future titles. Meanwhile, the company has a new logo -- spiffy! -- and the next Game Informer will have more information about the studios' history and why it made the choice to turn back the clock on its identity. We look forward to reading all about it.
BioShock surfaces on Games on Demand, costs $30
A quick note for those lucky enough to be part of the Xbox Live Update preview program: BioShock is now available from Games on Demand. While you might be keen to download it just to try out the Games on Demand feature, you should know that it will cost you $29.99. Considering you can pick up a new copy of the game from GameStop, eBay or Newegg for only $20 (or less), it's not exactly worth it -- unless the convenience of not leaving the house is worth $10 to you, of course. It's also worth noting that the XBLM price is only $10 shy of the BioShock / Oblivion combo pack.Still, if you just have to try Games on Demand, don't have BioShock already and have 4.66 gigs of spare room on the ol' hard drive, go for it. Just remember, a man chooses!
BioShock movie rumblings bubble to surface
According to an inside source speaking to Joystiq, it looks like BioShock is being added to the ever growing list of games being adapted into films. The film is being considered by a major Hollywood studio and it is believed that said studio will utilize green screen techniques similar to those found in 300. In other words, expect a lot of computer generated underwater dystopia. Honestly, the story is fitting enough for a film adaptation, though we imagine a title change and a bit of fleshing out is in order. The environment though, is something that should not be touched. If there's one thing that should not be molested during BioShock's supposed transition to the big screen, it's the dilapidated yet beautiful world of Rapture.%Gallery-3532%%Gallery-3501%
Rein uses BioShock to praise Unreal Engine
X3F readers may recall that Silicon Knights recently started a legal tiff with Epic Games concerning the Unreal Engine 3, which runs Silicon Knights' latest project Too Human. Not long after Silicon Knights made their issues known, other developers spoke publicly about their relationships with Epic (both good and bad). Yes, things looked sour for the Unreal Engine 3, and along comes BioShock as a shining beacon of Unreal success. Epic's Mark Rein, speaking to Develop, has praised the game as an excellent example of the work that can be done with the Unreal Engine 3. Rein noted that Epic is always open to developer feedback and happy to help them "take the most advantage of our technology."It will be interesting to see if the success of an Unreal-powered game like BioShock will have an effect on the battle between Silicon Knights and Epic.[Via Joystiq]
Work at Valve? No BioShock for you!
We can hear the classic conversation now. "Can I have some BioShock? Pleeeease!" "Not until you've finished your Orange Box." "Aw, nuts!" In an interview with CVG, Valve's Gabe Newell made it known that BioShock has been officially banned from the Valve offices. Is it part of some company policy that employees must not touch a competitors product? Nope, BioShock was banned in order to assure that the team properly finishes up work on The Orange Box. In Newell's words: "We had to ban BioShock from our offices," adding, "Nobody gets to play it until Orange Box is done - that's our reward to ourselves as a company; everyone gets a copy of BioShock." Wow. We can tell you right now, BioShock is definitely a danger to anyone's productivity, so we understand the decision. Hang in there Valve! We know you can do it, and trust us, BioShock is worth it.[Via Joystiq]
