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'Judas' is the first project from BioShock creator Ken Levine's Ghost Story Games
'Judas' is a sci-fi first-person shooter in which you can use elemental powers. It's the first title from BioShock creator Ken Levine's Ghost Story Games.
A new BioShock game is in development
2K Games has announced the formation of a new studio, Cloud Chamber, which will take the lead on a new title in the Bioshock series. Cloud Chamber has offices in California and Montreal, and will be headed up by 2K veteran Kelley Gilmore, who has previously worked on Civilization and XCOM.
Games of a Lifetime: Xav's picks
After more than ten years devoted to video games and the people who make them, Joystiq is closing its doors. We won't be reporting on the best games of 2015, so join us for one last hurrah as the Joystiq family reveals their Games of a Lifetime. Chrono Trigger In my recent Joystiq Presents episode I talked about the profound impact the strategy guide of Chrono Trigger had on my love of games. Being able to finally play the game, just thinking of the first time I had that chance, still gets me a little choked up. It still stands as my favorite game of all time. I've played it a countless amount of times on so many platforms. It has wonderful characters, a story about fighting fate and shaping the world. I don't know if was supposed to be so "heady," but I think of it that way. It was meaningful, it showed the consequences of action, it had a talking Frog and a badass Robot. To me, Chrono Trigger is perfect.
Ken Levine hints at new first-person sci-fi adventure
BioShock creator Ken Levine recently let slip on Twitter that he's working on a new game, and that he'd be happy to answer questions. Levine offers no solid details on the project, but we do learn a few basics. According to Levine, the game is set in an original universe and he's currently leaning toward a first-person perspective for players. This plot is sci-fi ("or sci-fi-ish," as Levine describes it), and the scope of the game will be "large-ish," but will rely heavily on story and gameplay elements that can be repeatedly recombined with one another in interesting ways - a design principle Levine dubs "narrative Legos." Those expecting further details soon are likely to be disappointed. Levine claims his team has no intention of showing the game at this year's E3 conference, and the game has only barely begun development. "Stuff in engine. Very rudimentary gameplay. Concept art. Passion system in code. A working board game to demonstrate passions," Levine offers when asked how development of the game is progressing. However, there is progress on one front: After nearly a year, Levine believes he is close to coming up with a name for the small studio he formed after laying off over 90 percent of the employees at Irrational Games. [Image: Wikimedia]
In a parallel universe, BioShock Vita is a tactics game that's real
Ken Levine stoked laments for what could have been when he took to Twitter last night to discuss the now-fabled BioShock Vita game. When asked what he had in mind for his pet project that never got off the ground, the Irrational Games president said, "I was thinking a Final Fantasy Tactics-style thing set in a pre-fall Rapture." Well, damn.
Fox News defends Columbia with BioShock Infinite-style logo
Usually we'd leave the media commentary to Jon Stewart, but The Daily Show is on summer vacation this week, so here we go – Fox News used a logo for its "Defending the Homeland" segment that looks eerily similar to the name plate for BioShock Infinite, right down to the stars. The joke, of course, lies in the fact that BioShock Infinite and its overly patriotic imagery is a play on supremacists with money, power and religious zeal building a pristine city in the clouds that ends up feeding on ignorance and hate – a kind of story that Fox News would report with smiles on their faces and Pilgrim Rocket tickets in their hands. BioShock creator Ken Levine addressed the logo on Facebook and Twitter, first saying, "Glad to help, Fox. Glad to help." He responded to a copyright question with a simple, "It's irony." Besides, filing a copyright claim against Fox would begin a long, tedious legal battle, and really, who needs the justice system? See a side-by-side logo comparison below. [Image: News Corp]
Sony Pictures registers BioShock movie domains
The on-again, off-again BioShock movie adaptation appears to be on the move again, as Sony Pictures has registered three domains seemingly related to the ethereal film. As Kotaku points out, Sony Pictures now holds the rights to bioshock-movie.com, bioshock-movie.net and bio-shock.net. None of those URLS bring up any sort of content, suggesting a preemptive move to lock up the domains in the event that Sony Pictures has need of them later. While this does not necessarily mean that the BioShock movie has entered production, it should be mentioned that this isn't the first time we've heard about this project in recent months. An IGN report from March 13 claims that Courtnee Draper, the actress who lent her voice to BioShock Infinite heroine Elizabeth, has been badgering BioShock maestro Ken Levine for the same role in the event of a movie adaptation. This is especially intriguing, given that Levine claims to have killed the BioShock production that Universal Studios was attempting to mount with Gore Verbinski in the director's chair. If Levine is still kicking around the idea to the extent that he's discussing the movie with a potential lead actress, maybe he hasn't entirely turned his back on the idea. Our attempts to reach BioShock publisher 2K Games for more information were met with a boilerplate "no comment." [Image: 2K Games]
Steam's Daily Deal offers System Shock 2 at half price
If your life is painfully lacking in malevolent AI and angry, telekinetic monkeys, today is your lucky day: Steam is currently offering survival horror classic System Shock 2 at a 50 percent discount. Co-developed by Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios, and designed by BioShock maestro Ken Levine, System Shock 2 drops players into the dark corridors of a faster than light spaceship where a routine rescue operation has gone horribly wrong. Armed with scavenged weaponry and a handful of special powers, players must battle the twisted denizens of deep space, all the while being mocked by SHODAN, a once helpful AI that has started to lose her virtual marbles. Despite being a "Daily Deal," System Shock 2 will remain at its current $5 price point until Monday, April 21 at 10AM PT. Would-be players need not worry about system compatibility, as Steam offers System Shock 2 in PC, Mac and Linux flavors. [Image: Night Dive Studios]
No murder, mo problems in BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea Ep. 2's '1998 mode'
BioShock Infinite's next DLC offering, Burial at Sea - Episode 2, encourages players to step out of their comfort zone and rely solely on non-lethal tactics in 1998 mode. Avoiding mass murder in a BioShock game? That's just ... weird. Irrational Games says 1998 mode was borne from the testing phase where developers were self-imposing non-lethal playthroughs; the titular date is a callback to the original Thief game (nice timing!) and places "a focus on balance and stealth mechanics," says Ken Levine, creative director of Irrational Games. Burial at Sea - Episode 2 launches on March 25. Irrational Games was severely downsized last week and Ken Levine, its current creative director, announced he was forming a new outfit within publisher Take-Two Interactive. Support from the gaming community at large quickly followed, in both the form of the "#IrrationalJobs" hashtag on Twitter and local Boston studio Fire Hose Games, which has offered free desk space for any affected developers looking to go the indie route. [Image: Irrational Games]
'Irrational Jobs' career outreach forms in the wake of BioShock dev layoffs
Immediately following todays' announcement that Irrational Games is winding down to just 15 employees, the hashtag "#IrrationalJobs" sprung up on Twitter to assist developers in finding new jobs. A similar, immediate outreach happened in the wake of 38 Studios' closure in May 2012. While the hashtag is currently in its infancy, it's accompanied by a link to a Google Doc full of opportunities for the studio's exiting developers. As Irrational Games Co-Founder Ken Levine noted in today's announcement, third-party developers and publishers should email chris.bigelow@2k.com directly with any interest in interviewing the departing employees. With any luck, the social media outreach, Irrational Games-hosted recruiting day and third-party developer interest will provide the BioShock developer's outgoing staff with enough opportunities to make their transitions seamless. [Image: Irrational Games]
Layoffs cutting BioShock developer Irrational Games down to team of 15 [Update]
BioShock developer Irrational Games is being cut down to a team of 15, Co-Founder Ken Levine revealed in an update on the studio's website. The developer was sitting strong at 200 employees fewer than two years ago. "I am winding down Irrational Games as you know it. I'll be starting a smaller, more entrepreneurial endeavor at Take-Two. That is going to mean parting ways with all but about fifteen members of the Irrational team," Levine wrote. "There's no great way to lay people off, and our first concern is to make sure that the people who are leaving have as much support as we can give them during this transition." Levine says that current staff will "have access to the studio for a period of time to say their goodbyes and put together their portfolios," and that other Take-Two studios will be available to "discuss opportunities within the company." Third-party developers and publishers will be able to participate in a "recruiting day" hosted by Irrational Games, offering outgoing employees interviews for other positions. Irrational's goal moving forward is "to make narrative-driven games for the core gamer that are highly replayable." Additionally, Levine says the developer will move into the digital space exclusively to "foster the most direct relationship with our fans possible." Irrational's latest game is BioShock Infinite, which will receive its Burial At Sea Episode 2 DLC on March 25. Levine says that while he's "handing the reins of our creation, the BioShock universe, to 2K so our new venture can focus entirely on replayable narrative," he's hoping the developer will "build something half as memorable as BioShock."
BioShock movie concept art emerges from Hollywood's depths
The BioShock movie isn't going to happen, but if it ever does, this is how it might look. Concept art from Hollywood illustrator Jim Martin depicts the underwater world of Rapture in BioShock, including grand, greenish cities and dank sewage tunnels. Rapture's interior has already fallen into disrepair in Martin's concepts, with one illustration showing dingy, peeling wallpaper, and another depicting a rusty Big Daddy repair room. The BioShock film is officially dead, after years of budget and talent negotiations. In 2008, Gore Verbinski announced he would direct a hard-R BioShock movie, and he wanted $200 million to make it as bloody as possible. Hollywood executives would only shell out $80 million, and Verbinski dropped out. 28 Weeks Later director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo jumped on board but then leapt right back off in 2012. BioShock creator Ken Levine killed the project himself. Ah, what could have been. See all of Martin's BioShock concept art on his portfolio.
Ken Levine accepts lifetime achievement award at Golden Joystick Awards
Ken Levine received an award for lifetime achievement at the Golden Joystick Awards last night, marking yet another in a long line of awards for the man who brought us BioShock and System Shock 2. "I've been doing this for 18 years and I don't feel like I'm sitting on some mountaintop handing out wisdom," Levine said during his acceptance speech, as reported by CVG. "I feel more like I'm somewhere in the middle, looking up at the peak with all these clouds around it, and as an industry we're all trying to find out exactly what video games are, where they're going to go and where they'll end up." Levine said it was "strange" to be given a lifetime achievement award for his contributions to an industry that didn't exist when he was born, but also called the experience "incredibly flattering." Levine thanked the usual: his team at Irrational Games, his publishing partners at 2K Games, as well as friends and family. Ken Levine's got a golden joystick. He's got a golden chance to make his way. And with a golden joystick it's a gooooldeeeen daaaayy!
Ken Levine is writing Logan's Run remake for Warner Bros.
BioShock creator and Irrational Games boss Ken Levine is making a return foray into films by taking on the screenplay for the Warner Bros. remake of Logan's Run. According to Deadline, the move is very much a unique and temporary one for Levine, who will continue on Irrational Games, but Logan's Run has long been a "passion project" for him. Levine first pursued a career as a film screenwriter before being hired by Looking Glass Studios and going on to found Irrational. There's no word yet on when Levine's take on the iconic 1976 sci-fi film and the book it's based on will hit screens. In any case, a tweet from the man himself would suggest he's thrilled with the move: "I think the 10 year old me gave the 46 year old me a high five."
PSA: System Shock 2 on Steam, 30 percent off until May 17
System Shock 2 is now available on Steam for $6.99. The first-person survival-horror game is 30 percent off until May 17. System Shock 2 found its way to the platform courtesy of Night Dive Studios, the outfit who picked up the rights as the game's publisher in February, when System Shock 2 also launched on GOG.com. To those of you that have yet to play this game: You're running out of excuses.
Watch Ken Levine talk about BioShock Infinite at BAFTA
Irrational Games posted the recent BAFTA evening with BioShock creator Ken Levine this weekend for your viewership. The 105-minute video sees the Irrational co-founder cover everything from the nearly-here Infinite to his self-described lucky break into the industry.The first half is Levine's talk, in which he opens by discussing how Irrational Games came to be before focusing on how the studio's vision brought it to Infinite and the character of Elizabeth, who Levine says is the third BioShock game's Big Daddy. The second half, from the 41 minute mark onwards, is a Q&A session touching on several subjects, including how Levine "killed" the BioShock movie and why he "compromised" on Infinite's box art.
Levine: 'I killed' the BioShock movie
Stop asking about the BioShock movie. It's dead, it's all Ken Levine's fault, and this is how it went down: Pirates of the Caribbean's Gore Verbinski announced he was directing a BioShock movie in 2008, and said he wanted to make it a hard-R-rated film with "a lot of blood," Irrational Games creative director Ken Levine said during a BAFTA talk, reported by Eurogamer.And then Watchmen came out and bombed by Hollywood standards, and the BioShock studio got cold feet. Verbinski originally wanted $200 million, but executives would commit to just $80 million, "and Gore didn't want to make a $80 million film," Levine said. Verbinski brought in a new director, 28 Weeks Later's Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, but by March he was also out, and Levine had pulled the plug."They brought another director in, and I didn't really see the match there – and 2K's one of these companies that puts a lot of creative trust in people," Levine said. "So they said if you want to kill it, kill it. And I killed it."A BioShock movie could get off the ground someday, maybe, Levine said. "It may happen one day, who knows, but it'd have to be the right combination of people." After all this public, back-and-forth teasing, we'd like to ask Levine if he'd kindly make a high-profile BioShock movie happen for real.
PSA: System Shock 2 now live on GOG
That tingle you feel down your spine? System Shock 2 is now available for download on GOG.com. If you've never played System Shock 2, know it's not only one of the most influential horror games of all time, but one of the first games to make Ken Levine a household name in our household where we can't stop talking about Ken Levine.System Shock 2 is available as a $9.99 download through GOG right now, compatible with Windows PCs. System Shock 2 is, at its core, a game about crossing barriers and embracing unconventional love, probably, so it's perfect for a Valentine's evening.
System Shock 2 coming to GOG.com, Steam
It's been a long time coming, but System Shock 2 has finally emerged from publishing limbo and will soon arrive on GOG.com and Steam. The rights were secured by Night Dive Studios, and the game will be released via GOG tomorrow at 6AM ET. At a mere $10, it should make a wonderful, horrifying Valentine's Day gift. The timing of the Steam release remains a mystery.For those unfamiliar with the 1999 PC classic, System Shock 2 is a first-person survival horror game with RPG elements. It was developed by Irrational Games and Looking Glass Studios, and it was designed by none other than Ken Levine (perhaps you've heard of him). If you need another point of reference, the BioShock series is considered a spiritual successor to System Shock. You like BioShock, right?Rock, Paper, Shotgun has a rather lengthy piece detailing how Night Dive managed to secure the rights and what to expect from the GOG.com release. The download will feature a great deal of bonus content, including concept art, an interview with Ken Levine and more. Again though, the takeaway is pretty simple: As of tomorrow, System Shock 2 is back, waiting for you to play it all over again or – if you're lucky – for the very first time.
BioShock Infinite reverse art revealed
Irrational Games revealed the reverse cover art for BioShock Infinite today. The art chosen won 38% of fan votes on the poll posted by studio head Ken Levine earlier this month as the result of displeasure from fans over the game's official box art.The art, the full version of which can be found after the break, will be printed on the other side of the BioShock Infinite cover. Levine noted that other alternate covers will be made available for fans to print.Now hopefully we've all learned our lesson: It's what's on the inside that counts.
