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BioShock 2's 'Capture the Sister' mode isn't kidding around
The citizens of BioShock 2's undersea dystopia, Rapture, love them some ADAM -- especially when it's been freshly harvested by a Little Sister. It's with this in mind that Digital Extremes tweaked the tried-and-true Capture the Flag multiplayer contest to place one team in charge of abducting one of these adolescent creepsters while the other must lay their lives on the line to protect her.As the above first look at the mode explains, the "attacking" side's goal is to return the girl to a Little Sister vent. The defenders -- well they defend, of course ... but one of them gets to be a Big Daddy. We'll have our hands-on impressions of BioShock 2's single and multiplayer modes tomorrow, so look for more details then.
BioShock 2 washes up on shore Feb. 9, 2010
If you're planning the playoffs for the video game industry's intramural softball league, you may want to avoid the weeks leading up to Feb. 9. That's when the 27 different development studios involved with BioShock 2 (a full half of the world's developers) will be crunching to finish BioShock 2 for release. After waiting all this time, we're just happy that the game can finally ship, 2K can staff up just a bit more, and work can begin on BioShock 3: Now It's An MMO.
BioShock 2's plasmid-packed multiplayer trailer makes a splash
The first look at BioShock 2's multiplayer component in action surfaced this evening on GameTrailers TV. Our rough calculations reveal that the trailer -- which clocks in at just over two minutes in length -- is running at about .5 plasmid attacks per second (PAPS). It might just be the edit, but the gameplay looks extremely frantic, with several human-controlled players employing the likes of Incinerate, Winter Blast, Telekinesis and a host of other plasmid powers in rapid succession. There are also glimpses at turret-building, what appears to be the first game's Research Camera being used for something and, of course, someone playing as the prototype Big Daddy.Check out the trailer after the break and let us know that you thought of it in comments. Did it have you enraptured ... or leave you with a sinking feeling?
BioShock 2 given another helping hand in Arkane Studios
Have you heard the one about BioShock 2? You know: "How many devs does it take to screw up a BioShock sequel?" We haven't come up with the punch line yet, but 2K Games seems to be increasing the odds of something going wrong for BioShock 2 by adding a fourth studio to the company crowd of developers. Lyon-based Arkane Studios joins lead developer 2K Marin (in California), its collaborator 2K Australia (we repeat: Australia), and multiplayer specialist Digital Extremes (headquartered in Ontario) in a cast that's starting to look like a "We Are the World" tribute to the late Mr. Jackson. We know, we know: outsourcing and globalization are just signs of business as usual these days, but when you've got this many cooks in the kitchen, development could easily flip a wrong page to the recipe for disaster."Arkane is assisting in the creation of levels that embody the aesthetic and gameplay ideals that make BioShock such a unique and exciting experience," 2K Marin's Alyssa Finley explained, according to Develop. Oh, well, that's a relief. And here we were worried the plan was to recycle unused assets from the first game.%Gallery-50342%
2K Australia developer quits job with the help of Mario
If done correctly, quitting your job can be the absolute coolest thing you could ever do. When else do you get to air out hostilities you've harbored for countless years, impress cohorts with theatrical gesticulations and possibly, depending on the awfulness of your workplace environment, relieve yourself in a coffee pot?One Mr. Jarrad recently took a less disgusting route to resignation from his position at 2K Australia -- he programmed a short (but sweet) Flash game, one which informs his employers that he's putting in his two week notice with grace and politeness. Also, with Mario. It may lack the panache of tainted Folgers, but it's still pretty darn amusing (and, more importantly, legal).[Via superannuation]
Joystiq impressions: BioShock 2
Click to Big Daddy-size How do you follow up what's indisputably one of the best games produced this generation? In the case of the BioShock 2 team at 2K Marin (and its collaborators at 2K Australia), the answer seems to be, "You don't change much." Having absorbed every possible bit of info on the game going into our first walkthrough of it, we felt like we knew what to expect; and, more or less, we got it.In an all-too-brief demo that lasted maybe 12-15 minutes, we were taken on a guided tour of a level designed especially for this meeting to A) show off a variety of new elements and B) completely thwart any attempts at learning more about the plot. We were a little saddened by the latter, since in a sequel that seems very similar to the original in many visual and gameplay respects, it's really going to be the narrative that defines the experience.%Gallery-50342%
Take-Two files trademark for 'Irrational Boston'
The clues have been building up and it appears that 2K Boston may be changing its name to Irrational Boston, the original name of the development studio (albeit now with a location tacked on to the name). The information comes by way of a trademark registration (via superannuation) filed by parent company and publisher Take-Two Interactive, not to mention shirts we spotted 2K Boston employees wearing at GDC last week.Little is known about how the name change will affect the development studio but we are prone to wild speculation. So let's begin! Is it a sister studio inside 2K Boston? Is it to spin off 2K development studios under the "Irrational" name? And what does this mean for the other half of the original Irrational Games that's now named "2K Australia?" The official word from 2K Boston as of this morning was, "No comment," but we should expect to hear something "very soon." We'll update this post as news comes in.[Via superannuation]
BioShock PS3 DLC priced at $10, detailed
2K Games today confirmed the November 20th release date of the PS3-exclusive BioShock "Challenge Rooms." The add-on content will be sold through PlayStation Store for $9.99 (in North America) and includes three, self-contained scenarios: A Shocking Turn of Events: A Little Sister is trapped atop a Ferris wheel. Players must create electricity to power the Ferris wheel and bring the Little Sister to safety. The I in Team: Using limited resources, and an even more limited arsenal, players must negotiate traps and find a way to defeat a Big Daddy. Worlds of Hurt: Players must battle through eight rooms of Big Daddies, Splicers and "the worst that Rapture has to offer." Accumulate Adam, build an arsenal of Plasmids, Tonics and Weaponry, and fight through to rescue the Little Sister. While sparse, and seemingly devoid of any explicit narrative tie-ins, the content should provide some insight into 2K Marin's design prowess (plus, it's got Trophies). After wrapping up the PS3 port of the original and this modest expansion, the studio can now be found tinkering with the BioShock sequel. [Update: Wouldn't you know it, a 2K spokesperson just let us know that "the rooms were primarily created by 2K Boston." Looks like we'll be waiting for that sequel for any insight after all.]%Gallery-35950%
BioShock PS3 demo surfacing Oct. 2
As the most stubborn person alive, you've already dismissed BioShock's numerous awards and rapturous reception, chalking it up to a juvenile and easily swayed media. "They'll stick a ten on any old thing these days," you say, rolling your eyes at all the games-as-art debates arising in the first-person shooter's wake. The word-of-mouth may be exceedingly positive, but the word coming from your mouth is, "No." "No, I'll play the demo first," you declare, "and then I'll make my decision." You flip your official and slightly unsavory Big Daddy calendar to the October page. "Ah, October 2nd. That's when the PlayStation 3 demo is due to arrive on the PlayStation Network!" You circle the date in one swift, confident stroke ... but suddenly feel a tinge of unease trickle down your spine. "Wait a minute ... how did I know that? It's like ... someone else is putting these thoughts directly into my mind, dictating my very character from afar. Oh crap, was that a hyperlink?"[Thanks, Chris]
2K Games, would you kindly release BioShock PS3 on October 21?
Well, that was easy. 2K Games has complied with our subliminal request that it release the PlayStation 3 version of sublime, submerged shooter BioShock in North America on October 21. There was some mental resistance to our suggestions of a worldwide release, however, so you international folks will just have to make do with October 24. BioShock comes to the PlayStation 3 sporting the same aquatic utopia-turned-dystopia that made the game one of 2007's best, along with Trophies, a new "Survivor" difficulty level and challenge rooms, to be released as downloadable content "shortly after launch."%Gallery-23874%
BioShock being 'optimized' for PS3 by Digital Extremes
2K Games has announced a partnership with Dark Sector developer, Digital Extremes, to aid in the completion of the PlayStation 3 version of superb submerged shooter, BioShock. Digital Extremes is the fourth studio to join the project -- 2K Marin, 2K Australia and 2K Boston have already dove in -- and aims to give PS3 players a "fully optimized experience," complete with new features and content. And trophies, probably.James Schmalz, CEO and founder of Digital Extremes, noted that the decision to work on the critically acclaimed project didn't even require a brain. "When 2K approached us to assist with development on BioShock for the PLAYSTATION 3 system, it was a no-brainer," he said. "You really can't ask for a more exciting, technically impressive world to work in than Rapture, and the incredible knowledge and talent between the 2K studios and our team at Digital Extremes is unprecedented." Apparently, when it launches this October, BioShock will make the PS3 "sing with Big Daddy goodness and Little Sister 'thank you's'."%Gallery-23874%
PS3 BioShock getting 'as-yet-unannounced' bits
While BioShock's October release on the PlayStation 3 may bring visual parity with versions already available, news from the official PlayStation blog teases that the upcoming descent into Rapture may come with a few unexpected surprises. According to 2K Marin exec Alyssa Finley, the game is being handled by four different studios, with 2K Marin sharing kitchen space with 2K Australia, 2K Boston, and another mystery partner "with some outstanding PS3-specific coding chops." In addition, Finley notes that the devs at 2K Boston are currently banging out code for the version's "as-yet-unannounced components," while simultaneously refining the game's physics to take "maximum advantage" of the PS3's inner voodoo. All said, we're more than interested to see how this latest take on one of last year's landmark releases measures up, even as platform zealots prepare to sling mantra to the effect of 'my Big Daddy can beat up your Big Daddy!'%Gallery-23874%
First screens of BioShock on PS3
Click to "Big Daddy" size 2K Games has released the first (teeny-tiny) round of images from BioShock on PS3, following up on this morning's official announcement of the game. And ... it looks like BioShock. On Xbox 360.As mentioned in our previous post about the game's PS3 debut, developer 2K Marin is looking into ways to enhance the game for Sony's platform, but stopped short of providing any hard details. The latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly reports that the game essentially looks indistinguishable from the 360 original, and that the only "enhancements" at present are the plasmid additions and bug fixes that were pushed out to the 360 release via Xbox Live. 2K Marin has told EGM that it is working with Sony on more substantial enhancements, but at present they remain as murky as the sea enveloping Rapture.%Gallery-23874%
BioShock surfaces on PS3 this October
During the month of Halloween, you PlayStation 3 owners will finally have the opportunity to wield blunt instruments and bludgeon a pack of masked weirdos. Especially if they're between you and a PS3 copy of BioShock, which has been slated for release in October. Having wrenched free from its Xbox 360 and Windows exclusivity, the waterlogged dystopia sim hopes to win those Game of the Year awards all over again, especially with the aid of "new features and content that will make this a must-have game for its new audience, as well as for those who enjoyed it on the other platforms." We're not sure what developer 2K Marin plans to add, but we hope it's less upsetting than our idea of SixAxis-powered Little Sister shakin'.
Joystiq's Top 10 of 2007: BioShock
Even without a game set inside its beautiful – and totally unnerving – halls, the underwater city of Rapture alone would almost be enough to earn a spot on our list. The design itself told the story of a failed utopia, an underwater art-deco Eden gone sour. The pools of water and rusted metal juxtaposed with the bright neon signs and period music immediately set the tone and helped deliver one of the most memorable environments in video games or, dare we say, any entertainment field.But of course, it wasn't just Rapture and the story of Andrew Ryan's failed utopia: it was BioShock, the spiritual successor to the System Shock series, and upon its late summer release, it held us, and the entire gaming world, in ... well, rapture. And what a game! We think back to the epic battles with the gargantuan, golem-like Big Daddys and how often we stood motionless, waiting for the sometimes gentle caretakers to pass by peacefully. And let's not forget about their wards, the Little Sisters. When it was time to fight, upon winning you're presented with the macabre and more than a little unnerving choice of whether or not to kill a little girl. Is this choice essentially meaningless? Is every Little Sister an identical model and voice, removing much of their humanity and in turn the difficulty of your decision? Regrettably, the answers are "yes" and "yes".Though we may not remember each and every Little Sister we saved, we do remember that one. And that's far more than most video games allow.%Gallery-3725% And the lie goes to... ->
