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BioShock slips past June, dated August 21
BioShock has been delayed beyond its unspecified, but previously confirmed June release date. According to the game's community site 'The Cult of Rapture' (operated by publisher 2K Games) BioShock has now been tagged with an August 21 street date.The short notice does not include further details. We have reached out to 2K Games for confirmation of the European release date and to verify that the PC and Xbox 360 versions of BioShock will be released simultaneously; we will update this post accordingly.Update: European release date is August 24; simultaneous PC & Xbox 360 release in both Europe and North America.
Time to get wet, Bioshock gets official release date
Bioshock fans can pull out their Sharpies and mark their calendars, because 2K Games just announced the official release date. Everyone will be jumping head first and getting wet on Bioshock's official release Tuesday, August 21. This of course contradicts previous reports that stated Bioshock would hit the streets this June, but who are we to say that the game didn't get delayed into August. No more rumors, no more guessing, Bioshock will be here in less than six months.[Thanks, AoE]
BioShock screen shot contest revealed
Irrational is holding a very interesting contest involving BioShock. Here's the premise, users are presented with a series of screen shots that outline a sequence of events inside BioShock. In this particular instance, you (the player) find yourself face to face with a grenadier. He has a box full of homemade grenades. You have one shell left in your shotgun, a telekinesis plasmid, and an electro bolt plasmid. The questions is: how do you take him out? Participants are asked to write out a solution in 1000 words or less. The best solution will be filmed in the game and posted in two weeks. Naturally, Irrational is looking for the most creative and interesting solution. All in all, the contest is a pretty cool way to get the community involved and show off video of the game in progress.Hit the "read" link for the full scenario and instructions for entry. If any of our readers make it into the top entries, we'll feature them here. Be sure and tell us if you make it.[Via Evil Avatar]
RUMOR: Bioshock -- heading to PS3? You bet.
The UK version of the Official PlayStation Magazine may have leaked a story it shouldn't have. Normally, console exclusives have been moving away from the PS3, but this time the roles appear to have reversed. A previously 360 exclusive, Bioshock, has been "confirmed" to be on its way to the PS3 -- a few months after the 360 release. We don't have a copy of the magazine itself, but if you've got a copy, feel free to back up this news or shoot it down -- help us help you!If this is true, that's great news! Even though many will say it's "just another 360 game being ported to the PS3," not everyone has a 360 nor are they willing to get one for a single game... or two games. Microsoft was so happy to claim this was a Microsoft exclusive (360, Vista), just as Sony was so happy to claim... what... there are a few, but let's say Assassin's Creed, as a Sony exclusive. Share the weath, Sony and Microsoft, and all will be gaming goodness.[Thanks, AG!]
New BioShock media from the deep
Our friends at Xboxygen have posted some new screen shots and concept art from Irrational's upcoming BioShock -- truly one of the Xbox 360's great exclusive titles for 2007. The screen shots in particular look fantastic. Just for that special group of people that demand that a flamethrower should be in every FPS, we picked the shot above. The other shots released evoke a more grisly and deranged feeling, but in a good way. There are also some interesting concept sketches that show off some of the early designs of the Protectors (the big guys with drills for hands). Hit the "read" link to check out more screens.
Trash talk: Bioshock designer scolds uncultured peers
Speaking with MTV's Stephen Totilo, Bioshock designer Ken Levine, a self-proclaimed "Vassar-educated twit," took a jab at his fellow developers. "Most video game people have read one book and seen one movie in their life, which is Lord of the Rings and Aliens or variations of that," said Levine, adding, "There's great things in that, but you need some variety." While no doubt a gross generalization, Levine's criticism sparks a worthwhile question, as put to us by Totilo:Do culturally illiterate developers bear any of the blame for the creative conservatism that usually gets pinned on corporate game publishers? Marinate on that for a minute.Original source: GameFile [Warning: 'MTV assault' awaits]
BioShock images -- now with plasmids
Xboxygen has a fresh batch of BioShock screen shots for your viewing pleasure. The shots do a good job of showing off BioShock's impressive visual. If you look carefully, you can see some nice smoke, blood, and particle effects. Also visible in the shots are plasmids (items used in the game's upgrade system). In the shot above you can see the blue light coursing through the player's veins (plasmids are administered with injections). While we can only guess what this particular plasmid does, we're pretty sure the guy on the other end of the gun doesn't like it. Hit the "read" link for more shots.
Live in NYC? Playtest Bioshock and get paid
If you live in the New York City area and are interested in getting your hands on Bioshock before its release, then we have an opportunity for you. 2K Games sent out an invite for applications to playtest Bioshock this week in NYC. You will get paid roughly $10 an hour, get to play for three hours a day, and will be envied by all your friends and enemies. Just fill out the application after the break and email it to the address on the bottom. This is the time where we envy all of you who live in the NYC area ... lucky fellas.[Via Joystiq]
NYC: Wanna play BioShock and get paid for it? [update 1]
[Update: 2K just let us know they've retracted the offer. We'll let you know if and when they reinstate it!]What a ridiculous question. Of course you do. In fact, many gamers would be willing to play BioShock without any sort of compensation whatsoever, finding reward in the moist surroundings of an underwater city and the the thrill of encountering terrifying scuba-men. 2K Games has sent out the call for playtesters in New York City, luring them with promises of payment and the opportunity to refine System Shock's spiritual successor (of sorts). If you can make it to SoHo and have 3 hours to spare each day from this Wednesday to Friday, answer the questionnaire (placed after the break) and send it to the indicated e-mail address. If chosen, you'll earn the princely sum of $10 per hour, along with nine wonderful (probably) hours with BioShock. The Xbox 360 game is currently slated for a June release.
Bioshock: no multiplayer, demo, or special edition
Answering questions via the 'Cult of Rapture' (Bioshock's community site), a 2K Games representative has confirmed that Irrational's under-sea epic will not feature a multiplayer component. The developers felt that multiplayer "would have compromised the story." Whether that compromise would have been the result of insufficient resources or simply (a fear of) disparate playing experiences is unclear; it could have been both. Despite plans to offer downloadable content, it seems as if Irrational has no intention of adding a post-release multiplayer update (à la Valve's Half-Life 2: Deathmatch release).2K Games also revealed that there are currently no plans for a Bioshock 'Special Edition' box set or pre-release demo.[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
BioShock: no multiplayer, no demo planned
In a recent question and answer session on the Cult of Rapture, BioShock's community site, several details about the game are confirmed. Chief among these details is that BioShock will not contain a multiplayer component. The reason for its omission is that the developers are focused on a single player story and that multiplayer would not mesh with the story. While many will no doubt point out that multiplayer doesn't really have to mesh with the story (Halo 2 for example), we're willing to cut Irrational a break, seeing as they're creating a game more along the lines of Deus Ex than Unreal Tournament. Worth noting, there are plans for downloadable content. The other tidbit revealed in the Q&A session is that there is currently no demo planned for BioShock. So, if you're not sure about BioShock, it looks like you may have to rent before you buy.[Thanks, PacoDG]
Just a tease, new Bioshock screenshots
With the release date nearly set, today 2K Games released two (yes, only two) screenshots of that underwater adventure Bioshock. The screenshots don't give us anything new to chew on, except for maybe an enemy we haven't seen yet. They also look like they came from the PC version, due to the whole 4:3 aspect ratio. Not a big problem though, we accept all Bioshock media because we're excited and nobody can rain on our parade. Make the jump for the other screenshot.[Thanks, un1qu3 n3wy0rk]
Confirmed: Bioshock shocks us in June '07
1UP has confirmed that Bioshock, Irrational's highly anticipated "spiritual successor" to the System Shock series, will be hitting the Xbox 360 and Windows platforms exclusively this June. At X06, the game was announced to be an Xbox 360 console exclusive upon its release in the Spring of this year, but the wording of the announcement left the possibility of timed exclusivity open. Is this another exclusivity mystery or the real deal: a third-party console exclusive?[Thanks, Todd]
All aboard! Bioshock coming June 2007
1UP is reporting that a 2K Games forum poster has officially announced that Bioshock will sink into retailers (witty aren't we?) on both Xbox 360 and PC June 2007. 2K Kimberly, an official 2K Games member, posted on the Through the Looking Glass forums this message, "I'll let you in on the official word on the release date: June 2007. Heard it here first. ;-)". Here's to no delays and actually seeing Bioshock this June when the video game release drought begins. Anyone want to bet on the actual Bioshock release date, do you think they'll make a June release?[Thanks, todd]
Bioshock invades the web, scares children
There's no question that BioShock is one of the most highly anticipated Xbox 360 games, and what highly anticipated game would be complete without a Flash-filled promotional website? None, that's what. The official BioShock website has now gone live and it fulfills the requisite Flash requirement quite nicely. The site offers game info, screenshots, the trailers released so far, and mini fly-throughs of some of the environments. There are two forthcoming sections that will focus on weapons and player upgrades, too. The website drips with the creepy 1940's radio show creepiness that we've all come to know and love. And maybe it's just us, but the soundtrack reminds us vaguely of Lord of the Rings. Go check it out.This game just can't come out fast enough.[Via Joystiq]
Bioshock website is alive
2K Games has launched the official website for Irrational's Bioshock. It's the usual fare of media essentials (including a link to the new trailer) enhanced by a creepy 40s-era motif. If anything, the attention to detail on the site is a reminder that Irrational isn't playing around. Having earned numerous 'Best of Show' awards at E3 this year, Bioshock is certainly a game we should look forward to.
New GRAW 2 and Bioshock trailers
Some brand spanking new trailers were unveiled at the Spike Video Game Awards last night. It's a good thing that somebody was actually watching the show, otherwise we never would have known about these new trailers for Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 and Bioshock. GRAW 2 is of course the highly anticipated sequel to GRAW (perhaps you've heard of it). Bioshock is the spiritual successor to the System Shock series and contains some very, very freaky environments and monsters. The GRAW 2 trailer is embedded above, and the Bioshock trailer is (appropriately) embedded below the break. (Underwater humor, get it? ... oh, never mind.)
Play what in 2007?
With the recent release of Gears of War you may be asking yourself, "man this game roxorz, but what other games can I look forward to in 2007?" It's okay my friend we're here to enlighten you, because About.com compiled a nice list of the most anticipated Xbox 360 games dropping in 2007. I'm already saving up for games like BioShock, Lost Planet, Halo 3 (duh), Alan Wake, Too Human, Assassin's Creed, and Guitar Hero II. I'm going to shed a tear ... just look at what we'll be playing in 2007.[Via, Digg]
X06: Alan Wake, Bioshock, Mass Effect demos
Some of the most anticipated upcoming games for the Xbox 360 and PC weren't playable on the X06 show floor but were shown off by the developers in behind-closed-doors demos. Here's some quickie descriptions of the demos and some thoughts on what was shown: Alan Wake: Developer Remedy shared lots of new information about this "psychological action thriller" (a term used by the developers to describe the game multiple times). The story, told rather clunkily through some Max Payne-style exposition, revolves around Wake, a writer who finds his life begins to mimic his best-selling novel. Grappling with insomnia in a rest clinic in the Pacific Northwest, he finds the line between his waking life and his nightmares begins to blur. The most striking feature graphically is the dynamic lighting, which casts soft shadows and glistens beautifully off everything from the trees to the water. The demo also showed off environmental effects with a quickly gathering storm that cast everything in eerie, somber tones. The demo ended with a thrilling chase by a glowing entity that took out all the electrical lights as it approached. Definitely one to watch for. BioShock - Following up on the demo shown at E3, Irrational showed off a new area which again showed off the game's beautifully dark underwater environments. The developers emphasized the importance of using improvised attacks and abilities like teleportation against the lumbering, suited "Big Daddy" and the "Little Sister" he jealously protects. They also stressed the importance of moral choices in shaping the game experience -- as the demo fades out, our protagonist is busy deciding whether or not to beat a little girl with a wrench. Best moment: using telekenesis to throw a teddy bear into a fire and then using the flaming bear to set an enemy on fire. The demonstrator said they hope to "redefine the first-person shooter" and it looks like they just might. Mass Effect - The game looks as pretty as ever, with convincing character animation and facial expressions, especially during the branching conversations. The developers showed off how the game map spans from a galaxy-sized Milky Way view down to individual planets, and mentioned that two separate players will likely take completely different paths through the game. A quick boss battle showed how squad placement commands can be used to set up a cross fire that emphasizes each character's particular abilities. Shows promise but the full scope was hard to gauge from the demo.
X06 announcements crammed into a single post
Microsoft's X06 event started off in a thunderous explosion of news, with pieces of informative debris raining down upon the unshielded denizens of the internet since yesterday. If you're feeling clueless or overwhelmed, allow us to subject you to a helpful hail of bullet points: Peter Jackson reveals a new partnership with Microsoft Game Studios. The king of the rings and his newly established Wingnut Interactive studio will work on an original property for the Xbox 360, as well as an unnamed Halo title. One can only hope that the crappy-game-based-on-a-movie and the crappy-movie-based-on-a-game curses cancel each other out when it comes time to play Peter Jackson's Halo: The Game of the Movie of the Game. A new RTS, Halo Wars, is unveiled. Set in a time before the first Halo, the real-time strategy game is being developed exclusively for the Xbox 360 by Ensemble Studios. Many confused pundits take the opportunity to point out that the Xbox 360 does not have a keyboard or a mouse. Grand Theft Auto IV will have two "epic" downloadable episodes exclusively on Xbox 360. Rockstar and Take-Two promise that the new episodes will provide "hours" of new gameplay and will be available "just months" after the game's October 2007 release. The vague wording of the announcement fails to rule out the possibility that the PS3 could receive different downloadable episodes of its own. The next Splinter Cell game is console-exclusive to the Xbox 360 -- meaning handhelds and the PC are still fair game. Fewer people are upset by this than those who realize Splinter Cell: Double Agent isn't available on anything yet. Bioshock is exclusive to Xbox 360 and Windows when it releases "next Spring". The wording of the press release says nothing of the game should it release during any other season following Spring. Of course, nobody likes waiting ... Project Gotham Racing 4 is coming. And the surprise hit gamers with all the force of a linen sheet flapping in the wind. Rare is working on a new Banjo-Kazooie game. Presumably, players are still keen on collecting all the coins, apples, music notes, beans, feathers, diamonds, pearls, potions, rings, blocks, wrenches and / or yams mysteriously floating around the finely rendered landscape. Marvel Universe Online is announced for the Xbox 360 and Windows Vista. It's being developed by the folks behind City of Heroes -- perhaps you remember Marvel suing them for creating tools that allowed people to venture online as, err, Marvel characters. Doom and Sensible World of Soccer join the Xbox Live Arcade lineup. The classic first-person shooter was already available yesterday for 800 points ($10). The Amiga footie title has not been given a release date yet, though the press release insists on using the word "soon." The Xbox 360 HD-DVD costs $199.99 in North America and €199.99/£129.99 in the UK, France and Germany. It arrives in mid-November and will include the Xbox 360's Universal Media Remote and the HD-DVD version of Peter Jackson's King Kong. And with that, the circle is complete. Congrats, scavenger hunter, you've found the secret c o d e good for one free copy of B A N K S H O T B I L L I A R D S 2: PRF4Q W798V G7JX9 2RX2W VT94G (Contest ran on 12/30/2006. The code has been redeemed.)
