Tag Archives: Ken Levine

Xbox 360

Bioshock Developer ‘Irrational Games’ to Close

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Founder of Irrational Games, Ken Levine, has announced via the official website that the developer, as we know it, is to be wound down. The developer, best known for Bioshock, is announcing this news just as the final piece of Bioshock Infinite is released. Levine said in the statement:

“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.   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

In time we will announce a new endeavor with a new goal: To make narrative-driven games for the core gamer that are highly replayable. To foster the most direct relationship with our fans possible, we will focus exclusively on content delivered digitally.

When I first contemplated what I wanted to do, it became very clear to me that we were going to need a long period of design. Initially, I thought the only way to build this venture was with a classical startup model, a risk I was prepared to take. But when I talked to Take-Two about the idea, they convinced me that there was no better place to pursue this new chapter than within their walls. After all, they’re the ones who believed in and supported BioShock in the first place.

Thanks to Irrational and 2K’s passion in developing the games, and the fans who believe in it, BioShock has generated retail revenues of over a half billion dollars and secured an iconic place in gaming. I’m handing the reins of our creation, the BioShock universe, to 2K so our new venture can focus entirely on replayable narrative. If we’re lucky, we’ll build something half as memorable as BioShock.

The full Statement can be found here 

This is really sad news for the developers of one the most popular game series in recent years with Bioshock. We wish all the staff affected by this news all the best for the future and no doubt their talent will be snapped up in no time, and thank them for all the great gaming memories they have given us over the years.

Events

Ken Levine to receive Lifetime Achievement Award

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With a career that stretches back 31 years, Levine’s accomplishments range from System Shock 2 right through to this years smash hit BioShock Infinite. If that doesn’t convince you of his credibility, Guillermo del Toro recently praised him as ‘one of the best world creators in any of the visual forms’.

Because of these and countless of other achievements, Levine will be presented the Lifetime Achievement Award on Friday night as part of the 2013 Golden Joystick Awards held in London.

Levine said of the news: “In most fields, people begin their careers being inspired by others. In turn, they hopefully end up inspiring others. The great thing about the still-maturing nature of video games is you get to be inspired by the work of novices and veterans alike. We’re all figuring out day by day exactly what the medium is capable of.”

This year’s awards marks the ceremony’s 31st, with a revamped shortlist of 15 categories, including Best Indie, Studio of the year and categories introduced to highlight innovation across all platforms.

Source: CVG.com