How 2K killed Irrational Games

[pippin]

Ken Levine killed Irrational by dragging Bioshock Infinite through development hell. What was supposed to be a milestone in gaming media

It was supposed to be that for them, that's what I meant. In a way, Levine shat the bed in a worse manner than Tim Schafer...

 

[Ovplain]

The main thing that's disturbing to me is that they blew that much money on fucking Mafia 3 of all things. EIGHT MILLION COPIES JUST TO BREAK EVEN! Who the fuck thought that could even remotely happen, no matter how good the game was?

I just don't get it. On one hand they meddle in development, trying to make the games appeal to as wide an audience as possible, trying to play it safe, they're actively trying to hedge their bets, but on the other hand all that 'hedging of bets' just has to get cancelled out by the insane amount of money being poured into development, no?

 

[pippin]

The main thing that's disturbing to me is that they blew that much money on fucking Mafia 3 of all things. EIGHT MILLION COPIES JUST TO BREAK EVEN! Who the fuck thought that could even remotely happen, no matter how good the game was?

I just don't get it. On one hand they meddle in development, trying to make the games appeal to as wide an audience as possible, trying to play it safe, they're actively trying to hedge their bets, but on the other hand all that 'hedging of bets' just has to get cancelled out by the insane amount of money being poured into development, no?

Studios are just too fucking big these days. Too many people must be paid. You either make a big fucking game or you just give up and spend your days shitposting on twitter with your indie friends.

 

[octavius]

It isn't entirely bad that a developer wants their game to be accessible enough that an old woman, a child and a regular gamer can play, enjoy and beat it.

 

[Ash]

Ken Levine killed Irrational by dragging Bioshock Infinite through development hell. What was supposed to be a milestone in gaming media is now barely remembered as a game which came out in 2013.

Actually Bioshock (including Infinite) is a mainstream darling. You'll see their names pop up from time to time if you torture yourself and visit mainstream sites. (to be clear, I'm saying the gamers mention it on these sites, not the "journalists").

 

[sser]

By the way, does anyone know why XCOM tanked? I know — I was there: It is because out of the above titles, it is the only title where 2K HQ felt obliged to get their hands dirty with the development.

Yeah, that's why

 

[Irenaeus]

Bioshock 1 was good for the first 3 stages. After that it got tired (what I read about the ending appalled me). Never played the others.

Good fucking riddance.

 

[Destroid]

The main thing that's disturbing to me is that they blew that much money on fucking Mafia 3 of all things. EIGHT MILLION COPIES JUST TO BREAK EVEN! Who the fuck thought that could even remotely happen, no matter how good the game was?

I just don't get it. On one hand they meddle in development, trying to make the games appeal to as wide an audience as possible, trying to play it safe, they're actively trying to hedge their bets, but on the other hand all that 'hedging of bets' just has to get cancelled out by the insane amount of money being poured into development, no?

I very much doubt it was planned that way, just went way overbudget to the point it was never going to break even.

 

[Alienman]

Did Xcom tank? Thought it sold well, considering it got a sequel.

 

[StrongBelwas]

Did Xcom tank? Thought it sold well, considering it got a sequel.

You're thinking about the Firaxis one, this is the 1960s shooter that went through three different versions before it was released.

 

[pippin]

Did Xcom tank? Thought it sold well, considering it got a sequel.

You're thinking about the Firaxis one, this is the 1960s shooter that went through three different versions before it was released.

Exactly. They originally released it as the "return" of XCOM. People... let's say, they weren't impressed. I think it's a better version of Mass Effect in some ways, for what it's worth... But the backlash and losses meant they were more or less forced to do the strategy game. That went down pretty well as we know.

 

[Alienman]

Did Xcom tank? Thought it sold well, considering it got a sequel.

You're thinking about the Firaxis one, this is the 1960s shooter that went through three different versions before it was released.

Ah right, forgot about that one.

 

[Irenaeus]

Did Xcom tank? Thought it sold well, considering it got a sequel.

You're thinking about the Firaxis one, this is the 1960s shooter that went through three different versions before it was released.

Exactly. They originally released it as the "return" of XCOM. People... let's say, they weren't impressed. I think it's a better version of Mass Effect in some ways, for what it's worth... But the backlash and losses meant they were more or less forced to do the strategy game. That went down pretty well as we know.

Do you get to fuck blue aliens too?

 

[A horse of course]

If it wasn't for the retarded twist, Infinite would be GOTY. :kwanzania:

 

[DeepOcean]

What makes this guy think that Bioshock Infinite made money?

Yep, 4,3 million sales and not full 4.3 million sales is pretty underwhelming for hit seeking kind of investment.

 

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

I liked the initial previews of the first person Xcom. Back when it had the black goop aliens and the floating monoliths and whatnot. Choosing whether to use alien artifacts to get yourself out of a jam in a single mission, or struggle through and keep them for research. Base building and more reactive personnel, etc.

Then the revamp of the original series appeared and was successful. Suddenly FPScom became a third person shooter designed to better tie in with Xcom main series, and the former stylized look was completely gone. As was most of the expanded non-mission stuff. Xcom Declassified tanked and I wondered what might have been.

 

[Black]

Did Xcom tank? Thought it sold well, considering it got a sequel.

You're thinking about the Firaxis one, this is the 1960s shooter that went through three different versions before it was released.

Ah right, forgot about that one.

Everyone did.

 

[J1M]

2K keeps the studio that makes turn-based XCOM and Civilization and closes the bioshock studio and the studio that outsources american jobs? They also make NBA games that have more stats and character progression than the average RPG?

I'm sure the executives in question are as terrible as any at EA, but you can't deny that the outcomes look pretty benevolent.

 

[Irenaeus]

Well, Civilization has been a shit since Beyond the Sword, while I heard really bad things about XCOM2.

PS: I don't care if they are making money, I'm a player not a stakeholder.

 

[Somberlain]

Good riddance. Irrational Games didn't make anything good in over 10 years and Bioshit: Shitfinite certainly wasn't an improvement.

 

[Mazisky]

2k is the only major producer who invest in triple A tactics turn based games

 

[Black]

Now if only they were good.

 

[Mazisky]

Now if only they were good.

They are bad only for nostalgia hipsters with potato pc who say everthing is crap anyway

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

This piece mostly has the ring of truth about it, but the section where (s)he implied 2K was happy with Infinite's market performance smacked strongly of bullshit, and leads me to conclude that the author was either a very junior employee, or that they're being disingenuous.

That said: AAA publishers are morally bankrupt and intellectually schizophrenic; news at 11.


Also: Irrational Games made Freedom Force, which is one of those rare gems that I enjoy even more each time I play it, and while I wasn't a fan of the Bioshock franchise, I will always have a very special place in my heart for Irrational Games because of it (Freedom Force, not Bioshock).

 

[Burning Bridges]

In July 2005 (although made public in Jan 2006) Take-Two Interactive bought Irrational Games. Irrational had been shopped out to SEGA, Take-Two Interactive and a few other publishers. Irrational needed to move away from independence — money was getting too tight and the independent studio model was collapsing around the world at the time.

This is quite interesting, because ca 2006 was also about the precise moment in time when gaming had gone shit. When we got trash like Bioshock and Oblivion, which a lot of people had still been looking forward to and couldnt believe what they saw.

P.S. (I cannot hide that the makers of Bioshock having been closed for sucking is causing me satisfaction.)