irrational games closing

[Skel]

I searched but didn't see anything...

http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/18/irrational-games-closing/

 

[surfsatwerk]

This blows

 

[SMOGZINN]

Looks like a name change more then anything. Levine and a fifteen core members of Irrational are all going to remain together, still under Take-Two Interactive, just with a different name.

 

[futurefields]

"I am winding down Irrational games as you know it."

Dat ego.

 

[Modeps]

If this is as it reads, a move by Levine himself, then he's a dick. You layoff your entire staff because you don't want to do the AAA thing anymore? How about you leave and appoint a new head of Irrational instead of holding a job fair for your newly unemployed team?

 

[futurefields]

Hes always struck me as a megalomaniac.

 

[CuriousMike]

My guess is they're moving "Bioshock To Infinity and Beyond" to some other studio.
They're not just closing up the franchise.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

Looks like a name change more then anything. Levine and a fifteen core members of Irrational are all going to remain together, still under Take-Two Interactive, just with a different name.

This is a glimmer of hope among a really shit occurrence, I thought that Bioshock and Infinite were among some of the best games of the last 10 years, they weren't perfect and bowed to some of the pressures of consolization (who hasn't), but they felt like they had genuine gamers behind the decisions.

I really hope they keep the core guys together and go on to make something new and epic, whatever it takes, blindly backing kickstarters or whatever...Ken if you're listening keep on doing what you're doing, your fans will follow.

 

[Phynaz]

I was so looking forward to more Bioshock. Good for Ken, but I'm really saddened by this.

 

[you2]

I wonder if bioshock infinite lost a lot of money. Seems odd they would lay off 150 or so folks if the game did well.

 

[smackababy]

I wonder if bioshock infinite lost a lot of money. Seems odd they would lay off 150 or so folks if the game did well.

Quite a few studios employ what is best described as 'seasonal workers', who do code monkey stuff during the development phase, and are laid off afterwards. The sad thing is since so many fresh out of college, wide eyed programmers have dreams of being in the gaming industry, they accept the $45k a year to have horrible hours and treatment only to be tossed at the first mention of "going to gold". It is really a race to the bottom with these guys.


Also, this announcement is lacking that BioShock awful twist. We're going to find out Irrational Games were actually EA the entire time!

 

[desura]

On reflection I wouldn't say that Bioshock Infinite was that great a game. it was basically a prettier Bioshock in a new setting with a weird loopy story.

But I still felt like infinite was limited...like the gameplay was pretty much "kill everything that moves" and the setting was merely background...I didn't feel like it was a massive expanse like the sky should have been. Like, the Unreal Engine stages themselves felt limited and the sky part was just background, if you get what I'm saying.

The same kind of applies to the original Bioshock too. I always felt like the original Bioshock should have spent more time on Rapture at its height and less time on Rapture after the fall.

 

[motsm]

Good news if you ask me, but I hope he actually takes advantage of the freedom he will gain from this.

 

[BladeVenom]

If this is as it reads, a move by Levine himself, then he's a dick.

Blame Take-Two. They own Irrational Games, Ken Levine is just a creative director there now.

 

[mmntech]

Quite a few studios employ what is best described as 'seasonal workers', who do code monkey stuff during the development phase, and are laid off afterwards. The sad thing is since so many fresh out of college, wide eyed programmers have dreams of being in the gaming industry, they accept the $45k a year to have horrible hours and treatment only to be tossed at the first mention of "going to gold". It is really a race to the bottom with these guys.

It's pretty much like that in the entire media/entertainment industry, unfortunately. I know a few people that got great gigs fresh out of college only to end up working retail a couple years later. All contract work these days. Been that way for a long time too.

Take-Two says they'll continue the Bioshock series. With Ken Levine and most of the original staff gone, well, they were the ones that made those games great.

I know I'm in the minority when I say Infinite is my favorite in the series. I love the setting, time period, and the story in that game. Though it's well known that it had some major snags. A lot of what was promised didn't get delivered. Which motivates big publishers to begin seeking out fresh blood.

 

[PrincessFrosty]

Also, this announcement is lacking that BioShock awful twist. We're going to find out Irrational Games were actually EA the entire time!

Does that mean to we get to brutally beat EA to death with a golf club?

I hope so.

 

[Yamada]

Just waiting for Levine to pull his "Citizen Kane of gaming" moment.