Bioshock Coming This June

[Cherubim1324]

Bioshock Emerges in June (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3156204)

Irrational's moody shooter due when school lets out.
By Luke Smith (http://www.1up.com/do/my1Up?publicUserId=5519593), 01/04/2007

2K Games confirmed to 1UP that the long-awaited, much-anticipated Irrational Games first person shooter BioShock (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3156204) will release for the Xbox 360 and PC in June of this year. A two-week-old post at the BioShock Through the Looking Glass Forums (http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1537090#post1 537090) from a user named "2K Elizabeth" who sports a "2K Games" tag below her name first mentioned the June release.

I'll let you in on the official word on the release date: June 2007.

Heard it here first. ;-)

Summer lovin' had me a blast.
Summer lovin' happened so fast...

- via the 1UP Radio Boards (http://boards.1up.com/zd/board/message?board.id=show&message.id=78252)

[Kaffee]

wow, just in time for my Birtday, yeaaaaa, I'll be getting it.

[Dark Marmosett]

Oooo...a FPS you say. Might keep an eye out for it then.

[Kaffee]

its gonna be cool, like, under water and stuff.

[Dark Marmosett]

Like how you could swim in red faction 1? Sweet.

[Kaffee]

far as I've read or seen, its like that movie The Abyss, its an underwater facility of some sort.

[Dark Marmosett]

Hmmm. Intersting enough.

[Cherubim1324]

Information (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/info.htm)

BioShock is a revolution in the shooter genre that will forever change the expectations for the FPS. Going beyond "run and gun corridors," "monster-closet AIs" and static worlds, BioShock creates a living, unique and unpredictable FPS experience. BioShock is the Shooter 2.0.

After your plane crashes into icy uncharted waters, you discover a rusted bathysphere and descend into Rapture, a city hidden beneath the sea. Constructed as an idealistic society for a hand picked group of scientists, artists and industrialists, the idealism is no more. Now the city is littered with corpses, wildly powerful guardians roam the corridors as little girls loot the dead, and genetically mutated citizens ambush you at every turn.

Features:

# Take control of your world by hacking mechanical devices, commandeering security turrets and crafting unique items critical to your very survival.
# Upgrade your weapons with ionic gels, explosives and toxins to customize them to the enemy and environment.
# Genetically modify your body through dozens of Plasmid Stations scattered throughout the city, empowering you with fantastic and often grotesque abilities.
# Explore a living world powered by Ecological A.I., where the inhabitants have interesting and consequential relationships with one another that impact your gameplay experience.
# Experience truly next generation graphics that vividly illustrate the forlorn art deco city, highlighted by the most detailed and realistic water effects ever developed in a video game.
# Make meaningful choices and mature decisions, ultimately culminating in the grand question: do you exploit the innocent survivors
of Rapture...or save them?

For more information, visit the official website (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/enter.html).

U.S. Flash Site (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/bioshock.html)
HTML Site (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html)

[Kaffee]

And those little girls are supposed to be tough to kill, atleast that's what I've heard.

[Cherubim1324]

Brace yourself: New Bioshock screens (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=154371)

Wednesday 10-Jan-2007 12:11 PM Is that a Tommy gun we spy? And some crazy surgeon bloke wielding piping. Excellent!

Two new screenshots have emerged from the wonderfully weird underwater world of Bioshock, and you can view them right here on this very page.

For anyone new to the Bioshock party, the PC and Xbox 360 FPS-RPG deals with a failed utopia lying on the sea bed, where players are caught up in odd - and violent - goings on involving mutated humans. Developed by Irrational Games it looks fab and we're crossing fingers it doesn't disappoint.

Bioshock publisher 2K Games confirmed with CVG last week that both versions of the game are due to hit the UK and Europe in June.

Stuart Bishop (stuart.bishop@futurenet.co.uk )

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_170352_thumb142.jpg (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_170352.jpg) http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_170351_thumb142.jpg (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_170351.jpg)

Bioshock is set to be released in the US, UK, and Europe sometime during the month of June.

[Dark Marmosett]

Wow..thats pretty good looking. Looks as good as halo and half life...which I have still yet to get.

[Kaffee]

its going to be awesome, I can not wait for it, I want it for my birthday.

[Cherubim1324]

No MP for BioShock (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6164592.html)

Recently launched official site confirms the eagerly awaited 360/PC shooter will be single-player only when it arrives in June.

By Tor Thorsen (http://www.gamespot.com/users/thorsen-ink/), GameSpot (http://www.gamespot.com/)
Posted Jan 23, 2007 2:51 pm PT

There's no question that BioShock is one of the most eagerly awaited titles of the year. Developed by Irrational Games and published by its seminew owner 2K Games, the title wowed critics at E3 2006 (http://www.gamespot.com/e3/index.html), earning Game of the Show (http://www.gamespot.com/features/6151435/p-28.html) and Best Xbox 360 Game (http://www.gamespot.com/features/6151435/p-26.html) honors from GameSpot. (The submerged-world action game is also coming to PC when it washes up on US shores this June.)

However, now it appears the moody first-person shooter may lose some potential players. According to a Q&A on The Cult of Rapture (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/cultofrapture.html), the recently launched BioShock community site, the game will not have any multiplayer modes, either offline or online.

"There will be no multiplayer...but for a very specific reason," read a post from site manager Elizabeth Tobey. "BioShock features a compelling storyline that revolves around the experiences of one man as he enters the decaying world of Rapture. Having a multiplayer component would have compromised the story we were trying to tell so we made the decision to keep this game as a single-player experience."

While disappointing on the multiplayer front, the Q&A did offer some new hope to BioShock fans. Both the 360 and PC versions of the game will "be exactly the same" and be updated by downloadable content a la The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Unfortunately, though, no demo for the game is currently planned.

[Dark Marmosett]

Awwwwwwww. Same as half life. :'( Oh well. Still gonna get it as well as the two half life games.

[Kaffee]

that doesn't bother me at all, I don't play online.

[Dark Marmosett]

It could also mean on game system as well with split screen versus. :P

[Kaffee]

that'd be cool, me and Lekky could play it together.

[Cherubim1324]

It could also mean on game system as well with split screen versus. :P

that'd be cool, me and Lekky could play it together.

According to the article, this game will not have any multiplayer modes.

However, now it appears the moody first-person shooter may lose some potential players. According to a Q&A on The Cult of Rapture (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/cultofrapture.html), the recently launched BioShock community site, the game will not have any multiplayer modes, either offline or online.

"There will be no multiplayer...but for a very specific reason," read a post from site manager Elizabeth Tobey. "BioShock features a compelling storyline that revolves around the experiences of one man as he enters the decaying world of Rapture. Having a multiplayer component would have compromised the story we were trying to tell so we made the decision to keep this game as a single-player experience."

[Kaffee]

yeah, I know that, it was just wishful thinking on my part, Jeez.

[Dark Marmosett]

I told you kaffee. :P

[Night]

I told you kaffee. :PYou did?
I thought you meant the opposite... you should use better punctuation.

The 360 really needs an FPS or two, but a single player FPS isn't doing anything for that system, since Live is so damn good.

[Kaffee]

this whole things confusing my fragile old mind.

[Cherubim1324]

this whole things confusing my fragile old mind.

Bioshock will be a single player game. No splitscreen, no multiplayer, no online play...just you and all the pretty things trying to kill you. For some examples of those pretty things, check out the screenshots and trailers below...

Screenshots (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screen.htm)

http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_01_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_01_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_06_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_06_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_03_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_03_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_04_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_04_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_07_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_07_xl.jpg)
http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_29_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_29_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_30_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_30_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_08_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_08_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_09_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_09_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_10_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_10_xl.jpg)
http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_11_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_11_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_12_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_12_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_13_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_13_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_14_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_14_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_15_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_15_xl.jpg)

Downloads
Movies (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/download.htm)

X06 Trailer (http://downloads.2kgames.com/bioshock/Bioshock_X06_Trailer.zip) E3 Trailer (http://downloads.2kgames.com/bioshock/BSE3DEMO_360P_FINAL.zip) Spike VGA Trailer (http://www.gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?fs=1&id=2610)

[Dark Marmosett]

Wow...those screenshots a pretty impressive. I especially like the top one on the far right...that looks cool.

[Cherubim1324]

Wow...those screenshots a pretty impressive.

Screenshots (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screen2.htm)

http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_16_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_16_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_17_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_17_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_18_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_18_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_19_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_19_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_20_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_20_xl.jpg)
http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_21_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_21_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_22_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_22_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_23_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_23_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_24_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_24_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_25_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_25_xl.jpg)
http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_26_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_26_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_27_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_27_xl.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_28_t.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/html/screenshots/screenshot_28_xl.jpg)

[Dark Marmosett]

But only question..what does the main playable character look like though?

[Kaffee]

yeah, I know all of this, I've been reading about this game for a while now. When I get a 360 its one of the first games that I'll get.

[Cherubim1324]

New screens of Bioshock's bloody gore (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=156525)

Wednesday 31-Jan-2007 11:04 AM Latest screens demonstrate horror FPS's fancy blood effects. Mmmmm, bloodshed

The latest screenshots of horror FPS Bioshock have arrived on our desktop, and they demonstrate how much effort the blokes at Irrational have put into making the blood really splatter.

It's still penned (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=153464) for a June release in Europe, and even with immense competition on 360 and PC is shaping up to be one of the biggest releases of the year.

You can read our latest hands-on report (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=155891) right here. Will it top the mighty System Shock 2? In the art department at least it already has.

Andy Robinson (andy.robinson@futurenet.co.uk )

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_173847_thumb142.jpg (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_173847.jpg) http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_173848_thumb142.jpg (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_173848.jpg) http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_173849_thumb142.jpg (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_173849.jpg)
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_173850_thumb142.jpg (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_173850.jpg) http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_173851_thumb142.jpg (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_173851.jpg) http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_173852_thumb142.jpg (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_173852.jpg) http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_173853_thumb142.jpg (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_173853.jpg)

[Dark Marmosett]

It does look pretty explody bloodish...got to give them some credit on how hard they are working on it. I especially like the glove on the hand...looks like the suit you may wear will be awesome. EDIT: Never mind...I just realized thats his normal hand without a glove on....looks like red faction 2 with the nano enhanced people in the game with their blood veins showing up through their skin in color like that.

[Kaffee]

The thing that appeals to me about this game is the way its sounding like a RE game. I'm not a big fan of surreal games, but this one looks to change that. Its only recently that I come to like these type games. What with watching Lekky play Nocturne, the surreal dark stuff is making an impact on me.

[Altima]

I love blood and gore. I really like dark games. I saw what looked like a dark game at GS but didn't get it but now that I have job I will pick it up. I'll go on a spending spree for newer releases. I don't mind less bloody games of course but a scary game can be really great especially if its actually a bit scary and dark and nasty!

[Cherubim1324]

Bioshock looking as weird as ever (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=157462)

Friday 9-Feb-2007 4:35 PM Something wicked lurks beneath the waves - three new screenshots bubble to the surface

Anyone who sees anything more wonderfully weird than these new Bioshock screenshots over the weekend, let us know. A skateboarding blind gerbil with three legs doesn't count, by the way.

So far we've yet to be disappointed by anything we've seen from Bioshock, whether it be media or spying it in the flesh. We're crossing fingers that it delivers on its promise. The game drops players into a failed utopia on the seabed where mutated humans have had major disagreements.

Stuart Bishop (stuart.bishop@futurenet.co.uk )

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_174623_thumb142.jpg (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_174623.jpg) http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_174624_thumb142.jpg (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_174624.jpg) http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_174625_thumb142.jpg (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/medialib/screens/screenshot_174625.jpg)

[Dark Marmosett]

OOo....such good stuff to see on my b day..lovely. Made my day.

[Cherubim1324]

BioShock submerged 'til August (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6166593.html?q=Bioshock)

Official site confirms transatlantic street dates for Irrational Games' aquatic adventure shooter.

By Brendan Sinclair (http://www.gamespot.com/users/Polybren/), GameSpot (http://www.gamespot.com/)
Posted Mar 1, 2007 10:09 am PT

BioShock was named GameSpot's Game of the Show (http://www.gamespot.com/features/6151435/p-28.html) at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo, and it might get a chance to take home the same honor this July at that show's successor, the E3 Media Festival (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6154961.html). The Cult of Rapture (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/cultofrapture.html), one of Take-Two Interactive's official Web sites for BioShock, has nailed down street dates for the game's release in North America and Europe, both of them coming the month after the newly formatted trade show.

Gamers on Take-Two's side of the pond will be able to pick up BioShock on Tuesday, August 21, according to the site. However, European gamers will have to wait until that Friday, August 24, to delve into the game's murky depths.

Set for release on the Xbox 360 and PC, BioShock is a first-person shooter devoted solely to the single-player experience (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6164592.html). In the game, players must investigate an undersea city called Rapture that was established by a collective of the best and the brightest, and get to the root of how it reached its current deserted and decaying state.

BioShock is being developed by Irrational Games (Freedom Force, System Shock 2) and has not yet been rated.

[Cherubim1324]

7 glorious minutes of Bioshock (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=159334)

Tuesday 6-Mar-2007 11:08 AM Trailer shows LOADS of gameplay. Check this out NOW!

We're sooooo looking forward to Irrational Games' Bioshock that our eyes have been ALL OVER a new trailer that's been released.

Viewable in our video player, the trailer - entitled 'Hunting the Big Daddy' - runs for just under seven minutes and features a ton of gameplay from the PC and Xbox 360 shooter. Do the sensible thing and check it out.

Stuart Bishop (stuart.bishop@futurenet.co.uk )

Bioshock 'Hunting the Big Daddy' Trailer (416 Sec / 54.05 Mb) (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/player.php?mode=article&id=686)

YouTube - Bioshock- Hunting the big daddy video. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OygxkgewEhU)
YouTube - Video results for 'Hunting The Big Daddy' (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Hunting+T he+Big+Daddy&search=Search)

GDC 2007: Score One for BioShock (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3157903)

How the experimental soundtrack came together.
By Todd Zuniga (http://www.1up.com/do/my1Up?publicUserId=5379953), 03/09/2007

The amount of detail, attention and care that's poured into game scores is stunning -- which is why it's such a shame some gamers tap the mute button. We scored an in-depth look-and listen-at how BioShock (http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3150047)'s music was put together at GDC (http://gdc2007.1up.com/)'s "Anatomy of an Experimental Game Score."

The game's composer, Garry Schyman, talked about the different types of music used in the game-and there are many. We heard clips of early 20th century, aleatoric, musique concrete, traditional tonal, late romantic, and many more. "If there's anything unique about the score, it's not any one of these styles of music, but all these types combined," said Schyman. He talked about the important role that the solo cello and solo violin played, as well.

Most fascinating was the use of musique concrete, which is basically real world sounds stitched into the music. That could mean car horns or footsteps, but Schyman took things a step further to illicit the creepy feel for a game that aims to illicit plenty of creepy feelings. "I found the breathing of sick people that a doctor had put on the internet," said Schyman. He then joked, "I don't know if that's copyright infringement, but I used it."

In BioShock, the score folds into one of three game events: scripted events, reveals and ambiance. For the first two, the music he put together only plays once-you never hear the same thing throughout the rest of the game. Impressively, there is no looping action music in the game. Too, Schyman discussed what he thought made a unique gamescore, and it started with a unique game-with BioShock most definitely is. Other than that, it comes down to creative partners-many who say they want something unique, but don't really mean it. With BioShock he wasn't stalled by boundaries. He went far, he said, and "they pushed me to go farther out."

[Dark Marmosett]

Aww...august...that sucks brawls. And in game play video...gonna have to check that out later.

[Cherubim1324]

Exclusive: Bioshock - Teaser - TV /// Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/tv_video.php?playlist_id=2471&s=l)
Nothing special, but I thought I would post it anyway.

Bioshock gets even creepier in new trailer (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=160695)

Tuesday 27-Mar-2007 9:55 AM Kick off your Tuesday morning with something disturbing. Updated with 2nd trailer

Just when we thought Irrational Games' FPS Bioshock couldn't get any creepier, along comes a new trailer so creepy we're feeling like we're covered in creepiness. We won't spoil anything - just watch it for yourself... UPDATE: We've added a second new Bioshock trailer for your viewing pleasure.

Bioshock continues to look like one of 2007's hottest games and we're going to eat our own toenail clippings if it disappoints. It's due out on PC and Xbox 360 on August 24 here in the UK.

Stuart Bishop (stuart.bishop@futurenet.co.uk )

Video - ComputerAndVideoGames.com - Bioshock Trailer (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/player.php?mode=article&id=717)
Video - ComputerAndVideoGames.com - Bioshock Trailer #2 (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/player.php?mode=article&id=718) (this is the one from Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/tv_video.php?playlist_id=2471&s=l) but of a higher quality)

[Cherubim1324]

THERE WILL BE A BIOSHOCK LIMITED EDITION! (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/updatestext.htm)

March 29, 2007

Yesterday around 6 PM, EST, I announced that if we collected 5000 signatures on a petition, I could convince 2K to give us a BioShock Limited Edition.

By 11.15 PM, EST, we had met that number. We're still climbing at 14,000, blowing out all my expectations, and then some.

I think I danced into the office today. And now I'm proud to announce to you that 2K will be making a BioShock Limited Edition for both Xbox 360™ and PC.

Now, to the nitty gritty. There are a bunch of polls and threads popping up asking what should go in the box. We've come this far, why not let you, the fans, make the official choice? So now I ask: What would you like in your BioShock Limited Edition?

Vote for your top pick here, and we'll use the winning choices to help us decide what to include.


View Results (http://www.websitetoolbox.com/cgi/view/results.cgi?username=profmille n&id=10443)


Please note, retailer availability will follow soon as well as information about upgrading your preorders.

- Elizabeth (elizabeth.tobey@2kgames.com&subject=Cult of Rapture Member Email)

[Dark Marmosett]

OH joy. Limited edtion. *rolls eyes* Lets see what these choices are.

[Cherubim1324]

THE LATEST NEWS ON THE BIOSHOCK LE (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/home.html)

April 23, 2007

We have tallied up the votes, read your comments, and are happy to announce the details of the BioShock Limited Edition. Available on August 21st (the same day as the regular BioShock edition), the LE will include a Big Daddy figurine, a “Making Of” DVD, and a soundtrack CD. The LE packaging will also be an embossed graphic designed by the winner of the Cover Art Contest going on now at www.cultofrapture.com.

The BioShock Limited Edition will be available to US and Canada exclusively at GameStop and EB for US$59.99 (PC LE) and US$69.99 (Xbox 360™ LE). The Limited Edition will also be available in other territories and details about ordering a copy will be coming soon.

I’d like to personally thank everyone who participated in signing the petition for the BioShock Limited Edition and those who voted about what should go inside the box. We had over 26,000 responses to our poll, and those votes were the deciding factor in what we choose to put in the Limited Edition. We wanted to make the package affordable, but valuable and special for everyone purchasing it, and I think we did just that.

I’ll be sure to post pictures of the packaging and goodies inside as they become available!

Note: I changed the sentence “The Limited Edition will also be available in Europe and details about ordering a copy will be coming soon” to say “other territories” instead of “Europe” as we have not yet ruled out any regions for the Limited Edition.

- Elizabeth (elizabeth.tobey@2kgames.com&subject=Cult of Rapture Member Email)

[Cherubim1324]

WHAT'S IN THE WATER? (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/waterfeature.html)

April 30, 2007

The water in BioShock is one of the most fascinating aspects, technically and visually, of the game. I would argue it's the most realistic water I've ever seen in game. And, as Rapture is an underwater city, and is drowning as your character enters it, water is, of course, an integral part of the story.

Today we're going to focus on water, first with a video that highlights some water in Rapture, and then with a Q&A I had two water gurus at Irrational: Stephan Alexander, FX Artist, and Jesse Johnson, Graphics Programmer. They were very excited to talk about all aspects of building the water in BioShock, so I hope you enjoy.

View the water video now. (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/waterfeature/BioShock_WaterVid_640x16.wmv)

Download a HD .zip of the movie. (http://downloads.2kgames.com/bioshock/BioShock_WaterVid_1280.zip)

[Dark Marmosett]

Yeah...I won't be able to download that or completely watch that video. But I believe you on it being realistic.

[Cherubim1324]

THE BIOSHOCK COVER ART CONTEST WINNERS (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/coverartcontestwinners.html)

May 18, 2007

We had over 150 awesome submissions to our BioShock Limited Edition Cover Art Contest, and they were all stellar. But, after much ado, we narrowed down the entries to twelve finalists, of which five were put to the test in front of a panel of 2K and Irrational judges. We are now proud to announce our winners, and showcase the remaining 9, which I am deeming honorable mentions, and will receive exclusive Cult of Rapture tees for their hard work and awesome art.

Thanks, guys, for again making this an amazing experience.

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FIRST PLACE


Congratulations to Adam Meyer with his winning design. His artwork will be the cover of the BioShock Limited Edition, and he will be getting a copy of the BioShock Limited Edition for both Xbox 360™ and PC, and an all-expense paid trip to the BioShock Launch Party in August.

http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/t1.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/1.jpg)

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SECOND PLACE


Jason Montgomery won second place in this competition with his art deco design. He will be getting an official Xbox 360™ faceplate, a Cult of Rapture tee, an exclusive Cult of Rapture download on Xbox Live, and a copy of the BioShock Limited Edition for both Xbox 360™ and PC.

http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/t7.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/7.jpg)

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THIRD PLACE


Alun Bestor comes in third with his gritty artwork. He will receive an exclusive Cult of Rapture tee shirt and a copy of the BioShock Limited Edition for both Xbox 360™ and PC.

http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/t10.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/10.jpg)

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HONORABLE MENTIONS


If I could have my druthers, there would have been loads of honorable mentions, but these nine finalists definitely deserve it. They will be getting Cult of Rapture tee shirts for their work.

http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/t2.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/2.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/t3.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/3.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/t4.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/4.jpg)
http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/t9.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/9.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/t5.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/5.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/t8.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/8.jpg)
http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/t6.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/6.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/t11.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/11.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/t12.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/coverfinalists/12.jpg)

[Dark Marmosett]

Wow..the cover looks pretty awesome. But they all look pretty good.

[Cherubim1324]

FIRST LOOK AT THE LIMITED EDITION BIG DADDY FIGURINE (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/bdfigure.html)

May 21, 2007

We've already announced that there will be a soundtrack CD, a Making of DVD, and a Big Daddy figurine in the Limited Edition box. But until Friday, I had not seen anything about the Big Daddy prototype.

You all told me to make it good, and I assure you, this delivers. Even for those of you out there that said that figurines are for kids, I think this one will blow you away.

I was literally speechless when I saw it, and when I got my hands on it, I made a mad dash for the exit of the office. My art director now has it under lock and key so I cannot attempt to steal it again.

I am proud to announce the first images of the Big Daddy prototype. Standing approximately 6 inches tall, this bad boy will be as gorgeous in the LE box as you see him here. I don't even think the pictures do him justice.

I'm in love.

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NOTE: THIS IS A PROTOTYPE. THE COLORING IS NOT FINALIZED IN THESE MODELS. I will be updating as soon as I get photos with the finalized coloring, complete with all the finishing details.

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PROGRESSION SHOTS OF THE BIG DADDY FIGURINE

Sculpting the figurine...

http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/tbdpieces.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/bdpieces.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/tbdhead.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/bdhead.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/tclayside.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/clayside.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/tclaytop.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/claytop.jpg)
http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/tclayfront.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/clayfront.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/tbdback.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/bdback.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/tbdpieces2.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/bdpieces2.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/tbdheadside.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/bdheadside.jpg)

The first images we received from the sculptor...

http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/tpaintedfront.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/paintedfront.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/tpaintedside2.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/paintedside2.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/tpaintedfront2.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/paintedfront2.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/tpaintedside.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/paintedside.jpg)

My impromptu shots of the first prototype... (My little digital point-and-shoot's flash makes it much shinier than it should be. AGAIN, PLEASE NOTE, as with all prototypes, these colors are not representative of the final figurine's kickass paint job)

http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/tbdfinalside.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/bdfinalside.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/tbdfinalfront.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/bdfinalfront.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/tbdfinalside2.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/bdfinalside2.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/tbdfinalback.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/bdfigure/bdfinalback.jpg)

I hope to have pictures of the finalized piece in a couple days time -- stay tuned!

[Dark Marmosett]

Haha. Thats awesome. I love how it came out.

[Cherubim1324]

AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK AT THE LITTLE SISTERS OF RAPTURE (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/littlesister.html)

May 23, 2007

Little Sisters are perhaps the most important citizens of Rapture, but little is known about them. Who are they? Where did they come from? And most importantly, how can the player interact with the Little Sister during his time in this underwater city?

I sat down with Ken Levine, Creative Director at Irrational Games, and asked him the tough questions many in the media, and on the forums, have been posing about the Little Sisters in BioShock. In this exclusive podcast, Ken and I talk about what the Little Sister is, and why Irrational chose to use the form of a child in this upcoming shooter. We also discuss what Harvesting and Rescuing really means, the moral ramifications of having the Little Sister in the game, and even if Irrational changed the Little Sister, and your interactions with her, due to public (or publisher) pressure.

Anyone interested in BioShock, or who has heard about these iconic Little Sisters of Rapture, will find this podcast a worthwhile listen. It answers some of the most crucial questions about the Little Sisters, and will serve for a great jumping off point to fuel more discussions about the game in the months leading up to its release.

Enjoy.

Play in popup (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/podcasts/podcast_6.html) (19:37)

Download the podcast (http://downloads.2kgames.com/bioshock/Little_Sister_Ep_6.zip)

----------

NOTE: I have included a written synopsis at the bottom of my conversation with Ken, taking out mentions of specific characters and their roles with the Little Sisters that could be considered spoilers. If you want to keep all of the origins of the Little Sisters a secret, or don't feel like listening to a podcast, you can find the heart of the interview written below.

----------

THE EVOLUTION OF THE LITTLE SISTER

The Little Sister of Rapture actually started out as a kind of sea slug, and over the months, morphed from a slimy creature to the small child that is such an iconic figure of BioShock. Here, we show you just a handful of the many sketches that molded the Little Sister, from her bug-like roots to her smiling, round face that you see today.

http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/littlesister/tgatherer1.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/littlesister/gatherer1.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/littlesister/tgatherer2.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/littlesister/gatherer2.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/littlesister/tgatherer3.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/littlesister/gatherer3.jpg)

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LITTLE SISTER PODCAST SYNOPSIS

Tell me more about the Little Sisters. What was their original concept and how did they change into being what they are today?

What’s interesting is that they were always there conceptually as a design but not story standpoint. First notion we had in creating BioShock was to have a different AI. We had just done cool AI in SWAT 4 and we didn’t want to do it again the same way, so we thought about what was new in AI and non-standard in shooters. One thing that struck me watching a nature show one night was the relationship between the hunter and the hunted, and I started thinking about AIs that had this kind of relationship in the game. And then we took it one step further and thought about the soldier ant that protected the defenseless resource gatherer. And it went from there. Then, we wanted to have more than a utilitarian relationship, but also have an emotional relationship, which had never been done in a shooter. And the most visual and understandable relationship was a twisted father-daughter, parent-child relationship. So we needed something that appeared to be childlike and then the hyper-realized father figure, that was the Big Daddy.


What exactly are the Little Sisters? Are they human?

That’s a question the game is going to answer, and I’m not going to answer.


Children in danger is a subject that brings up a very emotional response from people, and having only Little Sisters in the forefront of danger in the game, are you trying to push people’s buttons and make a controversy? What’s your reasoning behind using Little Sisters as opposed to boys or something else?

It’s not more controversial to have someone who may or may not be a Little Sister rather than a Little Brother in the environment. The real question is: were we seeking controversy by creating a world where you have very mixed feelings about what is going on in this world rather than a world where there is the terrorist and the soldier or the empire and the rebellion… a world where the rights and wrongs are not so clear… Where your guides are telling you different things, and you have to decide who to trust and who to listen to. But you need the ADAM from these Little Sisters to survive, and you have to decide what to do in that situation. And any time you have a game of this moral complexity it’s going to push people’s buttons because that’s what drives controversial decisions, is morality. In order for games to make people think and not be certain about what they are doing, you have to ask people to make moral judgments.


You’ve been using the word morality a lot, and you also mentioned that the Little Sister didn’t originate as a Little Sister, are you trying to make a connection between the player and Little Sister in her form?

Well, yeah, the relationship between the Big Daddy and the Little Sister is immediately clear to the player, that he protects her, and in the testing we’ve done no one had any problems see that, even though he doesn’t speak, everyone understands this relationship. You see her get tired and he sort of goes “RRR!” and tells her comes along. They have a relationship. When he dies, she mourns, or appears to mourn, his death. I would say this is maybe the only believable emotional relationship ever made in a first person shooter. And once we had that gameplay element I said, we can’t stop there, we have to ask the next question: what does it mean to harm this Little Sister? If she were an insect, there would be no question, “is she human, does she have a right not to be harmed?” What usually causes people to do things that are morally questionable is need, or perceived need, and what we are saying to the player is that you come to this dark, horrible world, and what are you going to do when you are backed against the wall, when your life is on the line? What moral choices will you make? Games, like any artistic medium, need to ask these questions, I think, and have more than just the white hats and the black hats, the terrorists and the marines, to challenge people to ask questions.


You have talked a lot about the choice to either Harvest or Rescue the Little Sisters, but from your description are you concerned about allowing a player to Harvest, and thusly harm, a Little Sister? Do you think that’s appropriate for a video game?

I think it’s like asking someone, “you have this character in this movie that does this horrible thing.” I believe that movies are vicarious experiences. If you never have ever been excited by an action film or brought to tears by a drama or had your heart beat because of a romance, you know there is a certain amount of projection that happens in movies. And if you asked a filmmaker, why do you have characters doing terrible things in your movies? Any time that a person does a morally unsavory act in a movie, you understand it’s part of the story and you have a vicarious relationship with it. Games just take that vicarious relationship and take it a little more literally with the player actually making those choices rather than experiencing the emotion of those choices. I think what will be striking to the player is that they have to live with those choices. They are not predetermined like they are in a movie. Now, I think we have a responsibility to do it tastefully, to not exploit the elements of the moral choice that don’t matter. For example, in BioShock, you cannot harm the little Sister in any way… you cannot use your weapons against a Little sister, or set her on fire, or send your swarm of insects after her like you can the other AIs in the world. All we allow the players to do is to make the moral choice of harvesting the Adam from them, a process they will not survive, that’s true, or to save them, to turn them back into what appears to be normal little children. And that choice is not graphically shown in any way. It is really sort of suggested. It just shows the player enough so they know the consequences on his choice. We went back and forth a lot on this choice to make sure we were handling it with the respect and seriousness necessary for a game that takes on these issues.


This is the first time you have really talked in-depth about the choice the player has with the Little Sisters. There has been some speculation among media and on forums that you can just go around shooting Little Sisters indiscriminately. Are you worried that people will dismiss this game as “that FPS where you can kill Little Sisters” or on the flip side, that people will be disappointed in how you actually interact with Little Sisters in the game?

Well, you can only negatively impact the Little Sister with the Harvest choice. You can’t shoot them, you cannot harm them in any way outside of the Harvest choice. To us, we weren’t interested in exploring those other elements because it wouldn't further the moral choice we wanted the player to have to make. And anything that would provide a prurient experience to the Little Sisters we thought was inappropriate and not what we were interested in doing, because that’s not what this game is about. We spent a lot of time soul searching on this to make sure we were presenting things responsibly. That’s the key to me. Not that a game maker should not present these choices, but that they should present it in an informed and sensitive manner and mostly important, that enough of the challenging material should be told in a way that supports the story and the moral choices we are talking about and nothing beyond that. In terms of people being disappointed, I don’t think it’s disappointed not to have those things. I'm interested in shooting monsters, and I'm not sure why someone would be interested in [shooting Little Sisters]. . It’s not about pointing a gun at something that appears to be a child, it’s about a larger moral choice, and asking that question. All that other stuff had no part in that question.


In the X06 Trailer, you see a player approach a Little Sister with a wrench, which gave a lot of people the impression you could harm the Little Sister with that wrench. Did something change in the production of this game, either with the publisher or because of public pressure, that made you tone down how you interact with the Little Sister?

One thing that’s great about the relationship with the publisher is how supportive they’ve been of this. When we first came up with the concept of course it raised some eyebrows, naturally it would. But when we talked about what we were trying to do. When I talked to Greg Gobbi, the executive there, he immediately understood how important this was to telling this moral story and the world of Rapture. You are talking about a world where the economic reigns are off. And the questions you want to ask is when you remove the economic constraints on a society, how does that impact the moral constraints? And this is not a polemic. We don’t come down on one side of the issue. We put the player in the shoes of the actors in the world and ask “what would you do?” And what’s interesting in the X06 trailer, and you look at that character, and the clothes he is wearing, that is not necessarily the player, and never was. That’s potentially one of the Splicers, because he has these 1940s clothes, and the game takes place in the 1960s. Again, I’m not saying “oh, that’s not the player, don’t worry about it,” but I’m saying there’s not a clear interpretation of exactly who it is. And frankly, and as the writer of the thing, I’m not exactly sure who that is. Because all the people in Rapture have that choice to make, and when you come to Rapture, you inherit that very dark choice. There are obviously people who have made their choices regarding that decision, and the X06 trailer may be illustrating that.


So my final question will end on a bit of a lighter note. How about you tell us about the vents that the Little Sisters go in and out of? Why is this the Little Sister’s home?

Well, it’s not clear that it is their home. Maybe there’s a place that the Little Sisters go to from the vents. Maybe it’s a place that you encounter in the game. Maybe there are some mysteries that BioShock is keeping back from the PR coverage until people can actually play the game and experience these things for themselves.

GameTrailers.com - 7 Minute Gameplay Montage http://www.gametrailers.com/images/media_icon_mov.gif 58.5 MB (http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=20067&type=mov&pl=game)
GameTrailers.com - 7 Minute Gameplay Montage http://www.gametrailers.com/images/media_icon_wmv.gif 56.5 MB (http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=20067&type=wmv&pl=game)
GameTrailers.com - 7 Minute Gameplay Montage HD http://www.gametrailers.com/images/media_icon_mov.gif 180.7 MB (http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=20066&type=mov&pl=game)
GameTrailers.com - 7 Minute Gameplay Montage HD http://www.gametrailers.com/images/media_icon_wmv.gif 166.1 MB (http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php?id=20066&type=wmv&pl=game)

GameVideos.com - Bioshock 'Levels' gameplay HD (http://gamevideos.com/video/id/11918)

YouTube - Bioshock gameplay (new) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6umuIPTp78k)

[Cherubim1324]

BIOSHOCK BOX ART REVEALED (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/boxart.html)

June 6, 2007

The BioShock box art for Xbox 360™ and PC, regular edition, has been finalized. Below are the first images of the front of box, in all its glory.

Click to enlarge.

http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/boxart/t360fob.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/boxart/360fob.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/boxart/tGFWfob.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/boxart/GFWfob.jpg)

The 1UP Show Bioshock Special: Inside Irrational Games (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3160143)

Game footage, behind-the-scenes, interviews, the whole shebang.
By Kathleen Sanders (http://www.1up.com/do/my1Up?publicUserId=5435044), 06/07/2007

This week we don't have a standard 1UP Show (http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3145462) to bring you. Instead, Friday starts Thursday with The Bioshock Special: Inside Irrational Games (http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/12134).

We visited CEO and Creative Director Ken Levine and his crack team of space geniuses at Irrational Games in Boston to get some quality time with their first-person action-horror game, Bioshock (http://www.1up.com/do/gameOverview?cId=3150047).

We talked with the Irrational team and got an inside look at exactly how elaborate 3D lines and squiggles become the games you play at home, and Levine told us about his own unique story-creation process (the A-Team's Hannibal "I love it when a plan comes together" Smith would be proud).

All-new exclusive footage from within the world of Rapture awaits; download it now (http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/12134)!

The 1UP Show: Episode 80
A BioShock Special
Download: WMV 640x480 (http://zdmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o1/1UP/1upshow_bioshockspecial_640x36 0.zip) | QT 640x480 (http://zdmedia.vo.llnwd.net/o1/1UP/1upshow_bioshockspecial_quick. zip)

TONS OF NEW BIOSHOCK VIDEOS (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/articles.html)

June 7, 2007

1Up has a treasure trove of new BioShock footage for you, including an exclusive interview with Ken, and a look at some new Plasmids.

BioShock Special Interview (http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/12134)
Security Bullseye (http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/12123)
Cyclone Trap (http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/12124)
Winter Blast (http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/12125)
Telekinesis (http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/12126)
Insect Swarm (http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/12127)

[Cherubim1324]

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE LIMITED EDITION FINALIZED BIG DADDY FIGURINE (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/finalbdfigure.html)

June 13, 2007

The Big Daddy figurine has been finalized! Standing 6 inches tall, he looms at my desk, guarding my drill against the plastic World of Warcraft orc that is trying to claim territory. Made of resin and hand painted, he is a work of art.

I still want an army of them, and since they are limited, I'll be accepting donations.

Take a look.

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http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/finalbdfigure/tfront.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/finalbdfigure/front.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/finalbdfigure/tfeet.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/finalbdfigure/feet.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/finalbdfigure/tside.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/finalbdfigure/side.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/finalbdfigure/tback2.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/finalbdfigure/back2.jpg)
http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/finalbdfigure/tside1.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/finalbdfigure/side1.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/finalbdfigure/tclose.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/finalbdfigure/close.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/finalbdfigure/tback1.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/finalbdfigure/back1.jpg) http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/finalbdfigure/tdrill.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/features/finalbdfigure/drill.jpg)

[Dark Marmosett]

Damn that looks awesome. They did a fucking spectacular job on it. I want this game so badly

[Kaffee]

WOW! I want it.

[Cherubim1324]

Confirmed: BioShock is dope (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/22/confirmed-bioshock-is-dope/)

Posted Jun 22nd 2007 2:58PM by James Ransom-Wiley
Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, First Person Shooters, RPGs, Galleries
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2007/06/bioshock-lil-sister.jpg (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/22/confirmed-bioshock-is-dope/)
This is confirmation that BioShock does, indeed, not suck. (Okay, we admit, we failed to glean new megatons from tight-lipped creative director Ken Levine who oversaw our hands-on, so we're just gonna wax poetic.) If there is one nagging concern, we suppose it would be that BioShock seems derivative of Half-Life 2. One man against a dystopia. But to suggest that BioShock is just Half-Life 2, the pinnacle of "narrative" shooters, draped in Fritz Lang's Metropolis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_%281927_film%29#Plo t), pulled tight, and dunked into the depths of the ocean is a gross misrepresentation. This game is not simply an imitator (though developer Irrational Games admits to borrowing from the best of sources, including Pokémon Snap, and puts to use the forgotten skill many of us acquired through wasted hours of Pipe Dream (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipe_Mania)). It's no errant medley of game genres either. BioShock is still a first-person shooter and at its very base presents a well-laid "meathead-safe" romp.

Some will inevitably pick up BioShock and quickly run n' gun (and pummel and zap and ignite and freeze and distract and clothesline and ... ) past the decaying set pieces and gently placed story devices. Meh, it was a'ight, they'll say, and then set their sights on the next shooter to devour. But for the devoted player, there is an onion to peel back. Seeing first a later stage in the game, where an almost unending stream of engineered freaks must be slaughtered (on-the-fly) by using booby traps, mind tricks, IEDs, telekinesis, and even mini cyclones is overwhelming. But, starting from the beginning, coaxed by a dynamic hint system, you'll slowly tiptoe through darkness until you're forced into the vivid brutality of this perverse underworld. You'll adapt and modify, hack and tinker, and free demonic little girls -- or not. To reveal too much about BioShock would be to spoil an intimate adventure that you should not pass up.

With only and hour and change spent with the game (a work-in-progress build) it's still an easy call: BioShock will be hailed by critics. But even with an early lead (release date: August 21 (http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/01/bioshock-slips-past-june-dated-august-21/)), 2K Games is gonna have a helluva time promoting its game over Halo (http://joystiq.com/tag/halo3), GTA (http://www.joystiq.com/tag/gtaiv), and the general noise Sony and Nintendo will be making about their year-end lineups (commencing next month at min-E3 (http://www.joystiq.com/tag/min-e3)). So do your part, save BioShock from drowning.

Gallery: BioShock (http://www.joystiq.com/photos/bioshock/)

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2007/06/bioshock_toast_rose_thumbnail. jpg http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2007/06/bioshock_fire_room2_thumbnail. jpg (http://www.joystiq.com/photos/bioshock/266217/) http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2007/06/bioshock_grenade_scibounce2_th umbnail.jpg (http://www.joystiq.com/photos/bioshock/266219/) http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2007/06/bioshock_spf1_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.joystiq.com/photos/bioshock/266220/) http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2007/06/bioshock_hydro_forest_screen_f inished_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.joystiq.com/photos/bioshock/266221/)

Gametrailers.com - BioShock - Developer Diary (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/20691.html)

BioShock Interview (http://www.firingsquad.com/news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=16056 )

Last April FiringSquad got to play the first two levels of BioShock at a 2K Games press event. After we finished playing the levels we were allowed to play we knew we had to chat with the man in charge of bringing this upcoming and unusual first person action-RPG to life. Fortunately Ken Levine, the founder and head man behind BioShock developer Irrational Games was only too happy to take a few minutes to chat with us.

We first asked Levine about the massive amount of content that we encountered in just the first two levels. The amount of weapons, the special powers (called plasmids in the game) and other factors made BioShock feel like a full game. Levine assured us that we haven't seen anything yet. "There's like 12 or 14 active plasmids in the game," he told us, "There are eight weapons. You haven't even seen the weapon mods or the crafting and invention system. You haven't touched the storyline. You are just getting started, man".

The world of Rapture in BioShock is certainly an very strange location for a game; an underwater world with art deco designs that was created as a utopia that went horribly wrong. Levine revealed to us that the development team did a lot of focus testing to make sure that players got used to the world they were going to explore. "We didn't have the plane crash; you were never on the plane in the first focus test. People didn't see the diving sequence from the lighthouse. They were like 'Where am I? What is this stupid place?' We realized how important it was to bring people to this strange world." Levine also revealed that more focus testing got the developers to put in more action in the first couple of levels and give them access to more plasmid powers than they originally had planned to do.

BioShock has a ton of content in terms of searching for items in the environment. Dead bodies can yield money, weapons, ammo and more. You can read all sorts of diary entries written by characters in the game. Levine told us, "We have very little hunting for things you absolutely need to have in the game." At the same time he also admitted that there will be players who will want to hunt and find every single item, weapon and plasmid in the game. "We support that".

In addition to exploring Rapture, finding items and fighting off mutated humans, BioShock also puts you in the middle of a power struggle between the founder of Rapture Andrew Ryan and other members of the community. While Ryan is merely a voice on Rapture's radio, Levine hinted we might get to meed him eventually in the final game. "What kind of game developer would I be if if I didn't give you a chance to meet Ryan?," he told us. Levine said that not only do you learn more about Ryan in the game, he actually learns more about you. You also learn about the power struggle between Ryan and other characters like Atlas and Tenebaum. Levine told us that a sequence we played in the game where your character is forced into a moral debate between Atlas and Tenebaum is one of his favorite sequences in the game. "They are all opposed to each other. That's life to me. That's how the real world is."

One thing we encountered while playing the press demo is seeing some kind of ghostly apparition at times that switches your viewpoint for a few seconds. Levine told us, "As you modify yourself genetically you are getting other people's genetic codes, and sometimes memories are genetic codes. Memories exist somewhere and they can identity the chemical components of various memories. That's what's happening." Levine said that it was a way to give the player more information on what happened to Rapture that's a bit more immediate than reading diary entries.

Being set in an underwater city, having water is a massive artistic theme in BioShock with water flooding parts of the city. Levine told us that was a deliberate move. "They built this utopia but there are cracks in it and there is no better way to show it than the water coming in." Levine said they expanded their use of water after E3 in 2006 to become a gameplay element rather than just a visual element through the use of electricity as a weapon inside the water or seeing characters on fire try to extinguish themselves in the water.

Achieving utopia is obviously the main literary theme of BioShock. Levine told us that growing us he read novels like 1984 and saw movies like Logan's Run ("That was my favorite movie as a kid growing up") that talked about people trying to reach perfection but finding out there's always a catch. In BioShock human endeavor is the ideal for Rapture but Levine told us, "What happens when people get involved and mess up those ideals? BioShock is the study of that." Since we only played the first couple of hours of the game, it's clear that BioShock will give the player more than one choice (follow Atlas or follow Tenebaum) which will affect certain gameplay choices and events in the game.

There were some questions we asked that Levine declined to answer, such as "What caused the opening airplane crash?", and "Will we get out of Rapture?" and "Will there be additional downloadable content for the game after its release?". During our quick chat it was very clear that Levine is very proud of what he and his team at Irrational Games have created. Late August can't come soon enough.

GameVideos.com - Bioshock 'Origins' interview (http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/12430)

The Cult of Rapture: Podcasts (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/podcasts.html)

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http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/wallpapers/treach.jpg (http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/downloads.html)
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[Kaffee]

alright, wallpaper, awesome. I can't wait to play this game.

[Dark Marmosett]

Indeed kaffee. this just keeps getting better and better :3

[Cherubim1324]

Bioshock (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=166323)

23-Jun-2007 Interview: Irrational Games on its 360 and PC depth-charge

Bioshock; full of atmosphere, one of the biggest games of the year, and not quite what we expected...

Whether you're going in looking for a shooter or a full-on first-person adventure game, Irrational Game's gorgeous horror from the deep is bound to catch you from behind, and that's why we're convinced it's going to be making waves when it arrives later in the year.

Attempting to outline just some of what we should be expecting from the moody shooter senior designer Joe McDonagh sat down with CVG for a chat.

Going in expecting a "first-person adventure" we were caught by surprise. What kind of niche would you say it falls into?

McDonagh: There's this requirement in the industry to really pigeon hole games. We're very clear what this is; this is a shooter. At a certain stage of making this game we realised that if it didn't stand on its own merits as a shooter then it would fail, irrespective of anything else.

We also think that the shooter genre has gotten amazingly stale; we don't think it's fundamentally changed since Half-Life. We think that it's due for a makeover.

One of the analogies Ken [Levine] and I talk about is what happened to the racing genre when Gran Tursimo came out. Prior to that you just had tracks; a series of completely unconnected tracks and a car that you race around the track.

Then when Gran Turismo comes out you get context, you get character development, you get choice - you get all of these interesting things that aren't necessarily associated with the racing genre and now it's become a feature of the genre.

When we look at the shooter genre we think 'why am I always playing a straight line? Why are the only tools I have guns? And why do I have no choice over which guns I have and when I use them?' What we wanted to do was really take that choice and put it into the game in a way that was expressed in a physical and tangible way.

That's why we don't talk about RPGs, because for a lot of people RPGs are about numbers and nerdy stats. For us the best part of that is choice; how you grow, how you express yourself.

We don't want to express things in a numerical way. When you get Incinerate 2 in Bioshock, which is the upgrade from Incinerate, it's twice as big. You can see that it's better, it's manifestly, physically superior to the first one. That's how we really wanted to bring choice to the genre.

So you're going out of your way to avoid conventions?

McDonagh: We think everything should be expressed in the same way. A example is what we've done with the tutorial; in most first-person shooters it's like 'right marine! This is an assault cource! Now you're going to go over to that sandbag...'

We don't like that because we've done it millions of times and it's really artificial. So what we did was every time you get a new plasmid you're given an in-game tutorial. Like when you get the electric bolt there's enemies in the water, or when you get incinerate there's an oil slick.

Why should these parts of the gameplay be separate? Story, tutorial, action - why shouldn't it all be integrated into a seamless whole? Surely that's more effective and more immersive?

One of the most staggering elements of Bioshock is the city, Rapture itself...

McDonagh: Yeah. I remember one of the key moments for Ken and the creative team; the game went through lots of different stylistic iterations and started out very different from how it is now.

There was a key moment where we realised that when you put something in a dark, sinister environment, bizarrely and counter-intuitively it loses some of its power. Because if you're in a cellar, you're expecting it to be a little bit scary and immediately you've got your guard up.

What we found is, if you put something horrifying next to something beautiful, it's very powerful. There's something very unsettling about it. I remember one of the great inspirations was when one the creative team watched The Shining again, which I think is one of the scariest films I've ever seen.

There's the brilliant bit where Jack Nicholson goes down into the ballroom and he meets the ghost of this bartender, and there's all these ghost of people dancing. It's all art deco, this beautiful luminous green environment and it's absolutely terrifying, sinister and unsettling.

We thought wouldn't it be cool, rather than regurgitating yet another dark, gritty science fiction vision of the future, wouldn't it be cool if we did something that looked like this. That looked like New York, took all the best bits of art deco and made it very sinister. Did it work?

We think so.

McDonagh: The hardest thing to describe is the vibe, and that's what I think has really surprised people; that atmosphere of the game. I just don't think people expected it because it is incredibly tense and unsettling. I can sit and talk about it, but until you play it it doesn't mean anything.

We spotted a lot of light humour though as well...

McDonagh: Like the Plasmid movies, yeah. I also like the bit where (spoiler) the crazy women's standing over the pram and there's a gun in there! They've got a great sense of humour those guys.

There's been a lot of talk in the run-up to release about the Little Sisters and the emotional choices you make. Is there a lot of those 24-style decisions you'll have to make in the game?

McDonagh: This game is all about choice. That's the central and most important principle of this game. I think when dealing with narrative you always have to have gameplay ramifications. If the story has no relevance to gameplay people just don't care about out.

So what we've tried to do is make those choices profoundly powerful and moral. I think that it's easily been the most challenging part of this game; getting that right.

I'm really interested in mature entertainment; I like Taxi Driver, I like The Godfather, so I really want to play games that have really sophisticated moral themes and deal with them in a mature and adult fashion. I don't want to be patronised and deal with this Disney-style formality or what's right and what's wrong.

I think what we've done is to effectively ask players to make an unbelievably difficult decision, and express that in a very powerful way. I don't know if you noticed, but one of the things that's really amazing is when the Big Daddy dies the Little Sister morns him.

If you watch them walking around she sings to him, she skips along behind him and, you know, it's uncomfortable; we're really pressing buttons.

Game designers talk a lot about talking to gamers on an emotional level, and that's what I think we're trying to do; engage you in this world, engage you with the fate of people in it and ask you some difficult questions about how you're going to interact with these people. We'll have to wait and see if we've actually managed to pull that off.

In terms of story, the demo felt like an entire game to itself. What's left to come?

McDonagh: We've got loads of really cool characters. Obviously Ken used to be a scriptwriter for Paramount Pictures and a lot of his games have won story awards. It has a cast of wonderful characters. There are several characters who are... I can't really tell you.
It's so key to the game that Ken would chop my balls off if I revealed any spoilers! (laughs)

Do you think there's more interest in console-exclusive games as opposed to multiplatform titles?

McDonagh: No, not at all. I think people just want to play good games. I think people are actually platform agnostic generally. I think that as long as developers make absolutely sure that they've made the best game possible for that platform, I don't think it really matters.

With rising development costs, is it in developers' interests to make anything but multiplatform games anymore?

McDonagh: Games cost a lot of money to make and our priority is to sell as many copies as possible. The more copies our game sells, the more confidence our publisher has in us and the more interesting and risky games we can make in the future.

Obviously we need to give as many people as possible access to our game. However, this is an Xbox 360 exclusive and it's coming out on PC. That's the way it is on Bioshock.

Andy Robinson (andy.robinson@futurenet.co.uk )