BioShock designer Ken Levine is "not involved" in the development of BioShock 2, which is being developed by new studio 2K Marin, he's said.
"Right now I am focused on making our next big project at 2K Boston," Levine told US mag Game Informer, which revealed the first details on the sequel.
"While I'm not involved in BioShock 2, I'm really excited to see what the talented team at 2K Marin, some of whom worked on the original BioShock, comes up with. I can't wait to play it," he said.
In the game's announcement earnings call last year, Take-Two execs reassured those present that "a lot of the work will be done at 2K Marin, but that's not to say Ken is not involved. He's critical to BioShock."
It now appears that Levine, who's working on a new IP with original BioShock dev 2K Boston, will have far less formal input on the project that first thought - "voluntary", even.
"I've been speaking informally with Ken, the arrangement is very much voluntary," described the game's creative director, Jordan Thomas. "He's not substantially involved in BioShock 2, but we all have a ton of respect for him and learned a lot."
But with 2K Marin initially made up of core BioShock team members and other "enthusiastic" staff joining later, BioShock 2 appears to be in safe hands. Don't set off the alarm bells yet - it sounds great so far.
"We have the benefit of having everyone who has joined this team has come on because they're excited about BioShock" exec producer Alyssa Finley said.
Which version of the story did you read? Almost everyone who commented on the story reckons it sounds stupid and will kiss goodbye to the atmosphere of the original.
Obviously we can't really judge it until some more concrete stuff starts filtering through, but "sounds good" might be an overstatement.
Which version of the story did you read? Almost everyone who commented on the story reckons it sounds stupid and will kiss goodbye to the atmosphere of the original.
Obviously we can't really judge it until some more concrete stuff starts filtering through, but "sounds good" might be an overstatement.
But remember, he's more likely to have access to information far beyond the likes of the gaming press.
The first details sounded really, really bad. Why take the one part of the first game that was a bit poor and make a whole game out of it?
The thing that sounded rubbish about it to me is that it sounded like they were going for big battles and a big robotic Big Sister of a baddy. Thats not Bioshock.
The first Bioshock was so much more subtle than that. It should be about fleshing the story out and introducing new brilliant characters and learning more about the old ones. Not about one stupid fast moving robot.
But remember, he's more likely to have access to information far beyond the likes of the gaming press.
You have to hope so. I'm going with fishing-based similes here. It'd be a shame for the Bioshock franchise to go belly up so early in it's life. The original was a catch. The story, the setting, the characters - all netted a fine bounty (I'm running dry).
I just hope that they can avoid keel-hauling it and running aground before it's time.
I heard that Levine wanted to do Bioshock 2 once he was done with his current project, but Take 2 wanted a sequel sooner so they gave it to another team.
Wish they'd just waited instead of trying to cashin
it'll be fine. i have afeeling that we've been fed a lot of misinformation over the past few days about bioschock 2. Its clever because the first game gave nothing away about itself and now i think they're trying to throw people off the scent with the sequel. Consider the sources. One was made up (soviets and the like), The other is from an APRIL EDITION of a games mag. Now i know if i was the editor of one of them i would definately pull an april fools using one of the most antcipated games of the year.
The only concrete clues to the next game are on somethinginthesea.com and they are almost entirely up for interpretation. All we know id that there's a new kind of big daddie and that missing children are somehow involved.
maybe levine's new IP project will make up for the potenital disappointment of bioshock 2... since the details we've heard so far do indeed sound less than promising.
The apparrent real news about the sequel does sound like some sort of joke and I kinda hops so too. I would rather details about the game be cryptically teased to us through the somethinginthesea.com website like what we have been shown so far on there. It's great to speculate over some little snippets and screenshots as opposed to a proper announcement. That site really got me excited about the sequel. Sometimes a little flash of flesh is a lot more interesting in a full reveal... boobies and all... especially if they are fake boobies
Well, one thing's for sure and it's that Bioshock 2 is not going to be anywhere near as good as Bioshock, I just hope it doesn't go down Resident Evil 5's road. I hope it will be good enough to warrant a purchase. But I'm really happy that Ken has a new I.P. in development, that's good enough for me.
But remember, he's more likely to have access to information far beyond the likes of the gaming press.
You have to hope so. I'm going with fishing-based similes here. It'd be a shame for the Bioshock franchise to go belly up so early in it's life. The original was a catch. The story, the setting, the characters - all netted a fine bounty (I'm running dry).
I just hope that they can avoid keel-hauling it and running aground before it's time.
it'll be fine. i have afeeling that we've been fed a lot of misinformation over the past few days about bioschock 2. Its clever because the first game gave nothing away about itself and now i think they're trying to throw people off the scent with the sequel. Consider the sources. One was made up (soviets and the like), The other is from an APRIL EDITION of a games mag. Now i know if i was the editor of one of them i would definately pull an april fools using one of the most antcipated games of the year.
The only concrete clues to the next game are on somethinginthesea.com and they are almost entirely up for interpretation. All we know id that there's a new kind of big daddie and that missing children are somehow involved.
I think thats very much wishful thinking.
If you look on the Eurogamer website they say they've actually been to the studio and seen it working and everythings true. Apparently they cant say much but do say that using the Big Daddy drill is a 'riot'.
I've got to say it; I actually thought the Big Daddys and little Sisters were by far the worst characters in Bioshock.
I've got to say it; I actually thought the Big Daddys and little Sisters were by far the worst characters in Bioshock.
I liked them because it was creepy. Little girls so cheerful about killing stuff, complete with obscured protectors in body armour who look really pathetic when you either kill or rescue the Sisters. Then you start to sympathise with the Daddies towards the end. Clever.
But that doesn't mean I want to see it all from their side.
I don't necessarily see the Big Sister as a bad thing. The idea is cliched, true, but if they play it right it could work. I'm imagining something along the lines of SA-X (Metroid Fusion) or Nemesis (RE3).
The original was about creating tension and struggling to survive in rapture, the sequels going to lose all of that if you can just whip out your daddy drill and have a riot.
Please don't let it be true! Maybe they're trying to throw everyone off by showing just one section of the game, like Metal Gear Solid 2? Probably wishful thinking.
Though I'm disappointed Ken's not involved, let's not overlook the fact that Jordan Thomas is the creative director - the man who created Thief 3's Cradle level, and the world of Sander Cohen in the original. He's more than capable of pulling this off - give him a chance.
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