Irrational Games Explained

Irrational Games
Type:Subsidiary
Industry:Video games
Fate:Rebranded
Successor:Ghost Story Games
Hq Location City:Westwood, Massachusetts
Hq Location Country:US
Key People:Ken Levine (creative director)
Num Employees:15
Num Employees Year:2014
Parent:2K (2006–2017)

Irrational Games (known as 2K Boston between 2007 and 2009) was an American video game developer founded in 1997 by three former employees of Looking Glass Studios: Ken Levine, Jonathan Chey, and Robert Fermier. Take-Two Interactive acquired the studio in 2006. The studio was best known for two of the games in the BioShock series, as well as System Shock 2, Freedom Force, and SWAT 4. In 2014, following the release of BioShock Infinite, Levine opted to significantly restructure the studio from around 90 to 15 employees and focus more on narrative games. In February 2017, the studio announced that it had been rebranded as Ghost Story Games and considered a fresh start from the original Irrational name, though still operating at the same business subsidiary under Take-Two.

History

Shortly after BioShock was released, rumors arose that many of the staff who had worked on the game were leaving 2K Boston/Australia. In 2007, five members of the 2K Boston team moved to a new 2K studio in Novato, California.[6] Soon after, 2K announced the formation of 2K Marin in Novato.[7]

In late July 2010, several media outlets reported that a recently created website, whatisicarus.com, was a promotion relating to Irrational Games' unannounced project. The following week, information about the game was again teased, with the trailer confirmed for release on August 12, 2010.[8] This was eventually revealed to be BioShock Infinite.

Before Irrational started development on BioShock Infinite, the studio did preliminary work for the XCOM project that later became .[9]

Restructuring and rebranding

See main article: Ghost Story Games. Development on BioShock Infinite, what would be Irrational's last game, started in 2008, about half a year after completion of the original BioShock. Following the game's public announcement in 2010, the company was pressured by 2K Games and the gaming consumers to make sure the title lived up to the expectations that the promotional material had set for it. Irrational hired more staff and allocated work to additional studios to help with the game, but this only served to complicate matters; from post-mortem interviews with Irrational staff, Levine was continually changing some of the core story beats for the game, which would dramatically change game assets that had already developed. Levine also admitted to difficulties in managing the larger staff. Conflicts over development leadership led to the departure of some high-level individuals in 2012. To bring the game back onto schedule for release, 2K hired industry professionals to assist Levine in managing the large team and focusing the game's content including eliminating planned multiplayer modes. BioShock Infinite was released by March 2013.[10]

On February 18, 2014, Levine announced that the vast majority of the Irrational Games studio staff would be laid off, with all but fifteen members of the staff losing their positions. Levine said that he wanted to start "a smaller, more entrepreneurial endeavor at Take-Two," speaking to how much stress completing a large game like BioShock: Infinite had caused him. Levine said, "I need to refocus my energy on a smaller team with a flatter structure and a more direct relationship with gamers. In many ways, it will be a return to how we started: a small team making games for the core gaming audience." Levine had considered starting a new development studio for this, knowing that building the ideas would take several years before any game product would be made. Still, Take-Two offered to let him keep the division within Take-Two, with Levine saying that they told him, "there was no better place to pursue this new chapter than within their walls."[11] The studio helped to find positions for the displaced employees, and 2K hosted a career day for the remaining 75 employees to help seek employment at 57 other studios.[11] [12]

Levine and the 15 remaining members of the team began the process of creating new, smaller games focusing on a replayable narrative for the core gamers. It was said that Levine's studio would continue to keep the Irrational name, although Take-Two later stated that it was not true.[13] From 2014 to 2015, Irrational Games continued to post several openings for jobs at the studio.[14] [15] [16] In January 2015, Levine and the remaining staff are currently developing their first game, which will be a "first-person sci-fi" game.[17]

On February 22, 2017,[18] the studio announced it had rebranded itself as Ghost Story Games, founded by 12 of the former Irrational members with Levine continuing as president and creative director.[19] The studio's focus is "to create immersive, story-driven games for people who love games that ask something of them";[19] the name was chosen as ghost stories "are immersive, exciting, and steeped in community," similar to the studio's design philosophies.[20] As of this point, the studio had about 25 employees.[21]

Games developed

As Irrational Games

!Year!Title!Platform(s)!Publisher!Notes
1999System Shock 2Microsoft WindowsElectronic ArtsCo-developed with Looking Glass Studios
2002Freedom ForceMicrosoft WindowsCrave Entertainment
2004Microsoft WindowsSierra EntertainmentAssisted Irrational Games Canberra
2005Freedom Force vs the 3rd ReichMicrosoft WindowsVivendi Universal Games
SWAT 4Microsoft WindowsSierra Entertainment
2006Microsoft Windows
2013BioShock InfiniteMicrosoft Windows2K Games
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360
BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode OneMicrosoft Windows
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360
2014BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode TwoMicrosoft Windows
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360

As 2K Boston

YearTitlePlatform(s)Publisher
2007BioShockMicrosoft Windows2K Games
Xbox 360
2008PlayStation 3

Cancelled video games

Notes and References

  1. Web site: GameSpy Retro: Developer Origins, Page 5 of 19 . John . Keefer . March 31, 2006 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20070609133038/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/697/697083p5.html . June 9, 2007 . dead.
  2. Web site: The Australian Game Developers Conference. www.agdc.com.au. 2018-05-17. https://web.archive.org/web/20180309213427/http://agdc.com.au/about/arch04_awards.php. March 9, 2018. live. mdy-all.
  3. Web site: David. Jenkins. Take-Two Acquires Irrational Games. Gamasutra. January 9, 2006. May 20, 2019.
  4. Web site: Irrational Games Renamed 2K Boston and 2K Australia. https://web.archive.org/web/20070930035124/http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070810005400&newsLang=en. dead. September 30, 2007. Business Wire. August 10, 2007. September 16, 2010.
  5. The Return Of Irrational Games . . January 9, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100111215144/http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/01/08/the-return-of-irrational-games.aspx . January 11, 2010 . dead . mdy-all .
  6. Web site: Q&A: Ken Levine talks BioShock, reminisces about X-Com . April 9, 2009 . March 20, 2009 . GameSpot . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100628230158/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6206477.html . June 28, 2010 .
  7. Web site: Take-Two confirms 2K Marin. April 9, 2009. December 17, 2007. GameSpot. https://archive.today/20130102175650/http://www.gamespot.com/news/take-two-confirms-2k-marin-6184063. January 2, 2013. live. mdy-all.
  8. Web site: Totilo. Stephen. BioShock Creators' Next Game Debuts Next Week, Trailer On Aug. 12. Kotaku. August 3, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100805104722/http://kotaku.com/5602577/bioshock-creators-next-game-debuts-next-week-trailer-on-aug-12. August 5, 2010. dead. mdy-all.
  9. Web site: The final years of Irrational Games, according to those who were there. Plante. Chris. March 6, 2014. Polygon. Vox Media. March 6, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140306232303/http://www.polygon.com/2014/3/6/5474722/why-did-irrational-close-bioshock-infinite. March 6, 2014. live. mdy-all.
  10. Web site: A look inside BioShock Infinite's troubled development . Jason . Schreier . May 10, 2021 . May 10, 2021 . .
  11. Web site: BioShock creator Irrational Games is shutting down . Eddie . Makuch . February 18, 2014 . February 23, 2017 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20170627074318/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-creator-irrational-games-is-shutting-down/1100-6417821/ . June 27, 2017 . live . mdy-all .
  12. Web site: Irrational Games closure led to 75 layoffs, job fair hosted 57 studios . February 28, 2014 . April 15, 2014 . Polygon . https://web.archive.org/web/20140415081133/http://www.polygon.com/2014/2/28/5458470/irrational-games-closure-layoffs-75-job-fair-57-studios . April 15, 2014 . live . mdy-all .
  13. Web site: Take-Two CEO open to buying more studios . Chris . Morris . May 14, 2014 . May 14, 2014 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20140514220336/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-05-14-take-two-ceo-open-to-buying-more-studios . May 14, 2014 . live . mdy-all .
  14. News: Emily . Gera . BioShock developer Irrational Games is hiring again . . November 24, 2014 . April 20, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160424010137/http://www.polygon.com/2014/11/24/7274539/bioshock-developer-irrational-games-is-hiring-again . April 24, 2016 . live . mdy-all .
  15. News: Dave . Tach . BioShock creator Irrational Games continues to hire for its mystery project . . May 6, 2015 . April 20, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160424012627/http://www.polygon.com/2015/5/6/8558865/irrational-games-hiring-senior-programmer . April 24, 2016 . live . mdy-all .
  16. News: Allegra . Frank . Irrational Games hiring for 'narrative first-person shooter' project . . December 11, 2015 . April 20, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160419023950/http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/11/9891652/irrational-games-new-game-fps-steam-bioshock . April 19, 2016 . live . mdy-all .
  17. Web site: BioShock creator Ken Levine teases new first-person sci-fi project . Tom . Phillips . January 28, 2015 . May 28, 2015 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20150528074350/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-01-28-ken-levine-teases-new-first-person-sci-fi-project . May 28, 2015 . live . mdy-all .
  18. Web site: Welcome to Ghost Story . Jason . Shafiee . February 22, 2017 . Ghost Story Games.
  19. Web site: Former BioShock Studio Irrational Games Adopts A New Name . Chris . Pereira . February 23, 2017 . February 23, 2017 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20170224174800/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/former-bioshock-studio-irrational-games-adopts-a-n/1100-6448166/ . February 24, 2017 . live . mdy-all .
  20. Web site: Irrational is now called Ghost Story Games . Charlie . Hall . February 23, 2017 . February 23, 2017 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20170224104626/http://www.polygon.com/2017/2/23/14717902/irrational-games-changes-name-ghost-story-games . February 24, 2017 . live . mdy-all .
  21. Web site: Irrational Games is gone—say hello to Ghost Story . Andy . Chalk . February 23, 2017 . February 23, 2017 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20170224011723/http://www.pcgamer.com/irrational-games-is-gonesay-hello-to-ghost-story/ . February 24, 2017 . live . mdy-all .
  22. Web site: 15 cancelled Xbox 360 games that should have never been cancelled .

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