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Nirolak · Oct 15, 2012

You may remember that a month ago Irrational's Art Director, Design Manager, Senior System Designer, Director of Product Development, and a Writer left Irrational.

Well, it seems that now their Combat Design Director and A.I. Lead have left and went to Microsoft.

Their resumes imply that their new project is something secretive.

Update:

A level design and senior software engine have also left at about the same time.

Superannuation said:
Two more Irrational departures: http://j.mp/R8TW4M and http://j.mp/Rb9Zgf . (thanks Manuel)

Source: https://twitter.com/supererogatory/status/259416292161888256

One of them listed what they did more specifically:

Senior Software Engineer
Irrational Games
Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Computer Games industry
January 2010 – August 2012 (2 years 8 months) Quincy, MA

Bioshock Infinite (PS3, Xbox360, PC)

Spearheaded Floating World technology. Achieved city-in-the-sky design goal by updating engine to support dynamically moving city blocks. Areas affected include: collision, physics, culling, volume light maps, AI path finding, AI behaviors, player mechanics, weapons, effects, cameras, flexible bridges, audio, and sound propagation. The technology was further leveraged for flying vehicles and elevators.

PS Move controller integration and development of effective first person controls.

gravitybear · Oct 15, 2012

this does not bode well

still pumped though

Dennis · Oct 15, 2012

What the hell is going on at Irrational?

Hindle · Oct 15, 2012

Massive coup for MS.

Carl · Oct 15, 2012

Hm. Bit worrying

When was the last time we actually heard anything about Bioshock Infinite?

Hot Coldman · Oct 15, 2012

Dennis said:
What the hell is going on at Irrational?

I bet Ken leaves after it's out.

ScreenSplitter · Oct 15, 2012

An Infinite amount of time before this is released then...?

DaBuddaDa · Oct 15, 2012

Combat Design Director and A.I. Lead leaving indicates to me maybe they had trouble creating that kind of emergent combat seen in videos dealing with those rail things.

see5harp · Oct 15, 2012

Worried about Bioshock now. I'm glad they are getting the time to make something great but I hope they finish it eventually.

Derrick01 · Oct 15, 2012

Dennis said:
What the hell is going on at Irrational?

They have no idea how to make the game as ambitious as they wanted it to be. Seriously.

Grisby · Oct 15, 2012

That new trailer is out pretty soon right? At least there will be some new media.

Lotta key people leaving though.

Seda · Oct 15, 2012

Carl said:
Hm. Bit worrying

When was the last time we actually heard anything about Bioshock Infinite?

There's a trailer next Sunday.

90TilInfinity · Oct 15, 2012

In August Nate Wells left for Naughty Dog too, I believe. Crazy.

MormaPope · Oct 15, 2012

Dis some old news, a thread wasn't made for this new news but I saw someone post this in the original departure thread for Infinite.

I'm guessing they got done what needed to get done and decided to work somewhere where they don't need to spend 5 years on the same project.

Nirolak · Oct 15, 2012

90TilInfinity said:
In August Nate Wells left for Naughty Dog too, I believe. Crazy.

Correct, we're somewhere around 7-8+ very high up staff out the door.

Carl · Oct 15, 2012

Seda said:
There's a trailer next Sunday.

I see. Doesn't sound like it's going too well, though.

Raitosaito · Oct 15, 2012

This game will come out and be amazing.
Maybe

Neuromancer · Oct 15, 2012

Seda said:
There's a trailer next Sunday.

The trailer will consist of a scrolling list of people who've left the studio.

subversus · Oct 15, 2012

the game is done, I think. Tweaking and polishing is still to be done but major stuff is finished.

kadotsu · Oct 15, 2012

Grisby said:
That new trailer is out pretty soon right? At least there will be some new media.

Lotta key people leaving though.

It's not like their work just evaporates the moment they leave the building. I hope this is one of those "Red Dead Redemption troubled" productions because I don't want to see a game with potential fail.

Elginer · Oct 15, 2012

The Crusty Juggler said:
Massive coup for MS.

Indeed. Hopefully good things for next-gen. Invest that damn money like they have for 343.

inky · Oct 15, 2012

Well, this does not bode well. I guess the doom and gloom coming out from the previous threads was justified. Fuck.

Hero_of_the_Day · Oct 15, 2012

This game must be fucked. Which really sucks since it's looked fucking amazing from the get go.

-Pyromaniac- · Oct 15, 2012

Nirolak said:
Correct, we're somewhere between 8-10 very high up staff out the door.

Pretty weird. That many high level staff wouldn't really skip out unless things were looking pretty dire for their future would they. Or maybe they just saw a better opportunity elsewhere and figured now is the perfect time to leave with all the development troubles of infinite.

Which is still odd.

pargonta · Oct 15, 2012

Carl said:
Hm. Bit worrying

When was the last time we actually heard anything about Bioshock Infinite?

Besides Kotaku's exposé on cutting multiplayer (hell yes) and these departures, and excluding the message around e3 saying they wouldnt be there,

it would've been the heavy hitter promos ending with the sirens in late march...

and before that was the december trailer with courtnee singing, i believe.

as already said, there is a trailer coming.

the importance of this trailer is rather high with all this commotion.

ced · Oct 15, 2012

I know nothing about game design, but I would assume the directors leaving towards the end of a project wouldn't be a huge deal. I would assume again near the end of a project their design influence has already been used.

Glix · Oct 15, 2012

That wire travel stuff sounds very difficult to make fun. This game has lofty ambitions, that they spoke about before they were able to implement. Probably PR's fault.

Twinduct · Oct 15, 2012

Oh boy :/
Reassure us Ken.

PsihoPerihelion · Oct 15, 2012

One of their producers has gone to MS too http://www.linkedin.com/pub/joseph-faulstick/4/42a/702

Damn, Phil Spencer. Doing it right.

Vol5 · Oct 15, 2012

subversus said:
the game is done, I think. Tweaking and polishing is still to be done but major stuff is finished.

I'm hoping your right. It was originally planned to be released about now I think, so yeah, maybe some more polish and love before March.

LiK · Oct 15, 2012

Well, I guess by the time the game comes out, no one will be left for the launch party.

Nirolak · Oct 15, 2012

-Pyromaniac- said:
Pretty weird. That many high level staff wouldn't really skip out unless things were looking pretty dire for their future would they. Or maybe they just saw a better opportunity elsewhere and figured now is the perfect time to leave with all the development troubles of infinite.

Which is still odd.

Generally if people are leaving now I would say the following statements are likely true:

1.) The game is either basically done or in such a state that they can no longer motivate themselves to work on it.
2.) They really don't want to make another game with the same studio.

jbug617 · Oct 15, 2012

Elginer said:
Indeed. Hopefully good things for next-gen. Invest that damn money like they have for 343.

I believe Aegies said on twitter that the rumor is Microsoft is planning to push first party games next gen.

90TilInfinity · Oct 15, 2012

subversus said:
the game is done, I think. Tweaking and polishing is still to be done but major stuff is finished.

Real possibility if the game's to ship in February. Disappointing for the future of Irrational though.

-BLITZ- · Oct 15, 2012

Okay, so what's going on. Levin wants to close down Irrational after Infinite is released or change their studio name and bring new guys.

YianGaruga · Oct 15, 2012

Seda said:
There's a trailer next Sunday.

Cancellation trailer.

Neuromancer · Oct 15, 2012

YianGaruga said:
Cancellation trailer.

Haha

Cheddahz · Oct 15, 2012

This game is going to become the next Prey

benny_a · Oct 15, 2012

Why is everybody upset? Its not like they are leaving for Zynga.

I wish everyone a great day! Stay positive!

Twinduct · Oct 15, 2012

Bigger question is .. what happens to Shawn Elliott if irrational shuts down :/
Will the Brodeo live again?! .. Where's Half-Life 3?

Carl · Oct 15, 2012

pargonta said:
Besides Kotaku's exposé on cutting multiplayer (hell yes) and these departures, and excluding the message around e3 saying they wouldnt be there,

it would've been the heavy hitter promos ending with the sirens in late march...

and before that was the december trailer with courtnee singing, i believe.

as already said, there is a trailer coming.

the importance of this trailer is rather high with all this commotion.

I see. Not as long ago as i thought.

SuperSonic1305 · Oct 15, 2012

Former BioShock Infinite Combot Design Director and AI Lead leaves Microsoft after studio closure.

Ithil · Oct 15, 2012

I expect this is the last game Ken Levine and co make at Irrational, the whole lot will probably leave when it's done.

JustProgress · Oct 15, 2012

I didn't follow Infinite very much but what made it so "ambitious"?

Eideka · Oct 15, 2012

Damn I hope one day that we will know what happened with this game.

Fascinating stuff.

Net_Wrecker · Oct 15, 2012

YianGaruga said:
Cancellation trailer.

Heh, more like Bioshock InfiNOT

But no, really, this isn't a good sign. Even if the game is miraculous, the future of Irrational doesn't look good.

subversus · Oct 15, 2012

YianGaruga said:
Cancellation trailer.

the joke is getting old.

Salvadora · Oct 15, 2012

Bioshock Infinite must be a mess.

subversus · Oct 15, 2012

Ithil said:
I expect this is the last game Ken Levine and co make at Irrational, the whole lot will probably leave when it's done.

yeah, I have the same feeling given current industry landscape and Levine's age. But who knows...

Hindle · Oct 15, 2012

Ithil said:
I expect this is the last game Ken Levine and co make at Irrational, the whole lot will probably leave when it's done.

I'm thinking Ken Levine will retire, or take a leave.

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