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[NerdEyeBlind]

Now I'll have to jump over to an alternate reality where they aren't shutting down

 

[Nirolak]

Wow, between this, Marin, and 2K Czech, Take-Two is actually getting serious about release dates and software performance.

While I had a notable number of issues with their recent tiles, I will definitely miss the studio. They were at least making things that felt more sophisticated and ambitious even if they didn't always hit the mark.

 

[mmitt]

really sad to hear

hope the people who lost their job find something new soon, good luck to them

 

[Revolutionary]

Shame, but it will be for the best. Looking forward to seeing what the new studio develops.

 

[li bur]

Fuck.

I mean what's causing this?

Now I'll have to jump over to an alternate reality where they aren't shutting down

GOLD

 

[LiK]

Man, this sucks.

 

[kadotsu]

Hope everyone lands on their feet because those gals/guys are extremely talented. As for the gaming landscape, I think it's for the best. I don't need the asset rich park rides anymore. Give me a focused, mechanically rich game instead.

 

[Jb]

What the hell?! Fuuuuuuuuck.

 

[Lunzio]

Obviously have no clue on any of the true details but it seems, from the outside looking in, that it's a bit of a selfish motive, where the only way to work on smaller projects is to downsize.

 

[Timeaisis]

But...why? What the hell happened?

 

[balladofwindfishes]

How soul crushing must it be to make a GOTY contender and great selling game and be rewarded with a layoff.

The game industry is such a cruel industry to work for.

 

[Mad_Ban]

So Ken Levine wants to work on a new game with a smaller team, so the solution is to shut the company down and fire all but 15 people?

I want to say it seems selfish because he's laying people off through a personal desire to make a different type of him. But I'm sure there's more to it than that, as other people have mentioned with the sales numbers.

 

[Dylan]

Really sad to hear this. Irrational was one of the few truly progressive studios left.

I'm guessing this isn't all about Levine's decision; otherwise why wouldnt' they keep the Quincy studio together? I wonder how many people are being laid off in total?

 

[Blablurn]

Damn

 

[Shake Appeal]

Can we have a proper System Shock 3, then?

 

[kurbaan]

Wow what a piece of shit. Takes his money and fires the rest.

I hope people don't supper this hack in the future. Probably him or take 2 didn't want to keep paying so much so Levine saved himself while screwing over his whole staff. I can bet that his new game once in production will be as big as previous games.

 

[Arthea]

I wonder is it really reason why they are shutting down.
Ya, I'm paranoid, can't do anything about it, but it just seems strange reason.

 

[Tyrax]

RIP Bioshock

don't worry, 2K will turn bioshock into a F2P multiplayer shooter

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

Fuck fuck fuck. Fuck man... this sucks... I don't remember the last time a game studio has shut down and has made me feel like shit.

 

[Var]

not like this.....

 

[Off-Kilter]

Holy shit this came out of nowhere

Best of luck to everyone laid off

 

[Robby322]

This fucking sucks.

 

[Jimmyfenix]

NO! , I hope the people who were laid off find a stable position in 2K it sucks for anyone losing their job. I wonder what is next ? Ken is still with Take two.

 

[Sn4ke_911]

What the hell were the expectations for it? It sold over 4m units in four months.

Woah.

 

[goldsoundz]

WHAT THE FUCK NOOOOOO

 

[Sadist]

Me opening GAF

 

[Dartastic]

Ffffffffff.

 

[Gorillaz]

What? Wow. and like others my first thought was Bioshock Vita too lol.

RIP sweet prince

 

[TimeEffect]

But Bioshock Vita...

Don't worry. You'll get your handheld Irrational game.

Songy Bird. Coming to iOS and Android Fall 2014.

 

[Acquiescence]

Where the hell did that come from?!

 

[BIONIC-ARRRMMM!!]

Even Levine knew that Infinite sucks compared to the original.

Hopefully his next game is better.

 

[Smokey]

u wot m8

Fuck

 

[RPGamer92]

don't worry, 2K will turn bioshock into a F2P multiplayer shooter

That's a fate worse than death

 

[Fried Food]

"In time we will announce a new endeavor with a new goal: To make narrative-driven games for the core gamer that are highly replayable"

I'm surprised more people aren't moaning about this line. I welcome this focus.

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

What the hell?!

Goddammit!

I'm going to cherish the Bioshock trilogy Irrational gave me.

 

[erpg]

I'm sure we'll get clarifications later on, but I can't help but read it as shutting down a business because you want to try something smaller. It's a very personal note that affects hundreds of people and there must've been a better way to say it.

 

[kirblar]

Sounds like the next project's going to be in the early design stages for a while, and you can't have that large a team sitting around doing nothing. I'm sure they'll end up building a team or using an external one once they know what they're going to need for it. But they don't need it right now.

 

[EhoaVash]

AAA gaming bubble

hmm so no bioshock vita? anyway I hope they tackle other genres

 

[Zombie James]

I want to say it seems selfish because he's laying people off through a personal desire to make a different type of him. But I'm sure there's more to it than that, as other people have mentioned with the sales numbers.

Seems pretty fucking selfish to me.

 

[Nirolak]

So Ken Levine wants to work on a new game with a smaller team, so the solution is to shut the company down and fire all but 15 people?

No, Take-Two told him he couldn't keep the studio going as is and offered him this as the only option to keep anyone on board, but obviously he's not going to say that publicly.

They didn't mention BioShock Infinite in their recent fiscal report. It's pretty obvious it was not up to expectations sales wise and they're unwilling to keep going with Irrational's cost structure and dev lengths.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

New wave folks. Auteurs are stepping away from the studio system.

 

[MirageDwarf]

It's sad that all but 15 people will be out of work (hopefully for very shot time) but Ken Levine is not leaving 2K.

He is heading new small studio at 2K.

I am winding down Irrational Games as you know it. I’ll be starting a smaller, more entrepreneurial endeavor at Take-Two. That is going to mean parting ways with all but about fifteen members of the Irrational team. There’s no great way to lay people off, and our first concern is to make sure that the people who are leaving have as much support as we can give them during this transition.
...
When I first contemplated what I wanted to do, it became very clear to me that we were going to need a long period of design. Initially, I thought the only way to build this venture was with a classical startup model, a risk I was prepared to take. But when I talked to Take-Two about the idea, they convinced me that there was no better place to pursue this new chapter than within their walls. After all, they’re the ones who believed in and supported BioShock in the first place.

Although the way Bioshock games have been developed at Irrational, this was bound to happen. Overall all studios at T2 spends long time on development. They are lucky they haven't hit with big flop yet.

 

[robotrock]

((

 

[Cmerrill]

Let's hope his next game is a return to glory. "Infinite" was a bad game(IMO), so much positive hyperbole surrounded it, one of the biggest disappointments I've ever had in a game.

Feel bad for the laid off folks though.

 

[SolidSnakex]

it went through a bunch of changes and development hell tho didn't it? that probably made it worst budget wise

I wonder what the budget looked like in order for it not to be sustainable at those numbers? I remember an analyst speculating that Max Payne 3 had a 100m+ budget and would need to sell 4m units just for Rockstar to break even.

 

[enanogrande]

Wow. I'm excited to see what Levine can bring us from a new startup, but they way Irrational is just dying off is.. weird, to say the least. Hope everyone can find good jobs (Hey, maybe even form a Respawn type venture with everyone but him)

 

[RedNumberFive]

So much for Bioshock on Vita

Came here for this.

 

[SpartanN92]

My heart has just broken.

 

[jett]

I don't understand their reasoning. They're doing this...just becuz? Why does Ken Levine wanting to oversee a smaller team results in IG shutting down and all those people fired?

 

[Resident_UA]

So Ken Levine wants to work on a new game with a smaller team, so the solution is to shut the company down and fire all but 15 people?

Yeah. sound like the right solution was for him to quit and start his own company. Not this.