By Daniel Keevy
Yesterday Ken Levine announced that Irrational Games, a developer responsible for some of the finest games in the last 20 years, was being wound down. In his own words: “I am winding down Irrational Games as you know it. I’ll be starting a smaller, more entrepreneurial endeavour at Take-Two.” From preliminary reports, it looks like the company, a subsidiary of 2K games, is going to cut down on staff to just 15 developers. Now, it’s a guess, but I’d wager a small team like that will either be a hired gun around 2K improving existing projects, or would turn into the increasingly lucrative world of mobile gaming.
Founding and Early Success
What makes Irrational Games such a tragedy, especially for single player gamers, is the worrying trend that this article is going to dredge up: solid, good and well executed single players games are becoming a thing of the past, unless you’re looking at a monumental publisher/developer like Bethesda Softworks or Valve. But let’s first take a second to reflect on the history of Irrational.
Irrational Games was founded in 1997, as a project between Ken Levine, Jon Chey and Rob Fermier. All three were former employees of the defunct, but excellent, Looking Glass Studios (themselves responsible for Thief and Thief II, arguably the greatest stealth games ever). In 1999, Irrational Games released the masterpiece that was System Shock II, a successor to System Shock, a game developed by Looking Glass Studios. SSII introduced gamers to the Von Braun, and a relatively unexplored addition to FPS gameplay; the introduction of RPG elements. You weren’t just Captain Awesome, stalking the unforgiving halls of the Von Braun, you were some dude who would fill up stats like lock picking, and pay for it when you fought a boss. Those who have played System Shock II can attest to the incredible difficulty, and the fact that the game was more than happy to take you to the final boss fight, before gently pushing you into the bottomless pit of failure.
The impact that System Shock II had on game development was nothing short of revolutionary. Deus Ex, probably the game that epitomised PC gaming while the PlayStation was destroying business, clearly borrowed several ideas from System Shock and improved upon them. Enough about other studios, let’s get back to Irrational Games.
The Middle Period
In 2002, Irrational followed up System Shock II with a delightfully quirky game called Freedom Force. Freedom Force is as a tactical real time strategy game. But it was one of those rare, kind of strategy-but-not-really games, much like the original Syndicate or XCom. What set Freedom Force apart was the vivid and exemplary art style. It felt like a write-your-own-comic-book adventure. This was followed in 2005 by Freedom Force vs the 3rd Reich which is about as silly as it sounds, but that fun sort of silly.
In 2004, Irrational released another successor to an earlier game, Starsiege: Tribes called Tribes: Vengeance under Vivendi Universal. Tribes was one of the earlier games to limit inventory to three weapons and grenades, as well as a utility slot. What made Tribes different was the vehicular combat. Every player had a vehicle, as well as skijumps and jetpacks. It was also the first Irrational game to have a strong multiplayer component. Again, the design really set the game apart, with territory going from green fields to hard desert landscapes. While it is easy to sit in hindsight and look at increased vehicle sections in modern shooters and credit Irrational Games, it can be reasonably concluded that those designers were probably playing games like this when they were growing up.
The last game released BB (before Bioshock) was SWAT 4. What made SWAT unique was that the gamer had very little freedom. Going crazy and shooting all the criminals could result in a mission failed. It really forced the player to adhere to strict rules, and probably helped create the authentic shooter, like Arma, where success is based on tactical doctrine and not shooting bazookas.
In 2006, a new publisher bought out all the shares in Irrational Games, and incorporated it into their own company. That company was 2K Games.
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Last Updated: February 19, 2014
Skoobaz
February 19, 2014 at 12:37
RIP
Devourer of Small Bunnies
February 19, 2014 at 12:38
Whoever wrote this. Feels man, the feels.
Daniel Keevy
February 19, 2014 at 12:47
Thanks. Initially I started trying to stay impartial, but then the memories came to flooding back.
Particularly sitting and starting at the System Shock menu screen, asking it why it wouldn’t love me.
Hammersteyn
February 19, 2014 at 12:49
Good job bud
Daniel Keevy
February 19, 2014 at 12:54
Thanks.
Devourer of Small Bunnies
February 19, 2014 at 13:43
Twas you? Kudos good sir.
Daniel Keevy
February 19, 2014 at 13:47
Thanks, btw for some reason, I read your name as “Devourer of small businesses.”
Both are pretty great handles.
Devourer of Small Bunnies
February 21, 2014 at 12:07
*makes notes* lol
Uberutang
February 19, 2014 at 12:50
Great write up, but tomb raider is a far more enjoyable and better overall game than infinite.IInfinite tried far to hard to be clever and was far to heavy on shooting and light on exploring Columbia.
Daniel Keevy
February 19, 2014 at 12:54
I have a friend that is telling me the same. Personally, I found Tomb Raider to be a little schizophrenic at times. Infinite was my favourite PC Game last year, and 2nd only to TLOU.
Mossel
February 19, 2014 at 13:18
But the Lutce twins Uberutang! The Lutece twins!
Daniel Keevy
February 19, 2014 at 13:39
Rofl!
Alex Hicks
February 19, 2014 at 12:57
To be honest, the only reason I haven’t played Bioshock Infinite yet is price. The starting price point was just too high. I’m not sure that the failure to ship the number of units expected is due entirely to “cult classics that don’t sell”
Regardless … should the supposition that the winding up of Irrational is proof that multiplayer is taking over be true – then I will be a gibbering mess of the weeps and wails.
Hammersteyn
February 19, 2014 at 12:59
If only you had PS+ 😉
Alex Hicks
February 19, 2014 at 16:34
Yeah. I need a playstation first. My PC doesn’t like PS+
Hammersteyn
February 19, 2014 at 18:05
LOL, sorry sir I will remove my peasant self from your highness presence
Daniel Keevy
February 19, 2014 at 18:26
Heathen!
Daniel Keevy
February 19, 2014 at 13:00
It’s all conjecture on my part, but I’m pretty confident. You should check out the next Steam sale. You can get a pretty decent price, if you’re on PC.
Gareth L (That Guy)
February 19, 2014 at 13:00
Watch the Steam sales. I got all three Bioshock titles in a bundle for R150. 🙂
MakeItLegal
February 19, 2014 at 15:37
i hate you ( in a good way )
Alex Hicks
February 19, 2014 at 16:36
Even then. Was thinking about it during the last sale. Almost got it but the backlog didn’t justify even that price.
RinceandLeSIGH
February 19, 2014 at 13:03
Awesome effort here Daniel (where you from now?) Great work.
Daniel Keevy
February 19, 2014 at 13:05
Still South Africa.
RinceandLeSIGH
February 19, 2014 at 13:06
Lol. I meant who on earth are you, just saw your Avatar and remembered 😉 Brilliant read bro, big up.
Daniel Keevy
February 19, 2014 at 13:09
Lol, thanks!
RinceandLeSIGH
February 19, 2014 at 13:11
I really hope it was a personal choice to close and not a financial one. If it can affect a team like this (MP) then we all better go back to playing Hungry Hippos.
Mossel
February 19, 2014 at 13:22
Damn I loved Bioshock Infinite. Probably the olny reason I enjoyed it more than the original was because I played it before the original. I think what blew me away was a game with an epic story, I was so used to the CoD’s and CS’s of the world, that I forgot that games can have great stories! Seriously cant wait for Burial at Sea pt 2.
HvR
February 19, 2014 at 14:13
With the founder making the announcement and a new small team already in the works in think it is choice. Otherwise it would have the normal EA type corporate BS of “incorporating”, “realligning” and “refocusing”.
Mossel
February 19, 2014 at 14:29
Yup I’m really looking forward to some Levine magic, hope I’m not dissapointed.
HvR
February 19, 2014 at 14:13
Nice eulogy but I’m glad this is happening.
They were one Bioshock away from pulling CoD/BF on us.
Irrational Games is settled with too much past IP expectation and with the games that came out of 2K, Rockstart and Take Two stable the last 2 years I’m not worried at all. They’ve learned from their mistakes in the past and know how to use existing IP and new innovation to bring something fresh (even if it isn’t always perfectly polished and successful) to the table
These guys give me hope for future gaming, it is time that EA and Activision burn in their annualized, copy and paste, DLC ridden hell hole they’ve created and have Take Two rise to the top.
Daniel Keevy
February 19, 2014 at 14:53
It depends on what they are going to do. I still don’t think it was only Irrational’s decision.
I also disagree with your conclusion that they were one game away from self destructing. They have had a strong track record. I’m interested though in seeing what they’ll do now.
MakeItLegal
February 19, 2014 at 15:40
thank you for reading my mind (more or less)
Alien Emperor Trevor
February 19, 2014 at 14:22
System Shock 2! I would sell my own kidneys for System Shock 3. I want more SHODAN in my life.
Bioshock Infinite is on the backlog. I finished Bioshock 2 over Xmas & really enjoyed it.
Mossel
February 19, 2014 at 14:31
Yes! Another guy that liked Bioshock 2! Although not perfect, the ending was nice and me feel all fuzzy inside. Minerva’s Den was also cool.
Alien Emperor Trevor
February 19, 2014 at 14:34
Yes, the ending got me right in the feels. Minerva’s Den was better than most DLCs too.
Daniel Keevy
February 19, 2014 at 14:54
Bioshock 2 improved the mechanics, but I still felt the story felt like a needless addition.
Warren Ross
February 19, 2014 at 14:49
Goes right back to Looking Glass (and earlier, Blue Sky), for me. Ultima Underworld (and its sequel), still one of the most amazing digital worlds I’ve explored. The original System Shock which nobody seemed to play (Shodan!) and the incredible System Shock 2, equally disappointing in terms of sales and only truly recognised for its greatness in later years.
And finally, Thief. The game that is arguably the template for every FPS/Stealth game since. Not much more to be said.
Ultimately, games are created by the people, and hopefully these guys continue to go on and create great worlds for us to play in.
Daniel Keevy
February 19, 2014 at 16:17
It’s why I’m a little reluctant to buy all the hype with the new Thief game, tbh. There’s no one on the original staff involved.
MakeItLegal
February 19, 2014 at 15:36
eish …sent little chills down my back … have only played the original bioshock , and boy oh boy ( should i say oh big daddy oh big daddy ) was that one hell of trip
UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy
February 20, 2014 at 09:10
I will most definitely miss them. I was rather excited to hear if they will start with a new IP or something.
As much as I love my DOTA I still need a good single player game to entertain me. Good story, touch challenges and awesome scenery. I think in the end they were becoming stagnant in the design of the games. It looked different, but the feel was the same as the other Bioshocks. I honestly couldn’t get through Bioshock 2. Felt like an expansion really.
I hope the new studio brings forth more epicness and that he gets to break away from that AAA pressure. I hope they figure something out to keep making games.