Irrational Games Essentially Shutting Down
Irrational Games, the development studio behind BioShock and BioShock Infinite, is shutting down, according to studio founder Ken Levine on the company’s website.
"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.Besides financial support, the staff will have access to the studio for a period of time to say their goodbyes and put together their portfolios. Other Take-Two studios will be on hand to discuss opportunities within the company, and we’ll be hosting a recruiting day where we’ll be giving 3rd party studios and publishers a chance to hold interviews with departing Irrational staff."
It’s an unfortunate day for the AAA video gaming industry. While Ken Levine and the executive staff essentially wind down production and give their employees a well-deserved window to sort out their employment (a welcome decision in favor of an economic decision), it will be intriguing to see just exactly what Mr. Levine plans to do for Take-Two Interactive going forward. He mentions he will be “Making a different kind of game than we’ve done before” with the fifteen members he plans on working with. Hopefully what he ends up creating was worth letting go of a great development company.
While Ken Levine’s journey into making great video games continues, Irrational Games have met their final destination with Part 2 of BioShock Infinite DLC: Burial at Sea. A truly shocking turn of events, to say the least.
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