Episode 2 of Burial at Sea, the DLC add-on for BioShock Infinite, is about to release. So what’s next for developer Irrational Games? The end of the studio as we know it.
Ken Levine, the co-founder and Creative Director of Irrational Games, posted a message on the company’s website addressing its future.
Seventeen years is a long time to do any job, even the best one. And working with the incredible team at Irrational Games is indeed the best job I’ve ever had. While I’m deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished together, my passion has turned to making a different kind of game than we’ve done before. To meet the challenge ahead, 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 said that he will be keeping around fifteen members of the Irrational Games staff to move onto his next project. What is that next project? We don’t know, but it was discussed.
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. To foster the most direct relationship with our fans possible, we will focus exclusively on content delivered digitally.
Given the lengthy development time for BioShock Infinite, which included a couple of delays, a lengthy E3 demo that wasn’t present in the final build, a huge budget, and all the expectations in the world, it sounds like Ken Levine wants to back away from that gigantic spotlight. Sadly, this requires him saying goodbye to many great developers.
If my Twitter feed is any indication, however, those developers can find a home in the near future; there are dozens of Tweets and Retweets from other developers with open job opportunities. Let’s hope that they won’t be unemployed for long.
Don’t think for a second that those laid off will be left in the cold, though. Affected employees will receive, “financial support” and “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 [Irrational Games will] be hosting a recruiting day where we’ll be giving 3rd party studios and publishers a chance to hold interviews with departing Irrational staff.”
Source: Irrational Games
