Bioshock Infinite

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Δημοσίευσηαπό Shepard » 13 Δεκ 2012, 12:17

Ken Levine Interview -- 'Writing and Social Issues in Games'


Irrational Games boss Ken Levine on the state of writing in the video game industry and tackling social issues in the medium when it makes sense for the project.

BioShock Infinite Preview w/ Ken Levine (Inside Gaming Extended)
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Δημοσίευσηαπό LIONHEART » 13 Δεκ 2012, 19:45

Shepard έγραψε:Bioshock Infinite Ultimate and Premium Editions revealed
O Ken Levine αποκάλυψε τις λεπτομέρειες για τις "Ultimate Songbird" και "Premium" εκδόσεις του Bioshock: Infinite. Όπως περιέγραψε λοιπόν στο blog της Irrational Games, η Ultimate Songbird έκδοση θα κυκλοφορεί με ένα αγαλματίδι, το Songbird, σε μια ξεχωριστή συσκευασία μέσα στο κουτί και θα κοστίζει $149.99. Όσοι δε μπορούν να διαθέσουν αυτά τα χρήματα αλλά θέλουν το κάτι παραπάνω, θα... περιοριστούν στην Premium έκδοση, με την οποία έναντι $79.99 θα αποκτήσουν:

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- Ένα keychain 3 ιντσών με το Murder of Crows vigor bottle replica
- Μια λιθογραφία 5 x 7 ιντσών του Jorge Lacera
- Μια μινιατούρα το Handyman από το επιτραπέζιο BioShock: Infinte, 25 χιλιοστών
- Ένα mini art book
- Αποκλειστικά in-game αντικείμενα, το soundtrack σε ψηφιακή μορφή και downloadable περιεχόμενο (avatar costumes για το Xbox 360 και Themes για PC και PS3).

Φυσικά, όλα τα παραπάνω θα περιέχονται και στην Ultimate Songbird έκδοση του τίτλου, πέραν του αγάλματος.

ΘΕΛΩ ΤΟ ΑΓΑΛΜΑΤΑΚΙ!!!! :o

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Ρε shep εμφραγμα θα μου κάνεις να πάθω... 8-)
http://www.facebook.com/AUTONISSANLougiakis
http://www.lougiakis.gr
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Δημοσίευσηαπό Shepard » 13 Δεκ 2012, 20:23

Που να παιξουμε και την υπερπαιχνιδαρα... ;)
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Δημοσίευσηαπό Shepard » 17 Δεκ 2012, 10:44

BioShock: Infinite’s opening hours: the tip of the iceberg
Three hours spent playing BioShock: Infinite, reveals it to be one of 2013’s most complex and ambitious titles, but can it fully deliver on its potential?

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Attempting to piece together the narrative clues contained within the opening hours of BioShock: Infinite feels like trying to decipher Chris Nolan’s Inception after watching it for the first time.

On the surface, it appears to be relatively straightforward and it’s easy enough to explain the gist, but dig a little deeper and it’s clear that there’s much more to be explored. That being the case, let’s just focus on what we know for sure: it’s 1912 and in order to repay a sizeable debt, former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt has agreed to retrieve a young girl named Elizabeth from a flying city called Columbia.

Now, let me immediately contradict myself. Through a series of key moments, incidental details and narrative asides, it very quickly becomes apparent that the validity of every single part of that synopsis can be questioned to one degree or another.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to BioShock: Infinite.

Evidently, the opening hours of BioShock: Infinite provide a lot to ponder. They also offer up ample opportunity for wholesale bloody violence, but more on that later. First, the script: despite cramming a lot into the three hours that I experienced, very few of Infinite’s most intriguing plot points come by way of heavy-handed exposition. Instead, they play out all around you: in snatches of conversation, audio announcements and fleeting visual scenes. Within the first five minutes, Ken Levine’s intelligent and funny script has me pondering the notion of inevitability, choice, and how video game characters always have very set roles to play.

The opening hours also provide numerous opportunities to learn about Columbia’s origins and its religious ruler, Zachary Comstock. There’s proud discussion of the role that Columbia plays in the wider world and its ideals are loudly trumpeted. The religious fervour on which Columbia sustains itself is celebrated, while its promotion of a racial hierarchy is plainly presented. This latter notion is sometimes violently enforced but more insidious is its normalisation through sugar-coated rhetoric that’s gobbled up by Columbia’s populace like candy cane at a carnival.


Despite its people, the human ingenuity underpinning Columbia as a flying city is magnificent. It’s a place to meander with analogue sticks half-cocked. There’s a lot of enjoyment to be had looking up and around at its towering structures and sweeping vistas or wandering into buildings and strolling through its parks and piazzas. There’s also something to be said for zipping around on Columbia’s skyrail, which takes the notion of video games as rollercoaster rides to its logical conclusion and has the power to be thrilling, disorientating and empowering all at once.

All the fun of the fair
Early on, a carnival provides a wealth of optional content to be explored. Fairground stalls simultaneously act as minor distractions, a place to earn some cash and a tutorial for the game’s gun-play and Vigor powers. They also carry with them a hefty dose of propaganda decrying the existence of the Vox Populi, a rebel faction that was founded to provide Columbia’s minority groups with fair representation but whose methods have turned darker of late.

Needless to say, this relatively gentle introduction to Columbia’s architectural majesty and its sinister society does not last long. While DeWitt is challenged here and there by the local law enforcement soon after arriving in the city, the action becomes significantly more intense once he encounters Elizabeth. Soon after their initial meeting they are escaping a crumbling edifice and being thrust into several fire fights. It’s here that two of BioShock: Infinite’s other defining characteristics reveal themselves: combat and Elizabeth’s role as an AI companion.




New gameplay footage from the 2012 VGAs.

The fundamental basis of the combat operates in much the same way as in the first two BioShock games. Through a combination of gun-play and DNA-altering powers known as Vigors (fuelled by Salts) DeWitt tackles a number of human and mechanical foes that make up Columbia’s security forces. DeWitt gains access to a number of Vigors relatively early on, but with a lot of new toys at hand and limited salts to power them, the potential for gleeful experimentation is limited. This proves to be a hindrance to enjoying the combat and naturally pushes you more toward gun-play. It becomes apparent that, as was the case with Rapture’s murderous inhabitants, Columbia’s AI has a penchant for aggressive acts and pays little mind to self-preservation.

Who’s that girl?
Elizabeth quickly reveals herself to be a capable and useful ally. In combat, she stays out of harm’s way and actually appears invulnerable. She can also pick locks and helps counter the problem of a lack of salts with which to power the Vigors, by scouting the battlefield for useful items to provide to you. However, Elizabeth’s show-stopping talent is her ability to open inter-dimensional tears in order to provide access to half-visible anomalies dotted throughout the world. These include helpful items and some more ‘substantial elements’ of narrative importance.

DeWitt’s initially gruff demeanour is softened by interactions with his AI partner but while communication between the pair is, for the most part, a joy to behold I do encounter a jarring example of an explicit lack of consistency. Shortly after a scripted moment in which Elizabeth is horrified by the violent action that DeWitt takes to protect them against assailants, I decide to murder a random innocent civilian. Elizabeth doesn’t bat an eyelid. In fact, not 5 seconds later she cheerfully comments on a children’s carousel. It’s a jarring contrast between what the game wants you to believe about Elizabeth and how it then fails to react to your own unpredictable actions. Hopefully, these instances in which Infinite undermines your ability to suspend disbelief will be few and far between.

Overall, the opening hours of BioShock: Infinite raise more questions than they answer. In one or two instances these are questions of game balance, behavioural consistency and whether the ambition of Levine, Irrational and 2K can truly be met. For the most part, though, they are exciting questions; the kind that have you pondering the meaning of a seemingly incidental detail, a curious turn of phrase or the presentation of a particular narrative thread. They are the kinds of questions that drive you to seek out other people with a shared experience in order to swap theories, trade tid-bits and compare notes.

Ultimately, they are the kinds of questions that should lead you to very much look forward to BioShock: Infinite’s launch on March 26 2013.
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Δημοσίευσηαπό Shepard » 19 Δεκ 2012, 19:09

Θέλετε να δείτε τα πρώτα πέντε λεπτά του BioShock Infinite; Τότε δεν έχετε παρά να παρακολουθήσετε το video μέσα από τον παρακάτω player. (ΠΡΟΣΟΧΗ: SPOILERS)

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Δημοσίευσηαπό Shepard » 21 Δεκ 2012, 10:25

BioShock: Infinite scored by series composer Garry Schyman
BioShock: Infinite’s soundtrack comes courtesy of Garry Schyman, the lauded musician who scored both BioShock and BioShock 2.

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Irrational Games has kept quiet on the possibility of Schyman’s return until now, but Ken Levine broke the news during a Reddit AMA.

“His score is very different from the first two games, yet very much guided by the same aesthetic principles. We were lucky to have him and I can’t wait until you get to hear some of his stuff. He’s working in a different, sparer style, but it’s awesome,” he said.

Elsewhere in the group interview, Levine gave a few comments on the development and style of BioShock: Infinite.

“It was MUCH harder to have a speaking protagonist. Way more than I expected,” he said of new hero Booker.

On the subject of combat, Levine said Irrational wanted to have plenty of player-initiated battles.

“More important than stealth to me is that the player can get a sense of the battlefield before he’s in a fight and have an opportunity to plan a strategy. Sometimes its also fun to be ambushed, but we worked hard to make sure there was a good mix,” he added.

In terms of general gameplay, Levine said BioShock 2 – developed by 2K Marin – built on the first game by having better shooting, but Infinite iterates in different directions.

“I think Infinite’s growth is in having living people around you and the kind of narrative that affords, as well as having a much more diverse playground (indoor/outdoor, skylines, etc) to play on,” he said.

The AMA is worth a read as Levine also discusses the pressures of following such a beloved prequel; how publishers handle sequels; and beard care. He seems to have struck a comfortable tone with Reddit leading to some cute moments.

BioShock: Infinite is due on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in March.
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Δημοσίευσηαπό Shepard » 22 Δεκ 2012, 21:19

Bioshock Infinite's ending "is the thing I'm most proud of" but "your mileage may vary" - Levine
I'm starting to really like the youthful tradition of developer Ask Me Anything threads on Reddit. The latest example is from Irrational Games kingpin Ken Levine, and as you'd expect from the man behind Bioshock Infinite, it's a rather interesting jumble of sense-making words and sentences.

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The below is a pick-and-mix of personal highlights - you should definitely read the full thing. To start off, here's Levine on the controversial subject of endings. "The BioShock Infinite ending is the thing I'm most proud of that I've ever worked on. Your mileage may vary. I make no promises as to how much people will like it. But I can promise you the real story keeps going until the last frame." Good news for those of us who thought Fontaine outstayed his welcome...

Excerpt number two: thoughts on the question of length. "I'd say it's very much like BioShock 1 in terms of length and replay. Perhaps a bit more, because we have this very large selection of gear and vigor and weapon upgrades. There's another kind of replay value which is more story oriented, but I can't really talk about that without spoiling shit SO DON'T ASK."

Now for more abstract, intellectual fare. Say Ken - just how much of Bioshock Infinite's plot are you responsible for? "12.73 percent. Who the hell knows? Games are a soup. Whoever has the initial idea has that filtered through the creative input of a zillion brilliant people, and whoever puts the thing in the game is standing on the shoulders of giants. The collaboration is everything. In terms of the story, even though I wrote a majority of the text, the story was broken down by a team of us through many, many long hours, screaming and hair-pulling."

While we're talking story, is it really fair to refer the player to lumps of backstory that aren't actually present in the game (as with, say, Mass Effect and Gears)? "The key thing is to never forget that if you're story doesn't impact the viewer via sound or pixels, it doesn't exist. That's why we don't keep a story bible or anything like that.

"On Infinite, I had to remember there were a couple of things I had said about Booker that actually weren't in the game a few months later, and I had a holy shit moment because in my head it was there because I had talked about so much in interviews.

"When I was working on Thief with Doug Church, we used to joke that if people didn't understand the game, we'd ship a video of us explaining why it was fun. That's a very dangerous trap one can fall into."

Finally, and rather coarsely, here's Levine discussing his writerly influences. "At the risk of sounding like a pretentious f**k, here goes: Sophocles Thorton Wilder Arthur Miller George Orwell Stan Lee."

Bioshock Infinite will feel “at home on the PC,” won’t use Games for Windows Live or SecuRom

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In his Reddit AMA (“Ask Me Anything”, a Q&A session with users of the site), Ken Levine made a couple of announcements about the development of Bioshock Infinite. When asked about Irrational’s commitment to the PC release of the game, he said, “We have a dedicated group on the PC version. Our first priority is making sure that it feels like a game that is at home on the PC.”

“Chris Kline our director of tech, has been driving this process. We’re very sensitive (after getting a well deserved reaming once before) on the issues of widescreen and mouse acceleration. We also want to make sure that the fans have effortless access to the game, so we’re using Steam’s standard DRM. People have asked before if we’re using GFWL and/or SecuRom, and we are not. I also have to say, the game looks beautiful on PC.”

Good news after the previous Bioshocks both had some significant PC porting issues, specifically with widescreen support.

During the AMA, Levine also confirmed that Garry Schyman, the composer on Bioshock 1 & 2, would be returning for Infinite, and that Bethesda’s Todd Howard once tweaked his nipple.
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Δημοσίευσηαπό Shepard » 24 Δεκ 2012, 00:39

Το αποτέλεσμα της ψηφοφορίας...

BioShock Infinite reverse cover art revealed
Irrational Games has announced the BioShock Infinite reverse cover poll winner, a design that features Songbird as the focus and not protagonist Booker DeWitt.

The winner, tallying in with 38 percent of the votes, will be printed on the reverse side of the inlay for every copy of the game.

Following controversy about the game's cover image, Ken Levine announced that a poll would allow voters to choose a reverse image from six different designs. The company also plans to offer more covers that fans can download and print at no charge. Levine explained previously that the cover art was not meant for fans of the game, but those who were unaware of the BioShock series.

BioShock Infinite is slated for release on March 26, 2013. Check out the image below.

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Δημοσίευσηαπό Shepard » 08 Ιαν 2013, 18:45

Bioshock Infinite : new screenshots

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The new year starts slowly, but 2K Games is continuing its intensive communication about BioShock Infinite. Here are some new images.

http://images.gamersyde.com/image_bioshock_infinite-21198-2105_0001.jpg
http://images.gamersyde.com/image_bioshock_infinite-21198-2105_0002.jpg
http://images.gamersyde.com/image_bioshock_infinite-21198-2105_0003.jpg
http://images.gamersyde.com/image_bioshock_infinite-21198-2105_0004.jpg

ωωωωω... μα τι ART!!!
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Δημοσίευσηαπό Shepard » 23 Ιαν 2013, 08:19

Το BioShock Infinite: Mind in Revolt, το e-book prequel του ομώνυμου παιχνιδιού, θα διατεθεί για τις συσκευές Kindle μέσα στον επόμενο μήνα σύμφωνα με ανακοίνωση της 2K και της Irrational Games. Αυτό θα προσφέρει πληροφορίες για τη μυστήρια sky-city της Columbia πριν από τα γεγονότα του BioShock: infinite. Γράφτηκε από τον Joe Fielder της Irrational σε συνεργασία με τον Ken Levine.

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Θα κοστίζει $2.99 και η κυκλοφορία του αναμένεται στις 12 Φεβρουαρίου. Για όσους προ-παραγγείλουν το παιχνίδι μέσω του Amazon, το BioShock Infinite: Mind in Revolt θα είναι δωρεάν.
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