The Tough Path Ahead
If someone was going to determine which game company was the most influential in the the past decade and a half, they would not be wrong to rank Irrational Games in the top 3. Even as more impactful companies like Valve and Bethesda excelled at their own versions and projects, so much of Irrational’s work can be seen in other designs. While they weren’t the first to combine RPG and FPS, they did set the standard for it with System Shock II.
As was mentioned above, Bioshock can be partly to blame for every FPS (not called Call of Duty) having RPG elements. Irrational also proved that shooters could be driven by story, much like Half Life 2 did, and it was lazy design to argue that people only played FPSes for multiplayer.
At least, that’s what they used to say. Like I said, its early days, and we don’t know why Levine downsized Irrational. But it is an educated guess that it was based on a lack of confidence by 2K games. Let’s face it, Bioshock Infinite was the best game of last year across multiple platforms (The Last of Us was great, but also only available to PS3 owners), and yet it only managed to move around 4 million copies.
Tomb Raider, by far a more insubstantial game, was still ranked above Infinite in the UK, in terms of opening week sales. Overall it ranked between 10th and 16th (depending on your source), but was still completely obliterated by FIFA, GTA, COD and the vastly inferior Tomb Raider. 2K has the same problem that Universal Studios seems to have, cult classics that are well loved, but still don’t really make any money.
And that’s the unfortunate lesson of Irrational winding down. It shows, irrevocably, that the shift from story driven single player games to massively multiplayer games is happening. FIFA, GTA and COD have a huge online following. Of the top 10 games, the bottom 5 all specialised in single player, or only single player, and could not cope with the weight of FIFA, GTA or COD. Pokemon X and Y ranked 4th, but even if it’s traditionally a single player game; it requires extensive interaction with other players to really bring it to life, so let’s call it a hybrid. Of the 10 though, the Last of Us was the only original IP.
So the lesson is pretty clear. Multiplayer is what makes money, and sequels are what guarantees money. Whether or not this impacted Irrational’s decision, only time will tell. For now, I look forward to their next project, and hope they still push that envelope as hard as they have. I also hope that 2K can offer the designers losing their jobs alternative employment, or set them up for it. This economy is a nightmare, and it’s only fair that they get some protection.
I, for one, will spend this weekend swearing at System Shock, and hopefully squeezing in time to play Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite, as my own little tribute for a company that helped designed the games we enjoy today.
Viva, Irrational Games, viva!
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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.