So Irrational games just closed their doors, news is really bizare and the post on their website is even weirder. http://www.irrationalgames.com/

Yea, I've seen that. I am not sure what to think about that.. I'm sure they will say some more later on though, so hopefully it will clear out more

Personally I suspect they were essentially broke and not willing to admit it. Levine saw an out and took it.

Rumors say that the company has been in financial trouble for some time ...

In the world generally, and in video games especially, whole companies live and die by public perception.


To a large extent it doesn't matter what a company does on an individual basis. They can have great products or mediocre. They can be overpriced or underpriced. The code behind the product can be great, or it can be terrible. Generally this doesn't matter so much.

What absolutely matters is the public perception.

Is it a sincere statement, or spin doctoring? Are they polishing it until it reaches perfection, or are they perpetually late? Are they charging a premium for quality, or are they cashing in on their brand? Are they offering a great deal, or are they trying to boost the numbers so it doesn't look as bad no paper? Are they looking at a very vocal minority with clearly documented individuals voting tens of thousands of times against them, or are they the worst company in the world? Are they cutting a new road through a forest to save fuel for all the motorists who will use it, or are they destroying the environment by building yet another road? Are they merging so they can reduce the costs for everybody, or are they merging so they can gouge everybody? Are they spying on everyone to control and prevent some very real threats, or are they spying on everyone because they are the bad guys? Are they persecuting individuals because they want everyone protected, or are they persecuting individuals because they don't want anyone to stand up to their bullying? Are they routing the 1-4 star reviews to the dev team so they can know how to patch the game, or are they doing it so they can cheat the review system?


In every case it probably isn't either version. It is quite likely a combination of many factors. Few people think their actions are evil.

Most humans don't bother with nuance. They look over the headlines, make a snap judgement, throw it in the "good" or "evil" bucket, then move on.

He is trying to get a positive message out there quickly. If he can get a message of "must help artisan gaming" it can mean the survival of the studio. But if the message is "fighting bankruptcy" or "leaving before the ship sinks", the outcome can be a disaster. In truth it is probably a list of many factors, but most of us will never see the details nor will we care enough to investigate.

I just find it odd that he needs to kill a studio instead of letting it be taken over by someone else and starting a new thing with this group of 15 within 2K.

This really breaks my heart. I was fortunate enough to work at Irrational on the original bioshock and know a bunch of the people who were laid off today. They are an amazing team and it is really sad to think that the magic and chemistry and spirit of that group being disbanded.

However, maybe it was time. Maybe things had become stale. I get the impression (pure speculation) that Irrational has been affected by management and leadership issues. It may have been that trying to re-capture the old spirit was not going to be possible and a reboot was required.

I think that Ken is moving in the right direction personally. I can't wait to see what he produces. He is a good story teller and that was always one of the strengths of Irrational.

-Josh