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Forums - Gaming - Irrational Games are "winding down"; all but 15 staff laid off [edit: Gamasutra - Bioshock Infinite didn't sell enough]

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Sad day and a sign of what's to come, this will be the last console generation and the pc will remain with next to no AAA games, just Indies. I'm going to enjoy these next five years as much as I can and after that when I retire my ps4 I will end my love of Video games, I'd pretty much decided this from early last year. I'm going to have a blast, explore new worlds such as Draenor, kill endless baddies then log off one day to pastures new. I've had thirty years of fun but alas nothing good lasts for long. Bioshock was a franchise I'd enjoyed so much, pity I won't have one last adventure in that universe, well unless the next dlc is any good.



Proud owner of Ps4/3ds xl/pc/vita/wii u and others.

Gamer till I die

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Moving onto to new things seems like a good idea for Levine. It has worked for a lot of others to work under new ideas, rules in principles. The only bad thing might be new Bioshocks from some other less story focused team. Even though this has already happened and I really like Bioshock 2.



The title of this thread is misleading.

Irrational Games is not shutting down. Ken Levine's role in Irrational Games is changing. Irrational Games will continue to exist, but a small part of the development team including Ken himself will create a new venture with Take-Two.

He isn't going Indie. He's still a part of Take-Two.



DJEVOLVE said:
atslob-:O said:
 

Why should I care about your worthless input on used games when you clearly don't understand the perspective of a customer ?Next time think of less shit ideas and I may be able to let you off the hook for acting ignorant.


Thats why I make the money I do cause I sell Ideas. I run a production company which also doubles as a marketing company. I produce flyers regularly. Just cause you always buy used and feel no need to cough up the little $5 bucks extra for a game, doesn't mean I don't understand the market. I invest too. So keep that awesome additude up! Wiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!

I sell my business Ideas all the time. I understand the customer more then you think FATSLOB

Funny you got so angry, shows you don't have a clue at all.

Hmmmmmmm used game market takes money out of software companies, companies having hard time making money, going all digital... ahahhahahahahahah it's not me that buys all used games it's, it's, b b b b b b but but it's, you're ignorant. LOLOLOLOL AhAHAHAHAHAH


What a tired argument that has no basis in reality.  You clearly don't understand how markets work.



Seems the money is on indie games today. Ohh well, time to play starbound.



Yay!!!

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whatever said:


What a tired argument that has no basis in reality.  You clearly don't understand how markets work.


Nope all Gamestop profits are also fake. My god this site.



Kongfucius said:
I'm sure he has reasons, but it seems hypocritical to simultaneously reminisce about 17 years of making worlds and generally pursuing dreams whilst laying off almost all the people who helped him do it...

Just seems a little self-centred is all

What can he do? He had a big team to create a fantastic game. It did not sell well enough to sustain the business and salaries. If he keeps them on payroll, the business will go bankrupt. He had to make a very tough choice. I am pretty sure this is the last thing he wanted to do, but had to to stay alive. Nothing self-centered about it at all.

I sympathise with those that lost their jobs, but I very much understand why this decision was made.

I agree that some developers shut down in an unfair manner, but I think this case is more of a "sad but true" situation.



This is a totally irrational decision



Predictions for end of 2014 HW sales:

 PS4: 17m   XB1: 10m    WiiU: 10m   Vita: 10m

 

this is truely a sad day, Bioshock was a pleasant surprise when I first played it, good memories



Soleron said:
I think he is lying by omission.

Sure, Ken wants to leave. Fine. But Ken does not own Irrational. Take-Two does. By their own admission, Irrational are some of the best devs in the world, and seemingly financially successful.

Why are Take-Two shutting down Irrational?

My hypothesis: Infinite flopped and they can't keep it open.

Yeah, this announcement seems like a face saving gesture. After spending more than half a decade in development, Infinite turns up on PS+ in less than a year. It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out what happened here.