14 DAY TRIAL // BioShock was one of the best games to come out in 2007. It had a compelling storyline and some great gameplay mechanics. And it was beautiful. Not in the metaphorical way, but in the direct sense. All the ingame art and all the details of the setting were polished to perfection. And it would have never been made if it hadn't been for Rockstar's "money making machine".
Both Rockstar and 2K Boston, developer of BioShock and headed by Ken Levine, are part of a little company called Take Two. You know, the guys that wouldn't sell to Electronic Arts for two billion dollars. Until last year, the top earning game for Take Two had been open world shooter GTA and expansions. Take Two, being the parent company, can use some of the money they made with Rockstar's GTA franchise to fund other developments. And so they did with 2K Boston and their BioShock title. And the chance they took really paid off. GTA IV, originally scheduled for a 2007 release, was delayed until April this year, and BioShock delivered good sales in 2007 and a myriad of awards to its name.
Ken Levine acknowledged all of this by saying "there would be no BioShock in every way without what Rockstar did...pushing the boundaries in terms of immersive gameplay, pushing the boundaries in terms of content". He went on to thank the people at Rockstar for the chance to make, at his own pace, a game that was a bit of a gamble, as its success was never assured in the way that the success of GTA was assured. Levine also said we was very excited about GTA IV as a gamer and that he couldn't wait to get his hands on the game, even thought the Rockstar people had been secretive about their work and would not let him take a sneak peek.
We are sharing Ken Levine's expectations regarding GTA IV and we're sure to bring you more news regarding the title as the release date draws near.