80w ago - SCEE Blog Manager James Gallagher has shared an interview today with Ken Levine, which spotlights taking BioShock on PS3 from Rapture to Columbia.

To quote: BioShock's writer and Creative Director, Ken Levine, and his team are now working on BioShock Infinite, a departure from the dark, dystopian corridors of Rapture into the bright skies of Columbia, a floating city named after the female personification of the United States of America.

I recently had the chance to sit down with Ken to talk about the philosophies that underpinned the original BioShock and how, if at all, these are being applied to BioShock Infinite.

PlayStation.Blog: What's more important to you: surprising the player or making existing fans feel familiar?

Ken: When you look at BioShock Infinite, you can't deny that it's a BioShock game. However, and this might seem counter-intuitive, Rapture was a surprise to the player; you wanted to see what was around each corner because it was so strange.

If we were to take you back to Rapture then that surprise element would no longer be there. Weirdly, we had to change BioShock in order to make it BioShock, or at least to retain that core principle of the unexpected.

I...

93w ago - Sony Senior Social Media Specialist Sid Shuman has shared a Q&A video interview today with Ken Levine who discusses BioShock Infinite PS3 and his PlayStation Moves.

To quote: It's always a pleasure to speak with Ken Levine, creative director for the award-winnging BioShock and the PS3 dystopian epic BioShock Infinite.

Ken's been good enough to drop by before, bringing news of PlayStation Move support as well as an upcoming PS Vita BioShock game, but we've never been able to immortalize him in crisp HD video.

Until now. In Rey's lovingly produced video feature, Levine lays out his plan for Infinite domination, starting with creating a convincing relationship between lead characters Booker and Elizabeth as they seek to escape the crumbling city of Columbia.

Levine also touches on the origins of Songbird, a biomechanical beast that has jealously locked Elizabeth in the depths of Columbia since her birth. Songbird completes a warped sort of love triangle between Booker and Elizabeth that promises to play out in the game in a big way. "There's a lot of mystery around Songbird, and I think people will be surprised by his relationship with Elizabeth -- it's a complicated relationship that has elements of light and elements of darkness."

Levine also...

139w ago - Sony's Senior Social Media Specialist Sid Shuman has shared a video today which includes a 10-minute BioShock Infinite PS3 gameplay video and an interview with Ken Levine who talks combat!

To quote: You've seen the debut trailer for BioShock Infinite. You've read Creative Director Ken Levine's thoughts on expanding the award-winning formula of BioShock from the murky depths of Rapture to the soaring heights of Columbia.

You've even bookmarked the 10 Things You Should Know About BioShock Infinite article on IrrationalGames.com.

What's left? Watching 10 uninterrupted minutes of BioShock Infinite gameplay video, of course. Get to it!

Irrational Games' Ken Levine was good enough to return to the PlayStation.Blog and answer more questions about BioShock Infinite's gameplay.





While nitty-gritty details such as control layouts and weapon arsenals are still over the horizon -- the game isn't due out until 2012, after all -- Levine was able to shed light on a host of topics including the rollercoaster ride that is Sky-Line combat, long-range sniping in...

144w ago - Today Sony's Senior Social Media Specialist Sid Shuman has shared a BioShock Infinite PS3 gameplay Q&A with Ken Levine alongside some new PlayStation 3 screens, as follows:

I've seen BioShock Infinite in action, and the first-person gameplay featured numerous hallmarks of BioShock as well as intriguing new elements.

In the gameplay scenario I saw, protagonist Booker DeWitt explored the floating city of Columbia before battling a large mob of murderous Columbian citizens using shotguns and hunting rifles. Booker wielded supernatural powers as well, hurling lightning, telekinesis, and flesh-eating crows ala Hitchcock's The Birds.

After locating Elizabeth, the mysterious young woman at the heart of Columbia's internal conflict, Booker's powers grew exponentially. Channeled through Elizabeth, lightning bolts became swirling thunderstorms and telekinesis ripped the environment to tatters.

I spoke with Irrational Games creative director Ken Levine to learn more about BioShock Infinite's gameplay, similarities and differences compared to the original BioShock, and how the suspended city of Columbia presents new opportunities for first-person combat.

Sid Shuman:...

145w ago - Today Sony Senior Social Media Specialist Sid Shuman has confirmed today that BioShock Infinite is coming to PS3, and shared both the first video trailer and details from a Q&A session with Ken Levine as follows:

Before you do anything else, watch the premiere video of the next game from Irrational Games that will land on the PlayStation 3 in 2012. The less you know before watching, the better!

I was fortunate enough to get a few minutes to chat with Ken Levine, Irrational Games' creative director and a key force behind BioShock, in order to delve deeper into the details and inspirations behind the studio's latest creation.





Sid Shuman: So... you guys know how to make an entrance, huh?

Ken Levine, Creative Director, Irrational Games: There's been so much speculation, we wanted to play with people's expectations a little bit. Coming out with a press release isn't very interesting. One of the reasons there's been so much secrecy is that we want people to see the trailer (above) prior to knowing what the game is.

SS: Your new game is quite a dramatic change from BioShock, isn't it?

KL: I think the mission of this studio...