The Interactive Academy of Arts and Sciences has thrown out 12 nominations for BioShock, including one for Best Overall Game of 2007.
BioShock was entertaining, sure. But was it epic? Did it change the face of gaming?
It seems like a lot of sites and so-called gaming journalists got hoodwinked by Ken Levine’s press tour, in which he went around telling everyone that BioShock’s AI was groundbreaking, that the relationships between Big Daddies and Little Sisters were somehow deep and involved, and that the moral choices in the game actually had some effect.
Even I stopped being a bitter asshole for a second and pondered how great the game really was. I think I was wrong. Now that I have returned to my embittered state, I ask: How can a game on a single track with choices that yield no real consequences get so much hype, even this long after its release?
Every time someone mentions BioShock, this video replays in my head:
Former members of the Ken Levine’s BioShock team parted ways with 2K Boston and created their own studio, still under the 2K brand. The new 2K Marin, located in the Bay Area, is looking to hire a Lead Animator and Character Concept Artist.
This news just raises all sorts of questions. Why part ways with a team that has made one of the year’s best selling, critically acclaimed games? Why stay under the same publishing house? My best guess is that one of the design team is working on BioShock 2 while the other team starts a new franchise. Have an idea what they are up to, or speculation? Let us know by leaving a comment.
The funny thing about BioShock is that the first, oh, twenty or so reviews of it on the Internet were all 90% and above ratings. We’ve been ranting and raving about the game here for the past month or so as well, but never asked if we were setting our expectations too high when it came to the launch.
One of the central dilemmas in BioShock, the retro-themed first person shooter from 2K Games, is how to collect ADAM. ADAM is, essentially, currency allowing you to buy mutations for yourself. Everyone wants it, and it’s scarce.
Little Sisters roam around the BioShock world collecting ADAM with Big Daddy guardians. Now, you’re going to kill these Big Daddies, because you need ADAM from Little Sisters. But you get a choice in killing the Little Sisters for all of their ADAM immediately, or freeing them from their curse for less ADAM with a promise of rewards later.
Do good things really come to those who wait? Continued…
Although the servers are back up now, the problems with BioShock highlight the publisher’s dilemma of copy protection for AAA titles. Not only does BioShock require activation, it requires deactivation (through uninstalls)so that it can be reinstalled again. But according to reputable sources, that doesn’t always work either.
Add that to the disgruntled users pre-loading BioShock over Steam and then being unable to play until 4PM EST on Aug. 21, and you’ve got a large amount of angry customers.
A wise man would tell you that DRM / SecureROM / other copy protection schemes just limit legit buyers from playing their games of choice. But that wise man doesn’t need to get paid, either.
The long wait’s over, folks. Today you’ll be able to go down to your favorite electronics store and get a copy of BioShock for the PC or Xbox 360. Additionally, Steam pre-orders will begin unlocking in approximately three hours (12PM PST / 3PM EST). Have a good time in the sunken city of Rapture.
P.S - I think the lowest review this game has gotten was a 90%. While game reviews aren’t everything, that’s still pretty impressive.
The BioShock PC demo is now officially available for download. You can snag the weighty 1.84gb download at a number of different places: 3D Downloads, AusGamers, FanGaming, FilePlanet (registration required), and Gamer’s Hell.
Have fun and tell us what you think. The full game comes out tomorrow on store shelves.
If you enjoy being teased, or simply have no way to get to a game store, you’ll be interested to know that BioShock (PC) is available for pre-purchase on Steam for $49.99.
This way, the game can sit on your hard drive, taunting you, until it’s unlocked next week. Naturally, you give up the box and manual, but a collection of mere paper and cardboard isn’t the objective. It’s the experience that matters.
Since we’re only a week away from the official BioShock release, multitudes of reviews have been filtering out over the web — and the game has yet to post under a 95% anywhere.
Naturally, the Big Daddy is pleased, but this is something else. Someone has to hate this game … right? Continued…
It looks like the party’s over for those gamers that still wanted to get an early copy of BioShock. 1UP reports that internal Toys ‘R Us emails have begun circulating, reminding employees that they shouldn’t be selling the game after all.
2K Games appears to be pretty peeved over the whole ordeal, but there are some lucky few gamers out there who managed to snag a copy before the other shoe dropped. Congrats, guys. The rest of us have to wait a whole week to get our grubby paws on it.
Some ham-handed Toys R’ Us employees put BioShock for the Xbox 360 on store shelves early here in the U.S, and there are strong rumors flying around that the game is now shipping to all stores as a result.
Daniel from the7gamers.com has compiled a list of evidence, saying that the BioShock TV commercial says “Available Now,” which is different from previous commercials. He also claims to have gotten “semi-official” confirmation from 2K Games that BioShock is shipping.
As Daniel notes, this could be a clever strategy to ride the wave of hype after the demo. Generally, when one store breaks the street date, it’s open season for the game. We’ll keep you updated.
…you’d slam hapless fools into walls and windows like the Big Daddy from BioShock in this demo footage. Just check out that dive suit — it was made for destruction.
As the video shows, the Big Daddy is not to be trifled with. But you can fool him in a number of different ways not shown here, such as impersonating a Little Sister (no, you don’t dress up in a schoolgirl outfit). Watch the video.
Former members of the Ken Levine’s BioShock team parted ways with 2K Boston and created their own studio, still under the 2K brand. The new 2K Marin, located in the Bay Area, is looking to hire a Lead Animator and Character Concept Artist.
One of the central dilemmas in BioShock, the retro-themed first person shooter from 2K Games, is how to collect ADAM. ADAM is, essentially, currency allowing you to buy mutations for yourself. Everyone wants it, and it’s scarce.
