The Irrational Games website is about secrets.
Secrets. We’ve all got ‘em. When we ship a box to GameStop or Best Buy, it’s only part of the story. There are so many secret elements that go into our games. There are the levels that got cut. There are the monsters that died in childbirth. There are the million interactions a development team has in the long, frustrating, terrifying and often thrilling process of making a video game.
Some of you first heard about us when we released BioShock. Some of you have known us since our first game back in 1999, System Shock 2. Many members of the Irrational team have been with us since either the beginning or damned close to it. Some of them have come on board more recently. They all have a part to play in the development of this website. You’ll hear their voices – quite literally in the case of our “Irrational Behavior” podcast .You’ll get to see some ideas that never made it in our “From the Vault” section that launches next week. You’ll get to hang out with the team in our forums-and there you’ll get to tell us what you think as well. And we’ll be listening.
And yes, we will tell you about the game we’re working on right now. Just not today.
kimschnitzel | January 13, 2010 8:09 am
Since I am writing this to trigger my first forum achievement, I am wondering what would happen if ingame achievements tied back into this forum.
In any event, I think it is great Irrational opens itself up beyond basic self-marketing interests. Socializing FTW!
acare84 | January 13, 2010 9:06 am
Great, now we are waiting your new projects.
jorune2112 | January 13, 2010 11:42 am
Freedom force 3 please.
neutral | January 13, 2010 12:32 pm
SWAT5. Just make it and publish it, i’m buying it original ;D. And dont screw servers up like IW with MW2.. Make online like SWAT4 and everything’s gonna be OK
drewjamicks | January 13, 2010 3:17 pm
Love the new website.
Good luck on future projects, I’m looking forward to them as Irrational is a quality studio.
wrsjacky | January 13, 2010 4:33 pm
Hey all
Playing swat4 since 5 years now, i hope to see a new swat5 incoming soon becasue this game is the most tactical game ever seen on computer
Some games are probably nice but quickly boring, SWAT is awesome and need a big big strategy !!! PLZ WZ NEED A NEW SAWT !!!
Don’t forget to visit us at : http://www.wrswarriors.co.nr
slaygirl | January 13, 2010 4:49 pm
Come on give us hardcore Swat fans what we want
Give us SWAT 5
http://www.swtclan.net
sfxromano | January 13, 2010 6:01 pm
Kevin, the new site looks great. Really good to hear Irrational is back (even though technically, you guys were here all along). I can’t wait to see what’s coming out of the studio, I’m sure it’ll be great.
rapturequest | January 13, 2010 10:31 pm
Thanks for this! Irrational FTW
ptrek85 | January 13, 2010 11:43 pm
Congrats on the site and good luck with your unannounced game. I’m looking forward to the “From the Vault” section as well as more Irrational Behavior podcasts.
number47 | January 14, 2010 5:49 am
YYYYYYYEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!! IRRRAAAATTIONALL IS BAAAACK!!! [Shouted in a high pitch voice].
My favorite studio of ALL times. Noone comes even close.
More excited about the next game announcement, than anything out there!
armchair | January 14, 2010 2:12 pm
Love the new site, Ken and co. It matches my eyes.
fourzerotwo | January 15, 2010 9:11 pm
Unrelated to your post, just wanted to say “bravo!” on the avatar. Just bought a print of that for my house. Love it.
tracy888 | January 14, 2010 4:24 pm
Welcome back, Irrational!
number47 | January 14, 2010 4:30 pm
Ken, I know you cn’t announce any details on your upcoming game, but could please put me at ease and tell us if you as a studio are still committed to the PC?
neuroman42 | January 14, 2010 4:57 pm
Irrational Studios and Ken are some of the best Nerds around. I cannot wait for the great games you will bring us in the future.
derubermax | January 14, 2010 5:17 pm
Awesome new site Ken. You guys are quickly becoming the most respected studio in the industry!
bowser | January 14, 2010 6:44 pm
To be able to hear what goes on in the studios…what an awesome privilege!
This site rocks! This studio rocks! Life is good!
GeoLoLJ | January 14, 2010 8:47 pm
This is my first post ever in your web site. Just wanted to say that we love you
Keep the spirit up.
IG.Ken | January 14, 2010 8:57 pm
No comments on the new game yet, sorry guys and girls. But this is the year we start talking. You can take that to the bank! (Well, at least to Bear Stearns).
number47 | January 15, 2010 1:51 am
Well could you at least tell us if the studio as an entity on its own are still committed to bringing games, in general, to the PC? I know that you can’t/won’t say anything about the new game, but if you suddenly went all console only it would be a sad day for me at least
axident | January 15, 2010 8:43 pm
I’ll be taking that to the bank; short on money…
spearro | January 14, 2010 11:08 pm
Whatever it is it’s the game I am most looking forward to, along with Half-Life 2: Episode 3 … wow two unannounced games are my most anticipated. It’ll be a long wait!
jillaman | January 15, 2010 12:34 am
Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet Can’t wait!!!
cabrazzi | January 15, 2010 6:41 pm
I just wanna say thanks for caring enough about your true fans and giving us a common place to share our thoughts and excitement about your upcoming projects. I think the site looks great and I can’t wait to see how it evolves. Long live Irrational Games!!!!
fourzerotwo | January 15, 2010 9:07 pm
I’m really impressed with the site and the amount of engagement there is. Really inspirational and completely irrational (in the good way).
wouldyoukindly | January 16, 2010 11:37 am
who doesnt like to get irrational every now and then
mrfizzy89 | January 17, 2010 2:21 am
Yeah! This site is quite impressive i must say. First of its kind iv ever come across. Congrats on getting it going and good luck in the future!
jaxx | January 17, 2010 7:10 pm
Another game in any of your famous series would be great, but I’m also looking for some new IP’s too!
aussienutz | January 18, 2010 2:52 am
Remake System shock 2. Nothing like running your butt of from a rumbler =x
krankor | January 18, 2010 8:43 am
Ken … mucho thanks for bringing back Irrational!
2 questions for ya ..
1) is 2K Boston officially dead/closed? or will Irrational live alongside 2K Boston? If it’s gone, you must have some pull to buck the 2K trend!
2) I understand you don’t have to rights to System Shock, and I understand you’ve made your “successor” to it in Bioshock, but if you could, *would* you revisit Hacker/Shodan/Xerxes/etc? Or, in your mind, have you closed that door?
Thanks again! and let me add one more pat on the back for all you folks have done …
desmond24 | January 18, 2010 1:14 pm
Hey, great new site guys! most developers don’t do stuff like this. can’t wait to see what you guys come up with next.
IG.Ken | January 18, 2010 3:33 pm
====1) is 2K Boston officially dead/closed? or will Irrational live alongside 2K Boston? If it’s gone, you must have some pull to buck the 2K trend!
Not sure what you mean? Irrational became 2k boston and is now Irrational again. Unless there’s some dudes hiding under the floorboards we don’t know about?
xenolith | January 18, 2010 6:09 pm
The name Irrational Games means more to me than Boston 2K. Congratulations on getting your identity back.
mingo | January 18, 2010 6:32 pm
I think it’s an axiom that video games are more limited in where they can go with story than other storytelling mediums. Even though this has been debated before it would seem that it would be easy enough to make this case: who wants to play games about strictly a love story or a personal drama about coming of age, etc?
However, the craft of sincerely attempting to harvest interesting and original stories from the pallet that exists for interactive entertainment is something that should garner our deepest respect. It is, in many ways, the tougher craft, I should think.
Sure, you developers could keep re-hashing the same stuff perpetually but with Bioshock you have proven you haven’t the stomach for apathy when it comes to story ideas. I have no idea what the sequel to Bioshock is supposed to be like, but I think it would be great if it were a philosophical COUNTERPART to the first one, rather than a continuation of what happens in that world.
You have shown us what you think could happen in the Ayn Randian ideal of private law, but what would happen if Thomas More’s antithetical “Utopia” actually saw the light of day (or the dark of the deep ocean)? Or a true New World Order where a single government decides who gets what and the products of labor are not privately owned?
What’s great is you guys have inspired us to think about the “what could be” in games rather than just “Hey, nice graphics!” So, thank you for being cool
Also, here’s hoping you developers actually read some of these posts sometimes.
borrego | January 20, 2010 12:11 am
I’ve played lots of games, but only a handful have impressed me the way BioShock has. It truly is one of the greatest works of all time. Love this website, Mr. Levine (or just Ken, whichever).
scooter67 | January 20, 2010 10:57 am
I wish more game developers would do stuff like this! It would be awesome! =]
ianwojo | January 20, 2010 1:21 pm
sweet, is it maybe project icarus?
vlovesgod | January 20, 2010 2:44 pm
I CAN’T WAiT TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE NEW GAME COMiNG OUT!!
<3 <3 <3
samitas | January 21, 2010 2:52 am
HEY SONS STEP ASIDE LET ME SPEAK
SIR LEVINE YOU MUST MAKE A NEW XCOM LIKE 1 AND 2 WAS WITH THE ADDITION OF CORPORATIONS FROM 3 AND TONS OF ALIENS TO DISECT MULTIPLE MISSIONS SO IT WONT GET BORING LIKE SAVE THE PRESIDENT FROM ALIENS TERROR MISSIONS TERROR SITES MINERAL THEFT AND SO ON.
WE NEED A NEW XCOM
adamthenerd | January 22, 2010 3:35 am
The day I heard about “Irrational Games” returning to the scene was the happiest day of my life. And I’ve lived over 20 centuries.
FOR FREEDOM!
IG.Ken | January 22, 2010 4:12 am
How about we make a new “Bad Dudes” game? Because President Ronnie has, indeed, been kidnapped by ninjas.
deadfred11 | January 22, 2010 5:03 pm
still watin for bioshock 2 only 1week left of watin
ig.mattboehm | January 22, 2010 5:17 pm
Ken, you tease. Are we bad enough dudes to rescue Ronnie?
sinon | January 22, 2010 8:33 pm
Listening to System Shock 2 soundtrack on my headset and found my way here.
Great Site
igcphantom | January 23, 2010 10:32 am
Can’t wait to play Bioshock 2 it looks amazing
davepd1977 | January 23, 2010 6:38 pm
It’s “System Shock 3″ and everyone knows it. That’s why “Bioshock 2″ has been sublet overseas for another party to develop it. This is kind of like, “Treyarch and Infinity ward” swapping Call of Duty titles every other year. 2K Bos. does Bioshock, Bioshock 2 goes overseas so Irrational can work on the game they always intended to make, “System Shock 3″. Another reason this makes sense is all in the name. Bioshock was no big deal. A new IP, being developed by a faction of 2k games. It’s all good. But!!!!, when you work on a project as ambitious as a System Shock 3, you can’t let fans of the old believe the game is being created by a bunch of clueless artists and designers. Hence, the renaming of “Irrational games”. Let the old fans no your back and in the drivers seat……I hope i’m right!!
tormentor | February 10, 2010 8:33 pm
You guys are awesome!! System Shock 3 please!!!!
sanzee | February 11, 2010 12:07 pm
Your true genius comes not from the ability to write characters to life, but the ability to allow characters to write themselves alive. Truly believable characters already exist, whether on the outskirts of our imagination or as a legion of riveting emotions. You do not create, Mr. Levine. You organize. You shape the worst of human qualities into a single, fleshy mass. You own personal Monster. And that’s what makes your work so fascinating. There is not a single, unrealistic quality about your rather supernaturalistic method of storytelling. It is the unknown, but it is a human. And to breath the human element into the deepest shade of darkness in such a calm and collective manner is nothing short of brilliant. For the first time in my life, I believed–no I knew the possibility of this kind of evil. Like every great story before it, Bioshock eventually came to an end. And the truth of reality instantly flooded through every vein. But during my journey into the depths of Rapture, it was the combination of those moments that defined the testimony of men. That he is evil. And for that single, defining 14-Hour moment I truly believed it. My faith in this sort of evil was never questioned. It simply was. For I had faith no longer. Thank you for your work, Ken. I look forward to seeing what mysteries lie behind the scarlet Irrational Curtain.
albto | February 12, 2010 12:33 am
i just gotta mention that im very sad that you guys didnt work on bioshock… =(
albto | February 12, 2010 12:34 am
bioshock 2 lol
liamhart1 | February 17, 2010 1:23 am
you guys are great at coming up with things, revolutionary stuff you guys are, would you kindly make swat 5.
mekcasig | February 25, 2010 11:37 am
I love Bioshock… great game.
pablopedro | March 2, 2010 11:24 am
HEy!!!!.. i need to contact KEN for an international congress in southAMERICA plas help me!!! my email justgod_86@hotmail.com thnaks XD!!