It all started with a shopping list. “We brought the range master in and showed him the weapons we had in our game” says Scott Haraldsen, Audio Lead. “He then came up with the guns he thought would provide the desired sounds.” Of course, the world of Columbia isn’t a mirror image of 1912 America, and even if it were, finding perfectly operational 1912 era guns and ammunition isn’t easy. “We didn’t necessarily use the exact guns, but rather, guns that gave us the sounds we were looking for. We got a list, got coordinated, and went out and had a blast … literally.”

The audio team not only set up the field recordings, they fired the weapons personally.  Just to be sure they got the right sound, of course. Of the weapons at their disposal, they were particularly excited to fire a Barrett M82 .50 caliber sniper rifle – and with good reason. The M82 is one of the most well-known firearms in the world, in part because of its imposing ammunition, the 4-inch long 50 caliber Browning machine gun round. This go-to long range sniper rifle for the U.S. military represents a level of power that is not easily found elsewhere, with an effective range of over a mile.

Imagine the reaction, then, of Audio Director, Patrick Balthrop, who had never fired a gun. Any gun.

“Holy sh*t.”

“When I shot that gun, I was in position. I had that thing right up against my shoulder,” recalls Balthrop. “When I pulled the trigger, the chair I was sitting on moved back about six inches.” It was like learning to drive in a car that just happens to be a Maserati.

“It’s not even hearing,” says Music Director, Jim Bonney. “It’s experiencing.” The team had never experienced anything as loud as the .50 cal, and with each shot thundering from the sniper rifle, they’d jump and giggle. Despite the mental preparations and expectations, the shockwave from the Barrett would get the better of everyone; time and again.

Even though the team was excited about the Barrett, it wasn’t necessarily the team’s favorite firearm from their hard-working day of shooting – and recording – at the gun range.    For Senior Sound Designer, Jeff Seamster, that honor went to the Mauser C-96 pistol, a semi-automatic pistol first produced in 1896. Until the introduction of the .357 Magnum, it was the most powerful handgun in the world, but nobody on the team had ever even seen one in real life. Though the final sound effects will be enhanced and crafted from these original recordings, the Mauser was unlike any other weapon on the range that day, and will contribute a unique element to Infinite’s sound arsenal.

However, it was a weapon familiar to any gamer that Jeff may remember most: the AR-15. A civilian version of the military M16, this particular AR-16 was nicknamed “Skittles,” and it was a crowd pleaser.  “It was the closest thing to the weaponry in modern combat that we shot,” Seamster explains. “Any of us who has played Call of Duty or Battlefield know this gun from using it in-game. We were just wowed. This is it – this is a gun that I’ve only fired before in a video game. It’s something else.”

Be sure to check back next week for part three, in which our heroes put it all together.

“We basically gathered up all the gear we had, made an assessment and chose the best layout,” explains Audio Lead Scott Haraldsen. The layout that was settled on was fairly robust, allowing a great range of audio frequencies to be captured, and the options the team had afterwards were certainly inspiring when dealing with the task at hand. Four mics were dedicated to close-weapon recordings, with several stereo recorders placed throughout the range – 150 feet away pointing at the weapon, 300 feet downrange pointed away from the guns, and an omni-directional mic right in the center of the field.

The reasoning behind this approach is to capture the entire dynamic soundscape. While some of the mics placed further downrange would capture the echo from the weapons, the ones placed a bit closer to the source would be able to best capture the immediate transients.

When the team focused on the finer details of the sounds a gun makes, they also noticed that there are specific audio characteristics, giving each weapon its own personality. When someone listens to a gun being fired from a few feet away, there’s that distinct, sharp pop most associate with it, but when shooting the guns themselves, a new experience awaited. When firing a weapon, the team could hear all the fine mechanical sounds the weapon had to offer. They’d be able to hear all the metal parts moving around, even hearing the bullet leaving the chamber, all over that small timeframe.

“There’s a lot of action taking place, so there are interesting characteristics that you’d never really know about without firing a gun,” Audio Principal Patrick Balthrop said. “What makes a gun sound interesting from first person is actually how the gun is designed; the mechanics of it, the materials of the gun – metal, wood, the actual firing mechanism. It’s possible to record that stuff, but we decided to take what we heard in first person and design those intricacies later.”

After hearing those mechanical sounds when firing these guns, the team opted to ensure these characteristics were properly captured. The mechanical action of each weapon was recorded separately from the firing session since the sound of the gunfire was overwhelming the microphones. “To make all of our guns feel more tactile, we’re building a lot of that mechanical action back into the guns, because otherwise it would have been missed,” says Senior Sound Designer Jeff Seamster. “When you’re holding a machine gun and you’re aiming down the sights, we want this to feel like this jangling, unstable machine in your hands, so you’re getting that nice clack each time the slide comes back. Each time you have a grip or a piece of hardware jingling on the side makes the guns feel that much more visceral, exciting and dangerous.”

Be sure to check back next week for part two of our trip to the gun range, in which our heroes pull the trigger.

During the Irrational Games Voice Actor panel at PAX Prime 2011, there were a lot of great questions from those in attendance, questions we sadly couldn’t answer due to a lack of time. Fortunately, we heard many of them from the Irrational Games community, so we decided to pay tribute to our fans in this latest installment of Irrational Interviews by going straight to the source for the answers.

In this episode, Creative Director Ken Levine is joined by BioShock Infinite voice actors Troy Baker (Booker DeWitt) and Courtnee Draper (Elizabeth), as they tackle questions taken directly from our audience. Things kick off with Ken, Troy and Courtnee discussing the process of voice acting, how they approach their characters in BioShock Infinite, the emotions involved in a memorable performance, and even the collaborative process between the actors and director.

The podcast closes out as our trio explores how their characters evolve over the project, and how they identify with them as they become more familiar with the roles. Each person has a different perspective on how they learn about the characters, but the actors are able to shape the Booker and Elizabeth relationship as they build the connection between each other.

Share your thoughts about this podcast in the comments below, or head over to the forums for a more in-depth discussion.

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• Produced by James Bonney, Eduardo Vasconcellos, and Julian Murdoch
• Editing by Ant Bear Audio
• Music courtesy of The Happy Hollows

Are you going to need to complete the game to unlock 1999 Mode or is it available from day one?
-Facebook User Brandon Jackson

Bill Gardner: 1999 Mode doesn’t require you to complete the game before you can experience it. However, since we don’t want just anybody stumbling across it by accident and getting overwhelmed, we’re toying with the idea of “unlocking” it from the main menu. I’m sure you can imagine some ways we might do that.

Will it have a limited number saves, or designated save points, or anything that interferes with saving your game?
-Facebook User Sam Gross

Bill Gardner: We have no plans to change the save system. We felt that this would not enhance the experience we’re going for with 1999 Mode.

Many regret adding weapon degeneration in SShock2, but I loved that disadvantage. Will there be weapon degen in 1999 Mode?
-Twitter user acantophis3rd

Bill Gardner: Weapon degeneration won’t be a feature in 1999 Mode.

Will this harder mode make the enemies smarter or merely tougher and more accurate like many games do?
-Irrational Games user danielhill

Bill Gardner: The scarcity of resources and the fact that you’re having to deal with enemies using the tools you’ve specialized in make the enemies feel a lot tougher. That said, we’re not changing the enemies on a behavioral level. Things like health and accuracy will be tuned differently, but enemies won’t be using any screw attacks, showing off fancy new abilities or anything like that.

I had understood that the Nostrums were a permanent modification of the player character, as opposed to the Tonics of BioShock which could be swapped out at a Gene Bank. If the permanent player mods are in the 1999 Mode, does that mean that Nostrums in the regular version are modifiable?
-Irrational Games user 1019ice

Bill Gardner: One of our goals in BioShock Infinite is to give your choices more meaning across the board. Nostrums are permanent choices in every mode. However, in 1999 Mode, we take this even further by raising the stakes and make it so that if you’re not specializing in something, you’re really not going to be use that tool effectively (be it a weapon, vigor or other tool). Your choices push you towards specific play styles, and these are choices you’re going to need to commit to. Once you walk down a path, it’s going to be very difficult, if not impossible, to change course.

Besides the experience and ultimate bragging rights, would 1999 Mode have a payoff you’d miss in a normal playthrough?
-Twitter user phonehands

Bill Gardner: Aside from the zen of achieving such a masterful feat? Yes, we’ll have regular achievements/trophies as well.

Does higher difficulty imply enemies will become bullet sponges or more aggressive / intelligent / numerous?
-Twitter user Frobitz

Bill Gardner: We have a bunch of ways we’re adjusting how deadly they are. The mode isn’t about introducing new content. Rather, it’s about approaching decisions with more caution. You have to choose which fights you can take on, along with which tools to specialize in, while committing to a long-term strategy.

For more info on the BioShock Infinite 1999 Mode, Bill and Ken Levine answer some questions to provide some additional reading:

BioShock Infinite Gets Hardcore – IGN
BioShock Infinite’s 1999 Mode Forces You To Live With Your Choices – G4
Ken Levine On BioShock Infinite’s 1999 Mode – Game Informer

You can ask us your questions via our Twitter account, our Facebook page, or you can simply add them to the comments section below. Your questions will be answered in a blog post early next week, so be sure to get them in before it’s too late!

Back in December, there was a survey from us here at Irrational to better understand how you play games. We had a hunch about a new feature for BioShock Infinite, and we built this survey to see if it’s something that our fans wanted. The results of the survey are in and we heard what you want loud and clear, which is why we’re proud to announce something new for the game: 1999 Mode!

BioShock Infinite’s 1999 Mode will feature an especially demanding gaming experience, forcing you to examine your decisions while going through your adventure in Columbia. With every choice you make, there are irreversible implications, and if your choices guide you down a path not suited to your play style, you will suffer for it.

It’s not simply a matter of adjusting the difficulty sliders in the game – the team went much further than that. Resource planning? If you’re to survive this mode, proper planning will be crucial. Combat specializations? You’ll need to develop them efficiently and effectively throughout the story; any weapon will be useless to you unless you have that specialization. Combat? You will need to carefully target every shot, and your health will be set to an entirely different baseline. Game saves? Well, yes, there will be those, but according to Irrational Games Creative Director Ken Levine “there are game saves, and you’re gonna f***ing need them.”

“We want to give our oldest and most committed fans an option to go back to our roots,” said Levine. “In 1999 Mode, gamers face more of the permanent consequences of their gameplay decisions. In BioShock Infinite, gamers will have to sweat out the results of their actions. In addition, 1999 Mode will demand that players pick specializations, and focus on them.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

“If you’re not freaking psyched for BioShock Infinite, you may be missing some synapses in your mind grapes. Exploring the twisted, floating world of Columbia is something we can’t wait to do.” – IGN.com

“Where Rapture introduced us to an underwater dystopia filled with drugged riddled enemies, here we will be plunged into a civil war featuring sky mortars, ultranationalists who can summon flocks of crows, and varied automata resembling circus strongmen and the Maltese Falcon. We’re eagerly looking forward to what is next for this franchise.” – 1up.com

“Set in 1912, the action takes place in Columbia, a huge floating city constructed by the U.S. government as a lofty tribute to American ideals. Of course, this being a BioShock game, wrinkles abound: rival factions vie for ultimate control of Columbia even as the airborne community passes through rifts in the space-time continuum (occasionally placing its citizens at various points in time, including the early 1980s). If nothing else, Infinite has origins perhaps unique in the annals of gaming: lead designer Ken Levine got the central idea of his game while watching a history documentary on PBS.” – Time.com

“It’s tough to downplay the insane amount of hype that BioShock Infinite has around it, but it’s one of the only game franchises that really deserves it. Because the original had such an engaging storyline, brilliant art direction, and fantastic gameplay, we can only assume BioShock Infinite will deliver in all these areas and more.” – Cnet.com

“Returning to the BioShock helm is game designer Ken Levine, who dazzled players five years ago with the first chapter of this amazing franchise. There’s also the dizzying combat while riding the city’s skylines.” – USA Today

“Bioshock Infinite has been wowing audiences since its announcement in 2010 and has already won numerous awards even before its official release next year. Taking the action from underwater to the skies, creator Ken Levine is hoping fans will embrace the new direction and explore the new setting.” – CNN

“As if I wasn’t already champing at the bit for this after talking with the director and his voice cast, the latest trailer has me jonesing even harder. Listening to the Elizabeth character sing ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken’ gives me goosebumps.” – WIRED & ArsTechnica

“But with creative director Ken Levine and the team at Irrational back behind the wheel, there is a definite buzz surrounding the development of BioShock Infinite, which trades the dark ocean depths for the blue skies and American Exceptionalism of the early 1900s.” – VentureBeat

“Infinite moves the action backwards in time and up in the air, sending you on a mission to the fascinating steampunk air-metropolis called Columbia. It’s like a secret adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s Against the Day!” – Entertainment Weekly

“Expect imaginative design, compelling themes, and nail-biting gameplay to power Infinite to early Game of the Year consideration.” – Yahoo!

“Featuring an all-new setting and cast of characters, BioShock Infinite looks to take storytelling in games to another level.” – Game Informer

““There’s political and class warfare going on in the story, an AI companion in Elizabeth that seems like she’s really going to push the boundaries of anything we’ve seen before, the creepiness of the Songbird, and just the fact the game looks so damn pretty.” – Official Xbox Magazine

“It’s hard to not be excited for Bioshock Infinite, and when a game looks that good, it’s hard not to take notice.” – MediaKick

“BioShock has never been a series that shies away from moral decision making either and it will be the player’s choice whether to risk hurting their vulnerable partner in exchange for the extra power wielded.” – TheSixthAxis

“Columbia looks to be one of the most artistically realized settings in the history of gaming, and BioShock’s classic guns-meet-plasmids gameplay makes this our most anticipated game of 2012.” – VGChartz

BioShock Infinite was also named as a most anticipated game for 2012 at:
GameSpot.com
MSNBC.com
Complex.com
Videogamer.com
GeekSugar.com
Amazon.com

One of the largest facets of the video game industry lies with the various game conventions that all developers must attend in order to show off their wares. Throughout the history of Irrational, the minds behind the games would often travel to the various gaming shows throughout the year, giving them unique experiences, including past events where some team members attended as part of the press. Not only did the team get to meet some of their heroes from the industry, but they also gained invaluable lessons when examining the wins, the failures, and the gaps between making and promoting a game.

• Part 1: The First Con – Ken Levine, Nate Wells
• Part 2: The Middle Years – Ken Levine, Nate Wells, Shawn Robertson, Chris Kline
• Part 3: Showing BioShock Infinite – Ken Levine, Nate Wells, Shawn Robertson, Chris Kline
• Part 4: The Other Side – Shawn Elliott, Joe Fielder, Chris Remo
• Part 5: Press Past – Shawn Elliott, Joe Fielder, Chris Remo
• Part 6: Covering Conventions – Shawn Elliott, Joe Fielder, Chris Remo

Be sure to let us know what you think in the forums, and in the comments section below!

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• Podcast produced by James Bonney and Shawn Elliott.
• Editing by Ant Bear Audio.

Podcast music provided by:

• Signal Hill (Theme music)
• Cathode Rays (Part 1 intro)
• The Monolaters (Part 2 intro)
• The Monolaters (Part 3 intro)
• Cathode Rays (Part 4 intro)
• Justin Schwenk (Part 5 intro)
• Signal Hill (Credits music)

Click here to view the embedded video.

As you can see, Xander put in quite a bit of care while making these, mixing and matching parts while improvising for the rest. The end result isn’t just any army, it’s a formidable force straight out of the depths of Rapture. Be sure to head over to The Warhammer Forum to get a deeper look at all of Xander’s work, while finding out all the details on how these modded miniatures were created.

Whatever could it mean? There’s one way to find out! Be sure to tune into the 2011 Video Game Awards this Saturday, December 10 at 8pm ET / 5 pm PT for the world premiere of the new trailer for BioShock Infinite.

As we journey towards the end of 2011, we’re entering the season of reflection, gazing at the past year, and looking forward to the next. While we’re in the thick of creating BioShock Infinite, one common thought occurred as we reminisce about this past year: We’d love nothing more than to better understand how you play games.

To do just that, we’ve created this survey to help us get a better grasp on what’s important to you, our wonderful fans. To take this survey, simply head to survey.irrationalgames.com – It only takes a few moments of your time, and better yet, it’s your chance to be heard!

As you may already know, Levine embraces all facets of nerd-dom, but in this interview, you’ll find out a bit more about why he loves geek culture, and why there’s no shame in that. If you’ve ever wondered a bit about Ken’s youth, how he got into writing, or if you’d simply like to know about some of the influences found in BioShock Infinite, this article may be well worth your time.

Click here for the full interview on the PlayStation Blog.

With the 1893 World’s Fair used as an influence, the discussion turned to the famous Columbian Exposition, examining how some ideas found in BioShock Infinite stemmed from the work of Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse. “When you go back to that time period and start examining the fiction being written, the art, the early science-fiction – there were all these images of cities floating in the sky,” says Creative Director Ken Levine. “That’s where we got this idea from, and really ran with it.”

Care to discover more about the influences of BioShock Infinite? Would you simply like to know how some pioneers of science helped direct the creation of Booker and Elizabeth’s adventure in Columbia? Head over to the Geek Out blog on CNN for the entire interview.

Guillermo del Toro is known for films like Blade 2, Pan’s Labyrinth and the Hellboy series, bringing a specific brand of horror to his works, but it’s his passion for the nerd culture and a love for games that has guided him to where he is today.

In this second part of our Guillermo del Toro interview, Creative Director Ken Levine chats with Guillermo about what’s necessary to tell a story in a brand new medium, and how he’s adapting to the gaming industry to ensure his upcoming projects live up to his standards. These two narrators also discuss how to tell stories in various mediums, and how flexibility and dedication are necessities to the creative process.

To close out the interview, Ken and Guillermo return to the concept of passion, and how hard work and persistence will lead to bigger and better things.“At the end of the day, it’s about love. You can love wherever you are and you can love whatever you’re doing,” says del Toro. “I don’t want to sound like Mr. Chirpy, but put your shoulder to it, and put your heart into it.”

Share your thoughts about this podcast in the comments below, or head over to the forums for a more in-depth discussion.

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• Produced by James Bonney & Julian Murdoch
• Editing by Ant Bear Audio
• Music courtesy of The Happy Hollows

Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

Originally, we planned for 1st and 2nd place winners in both categories but due to lack of submissions in the BioShock Infinite category we have no 2nd place.

Category: BioShock Infinite

1st Place

Character: Elizabeth (Game Informer cover variation)

Submitted by:Katherine J.

———————————————————————————————-

Category: Original BioShock

1st Place

Character: Plaster Spider Splicer

Submitted by: Rachel B.

2nd Place

Character: Baby Jane Splicer

Submitted by: Fiona D.

Just after the launch of System Shock 2, Irrational Games had the opportunity to make its first console game, and the team had something just in mind. The Lost was Irrational’s new adventure being built for the PlayStation 2, and eventually the XBox, incorporating influences from across the spectrum. “The Lost was a bit of everything,” Gardner recalls about the adventure/horror project. “It was Silent Hill meets Zelda meets Devil May Cry in the sense that it was a series of levels in linear fashion, but within the levels, there was freedom.”

In the summer of 2003, the small team finished production on The Lost, but it was never published in North America. In the end, Irrational decided the game wasn’t up to their quality standards.

In 2005, things changed for The Lost when Irrational’s Creative Director Ken Levine met the CEO of a development studio in India called FXLabs. This fellow was hoping to bring more of the gaming industry to the Indian market. The pitch was to take the final finished version of The Lost, port it to PC only, and repurpose the game for the Indian market. The idea was approved, and localization of this port was under way.

“They spent about a year or so after we gave them all game assets and they periodically checked in,” says Gardner. “Finally, someone sent around a link to this YouTube video of the trailer for the game, and it had a bunch of Bollywood actors in it. There was this really well known Bollywood actress in the lead role, and just to see their spin on the game was a bit of cross-culture shock.”

*Disclaimer: We don’t speak the language, so we have no idea of what’s being said in this video. We apologize in advance if this is offensive to anyone in any way.

Click here to view the embedded video.

A few months later, The Lost was released and a few team members managed to get copies for themselves. Gardner recalls how surreal it was to the western eye, as the game was more or less the same when it came to the design. Beat for beat, the game was the same – the flow, the level structure, the weapons remained unchanged, but it was repurposed and redubbed for a different market. “You’re playing this game, this otherworldly version of a game you spent a couple of years working on, and it’s just weird,” comments Gardner. “You can’t wrap your head around how bizarre this is.”

With all the considerations and frustrations involved, this hasn’t turned the team off in the slightest. In fact, Gardner has found the upside to it all. “We wouldn’t have been able to make BioShock if it weren’t for The Lost. In a lot of ways, it was what BioShock wound up becoming. We had said with The Lost, we wanted to take a lot of what made System Shock 2 successful,” says the design director. “We learned so much from it, and learning to interface on a console game, while accounting for the tech aspects and considerations on all sides was, frankly, helpful.”

We stumbled upon this first piece on DeviantArt featuring Elizabeth from BioShock Infinite – while it’s a simple portrait, all the care and fine detail DeviantArt user Huzaa put into this depiction of Columbia’s mysterious young lady makes it truly shine.

Another piece of artwork arrived at the Irrational Games offices, this time, in the form of a poster. Created by Irrational fan Dan Lebl, this a piece is inspired by the propaganda imagery found within BioShock Infinite, and it’s focusing on events that occur prior to the events of the game. Needless to say, we were wowed when this arrived at the office.

You may have seen our final piece a few weeks back – it’s a vinylmation replica of Andrew Ryan from BioShock, created by custom toy artist Joe of War. As it turns out, this vinylmation version of Rapture’s head honcho was actually commissioned by an Irrational fan as a gift for Irrational’s Ken Levine, which he received at this year’s New York Comic Con. It’s now proudly displayed for all at Irrational Games to see.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The People Behind Booker and Elizabeth Part 1

Simply go to the VGA Website and click on your choice for most anticipated game – easy, right? BioShock Infinite is up against an impressive list of nominees, and every vote counts. Be sure to vote before it’s too late! The winner will be announced during the 2011 Video Game Awards, airing on Saturday, December 10 at 8pm ET, 5pm PT on Spike TV.

Take a look at the new episode of Off Book from PBS Arts and let us know what you think in the comments section below!

Gotta catch ‘em all!

I could go for some toast.

Ready for the ball.

Producer Joe Fielder approves of Lead Programmer John Abercrombie’s Joe Fielder costume. The real question is: Which is which?

A Silence for the good Doctor.

This is just a taste of what to expect – you can see the full Irrational Games Halloween 2011 gallery on our Flickr feed here.

Guillermo del Toro is known for films like Blade 2, Pan’s Labyrinth and the Hellboy series, bringing a specific brand of horror to his works, but it’s his passion for the nerd culture and a love for games that has guided him to where he is today.

For this Halloween installment of Irrational Interviews, Creative Director Ken Levine had a chance to sit down with this master of horror to talk about how to tell a frightening story, and how to create a character that is a monster to better suit the narrative at hand. Levine and del Toro also chat about the concept of passion, passion for what they do, and how that kind of enthusiasm helps on each project they work on.

“Films are fantastic – they are one of the peaks of human narrative. But I’m sorry to break the news to the movie industry: So is a video game.” – Guillermo del Toro

Share your thoughts about this podcast in the comments below, or head over to the forums for a more in-depth discussion.

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• Produced by James Bonney & Chris Remo
• Editing by Ant Bear Audio
• Music courtesy of The Happy Hollows

“The only thing we’re afraid of is losing things we have. You can’t be afraid of losing something you don’t have. If you don’t have a family, you don’t have any concern about losing them. You have to create a sense of stakes.” – Ken Levine

The ideas of loss and the unknown are just a few of the topics covered, with Levine explaining why they’re so potent in the horror genre, and how that’s reflected with the characters of Booker and Elizabeth throughout their journey in Columbia. Read the full story on Wired.com.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Stay tuned for part 2 of 2 soon!

“As a gamer, we like creating these worlds and seeing some reflection of what we’re working on, not telling the future so much as noting that it’s fun to reflect on what’s happening outside our window.” – Ken Levine

Would you care to find out how various political movements throughout history have influenced the events in the game? Have you been curious about the origins of Columbia? Would you simply care to learn more about the narrative of BioShock Infinite? You can read about all that and more at WashingtonPost.com.

As you can see, this blank figure has been masterfully transformed into none other than BioShock’s Andrew Ryan. What’s better is that joeofwar even went so far as to recreate Ryan’s final moments on the back of this custom Vinylmation figure. “The back of the head is Andrew Ryan’s ‘death mask.’ A little bloody and rugged for a Mickey, but I love how it turned out,” says joeofwar. “Ocean water surrounds the mask. The back of the left ear stands for Rapture – the underwater city Andrew Ryan thought up. The back of the right ear is a certain achievement you get in the game. A golf club comes in handy here.”

If that’s not enough, joeofwar also has a companion for old Mr. Ryan: Sander Cohen, making for a great addition to his collection of custom figures.

Care to see more of these custom Andrew Ryan and Sander Cohen figures? Click here to see the full thread and the entire picture collection in the forums.

In the video above, you’ll see Levine chat about his love for comics and why comic conventions are important to him, as well as how famous horror movies have helped guide the way Irrational tells a scary story. Along with that, Ken also explains some of the approaches used when designing the game world of Columbia and the various factions found within, giving some extra insight in how BioShock Infinite is created.

We kicked things off on Saturday afternoon with a signing for BioShock Infinite, featuring Irrational Games Creative Director Ken Levine, and voice actors Troy Baker and Courtnee Draper. We brought hundreds of lithograph we had printed just for the show – perhaps you’ve seen it before?

Everyone in line got a poster for the Irrational crew to sign, free of charge, and not only that, your poster was your ticket in our signing raffle. That’s right – 10 lucky attendees won NECA toy packs, including an EVE Hypo replica and a deluxe Big Daddy figure, all by simply stopping by. Meeting so many of our wonderful fans and having the chance to speak with so many of you face to face was an amazing experience. We met fans who showed their love for Irrational Games with tattoos, others who brought copies of Freedom Force for Ken to sign, and even some dressed in costumes inspired by their favorite BioShock characters. Take a look.

Once all that was all said and done, we set up shop at McGarry’s Pub just a few blocks away for any and all Irrational Games fans to come by, relax, and have a drink with us after the show. The turnout was absolutely stellar, with so many of our fans and forum members stopping by to introduce themselves in person. After everyone had a chance to get some food and drink, we held a raffle for a handful of Irrational Games goodies, including posters, EVE Hypos, and of course, five of our limited Murder of Crows bottles. Here’s an image of our first winner of a Murder of Crows bottle – we think her expression says it all…

Image courtesy Erin Rudy Photograpy.

That wasn’t even the best part. That came when we announced to those who stopped by the NYCC meet and greet that they were getting an extra, unexpected gift, and the reaction to the announcement was what we were hoping for.

Image courtesy Erin Rudy Photograpy.

Everyone who came to the Irrational Games  M&G is getting a copy of BioShock Infinite! There’s no catch – all folks had to do was show up, and we’ll be giving them a free copy of BioShock Infinite for the platform of their choice when the game launches. We wanted to do something special to thank our fans for all their support, so we figured a surprise was in order. Not too shabby, right?

Image courtesy Erin Rudy Photograpy.

Thanks to all who joined us in New York! We had an evening filled with so many great introductions and conversations, making it something that we’ll be remembering for a good, long while. We hope to see more of you soon at the next convention!

UPDATE: The Irrational Games Halloween 2011 Costume Contest is now over. Thanks to everyone who entered!

It’s that time of year again. The time when we all decide to turn pumpkins into art, collect candy from complete strangers, and don various, exotic costumes, all in the name of fun. We’re talking about the time honored tradition of Halloween, of course, and Irrational Games is pleased to announce its first ever Halloween costume contest for our fans! We’ve got some delightful treats in store for our costume contest winners through our two contest categories: Costumes from the original BioShock and costumes from BioShock Infinite. Each category will have 1st and 2nd place, for four winning contestants in total.

To enter e-mail a picture (.jpeg format under 8MB) of yourself in your costume to costumecontest@irrationalgames.com. Please include the following in your e-mail:

• Your name
• E-mail address
• Date of birth
• Phone number
• Which Category you are entering (BioShock 1 or BioShock Infinite)
• Name or title of character you are portraying

All entrants must read the OFFICIAL RULES (click here for rules) and agree to them by entering a submission in the contest.

We will be accepting contest submissions until November 8, 2011 at 12:00pm ET.

Entries will be judged by Irrational Games staff on Costume Execution and Incorporation of BioShock themes.

We will notify winners on November 9, 2011 via e-mail (winners have 5 days to respond) and will be announcing the official winners on November 14,2011.

Here’s what you could win!

• 1st place winners will receive a signed Murder of Crows Vigor bottle.

• 2nd place winners will receive a signed lithograph.

Please read these rules before entering the “Irrational Games Halloween Costume Contest (the “Contest”). Participation in the Contest constitutes  your full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules and Regulations (“Official Rules”) and represents that you satisfy all of the eligibility requirements set forth below.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

Sponsor

The sponsor of the Contest (“Sponsor”) is Irrational Games, a wholly owned subsidiary of the United States company Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. The Sponsor’s address is Irrational Games, P.O. Box 690412 Quincy, MA 02269

Eligibility & Entry

To enter the Contest follow the instructions to enter. There will be two entry categories for this Contest (each a “Category”): The original Bioshock and BioShock Infinite. A First and Second Place winner will be chosen from each Category. During the Contest Period (defined below), e-mail a photograph (“Photo”) of yourself in a costume from the original BioShock or BioShock Infinite created by you, to costumecontest@irrationalgames.com and be sure to specify which Category your are entering ( The original BioShock or BioShock Infinite) and which character you are portraying in the Photo. The Photo must be in .jpeg format and be under 8MB.  Entrants must also include in the email their name, date of birth, e-mail address and phone number.   All entrants must have read and agreed to these Official Rules. All Photos uploaded will be viewable by the general public and may be used by Sponsor or its partners for any purpose, in any and all media, in perpetuity.  By entering, you warrant and represent that you are the individual depicted in the Photo. No other persons may be depicted in your Photo. You further warrant and represent that you own the Photo or are authorized to grant Sponsor the rights and permission to use the Photo, including your first name and likeness included therein. By uploading a Photo, you further confirm that no permission of any kind is required from any party other than you in order for Sponsor or its partners to make such use, and consent to the foregoing, and that the Photo will not infringe on the rights of any third parties.  If your Photo was shot by a person other than you, you must obtain a written transfer of ownership from the photographer who shot the Photo transferring all rights in the Photo to you, and must provide a copy of the written transfer agreement to Sponsor upon request or the Photo may not be considered. All entry information and Photo shall be collectively referred to herein as the “Submissions” or each as a “Submission.”

Entrants must be legal residents of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years of age on the date of entry. If over 18 years of age but still a minor in your state of residence, you must have permission from your parent or legal guardian in order to participate. Directors, officers and employees of Sponsor, its parent, and any of their respective affiliate companies, subsidiaries, agents, professional advisors, advertising and promotional agencies, and immediate families (i.e., parents, children, siblings, spouse) or members of the same household (whether related or not) of each are not eligible to participate or win any prizes. All applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. CONTEST VOID OUTSIDE OF THE FIFTY UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND WHERE PROHIBITED.

Limit one (1) Submission per person/email address throughout the Contest Period. No automated entry devices and/or programs permitted.  All Submissions become the sole and exclusive property of the Sponsor and receipt of entries will not be acknowledged or returned. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, stolen, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible, misdirected, technically corrupted or garbled Submissions, which will be disqualified, or for problems of any kind whether mechanical, human or electronic.  Only fully completed Submissions are eligible.  Proof of submission will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by Sponsor.

Contest Period

The Contest Period starts on October 18, 2011 at 5:00pm Eastern Time (“ET”) and ends on November 8, 2011 at 12:00pm ET (“Contest Period”).

Judging

Judges reserve the right, in their sole and absolute discretion, to disqualify any Submissions that are inappropriate for any reason, including without limitation, for depicting or mentioning sex, violence, drugs, alcohol and/or inappropriate language. Submissions will be judged on or about November 9, 2011 based on the following judging criteria (“Judging Criteria”): Costume Execution 50%; and Incorporation of BioShock themes 50%.

One (1) First Place winner and one (1) Second Place winner will be selected in each Category (Bioshock 1 and BioShock Infinite) at the conclusion of judging.  The Winners shall be the entrants whose Submissions received the highest score from the judges in each Category based on the Judging Criteria above.  Potential First Place winners and Second Place winners in each Category will be contacted by email on or about November 9, 2011.

All judging will be in Sponsor’s sole and absolute discretion and Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding on all matters relating to the Contest. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any entrant that it believes to be tampering with the voting process or engaging in fraud or cheating, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.

Prizes:

Each First Place winner (for a total of two First Place winners in the Contest – one in each Category) will receive a signed Murder of Crows Vigor bottle (Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) of each First Place prize: $500).  Each Second Place winner (for a total of two Second Place winners in the Contest – one in each Category) will receive a signed songbird lithograph (ARV of each Second Place prize:  $50. ARV of all prizes combined: $1100.

Prizes are not transferable. No substitutions or exchanges (including for cash or credit) of any prizes will be permitted, except that Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value for any prize. All unspecified expenses are the responsibility of winners.

If any prize or prize notification message is returned as undeliverable, or potential winner does not respond within five (5) days of notification, or refuses to execute the applicable documents, the prize will be forfeited. Winners may be required to complete and submit documents including an affidavit/declaration  of eligibility, publicity release, and/or appropriate tax forms to receive a prize. Sponsor will not replace any lost or stolen prize. If an eligible potential winner is considered a minor in his/her jurisdiction of residence, his/her parent or legal guardian will have to execute the appropriate documents and such prize will be delivered to minor’s parent/legal guardian and awarded in the name of parent/legal guardian.

All prizes are awarded “AS IS” and WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, express or implied (including, without limitation, any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose). FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL TAXES WHICH ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECEIPT OR USE OF ANY PRIZES ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER.

In case of dispute, entries will be declared made by the authorized account holder of the account used at the time of entry or registration. “Authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address or account by an Internet Access Provider, on-line service provider, or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.

Collection of Information

The information necessary to conduct the Contest will be collected by Sponsor in accordance with Sponsor’s Privacy Policy available at www.take2games.com/privacy(the “Privacy Policy”). By entering the Contest, you give your consent to the collection, use and processing, as set forth in the Privacy Policy, by the Sponsor of your personal information provided at registration as well as any further information provided or collected during your participation. Upon request, you will be provided with access to your personal data. To exercise such right, you may write to the address provided in the privacy policy. You may also withdraw your personal data upon request, however you will be disqualified as an entrant in the Contest if you withdraw your personal data prior to the determination and fulfillment of the prizes.

Conditions/General Release

Submissions may be cut, edited, reformatted, rearranged, combined with other materials and/or otherwise modified, in Sponsor’s sole and absolute discretion.  Participation in Contest and acceptance of prize constitutes each winner’s permission for Sponsor to use his/her name, address (city and state), likeness, photograph, picture, portrait, voice, biographical information, Submission and/or any statements made by each winner regarding the Contest or Sponsor for advertising and promotional purposes without notice or additional compensation, except where prohibited by law. By entering the Contest, you agree to indemnify, release and hold harmless Sponsor, and any of their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, partners, employees and agencies (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from any liability whatsoever, and agree not to make any claims against the Released Parties in respect of any costs, injuries, losses, or damages of any kind arising out of or in connection with the Contest (including, without limitation, participation in the Contest and use of your entry) or delivery, misdelivery, acceptance, possession, use of or inability to use any prize (including, without limitation, claims, costs, injuries, losses and damages related to personal injuries, death, damage to or destruction of property, rights of publicity or privacy, defamation or portrayal in a false light, whether intentional or unintentional), whether under a theory of contract, tort (including negligence), warranty or other theory. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, extend or suspend this Contest should (in its sole discretion) virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention, fraud or other causes beyond its control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness or proper conduct of the Contest. In such case, Sponsor may select the winners from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by Sponsor. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds, in its sole discretion, to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or web site.  Sponsor may prohibit an entrant from participating in the Contest or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines that said entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, hacking, deception, or other unfair playing practices (including the use of automated quick entry programs) or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrants or Sponsor representatives.

CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE, APPLICATION OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

Affidavit/Declaration & Release

As a condition of being awarded any prize, winners may be required to execute and deliver to Sponsor a signed affidavit/declaration of eligibility and acceptance of these Official Rules and release of liability, as permitted by applicable law. Failure to return a signed affidavit/declaration within five (5) days may result in forfeiture of prize. Potential winners are responsible for ensuring return of all required materials; proof of sending will not be considered proof of receipt by Sponsor.

Winners’ List: Rules Request

A list of winners will be posted at http://www.irrationalgames.com/insider/costume-contest-winners/ on or about November 14, 2011 and until December 14, 2011. For a copy of the winners’ list, send a stamped, self-addressed, business-size envelope after December 10, 2011 and before January 10, 2012 to Sponsor at the address listed above, Attn: IRRATIONAL GAMES HALLOWEEN CONTEST Winners List. To obtain a copy of these rules, visit http://www.irrationalgames.com/insider/costume-contest-rules/

Disputes
As a condition of participating in this Contest, entrant agrees that: (a) any and all disputes which cannot be resolved between the parties, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, or any prizes awarded, or the determination of winners shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action exclusively by arbitration pursuant to the commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association, then effective; (b) Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees, other than entrant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (e.g., costs associated with entering this Contest), and entrant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased; and (c) The arbitration shall be conducted in the State of New York, in the City of New York, County of New York, and judgment on the arbitration award may be entered into any court having jurisdiction thereof.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction
This promotion is governed by US law and is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited by law. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of entrant and Sponsor in connection with this Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, U.S.A., without giving effect to the conflict of laws rules thereof, and any matters or proceedings which are not subject to arbitration as set forth in Arbitration Section of these Official Rules and/or for entering any judgment on an arbitration award, shall take place in the State of New York, in the City of New York, County of New York.

Miscellaneous
The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision herein shall not affect in any way the validity and enforceability of any other provision in these Official Rules.

In this “Making Of” feature, the Irrational Games team chats about nearly everything you’d like to know about what’s shown off in the demo. Have you wondered what it’s like to write these scenes? Are you curious what the characters are up to? Do you simply have questions about some of the gameplay elements like the “tear” system or how the Sky-Lines work? The IG crew covers all that and more. All you have to do to get the answers is head over to GameSpot.com and watch the video. Enjoy!

Amanda’s a tinkerer – she just likes to make things (she is a level designer, after all), so when she invested in a 3D printer, a whole new avenue of creation opened up to her. Since then, a few of her creations include a light-up TARDIS miniature replica, Minecraft-inspired fudge cubes, and of course, the delightful Murder of Cookies.

When asked why she was inspired to make these BioShock Infinite cookies, she says she was simply curious why nobody has made them yet, and decided it was a baking project worth pursuing. “To make the cutter, I took the Murder of Crows image and used that as a stencil,” Jeffrey explains. “Once in the 3D printer, it takes about 15 minutes to produce, and it costs about $.15 in materials.”

Better yet, once these treats are finished, Amanda brings them into the office to share with the team. She’d keep them for herself, but if she does, she says she runs the risk of eating them all. We’re more than happy to help her out of that jam.

On Saturday, October 15th, BioShock creator Ken Levine and BioShock Infinite actors Troy Baker (Booker DeWitt) and Courtnee Draper (Elizabeth) will be at New York Comic Con for a fan signing in the North Pavilion at Autographing Table 7 from 1:30pm to 2:30 pm. Feel free to bring your Irrational Games swag to get signed, but if you don’t have any items, fret not – we’ve got you covered! Everyone who lines up for the signing will receive a free BioShock Infinite lithograph for the crew to sign. Better yet, these lithographs will be your ticket when we raffle off 10 BioShock toy bundles from NECA collectables to those who come to the signing.

NECA BioShock Toy Bundle, including an Ultra Deluxe Big Daddy Bouncer with LED action figure, and an EVE Hypo Syringe.

If you’re not able to attend New York Comic Con but would still like to see the Irrational Games crew, we’ve got some good news: We’ll be holding a Meet and Greet event in New York after the show where you can stop by and relax with the Irrational gang. On Saturday, October 15, from 5pm to 7pm, IG.Sarah and IG.Eduardo will be heading to McGarry’s Pub (ages 21 and over) to meet with anyone who wants to stop by and say hello. To sweeten the deal, we’ll be bringing five of our limited Murder of Crows bottles from BioShock Infinite to raffle off during the event, and perhaps a few more surprises. All you have to do is come on down.

Irrational Games NYCC Meet and Greet
When: October 15, 2011 5pm – 7pm
Where: McGarry’s Pub
417 9th Avenue
Btwn 33rd & 34th St.
New York, NY 10001

Be sure to stop by and we’ll see you in New York!

Though it may not be an official Irrational Games shirt, one thing that is official is that this shirt is awesome.

These are just a few images from the fan interview – you can see all these images and more on the BioShockCentrum fansite.

Follow Irrational Games on Twitter!
Follow Irrational Games on Facebook!

Take a look at Dan Hipp’s BioShock-oriented piece and his other work on his website and be sure to let us know what you think in the comments section below!

If you keep up with our blog and podcasts, you’ve heard about how we throw a lot of work away. Some pitches, like Monster Island, never make it past the documentation stage. Others, like newly-rediscovered RPG/RTS hybrid Dungeon Duel, get more than a handful of assets developed before being ultimately consigned to Irrational’s own dustbin of history.

Dungeon Duel was in development back in 2002, so it took some asking around to find Irrational staffers who still remembered working on it. As it turns out, technical director Chris Kline dug up a folder full of ancient email attachments showing game materials in various stages of completion. A lot of the folks listed in those decade-old CC lists still work here–art director Nate Wells, lead artist Shawn Robertson, concept artist Robb Waters, and creative director Ken Levine–not to mention Kline, of course.

As described in the pitch, “Dungeon Duel combines fast-paced RTS strategy with the addictiveness of card game trading in a unique fantasy setting–a true RTS game built specifically with consoles and their controllers in mind.” You can download the whole document as a PDF, including numerous pieces of artwork and mockups.

The concept art seen above was created by Robb Waters. Here are some more pieces we dug up while researching this forgotten bit of the studio’s past:

Sketched concept of what a built-out scene might look like.

Party and inventory sheet concept.

Fighter class concept and in-game model.

Environment concept created by Nate Wells.

In-game mockup based on Nate’s map concept.

We have to commend Chris Kline for somehow failing to lose track of these materials after nearly a decade. That’s why he makes the big bucks.

Last week, a group of Irrational staffers, a photographer, and a big bag of swag traveled to Dragon*Con’s Night at the Georgia Aquarium in search of BioShock cosplayers. We found a whole bunch. Plus, the aquarium was a gorgeous, atmospheric setting. We took some cosplayers by surprise when we showed up with our cameras, while others had known to look for us from previous posts and tweets. All of the fans we met were incredible, and made for awesome photos.

Enjoy some of the highlights of the shoot, taken by photographer Webb Chapell, and check out the full gallery on Flickr.

Spider Splicer and Thuggish Splicer

Delta and Eleanor Lamb

Thuggish Splicers, Houdini Splicers, Spider Splicers and Sander Cohen. Oh my!

Andrew Ryan and Jasmine Jolene

Jack, a Little Sister and a Splicer

Saturnine Houdini Splicer, Dr. Steinman, Splicer, and Jack Ryan

Finally, we spotted this Little Sister during our final shoot of the night. She was happy to perform a Mr. Bubbles song for us, so we knew we had to get video to share!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thanks again to everyone who showed up!

]]> http://irrationalgames.com/insider/bioshock-photoshoot-at-the-georgia-aquarium/feed/ 38 http://irrationalgames.com/insider/irrationals-pax-panel-and-voice-actor-qa/ http://irrationalgames.com/insider/irrationals-pax-panel-and-voice-actor-qa/#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:56:21 +0000 IG.Chris http://irrationalgames.com/?p=18681

PAX Prime 2011 saw the first public appearance on behalf of BioShock Infinite by the game’s two lead voice actors, Troy Baker (Booker DeWitt) and Courtnee Draper (Elizabeth). They participated in our panel to discuss the process of bringing video game characters to life, alongside Irrational creative director Ken Levine. For those unable to make it to the show, our friends at G4 helpfully recorded the whole thing! Its a good solid 45 minutes of insight and behind-the-scenes video, so head over to G4’s site and make with the watching already.

But as much as we enjoyed putting the panel together, we can’t overlook a pretty major flaw: There just wasn’t enough time for the planned question-and-answer session.

We want to make things right, and what better place to do that than on the internet, where none shall be denied answers due to lack of PAX badge ownership. Send your questions for Ken, Troy, or Courtnee to voiceactorqa@irrationalgames.com. Get them in by Wednesday, September 7, and we’ll address them in an upcoming feature here on the site.

And hey, if you were one of the privileged PAX attendees and you made it to the panel, share your feedback in the comments below!

Our booth was staffed not only with humans but also with the massive Songbird statue we debuted at PAX East earlier this year. All weekend we enjoyed fans dropping by to chat or take photos, some in impressive costumes–both BioShock-related and otherwise. Browse through some of our favorites in our PAX Prime 2011 Flickr gallery.

We were also graced by the presence of Troy Baker and Courtnee Draper, the voice actors behind Booker DeWitt and Elizabeth. They participated in our panel alongside creative director Ken Levine and G4’s Adam Sessler, and were on hand for a signing session with Ken.

The official Irrational Games Award for Most Delicious Cosplay 2011 goes to Bacon.

Jess (our official Elizabeth model), Troy Baker (voice of Booker DeWitt), Courtnee Draper (voice of Elizabeth), and Ken Levine (Irrational Games creative director).

A fan came by to model his wrist chain tattoo inspired by BioShock, and asked Ken Levine to autograph it. Which he did. That’s not actually two overlapping tattoos.

Troy is, quite frankly, terrified by the Swag Monster who stopped by the Irrational booth. As for Courtnee and Ken, they cool.

If you couldn’t make it out, Irrational has more event plans soon. We’re calling for cosplayers at Dragon*Con in Atlanta this weekend, and we’ll have Troy and Courtnee back for another appearance at New York Comic-Con in October. Mark your calendars!

This episode of Irrational Interviews features two guests. That’s particularly noteworthy, because either one of them alone has a list of accomplishments a mile long.

Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk co-founded BioWare, the RPG-oriented group that now consists of five locations within Electronic Arts. They started out as doctors (actual practicing medical doctors, mind you), and BioWare was once a developer of games as well as medical software.

As a fellow entrepreneur, Irrational creative director Ken Levine chats with the doctors about the challenges and perks of running a video game company–all three have seen their studios grow from small PC-exclusive teams to modern, triple-A, multiplatform dev studios. They also share the experience of starting out in fields not particularly related to games, Ken in screenwriting and Ray and Greg in medicine.

“We were having lunch one day after having made some medical education software,” recalls Ray, “then we realized what we’re really passionate about is video games. Why don’t we just make some video games? Take everything we own, and everything we make as doctors on weekends, to fund the company. …That was the extent of the conversation.”

It seems to have worked out.

iTunes Feed

Direct Download Episode 8

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• Produced by James Bonney & Chris Remo
• Editing by Ant Bear Audio
• Music courtesy of The Happy Hollows

We posted a Flickr gallery with shots from throughout the show, including evidence of one of the strangest contests we’ve ever run. Many attendees were given invitations to the fan event at random, but some got their passes by winning the sticker contest. Thousands of BioShock Infinite stickers were distributed during the show, and the fans with the most elaborate or impressive sticker-constructed costumes were rewarded.

This fairly terrifying sticker contest entrant is also modeling Irrational’s Gamescom-exclusive t-shirt, starring Elizabeth with her Lincoln mask. The back is proudly emblazoned with Booker’s immortal line, “Keep looking, Lincoln!”

This impressively sticker-clad woman won a ticket to our fan event for this thorough getup.

Irrational’s Keith Shetler, Stephen Alexander, Kate Baxter, and Joe Faulstick proudly show off a Best of Gamescom award from GamingXP. Everyone in this photograph agrees that Keith looks weird without his glasses.

See you next year, Gamescom!

Browse through the full set of photos at our Flickr gallery. Next up is PAX Prime–check out our plans.

Irrational Games is on the prowl for BioShock and BioShock Infinite cosplay. We’d love for cosplayers to stop by our booth at PAX West for photos and we’ll be taking the hunt to the Aquarium at Dragon*Con but we couldn’t resist rounding up some of our internet favorites in the mean time. If you want to see more photos and costumes from these talented cosplayers just click on their names.

Elizabeth cosplay by Ormeli

Spider Splicer and Thuggish Splicer cosplay by Leaux and Swoz

Splicer cosplay by fadingforest

Spider Splicer cosplays by SweetOcarina

Baby Jane Splicer by Dia, Andrew Ryan by unknown, Lady Smith Splicer by Kairi G

Elizabeth cosplay by Aktrez

If you have a BioShock cosplay you want to share, pop over to the cosplay thread on our forums and post your pics!

PAX Prime is just days away, and Irrational is gearing up for the transcontinental trek from Boston to Seattle. We’ve got plans.

THE PANELS

You’ve got two chances to see Irrational in PAX panel discussions. Mark your schedules:

- Friday, 2:00PM (Unicorn Theatre): Creative director Ken Levine will be a special guest on Geoff Keighley’s GT.TV Bonus Round panel along with fellow game designers David Jaffe (God of War) and Todd Howard (The Elder Scrolls series). They’ll be discussing what’s the state of the industry, talking shop, and generally shooting the breeze. GameTrailers will be there to record the panel and air it online at a later date.

- Saturday, 2:00PM (Unicorn Theatre): Ken will be joined by the Troy Baker and Courtnee Draper, the voice actors behind Booker and Elizabeth. It’s their first public appearance in support of BioShock Infinite, so you won’t want to miss it. They’ll discuss what goes into bringing video game characters to life and screen some unique behind-the-scenes footage. If you can’t make it to PAX, catch it streaming live on G4TV.com.

THE BOOTH

If you attended PAX East this year, you saw our life-sized Songbird statue, accompanied by a model playing Elizabeth. They’re back, so be sure to stop by our booth to say hi and take a photo. While you’re there, check out our other activities:

- Entire weekend: We’ll be setting up a BioShock Infinite gallery with a collection of gorgeous Irrational-created concept art. Browse through it, and pay close attention, because if you can successfully answer a few questions about what you saw, we’ll hook you up with a poster.

- Saturday, 3:30PM: Creative director Ken Levine and Troy Baker and Courtnee Draper, the voice actors behind Booker and Elizabeth, want to sign your stuff.  Throw them a bone.

- Throughout the show: We’ll be announcing t-shirt giveaways over the course of the weekend with a 15-minute heads up on Twitter. Follow @IrrationalGames to stay in the know–we’ll also be tweeting about the sights we see, the fans we encounter, and any other promotions we come up with.

Be there.

Are you going to be at Gamescom? Irrational is hosting a fan event at the 2K Games booth! Attendees will receive a goodie bag and a raffle ticket to win even more great prizes. Plus, eleven members of Irrational Games will be there to chat.

But you need a ticket to get in–we’ll be handing out passes randomly to people who show up for the BioShock Infinite live demo in the 2K Games Theatre on Friday and Saturday. Good luck!

If you aren’t lucky enough to be in Cologne this week, we’ve still got something for you: four new screenshots showing off some up-close, detailed scenes from our recent gameplay demonstration. Check them out at the official BioShock Infinite site.

You won’t want to miss Irrational’s PAX Prime 2011 panel, where you’ll be able to see the voice actors who bring BioShock Infinite’s Booker and Elizabeth to life.

Troy Baker, the voice of Booker DeWitt, and Courtnee Draper, the voice of Elizabeth, will join Ken Levine for a discussion about creating characters in video games. Although you’ve heard their performances in our recent gameplay demonstration, it’s the first time Courtnee and Troy will be representing the game in public.

PAX Prime runs from August 26 to August 28 in Seattle. The Irrational Games panel will be held on Saturday at 2:00pm in the Unicorn Theatre. Check out the official PAX site for more schedule information.

We’ll also be holding a signing session at our booth on Saturday at 3:30pm, soon after the panel ends. Bring your swag–Ken, Troy, and Courtnee will be happy to autograph it. And come by our booth at any time during the show to browse our BioShock Infinite art gallery and have a chance to win some Irrational loot.

If you aren’t going to PAX, don’t worry: G4TV.com will be streaming the panel live starting at 2:00pm Pacific Time. We’ve got you covered.

When we heard about Dragon*Con’s annual Night at the Aquarium event, we knew we had to be there. Irrational’s own Sarah and Phil (who showed off their own costumes last Halloween) will be roaming the event with a professional photographer in tow, gathering material for the Irrational Games website and handing out prizes to BioShock cosplayers! If you’re attending the con, come join us at the aquarium! We’ll be leaving our own costumes at home, so we’re counting on you to make up for it.

Dragon*Con runs September 2-5 ,2011 in Atlanta, and the Night at the Georgia Aquarium takes place Saturday, September 3,2011 from 7-11pm. Night at the Aquarium is open to non-con-attendees. Tickets are $20, or $18 if you register before September 1.

Get started on those costumes and be sure to attend–Splicer Phil knows where you live.