In any game development studio, you’ll find a bunch of inspired and imaginative people who have a lot to get off their chests. To save on counseling fees, we decided to sublimate these repressed feelings about their gaming lives by sticking a microphone in their faces and creating a series of podcasts that offer an insight into what makes us – and our games – tick.
Each podcast will explore a particular theme in what we hope is an entertaining and insightful way, and this theme will also evolve throughout the month on the Irrational Games website itself. Visit regularly and you’ll find content on the site that helps illustrate what we’re trying to describe in the podcast, or expands and explores the theme further.
Please contribute to the discussions about the podcasts in the forums and if you have a great idea for a future theme then let us know! We might even send you something to say thanks. But don’t hold us to it.
So to kick off, we chose a brutal theme – “ideas that died”. We explore what happens when creativity runs into technical restrictions, a lack of clear consensus, and – at times – its own convolution. You’ll glimpse abandoned BioShock tidbits, as well as an as yet unrevealed game from four years ago when Irrational Games backed away from a zombie invasion. And much, much more.
Oh, and you’ll understand why ‘dog in a wheelchair’ is the answer to just about any question…
Irrational Behavior podcasts act as tables of contents for stories that appear here on IrrationalGames.com each month. January’s content continues to explore dead ideas with the following features:
Discuss this episode of Irrational Behavior over in the forum.
Podcast theme song, “Luna Park”, provided by Signal Hill from the album, “More After We’re Gone”.





massiveduck | January 13, 2010 11:51 pm
I loved it! I would like to hear something more unedited and more freeform though. I’m not saying that the two types cannot coexist or anything like that.
swifttheredfox | January 14, 2010 12:28 am
Excellent first podcast! Can’t wait to hear more from the people behind IG.
waffles | January 14, 2010 1:24 am
My favorite voice on the web has returned.
wolfami | January 14, 2010 1:32 am
Thank you for this! I am now greedy and desire more.
derubermax | January 14, 2010 2:16 am
I am a huge Shawn Elliott fan, and a huge 2K (and Irrational) fan — great job on the podcast for everyone involved.
You really have a huge talent there with Shawn, and you’re lucky to have him guys. Looking forward to hear what’s coming next!
neuroman42 | January 14, 2010 11:28 am
You guys are a class act all around… Design, writing, story, artwork, and gaming. Keep it up!!!
number47 | January 14, 2010 1:42 pm
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Do the Zombie game, but set in an open world and you will have a winner on your hands!!!!!
rmora824 | January 19, 2010 6:14 am
I second this! I read about it in the Game Informer article to hearing more about it in the podcast… now I crave playing it haha.
jillaman | January 15, 2010 1:23 am
You guys are very talented. I’m a major fan of Irrational Games, and I will support you guys to the END!!! Can’t wait to see what you’re working on next.
kyrieee | January 15, 2010 9:14 pm
Let’s only talk about Shawn Elliott and make him feel super awkward
fourzerotwo | January 15, 2010 9:26 pm
It’s good to see Irrational Games reborn and Shawn Elliott recasting pods. Now excuse me while I enter lurk mode.
NomarDll769 | January 19, 2010 8:35 am
haha! Robert, man, you have style.
zenoverse | January 15, 2010 9:38 pm
Division 9 would definitely be a strong contender to Valve’s Left 4 Dead.
ironlung55177 | January 16, 2010 2:37 am
Shawn Elliot may be the definitive voice of jaded and sarcastic internet trolls, and I mean that in the best way possible. Good to hear from him again. Would it be too much to ask for more tails from Second Life?
somonflex | January 16, 2010 7:40 am
Please do Division9!!
teqonix | January 16, 2010 10:17 am
Oh man, thank you guys so much for the podcast. Irrational has been one of my favorite studios for years, and this podcast idea is awesome! Keep up all the awesome work!
pele | January 18, 2010 1:54 pm
This was pretty enjoyable. I’m always willing to hear Shawn babble on a podcast.
tokkentakker | January 18, 2010 2:30 pm
Great fun, love the “this american life” format … shared its my classes.
verge | January 18, 2010 3:16 pm
Great show, got class. Heard about this from the gianbomb guys and had to check it out. The return of the king
Some great stories and bits of info.
IG.ShawnElliott | January 19, 2010 10:08 am
Verge, where did Giantbomb mention us? That’s awesome.
svenderson | January 19, 2010 12:11 pm
That part about the insect swarm plasmid and that first trailer is really remarkable, it eventually became one of the most striking looking plasmids, although I never used it as much as it deserved.
Really looking forward to episode 2! Hurry up with it!
ianwojo | January 20, 2010 1:38 pm
If only i had my ipod still……
spunkybd | January 25, 2010 1:30 am
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Do the Zombie game, but set in an open world and you will have a winner on your hands!!!!!
What he said =P GTA 4 engine? haha
jrh687 | January 26, 2010 9:37 pm
Love the podcast, keep it up!
perfectdarkling | February 13, 2010 1:42 pm
If I were getting mugged, the only thing I’d want to come to my rescue would be Dog in a Wheelchair.
jtr7 | February 19, 2010 10:18 pm
I’m really enjoying these. Thanks so much.
donatelli | February 21, 2010 7:10 pm
Really awesome and informative podcast, guys. I really hope to hear more from the Irrational team with these podcasts; had to really hold my laughter in at work while listening to the first two episodes. Thanks for all the great work!
adesilva | March 21, 2010 5:20 pm
That Zombie game actually appeared to have a lot of potential it is different from all the types of zombie games we always see. Loved hearing the entire thing, its great to hear everything from behind the scenes especially the part about needing to add things after having them in the teaser trailer. I am sure many people have seen games where they see something in the commercial think it will be fun when in fact that never even happens in the game.
stabby | April 14, 2010 7:03 am
I’m totally gonna pop my cosplay cherry as a dog in a wheelchair… who wants to come with as the frog with a funnel up its ass? …..anyone?
scruss | July 1, 2010 8:00 pm
Division 9 sounds like a lot of fun, just the kind of in depth options I like. Just from hearing you guys explain it, I would play it over Left 4 Dead any day. It just needs the option to pick up a dead zombie, jam sharp things into its body. and use it as a weapon. It’s dead, it won’t mind.
borrego | August 12, 2010 9:13 pm
Now we’re going to need an Irrational Behavior about BioShock Infinite. What was it like keeping it a secret for so long? Was anyone’s wife suspicious (I can’t tell you what I do at work, honey)? What ideas are being worked on, thrown out, etc. Will the dog in a wheelchair get a cameo? I’m just sayin, since we have a lot of organic and mechanical hybrid characters popping up into the game. Maybe the wheelchair could be part of the dog.