Editing Irrational Games

{{Short description|American video game developer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Irrational Games
| logo = Irrational Games.svg
| former_names = {{Unbulleted list|Irrational Games|{{nowrap|(1997–2007, 2009–2017)}}|2K Boston|(2007–2009)}}
| type = [[Subsidiary]]
| industry = [[Video game industry|Video games]]
| fate = Rebranded
| successor = [[Ghost Story Games]]
| founded = {{Start date and age|1997}}
| founder = {{Unbulleted list|[[Ken Levine (video game designer)|Ken Levine]]|Jonathan Chey|Robert Fermier}}
| defunct = {{End date and age|2017|02|23}}
| hq_location_city = [[Westwood, Massachusetts]]
| hq_location_country = US
| key_people = Ken Levine ([[creative director]])
| num_employees = 15
| num_employees_year = 2014
| parent = [[2K (company)|2K]] (2006–2017)
}}

'''Irrational Games''' (known as '''2K Boston''' between 2007 and 2009) was an American [[video game developer]] founded in 1997 by three former employees of [[Looking Glass Studios]]: [[Ken Levine (video game designer)|Ken Levine]], Jonathan Chey, and Robert Fermier. [[Take-Two Interactive]] acquired the studio in 2006. The studio was best known for two of the games in the ''[[BioShock (series)|BioShock]]'' series, as well as ''[[System Shock 2]]'', ''[[Freedom Force (2002 video game)|Freedom Force]]'', and ''[[SWAT 4]]''. In 2014, following the release of ''[[BioShock Infinite]]'', Levine opted to significantly restructure the studio from around 90 to 15 employees and focus more on narrative games. In February 2017, the studio announced that it had been rebranded as [[Ghost Story Games]] and considered a fresh start from the original Irrational name, though still operating at the same business subsidiary under Take-Two.

== History ==
===Formation and initial games (1997-2005)===
Irrational Games was formed in 1997 by [[Ken Levine (game developer)|Ken Levine]], Jonathan Chey, and Robert Fermier, former [[Looking Glass Studios]] employees that left on good terms to start their own game development firm.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespy.com/articles/697/697083p5.html |title=GameSpy Retro: Developer Origins, Page 5 of 19 |first=John |last=Keefer |date=March 31, 2006 |website=[[GameSpy]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609133038/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/697/697083p5.html |archive-date=June 9, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> They initially ran on a shoestring budget, running out of Levine's apartment.<ref name="bostom mag levine">{{cite web | url = https://www.bostonmagazine.com/2013/11/26/ken-levine-profile-video-games-bioshock-infinite/ | title = Game Changer: Kevin Levine | first = Josh | last = Allen | date = November 26, 2013 | accessdate = January 11, 2025 | work =[[Boston Magazine]] }}</ref> At that time, as a small studio, they were dependent on publisher support; their first project was to develop a single-player campaign for the game ''[[FireTeam (video game)|FireTeam]]'', being published by Multitude, Inc., but within three weeks, Multitude decided to drop the single-player campaign, leaving the three without any job.<ref name="pcgamer history">{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/the-story-of-irrational-the-studio-that-shut-down-to-rediscover-its-roots/ | title = The story of Irrational, the studio that shut down to rediscover its roots | first = Jeremy | last = Peel | date = April 5, 2021 | accessdate = January 11, 2025 | work = [[PC Gamer]] }}</ref><ref name="gamesradar kevine">{{cite web | url = https://www.gamesradar.com/games/bioshock-infinite-may-not-have-been-the-thing-i-wanted-but-that-doesnt-necessarily-mean-it-wasnt-the-thing-the-audience-wanted-ken-levine-talks-edge-through-his-collected-works/ | title = BioShock Infinite "may not have been the thing I wanted, but that doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't the thing the audience wanted": Ken Levine guides us through his entire gameography | first = Jeremy | last = Peel | date = January 3, 2025 | accessdate = January 11, 2025 | work = [[GamesRadar]] }}</ref>

They returned to Looking Glass looking for any opportunities. Looking Glass founder [[Paul Neurath]] agreed to give them a small budget, an office within their studio, and gave them the opportunity to work on a sequel to ''[[System Shock]]''. ''[[System Shock 2]]'' was released in 1999, and while a critical success, it did not reach sales expectations.<ref name="bostom mag levine"/> After ''System Shock 2'' was released, Chey returned to Australia while Fermier went to [[Ensemble Studios]].<ref name="gamesradar kevine"/> Irrational continue to work with Looking Glass to create ''Deep Cover'', a project inspired by ''[[Thief: The Dark Project]]'' set during the [[Cold War]], though this was eventually cancelled around 2000.<ref>{{cite video | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsipARVPRG0 | title = Looking Glass Studios' Cancelled Cold-War Era Thief Game | publisher = [[Noclip]] | date = October 22, 2021 | accessdate = January 11, 2025 | via = [[YouTube]] }}</ref>

Irrational returned to seeking other projects from other publishers to be more independent from Looking Glass. They landed work with [[Crave Entertainment]], from which they started work on ''[[The Lost (video game)|The Lost]]'', a third-person action game inspired by [[Inferno (Dante)|Dante's Inferno]], that was targeting the [[PlayStation 2]]. Levine described multiple difficulties with developing ''The Lost''. One issue was handling technical issues with the [[game engine]], as inititially they had planned to use the [[LithTech]] engine, but later switched to the [[Unreal Engine]] due to difficulties with making the game work on the PlayStation 2. A second problem arose as Crave started to have their own financial problems, and pushed on Irrational to continue development with a reduced budget. While Irrational finished most of the game, ''The Lost'' was eventually cancelled by 2002, with Irrational taking the loss on its development time.<ref name="gamesradar kevine"/>

During development of ''The Lost'', Irrational started a second project with Crave, the turn-based superhero-theme ''[[Freedom Force (2002 video game)|Freedom Force]]''. Chey, while still in Australia, returned to Irrational by setting up development offices in Australia in 2000,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://irrationalgames.com/news_archived.cfm |title=IGA Announces formation |date=27 April 2000 |website=Irrational Games |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010203123200/http://irrationalgames.com/news_archived.cfm |archive-date=3 February 2001 |url-status=dead}}</ref> where most of the work on ''Freedom Force'' was completed. Crave's monetary issues led the game to be published in 2002 by the EA Partners label of [[Electronic Arts]]. The game performed moderately well, but failed to give Irrational any significant royalties.<ref name="gamesradar kevine"/>

Shortly after the cancellation of ''The Lost'', [[Vivendi Games]] tapped Irrational to develop a single-player campaign based on the ''[[Tribes (video game series)|Tribes]]'' series, which had traditionally been multiplayer shooters in the past, and posed a challenge to craft a narrative around. This led to some difficulties with Vivendi, as at one point Levine was fired from the narrative position, replaced by two writers from Hollywood, only to be later rehired to complete the story. ''[[Tribes: Vengeance]]'' was eventually released in 2004.<ref name="gamesradar kevine"/> Irrational continued to work with Vivendi on a sequel in the ''[[Police Quest]]'' series, ''[[SWAT 4]]'', released in 2005.<ref name="gamesradar kevine"/>

===Acquisition by Take-Two and the ''BioShock'' series (2006-2013)===
Since the release of ''System Shock 2'', Levine had been trying to pitch a sequel to publishers without success. Starting around 2002, Levine led a small development team at Irrational to create ''[[BioShock]]'', a game with a similar narrative approach and free-form approach as ''System Shock 2'', using idea of having the player navigate through three factions, drones that carried a desirable resource, protectors that defended the drones, and harvesters that attempted to gain the resource from the drones.<ref name="Eurogamer truestory">{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-04-17-the-true-story-of-bioshock |title=Rapture leaked: The true story behind the making of BioShock |publisher=[[Eurogamer]] |date=April 17, 2014 |access-date=April 22, 2014 |first=Simon |last=Parkin |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421234418/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-04-17-the-true-story-of-bioshock |archive-date=April 21, 2014 }}</ref><ref name="edge history">{{Cite magazine | url = http://www.edge-online.com/features/making-bioshock/ | title = The Making Of: BioShock | date = July 23, 2012 | access-date = November 1, 2016 | magazine = [[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531030452/http://www.edge-online.com/features/making-bioshock/ | archive-date=May 31, 2013 }}</ref> Irrational had difficulties selling this concept to publishers, as the concept of [[immersive sim]]s like ''System Shock 2'' was not considered profitable, but the company persisted and refined their ideas as word of a new immersive sim from Irrational began to spread in video game news coverage.<ref name="Eurogamer truestory"/> In 2004, [[Take-Two Interactive]] offered to publish the game based on the core drone/protector/harvester concept,<ref name="edge history"/> and then in 2006, acquired Irrational Games under its [[2K (company)|2K]] publishing label.<ref>{{cite web|first=David|last=Jenkins|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/take-two-acquires-irrational-games|title=Take-Two Acquires Irrational Games|website=[[Gamasutra]]|date=January 9, 2006|access-date=May 20, 2019}}</ref> Just prior to the release of ''BioShock'' in 2007, Irrational Games' Boston and Australian offices were rebranded as [[2K Boston]] and [[2K Australia]].<ref name="namechange">{{Cite web|url=http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070810005400&newsLang=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930035124/http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070810005400&newsLang=en|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 30, 2007|title=Irrational Games Renamed 2K Boston and 2K Australia|publisher=[[Business Wire]]|date=August 10, 2007|access-date=September 16, 2010}}</ref> ''[[BioShock]]'' released August 21 to wide critical acclaim and strong sales.

''BioShock'' was released in August 2007, and was a critical and financial success. The game won several awards, and by 2013 had sold more than 4 million units.<ref name="bostom mag levine"/> Due to the success of the game, tied to the former Irrational Games name, both of their studios reverted to the original Irrational name in January 2010.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/01/08/the-return-of-irrational-games.aspx |title=The Return Of Irrational Games |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |access-date=January 9, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100111215144/http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/01/08/the-return-of-irrational-games.aspx |archive-date=January 11, 2010 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

Shortly after ''BioShock'' was released, rumors arose that many of the staff who had worked on the game were leaving 2K Boston/Australia. In 2007, five members of the 2K Boston team moved to a new 2K studio in [[Novato, California]].<ref name=levineinterview>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6206477.html |title=Q&A: Ken Levine talks BioShock, reminisces about X-Com |access-date=April 9, 2009 |date=March 20, 2009 |publisher=GameSpot |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100628230158/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6206477.html |archive-date=June 28, 2010 }}</ref> Soon after, 2K announced the formation of [[2K Marin]] in Novato.<ref name=2kmarin>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6184063.html|title=Take-Two confirms 2K Marin|access-date=April 9, 2009|date=December 17, 2007|publisher=GameSpot|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102175650/http://www.gamespot.com/news/take-two-confirms-2k-marin-6184063|archive-date=January 2, 2013|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Take-Two had pushed on Irrational to develop a ''BioShock'' sequel, but Levine was not interested, and instead initially sought to develop a new ''[[XCOM]]'' game. Take-Two assigned 2K Marin to develop ''[[BioShock 2]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-08-12-levine-why-i-passed-on-bioshock-2 |title=Levine: Why I passed on BioShock 2 |website=[[Eurogamer]] |date=August 12, 2010 |access-date=January 4, 2014 |first=Wesley |last=Yin-Poole |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104211117/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-08-12-levine-why-i-passed-on-bioshock-2 |archive-date=January 4, 2014 }}</ref> By 2008, when Irrational's contract with Take-Two was under review, Levine had lost interest in the ''XCOM'' project, and instead negotiated to develop a new ''BioShock'' game.<ref name="Schreier_2021">{{cite book|last=Schreier|first=Jason|year=2021|title=Press Reset: Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry|publisher=Grand Central Publishing|isbn=978-1-5387-3548-0}}</ref>{{rp|51–2}} The ''XCOM'' project work continued at 2K Marin, released in 2013 as ''[[The Bureau: XCOM Declassified]]''.<ref name="polygon1">{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2014/3/6/5474722/why-did-irrational-close-bioshock-infinite|title=The final years of Irrational Games, according to those who were there|last=Plante|first=Chris|date=March 6, 2014|work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|publisher=[[Vox Media]]|access-date=March 6, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306232303/http://www.polygon.com/2014/3/6/5474722/why-did-irrational-close-bioshock-infinite|archive-date=March 6, 2014|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

[[Development of BioShock Infinite|Development on ''BioShock Infinite'']], what would be Irrational's last game, started in 2008, about half a year after completion of the original ''BioShock''. Following the game's public announcement in 2010, the company was pressured by 2K Games and the gaming consumers to make sure the title lived up to the expectations that the promotional material had set for it. Irrational hired more staff and allocated work to additional studios to help with the game, but this only served to complicate matters; from post-mortem interviews with Irrational staff, Levine was continually changing some of the core story beats for the game, which would dramatically change game assets that had already developed. Levine also admitted to difficulties in managing the larger staff. Conflicts over development leadership led to the departure of some high-level individuals in 2012. To bring the game back onto schedule for release, 2K hired industry professionals to assist Levine in managing the large team and focusing the game's content including eliminating planned multiplayer modes. ''BioShock Infinite'' was released by March 2013.<ref name="polygon schreier excerpt">{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2021/5/10/22424321/a-look-inside-bioshock-infinites-troubled-development | title = A look inside BioShock Infinite's troubled development | first = Jason | last =Schreier | date = May 10, 2021 | accessdate=  May 10, 2021 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] }}</ref>

=== Closure and transition to Ghost Story Games (2014-2017)===
{{Main|Ghost Story Games}}
On February 18, 2014, Levine announced that the vast majority of the Irrational Games studio staff would be laid off, with all but fifteen members of the staff losing their positions. Levine said that he wanted to start "a smaller, more entrepreneurial endeavor at Take-Two," speaking to how much stress completing a large game like ''BioShock: Infinite'' had caused him.<ref name="gamespot shutdown"/> Levine said, "I need to refocus my energy on a smaller team with a flatter structure and a more direct relationship with gamers. In many ways, it will be a return to how we started: a small team making games for the core gaming audience."<ref name="gamespot shutdown"/> Levine had considered starting a new development studio for this, knowing that building the ideas would take several years before any game product would be made. Still, Take-Two offered to let him keep the division within Take-Two, with Levine saying that they told him, "there was no better place to pursue this new chapter than within their walls."<ref name="gamespot shutdown">{{cite web | url = http://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-creator-irrational-games-is-shutting-down/1100-6417821/ | title = BioShock creator Irrational Games is shutting down | first = Eddie | last = Makuch | date = February 18, 2014 | access-date = February 23, 2017 | work = [[GameSpot]] | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170627074318/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/bioshock-creator-irrational-games-is-shutting-down/1100-6417821/ | archive-date = June 27, 2017 | url-status = live | df = mdy-all }}</ref> Take-Two considered this studio separate from Irrational Games, preventing Levine from using the name,<ref name="gi.biz 2014">{{cite web | url = http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-05-14-take-two-ceo-open-to-buying-more-studios | title = Take-Two CEO open to buying more studios | first = Chris | last = Morris | date = May 14, 2014 | access-date = May 14, 2014 | publisher = [[GamesIndustry.biz]] | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140514220336/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-05-14-take-two-ceo-open-to-buying-more-studios | archive-date = May 14, 2014 | url-status = live | df = mdy-all }}</ref> and shutting down Irrational Games shortly after Levine had made his decision in 2014.<ref name="pcgamer levine 2025">{{cite web | url=https://www.pcgamer.com/games/ken-levine-never-expected-take-two-to-shutter-irrational-after-bioshock-infinite-the-decision-was-made-at-a-corporate-level/ | title=Ken Levine never expected Take-Two to shutter Irrational after Bioshock Infinite: 'The decision was made at a corporate level' | work=PC Gamer | last1=Stanton | first1=Rich }}</ref> Around 15 developers continued with Levine at this new studio;<ref name="gi.biz 2014"/> the remaining 75 staff were laid off, though 2K offered a career fair to help find jobs for the displaced developers.<ref name="gamespot shutdown"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.polygon.com/2014/2/28/5458470/irrational-games-closure-layoffs-75-job-fair-57-studios |title=Irrational Games closure led to 75 layoffs, job fair hosted 57 studios |date=February 28, 2014 |access-date=April 15, 2014 |publisher=Polygon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415081133/http://www.polygon.com/2014/2/28/5458470/irrational-games-closure-layoffs-75-job-fair-57-studios |archive-date=April 15, 2014 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> According to Levine, in the years after the layoffs, several of the former Irrational staff had rejoined Take-Two and 2K under the studios that were working on a new ''BioShock'' title, though Levine himself was not involved.<ref name="pcgamer levine 2025"/>
 
By February 2017, Levine had announced the name of his new studio, [[Ghost Story Games]], with the focus focus "to create immersive, story-driven games for people who love games that ask something of them".<ref name="gamespot ghoststory">{{cite web | url = http://www.gamespot.com/articles/former-bioshock-studio-irrational-games-adopts-a-n/1100-6448166/ | title = Former BioShock Studio Irrational Games Adopts A New Name | first = Chris | last = Pereira | date = February 23, 2017 | access-date = February 23, 2017 | work = [[GameSpot]] | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170224174800/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/former-bioshock-studio-irrational-games-adopts-a-n/1100-6448166/ | archive-date = February 24, 2017 | url-status = live | df = mdy-all }}</ref>

== Games developed ==

=== As Irrational Games ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!Year
!Title
!Platform(s)
!Publisher
!Notes
|-
|1999
|''[[System Shock 2]]''
|[[Microsoft Windows]]
|[[Electronic Arts]]
|Co-developed with [[Looking Glass Studios]]
|-
|2002
|''[[Freedom Force (2002 video game)|Freedom Force]]''
|[[Microsoft Windows]]
|[[Crave Entertainment]]
|-
|2004
|''[[Tribes: Vengeance]]''
|[[Microsoft Windows]]
|[[Sierra Entertainment]]
| rowspan="2" |Assisted [[2K Australia|Irrational Games Canberra]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |2005
|''[[Freedom Force vs the 3rd Reich]]''
|[[Microsoft Windows]]
|[[Vivendi Games|Vivendi Universal Games]]
|-
|''[[SWAT 4]]''
|[[Microsoft Windows]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Sierra Entertainment]]
| rowspan="11" |
|-
|2006
|''[[SWAT 4: The Stetchkov Syndicate]]''
|[[Microsoft Windows]]
|-
| rowspan="6" |2013
| rowspan="3" |''[[BioShock Infinite]]''
|[[Microsoft Windows]]
| rowspan="9" |[[2K (company)|2K Games]]
|-
|[[PlayStation 3]]
|-
|[[Xbox 360]]
|-
| rowspan="3" |''[[BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea|BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode One]]''
|[[Microsoft Windows]]
|-
|[[PlayStation 3]]
|-
|[[Xbox 360]]
|-
| rowspan="3" |2014
| rowspan="3" |''[[BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea|BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode Two]]''
|[[Microsoft Windows]]
|-
|[[PlayStation 3]]
|-
|[[Xbox 360]]
|}

=== As 2K Boston ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year
!Title
!Platform(s)
!Publisher
|-
| rowspan="2" |2007
| rowspan="3" |''[[BioShock]]''
|[[Microsoft Windows]]
| rowspan="3" |[[2K (company)|2K Games]]
|-
|[[Xbox 360]]
|-
|2008
|[[PlayStation 3]]
|}

=== Cancelled video games ===
* ''Deep Cover''
* ''Division 9''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://gamingbolt.com/15-cancelled-xbox-360-games-that-should-have-never-been-cancelled | title=15 cancelled Xbox 360 games that should have never been cancelled }}</ref>
* ''Dungeon Duel''
* ''Monster Island''
* ''[[The Lost (video game)|The Lost]]''
* ''Freedom Force 3''
* Untitled ''[[BioShock (series)|BioShock]]'' game for [[PlayStation Vita]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|http://irrationalgames.com/|Official website}}

{{Take-Two Interactive}}
{{Ken Levine}}
{{BioShock}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Irrational Games| ]]
[[Category:1997 establishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:2017 disestablishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:2K (company)]]
[[Category:BioShock (series)]]
[[Category:Companies based in Norfolk County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Defunct video game companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Take-Two Interactive divisions and subsidiaries]]
[[Category:Video game companies disestablished in 2017]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 1997]]
[[Category:Video game development companies]]
[[Category:Westwood, Massachusetts]]