Why BioShock Should Have Failed

[Logan Frederick]

Why BioShock Should Have Failed

BioShock Lead Programmer Chris Kline has claimed that the wildly successful title "should have failed."

Speaking at the Paris GDC conference, Kline disclosed that a series of design mistakes and delays could've killed the project.

Beginning with the idea to make a big-budget System Shock 2, a game that was critically acclaimed but failed financially, Kline commented, "The design team's core assumption was that Shock 2 was a near-perfect game design. And we could just fix a few flaws. So what did we keep? Resource scarcity, the customization of the character through different systems, and we wanted the player to be cautious about moving through the world."

Artistically, the team spent its early resources creating character concepts. Irrational Games soon realized that they "didn't know what the main focus of the visuals was. What we now know is that it's not the monsters, but the city of Rapture."

Following BioShock's E3 2006 showing, 2K's decision to repackage the game as a first-person shooter garnered attention from gamers. "What's interesting is that even though it was the same game," Kline revealed, "when we presented it as a shooter people started getting more excited about it. Even the team."

Kline concluded that all the redirecting and slipped ship dates improved the product. "Some people think that constantly messing up, and pushing dates isn't a good way to make a game," he said, "but as far as I'm concerned it's the only way to make a good game."

Source: Gamasutra [http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=19146]

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[Melaisis]

So what did we keep? Resource scarcity, the customization of the character through different systems, and we wanted the player to be cautious about moving through the world

They kept these? When I think resource scarcity, I think finding a medipack every fifty minutes, getting by on one or two HP alone at times. When I think customisation of character, not only do I think skills (all of which can be tuned at any one time anyway) but also looks and gameplay style (a la Oblivion). When I think caution, I definitely don't think that I could 'just attack that Big Daddy with a wrench because I'll respawn three meters away anyway'.

 

[drummond13]

I love Bioshock, personally.

But resource scarcity? Really?

 

[SomeBritishDude]

Its fair enough to say that Bioshock should have failed. There where no space mariens, it wasn't set in the future and there was no multiplayer aspect. It should have become a game that didn't sell but nerds adored. I have a feeling it may have been advertising that saved it. Its one of the few games that was actually had tv adverts, and with all the 10/10's flashing around even a few halo fanboys where thinking "hmm...That doesn't look half bad"

 

[Imitation Saccharin]

They kept these? When I think resource scarcity, I think finding a medipack every fifty minutes, getting by on one or two HP alone at times.

Compared to Call of Duty 4, Halo 3, or Operation Bummando 18, there point kind of makes sense.

 

[Iron Mal]

I have always wondered why people look at a game after its been released and start inspecting the business attributes of it like 'it shouldn't have sold well' or 'the advertising campaigns weren't good but people got it anyway' or the dreaded 'it appealed to fans of the previous games but not halo fanatics'. Observations I'm not instantly made suspicious of (unless you do in fact happen to be a member of K2's marketing department in which case please ignore the following)are things like 'I liked that moment' or 'this part got pretty annoying'.

I can probably tie this down to the useual self-denial and Freudian represson some people go through when someone starts critising their choice of console, for example: When I asked someone why they thought the Wii was good they instantly brought up the equivilant of 3 years of statistical data, this translated to me as 'I don't really have an answer so please drop the issue'.

 

[hitheremynameisbob]

Really though - scarce resources? Does Kline actually believe that? In System shock 2 you could use a melee or energy weapon for a large portion of the early game (or even all the way through to about 2/3rds through) and still find your ammo stockpile dwindling when you hit the end. There was always that huge sense of "hell yes!" when you came across a stockpile or armory, or even when you just found as few as a dozen bullets. In Bioshock tripping over an ammo stash produced a "meh" at best, and at times actual frustration that the game was making it so easy.

I could live with the easy-respawning thing, since in System Shock 2 I rarely ever let myself pay the penalty to respawn (quickload was free and just as time consuming), but at least that way any damage I'd done was reset.

I love Bioshock and all, but it's a very different game from SS2, and hearing someone seriously compare them in that area is comical.

 

[JakubK666]

When I think resource scarcity, I think finding a medipack every fifty minutes, getting by on one or two HP alone at times.

Oh no! (Half-Life 2 Water Hazard & Ravenholm Flashback.)

 

[AngryMan]

I love Bioshock, personally.

But resource scarcity? Really?

Try playing it on Hard. The step up from Medium is huge, and totally worth it.

 

[Iron Mal]

I can probably tie this down to the useual self-denial and Freudian represson some people go through when someone starts critising their choice of console, for example: When I asked someone why they thought the Wii was good they instantly brought up the equivilant of 3 years of statistical data, this translated to me as 'I don't really have an answer so please drop the issue'.

Because you know, you're wholly qualified to question someone's personal tastes and attempt to rationalize it in comparison with the rest of the world at large.

Oh wait, you're not.

Well, by saying that I'm doing that, you have in fact commited the very act you've accused me of. You have assumed because I questioned someone's choice or personal preferance that I was being confrontational or (dare I say) intimidating when this is in fact not the case, you've also done this in a hostile and agressive fashion (which I could very well take as a personal attack)...hypocritical wouldn't you say? (I will now apologise ahead of time for any offense caused)

Back onto the subject though, I agree with AngryMan. On hard the situation is made worse because the few medkits and Eve syringes you encounter are more often than not used immediatly after you find them.