Levine: BioShock 2 needs 2K Marin's stamp

by Justin McElroy { Jul 20th 2009 at 2:45PM }

Though you may see characters and a world you recognize when you pop in BioShock 2 next year, don't expect to encounter that distinctive Ken Levine flavor, that Zest of Kenny L, if you will. "I make no claim to anything on BioShock 2, and I think it's important that that's their product, and their culture," Ken Levine told Gamasutra. "Because you can't just clone a studio. They're working on BioShock, but it's got to be their project. They've got to put their stamp on it."

While we can't wait to see 2K Marin's stamp, we just hope it leaves room for Arkane Studios, 2K Australia and Digital Extremes' stamps too. Man, we'll be able to ship this thing to Jupiter with all the postage it'll be packing.

Tags: 2k-games, 2k-marin, bioshoc, bioshock-2, ken-levine

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Akuma FTW @ Jul 20th 2009 2:49PM

Mushroom Stamp?

JXCgunrunna @ Jul 20th 2009 2:56PM

Tramp stamp. may as well be since its been around to so many guys. I mean studios

devilsei @ Jul 20th 2009 3:13PM

Yeah, if we get a chance, check the Big Sister, I have a feeling she's been pulling off more than just little sisters. All those studios, all those lonely men... yeah, definitely Tramp Stamp.

Shagittarius @ Jul 20th 2009 2:49PM

Whats KL working on now adays? Anyone know?

Moptimus Slime (The Return of Princess Griffin) @ Jul 20th 2009 2:59PM

He's on tour with the Sklar brothers as a stunt double for Randy

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tvsquad.com/media/2006/11/sklarbrosrjt.jpg

The Dark Wayne @ Jul 20th 2009 5:02PM

that was an incredibly obscure reference there Moptimus

SaltyGary @ Jul 20th 2009 2:50PM

I just have no excitement for this game. The first one was good from the standpoint of a different IP and it was nice to look at but the control scheme was lousy and it got too repetitive.

Shagittarius @ Jul 20th 2009 2:52PM

Are you talking about Mass Effect?

Victor @ Jul 20th 2009 2:54PM

I thought Mass Effect was fun :'(

SaltyGary @ Jul 20th 2009 2:57PM

I just picked up Mass Effect in the bargain bin a couple weeks ago and that is alright but probably just as repetitive as Bioshock.

I am currently having a blast playing battlefield 1943 and it doesn't get more repetitive than that. So maybe that's not a accurate attribute to judge a game on.

Paul @ Jul 20th 2009 3:16PM

agreed. first one was very boring. I turned it off 20 minutes after beating that guy with the golf club. too much unnecessary back tracking.

RedSonRising @ Jul 20th 2009 3:22PM

Bioshock and Mass Effect are two of the best games on the xbox 360: 2 top notch narratives with high production values and both are critical and financial successes.

i dont think Bioshock really needs a sequel but i cant want for Mass Effect 2.. if you have finished both games youre already late for 2 great parties.. join in.

The Baron @ Jul 20th 2009 4:27PM

I loved both due to the stories. The gameplay of BioShock in terms of the emergent combat was excellent.

Babel @ Jul 20th 2009 4:34PM

I would've liked to see a prequel to Bioshock, maybe where you experienced (or participated in) the fall of Rapture, and you could interact with the various scientists and artists and see how they utilised the freedom granted to them. So maybe a more RPG-like structure, with battles against plasmid-using people as well.

But as soon as I learned that splicers were still the main bad type of enemy (except, as one of the developer commentaries pointed out, even less of a challenge, so they'd just increased the number), and that it looked - so far, admittedly - almost identical to before, I lost interest.

Still, I'm hoping that my pessimism is shoved in my face come the game's released.

Phinehas @ Jul 20th 2009 4:46PM

I loved Mass Effect, but couldn't get into Bioshock. Different strokes.

The Dark Wayne @ Jul 20th 2009 5:03PM

baron what does that mean? Ive heard stuff like that and emergent gameplay said a lot lately but i have no idea what they mean

The Baron @ Jul 20th 2009 6:14PM

Emergent combat = lots of options and ways to approach it.

You could use the environment, like oil spills + fire and water pools + electricity, and combine plasmids in various ways, such as using the traps and distracting powers.

Billy Regis @ Jul 20th 2009 2:58PM

The picture was taken on the corner of Michigan Ave. & the river in Chicago. I live a few blocks from there.

MystileArmor @ Jul 20th 2009 2:51PM

He needs a pair of *puts on sunglasses* sunglasses.

YEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

PSN: John-Paul-Jones (Led Zeppelin) @ Jul 20th 2009 5:44PM

fail

343 Guilty Fart @ Jul 20th 2009 6:07PM

I laughed.

SirWilliamRegis @ Jul 20th 2009 2:53PM

That picture was taken on the corner of Michigan Ave. & the river in Chicago. I live a few blocks from there and walk past it almost everyday.

Shagittarius @ Jul 20th 2009 2:54PM

If anything happens to Ken I know who to come looking for.

Billy Regis @ Jul 20th 2009 3:02PM

All you have to worry about me doing is offering to buy him a beer.

Shagittarius @ Jul 20th 2009 3:07PM

I didn't know one could be un-knighted...

Duke @ Jul 20th 2009 3:11PM

Shag with the one liners today - we need someone to do rim shots for you.

Anyway, yup, thats the Birthday Cake Building on the left! (Which has a nice atrium if anyone cares.)

Jerk Face @ Jul 20th 2009 3:20PM

http://instantrimshot.com

theroostarr @ Jul 20th 2009 5:11PM

I work in the Tribune Tower pictured to his left. I walked out there after seeing this picture. He wasn't there anymore.

Duke @ Jul 20th 2009 5:54PM

Isn't he standing on Wacker though. Maybe you weren't close enough to see him over there.

David @ Jul 20th 2009 3:04PM

I don't get why the fact that there are a lot of studios involved the game will suck. After all the PS3 version of Bioshock, which was a very well made port, was handled by a lot of studios as well. I'm not saying the game will be good, it's just that I don't we shouldn't focus on the studio thing that much.

ScottG13 @ Jul 20th 2009 3:13PM

I really have to get a picture of myself like this. For media purposes, of course.

beans @ Jul 20th 2009 3:14PM

what does michael scott's picture have to do with the article?

THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Jul 20th 2009 3:14PM

Lets face it. Not all games need a sequel. Bioshock was outstanding and it had closure. I would rather play a new game from Levine than some squirted out sequel.

RedSonRising @ Jul 20th 2009 3:25PM

+1 Wicker Man

personally i dont care who makes a game as long as its good. i dont hold grudges against studios or producers for weak titles, i just dont play their games and i dont recommend that particular game to friends.

Jack Tretton @ Jul 20th 2009 4:19PM

"...some squirted out sequel..."

Squirted Out would make a good name for a game studio.

player66 @ Jul 20th 2009 3:26PM

That picture was taken on the corner of Michigan Ave. & the river in Chicago. I live a few blocks from there and walk past it almost everyday too.

zodduska @ Jul 20th 2009 3:31PM

Last week 2k took a crippling blow by pushing back the game because it needed more time in the oven and now Ken is distancing himself from it, things aren't looking good for Bioshock 2.

PedoJokerBear (aka Deeznuts) @ Jul 20th 2009 3:35PM

i didnt know michael scott did games.

Professor Lario @ Jul 20th 2009 5:31PM

Nice catch.

Mr Khan is over 9000 @ Jul 20th 2009 5:52PM

He's the product of a secret government project to genetically cross-breed Steve Carell and Billy Mays

Neuromancer @ Jul 20th 2009 3:53PM

Yes yes Ken, that's all very interesting, but I'd much rather hear about what you're working on these days...

player66 @ Jul 20th 2009 3:58PM

X-Com. Not confirmed, but heavily rumored and hinted at for over a year.

R (XBL: Esoteric Lord) @ Jul 20th 2009 4:10PM

Bioshock 1 ended perfectly. Bioshock 2 lost me at "Its the sequel where you play the very first Big Daddy ever"

Wha? But the other game had big Daddies so how can this take place after and you be the first...

Blah. Ill pick it up after I see what the reviews are like.

Phinehas @ Jul 20th 2009 4:52PM

Really?!? That definitely sounds interesting. Any place I could read more about that?

X-Com tops my list of all-time favorite games. On the other hand, what are the odds that he'd keep the turn-based strategy at the heart of X-Com? I'm not really that interested in an FPS with the X-Com IP slapped onto it.