Joystiq

Ken Levine on tackling social issues: Games should not be 'restricted to a certain set of topics'

Xav de Matos — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST

One of the most surprising things we discovered when playing through the first few hours of BioShock Infinite was the rampant presence of racism throughout the streets of Columbia, a society seemingly lifted to a higher standard in terms of technology but dragging its knuckles on the wrong side of history. Playing another key role in the narrative of the upcoming Irrational Games title is religion, centered around a self-appointed prophet that rules the skyward city and who stands in the way of allowing protagonist Booker DeWitt to complete his ultimate objective.

Along with being the President of Irrational Games, Ken Levine wears the hat of creative director and lead writer on the developer's projects. Speaking with Joystiq, Levine made it clear that he doesn't subscribe to the notion that video games should be restricted from tackling any sensitive issues.

"For my own personal tastes, I'm not afraid of any topic or I wouldn't walk away from any topic because it was controversial. And I wouldn't run towards any topic because it was controversial. There's a story I want to tell," Levine said. Levine noted that the team at Irrational tests narrative ideas, feeling them out to see how they work. Throughout the development of BioShock Infinite, the story of Columbia was forced to evolve as original concepts didn't work alongside the vision for the universe Irrational was crafting.

"Originally, the conflict in [BioShock Infinite] was one between technologists and luddites, and it just wasn't very interesting for us. The story didn't go anywhere, because there wasn't a lot of historical precedence for it and it didn't really resonate. And it evolved, and it kept evolving many, many times," Levine told Joystiq. "But it's all about how you do it, not what you do."

Watch the complete interview above for more from Levine on the state of writing in games, along with widening the industry's narrative to include more female characters and varying sexual orientation.

For more on BioShock Infinite make sure to read Joystiq's recent hands-on preview and watch the first part of our Ken Levine interview detailing the game's evolution and the second part focused on the studio's evolving corporate culture.

Gallery: BioShock Infinite (12/07/2012)

Ken Levine on tackling social issues: Games should not be 'restricted to a certain set of topics' originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Dec 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ken Levine on the evolving corporate culture of Irrational and hiring Rod Fergusson

Xav de Matos — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:00:00 EST

"When you work at a company, people leave and people join. We were up to almost two hundred people at one point and just mathematically you're going to have some turnover," Irrational Games president and creative director Ken Levine told Joystiq when asked how the studio's corporate culture changed after key members of its team had left.

Irrational's corporate culture really shifted, Levine said, when the studio expanded the team to tackle the scale of BioShock Infinite, the long-awaited follow-up to Irrational's 2007 critical and commercial hit BioShock.

"That's when things got a little complicated on the management side, because you have to develop structures we had never really developed before." Yet again, the mathematics of a video game project alter the way in which a team operates, Levine noted, saying that when a team is comprised of around 180 staffers, it becomes more complicated to keep a team's culture and vision while expanding structures to facilitate an expansive project and building the game itself.

"Everybody's got tasks," Levine said, clarifying that even as president of the company he is the studio's lead writer and is constantly writing material for the projects Irrational develops.

Adding Epic's former director of production Rod Fergusson to Irrational's impressive staff roster was an opportunity Levine said he had to explore immediately. "When you get a chance to hire and bring on board a guy like Rod Fergusson to work on BioShock Infinite, you're a fool if you don't do that."

"I learn from everybody," Levine said of his team at Irrational, "but Rod has just so much experience he really brought a lot to the table. I think he made it an even better game. Everything benefited from having him on board."

For more on BioShock Infinite - which was recently delayed to March 26 - make sure to read Joystiq's recent hands-on preview and watch the first part of our Ken Levine interview detailing the game's evolution.

Gallery: BioShock Infinite (12/07/2012)

Ken Levine on the evolving corporate culture of Irrational and hiring Rod Fergusson originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video interview: Inside Halo 3: ODST

James Ransom-Wiley — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:40:00 EST

We train the lens on Bungie game designer Alex Pfeiffer and Microsoft global product manager Ryan Crosby for this look into the design and marketing of Halo 3: ODST, and the future of the franchise.

Be sure to check out Joystiq's Halo 3: ODST Review, as well as in-depth analysis of the Campaign and Firefight games modes.

Video interview: Inside Halo 3: ODST originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video interview: Bethesda's Pete Hines on WET

Andrew Yoon — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:15:00 EST

We're calling it "this year's Mirror's Edge" -- WET is dripping with style, but will its unconventional controls and arcade-inspired combo system jive with mainstream gamers? We chatted with Bethesda's Pete Hines to talk about the publisher's late involvement with the A2M project. Below is a text excerpt of the entire video interview:

What does WET stand for?
WET is short for wetworks, which is a CIA term for operations where your hands are literally going to get wet with blood. We want you, as the player, to always be shooting, always be taking people out, whether it's with your guns or your sword. You're running around walls, jumping, spinning, sliding. It's about comboing together cool moves to take out your enemies and doing in this cool 70s Grindhouse look.

What gives WET its Grindhouse feel?
You really get that Grindhouse feel from the VO work from folks like Eliza Dushku, voice of Ruby (the character you play), Malcolm McDowell. There is a lot of music in the game, both from Brian LeBarton, who works with Beck, created an original soundtrack for the game that's kind of really cool and hip and funky; and then layered on top of that are all these tracks we got from indie bands that have this cool rockabilly type sound that fit really well with both the original soundtrack and with the game.

Gallery: WET

Continue reading Video interview: Bethesda's Pete Hines on WET

Video interview: Bethesda's Pete Hines on WET originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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