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BioShock Infinite Dev On Cutting Multiplayer: "You Never Really Get Over That"

"You spend a lot of time and put your heart and soul into something just to have it disappear in the span of a meeting."

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Irrational Games was working on a multiplayer component for BioShock Infinite, but due to various issues, the studio elected to cut multiplayer and focus exclusively on the campaign. Multiplayer developer Bill Gardner says in reporter Jason Schreier's new book, Press Rest, that it was very difficult to let go of what he worked so hard to create.

"You spend a lot of time and put your heart and soul into something just to have it disappear in the span of a meeting," Gardner said in an excerpt from the book posted recently on Polygon. "You never really get over that."

As previously reported, Irrational was said to be planning at least two multiplayer modes for BioShock Infinite that took the form of a tower-defense-like mode and a campaign-inspired cooperative mode.

The full excerpt is well worth a read, as it's stacked with fascinating insight into the behind-the-scenes challenges to get BioShock Infinite finished and out the door.

The book Press Reset is now available on Amazon for $15 and other places where books are sold.

As for the BioShock series, it's continuing at 2K Games with a new developer, Cloud Chamber. Very little is known about the film, but a job ad suggests it might be open world.

BioShock creator Ken Levine is not involved with the project. He's currently making a new game of his own at his new studio, Ghost Story Games.

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Thanatos2k

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I mean, it never should have been in there to begin with....

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jenovaschilld

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Edited By jenovaschilld

Well during that time, there was a lot, I mean A LOT of backlash against tacked on MP in games like Dead Space, Dragon age, Red Dead, and ... a shit load of others. And when Ken Levine sp?, dropped it he said, it was just not coming together like they had hoped it would with the main game and in the time frame or something. Or at least the single player games with tacked on MP were coming out with lower review scores and .... most importantly no increase in profits.

Tacked on Multiplayer also costs a good bit, with estimates as much as 1/4 to 1/3 of a games total production. Oh EA may throw that BS out there that the MP pays for itself and that none of the MP production costs comes from the main game, but that is just not true.

Publishers love MP as it allows for another revenue stream like DLC, player data, and less used game sales. But I am glad that Bioshock 3 didn't have it myself, some didn't like the 3rd game, but I loved it. It took risks in its story and presentation. I still like Bioshock 2 a little better though, the end scene was haunting.

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