Bioshock Vita Coming Along… Slowly
By Kyle Mann | October 17, 2011 | News | No comments | Share
At E3 this year, where myriad developers proclaimed their support for the PlayStation Vita and announced some games in the works for the upcoming handheld, we first learned of a Bioshock game in development. But speaking with Ben Gilbert over at Joystiq this weekend, Irrational Games founder Ken Levine let on that “We’re still sort of in the paper design stage.” Those early plans include a focus on developing an entirely new game for Vita, not porting over Infinite, Bioshock, or Bioshock 2:
That's not the current goal for what we're doing... I think for us, the idea we have is a really good expression on a platform like that (Vita). It's a different goal. And it has to sort of have its own voice in the franchise. If it just feels like a quieter voice in the franchise, I don't think that works. For us.Ken Levine, Irrational Games
He went on to clarify that while that approach may be ideal for some developers, Irrational would much rather take an experimental route with the miniaturized version of Bioshock: “I’d rather do something that’s an experiment and that’s a little different. And is unique for the franchise.” This focus on originality is the cause for the slow progress on the project, as Levine wants to ensure the team is “carefully proceeding” to make a game that can stand alongside the rest of the franchise.
Outsourcing the project isn’t entirely off the table, but it doesn’t sound as if those plans have been entirely fleshed out yet either. To work with people outside the studio, Levine first has to make sure Irrational can find “the right partners” that can meet the high standards the team sets up for itself. Here’s hoping the drawn out development time and careful approach will contribute to a quality game in the long run.
