BioShock Was Nearly Canceled: How Ken Levine's Clever Tactic Saved the Game
In a recent interview with Edge Magazine, BioShock creator Ken Levine opened up about the challenges faced by Irrational Games during the series' development. He revealed that the studio struggled with insufficient funding, low sales expectations, and the very real possibility of project cancellations.
Levine explained that many joined Irrational Games with a shared passion for the classic System Shock 2, hoping to create something similar. Initially, he doubted the commercial viability of such projects but eventually discarded this belief.
However, Levine's instincts proved right. When the studio presented the first BioShock prototype to the publisher, it was rejected. The complex genre of an immersive simulator was deemed financially risky. Undeterred, Irrational Games shifted its approach, presenting the project as a spiritual successor to System Shock 2. They showcased the same prototype to journalists, generating significant media buzz. The next day, the studio was flooded with calls, convincing the publisher of the game's potential demand.
Subsequently, Take-Two acquired the intellectual property rights and, shortly after, Irrational Games itself. Levine acknowledged that this move allowed the studio to "pour a lot of money into BioShock," a decision that ultimately paid off. Despite inflated budgets and missed deadlines that repeatedly threatened the game's development, their efforts proved fruitful. BioShock went on to sell over 41 million copies, spawning a three-part franchise and an upcoming Netflix adaptation.
