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The Troubling Predicament of BioShock: Infinite

Giancarlo Varanini
By: Giancarlo Varanini, Senior Editor

One of the most anticipated games of 2012 faces one of gaming's oldest dilemmas.

There's something wrong with BioShock: Infinite, but it isn't the game itself. The spate of videos released over the past three weeks highlight individual enemies, with members of the development team discussing the inspiration behind these creatures' form and function.

They raise some questions: Why give us the director's commentary when we haven't even seen the movie yet? Shouldn't there be some surprise? And since no one is forcing me to watch them, why does the recent bombardment of videos bother me so much?

Oh, sweet irony.

Many of BioShock: Infinite's public appearances in recent weeks are trailers that don't reveal anything that isn't supposed to be seen. There's little opportunity for investigation, but more importantly, there's almost no room for interpretation. It feels like there's no confidence in the audience to come to its own conclusions because doing so would mean expectations go unchecked. In turn, this raises some important questions: Is this game not capable of standing on its own merits? Why not let fans come to their own conclusions? To be fair, the associated interviews with Irrational's creative director, Ken Levine, give some much-needed context to these scraps cut from the roast, but Levine isn't in a position to go outside the unspoken but understood boundaries of this week's "heavy hitter" or whatever happens to be the agreed-upon topic.

These videos do a great disservice not only to Infinite, but also to Irrational. On a macro level, the constant dissecting of game content introduces an element of media fatigue so pervasive that by the time the game is released, there's nothing to talk about. There's no mystery. There's no opportunity for fans to interpret their own narrative, because they're already being told why something is in the game and why it looks the way it does. It was all spelled out months before, and by the creators no less. It's like attending a Shakespeare class and being told your take is wrong because the professor is Shakespeare, and he would probably know better than anyone.

"It's like attending a Shakespeare class and being told your take is wrong because the professor is Shakespeare […]"It's amazing that a studio with such enormous artistic and visual talent would spread the gospel of BioShock that, quite frankly, is antiquated and boring. Why tear down the universe when it hasn't even been built in the minds of the audience? Why not use the magnificent talents of your art team and feed imaginations? You also have one of the most passionate and talented fan bases of any game out there, so why not let them do the work for you on some level?

Regardless, it's a shame and simultaneously worrisome that there are potentially several more months of this ahead. Will there be anything left to discover come October 16?

Giancarlo Varanini
By: Giancarlo Varanini, Senior Editor

I am error.

274 Comments

  • DethAngel22

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 10:37 pm GMT

    I like how he posts the video here, tempting you to watch it. Just waiting there...paused. This rant making no sense unless you watch it...this blog is promoting you to watch the video he's complaining about lol

  • lanasrj

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 10:12 pm GMT

    I think they're banking on the game having enough surprises for players that even having this knowledge won't lessen the impact. Let's wait and see before we start worrying, okay?

  • BigGhost_AJT

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 5:55 pm GMT

    Simple answer: Don't watch

  • hermes200

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 12:59 pm GMT

    @Elazul_Stice: That is an awful comparison.
    The article is about Irrational and Levine choosing to show all surprises and answer all questions beforehand, spoiling surprises and interpretations that should be left to experience in October; which is totally different than complaining afterwards (because I assume people that complain at least had the decency of playing it) about the product.

    OT: There is always the choice of not watching the videos, although I presume there is a lot more to this game than what is shown there...

  • Elazul_Stice

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 12:27 pm GMT

    OHHH no Gamespot. remember Mass Effect 3? Games are now an artform not to be criticised. The "artists" CHOOSE to show some preliminary sketches. Mystery? Fans interpret their own narrative? oohhhh no sir. you're confused. If you question the artist, is it really their art anymore?

    /sarcasm :/

  • umster

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 11:24 am GMT

    @Nafe if we dont like the story line we can always presure the devs to change it

  • Nafe

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 9:58 am GMT

    He wants to compare to Shakespeare? If anyone has read Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare gives away the entire story line in the Epilogue of the opening speech. Yet, the story itself was surprising and amazing.

    There is your perfect example.

  • Nafe

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 9:56 am GMT

    Wait so people are complaining they know too much? WTF? This is called ADVERTISING. Bioshock 2 was a disappointing sequel, and they want the fans to know the next won't disappoint. I guarantee you we don't know HALF of what is in the game.

  • conkerton

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 7:52 am GMT

    Watch 5 seconds of the Bioshock heavy hitters and shut it off. I want a surprise for the game.

  • baldrickhead

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 5:19 am GMT

    @ Shnx30. I think it's a mistake to presume to understand the typical gamer's mind or to equate the general populace with a bunch of unquestioning media-consuming lemmings. Just because most people don't contemplate the meanings of King Richard the III on the bus home doesn't mean their subconscious understandings of art, its meanings and symbols, aren't affected by others and the interpretations of others. Giancarlo's article raises an age-old question. What place do artists intentions hold in our understanding of their art. Like film, our gaming industry is saturated with these broadcasted intentions before the 'finished' products/artworks even arrive. There is nothing wrong or right about this. The key of when to suspend interpretation for the thrill of the ride will probably always be the burdern of the individual and their personal tastes. The world is waking up to game art, and its discussion is the young progeny, but hype and marketing came of age long ago. Viewer beware, they're be spoilers 'ere.

  • Banefire76

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 4:12 am GMT

    @SgtStrungOut
    I remember those days too When i was around 9yrs old (giving my age away here) i got my 1st brand new Atari 2600. And in those days you only had the one screenshot on the back of the case with a blurb to inform your purchase.

    I agree that having the bare minimum preview for what looks to be a hit certainly makes the wait an exciting one. But im the sort of person that loves to hear the motivations and feelings behind the creation of games. I look for the individuals that give of themselves when they create a world for us all to play in. Rather than the companies that simply copy other successful companies for the sole purpose of making money. So for that reason i gravitate to games made by the likes of Hideo Kojima, Ken Levine and Hironobu Sakaguchi. And when they discuss thier motivations to why they made a certain decision in creation of a game i lap it up with glee. Because they do it out of love for the medium and it shows.

    So i dont disagree with either your point or Giancarlo's but i think there are exceptions to the rule, especially with creators that always give more than what is expected of them like the 3 examples i mentioned.

  • jefferson1964

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 3:53 am GMT

    Like was said you do not have to watch the videos. Ive not seen one and do not plan on seeing any as i was to be suprised. In a way it is like Mass Effect 3 releasing a demo...i didnt play as I did not want to know anything beforehand.

  • SgtStrungOut

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 3:23 am GMT

    @Banefire76 I never said the game is bad or not going to live up to the unnecessary hype, but it kills the mystery and charm of gaming to me. When I was younger, each game I got was a mystery to me because the only way I ever got to see what it looked like before I played it was on old school gaming magazines or, on rare occasions if the game was made by a major developer, on a 20-30 second commercial. That was cool. That made me appreciate the game more. I am not a huge Bioshock fan (although I beat both games 100%), but I see this with so many games, and I was happy to see a article bringing this issue up, yet dissapointed with all these casuals commenting as if it would hurt their experience if there was no hype for the game.

  • Banefire76

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 3:04 am GMT

    @SgtStrungOut
    While i agree with your sentiment i must disagree with lumping Ken Levine in the same category. Ken's work on System Shock 2 and Bioshock 1 clearly shows the talent he has for presenting an excellent story/narrative. Sure it is true that heavy marketing before release does catch casual gamers unawares but i dont believe that what has been shown in trailers and pics will detract from what this game is going to encompass. Perhaps a little more care in selecting targets for your very correct statement would be beneficial?

  • SgtStrungOut

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 2:46 am GMT

    Wow all you little impatient kids and immature adults need to grow up and realize that this shameless mass marketing hype BS is ruining gaming. The mystery and imagination of video games is gone thanks to scumbags like Levine and all the other developers at companies that hype of their game to appeal to casual gamers and people who not normally game had they not seen ads of said game. Seriously, are these people gamers or just sheeple whoever go with what is popular and on TV? Dumbed down and drone like.

  • AceBalls

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 2:12 am GMT

    I've been staying away from all these previews and sneak peeks for fear some very unnecessary spoilers....

  • maderrin

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 1:38 am GMT

    I guess that's just a hype attempt went bad. 15 years ago all you could do before the game's release was to watch some very early screenshots of it published in a magazine. Now ther's so much stuff going on before the actual release, that I often feel like I've already played the game. Very little is left for the player to discover, that's why I cut down the amount of video watching and news reading just to have some more fun later on.

  • Sheic

    Posted Mar 23, 2012 12:33 am GMT

    I was thinking this months ago. Why is Ken Levine showing alot of himself explaing the game and how your suppose to play it and what everything stands for, instead of, i dont know - showing us snippets of the actual game and letting us get excited about it! I too started to get bored with seeing Ken alot and not Bioshock Infinite, hence i dont watch or look at any content associated with Bioshock Infinite. It made it even worse when the release date was announced for the end of this year. Im a huge fan of Bioshock 1&2.

  • indicaX

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 11:33 pm GMT

    So we're starting the "It's cool to not like this game" crap with Bioshock already. The game has an advertising budget and slight mainstream appeal so now we're going to pick it apart starting with the ad campaign. I would say this is a suprise, but it's not really...

  • homegirl2180

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 9:48 pm GMT

    I don't think the majority of Bioshock consumers are watching these videos, or even aware of them. As of this time two years ago, Bioshock's sales total was 4 million. Do you really think they're all watching these videos? I'm not, and I began with Irrational back with System Shock 2.

  • sonic-boom

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 8:38 pm GMT

    While I do agree Bioshock: Infinite has revealed alot of game information early, I think this article is over-reacting. The reason I can think of for all this exposure is for Infinite to distance itself from the Rapture setting so when somebody buys it in October there should be no confusion.

  • lewishim666

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 8:33 pm GMT

    They are only telling us the same stuff that they told us before bioshock was released. We knew about the big daddies, little sisters, the splicers, and andrew ryan before bioshock came out. There were still plenty of surprises when I finally played bioshock. I'm confident that there are still plenty of tricks up irrationals sleeve. A "shock" game is more about the journey and the things you choose to do in the world. Irrational hasn't ruined the "journey" by telling us this stuff. With that said, it seems like gamespot got bored and needed to right something.

  • johnnybowman

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 8:12 pm GMT

    @BoxingTheStars Yeah for a second I thought this was an IGN article.

    If you do not want it spoiled use some self control and do not watch. I do not have that self control.

    yeah this is a repost

  • Banefire76

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 7:45 pm GMT

    If this game had anyone other than Ken Levine at the wheels then i may agree to a degree. But when it comes to Ken and what i have seen so far from interviews with the 2 main voice actors and the premise of the game and the setting im intrigued all the more. Why? because Ken always has much more in store. And frankly everything shown is something to be expected anyway since a certain continuity is to be expected between bioshock games.

    There exist certain series that when the original writer that garnered the series its original attention are involved in the upcoming game, the audience can trust that once again they are going to be entertained because that lead writer always delivers - Ken Levine is such a person and when he wasn't working on a Bioshock game is when the story and integrity suffered (eg. Bioshock 2) Another example of a trutworthy lead writer not being present on a series he/she created would be Drew Karpyshyn. The most recent edition of the series he started out as lead writer suffered greatly because his artistic vision was not present to lend integrity to the storyline which resulted in a failed ending.

    I see this approach as giving "full disclosure" to its fans without ruining the story's inevitable twists. Kinda like, "heres whats to be expected ok, so now you're clear to enjoy the narrative when you get into the game."

    The same thing happened with Arkham City and that was still an awesome game, so i say take a chill pill Giancarlo

  • nickythenewt21

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 7:43 pm GMT

    So some videos about the enemies in the game are somehow going to spoil the entire game for the audience? Yeah no, this game looks incredible, a once in a generation kind of game. I mean, I understand not wanting to know everything in the game and wanting some surprises, but obviously they aren't going to show everything the game has to offer in these Heavy Hitters. This is Irrational Games for God's sake, if there's a developer who knows how to surprise their audience it's them.

  • accretia27

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 6:59 pm GMT

    I'm sure they still got surprises for gamers in the game, I hope.

  • Jaxith

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 6:55 pm GMT

    I never watch, or read up on any games I'm looking forward to. I like everything to be a mystery. I don't want to know what characters I'm going to meet until I meet them, and I love discovering things in games that I didn't expect.

  • RussellGorall

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 6:51 pm GMT

    I was gonna' flame this piece, but I actually agree to a point. That being said, while most games would have been completed depleted of surprises by now, Infinite will probably have ten times as much in the actual game.

    Also, while this is an actual AAA title, it isn't published by Rockstar and Bioware didn't do the ending so critics and consumers already have something against it. That E3 2011 demo of it was touching, as was the latest Far Cry 3 trailer. These games actually need a little bit of headway in order for you guys to talk about them.

  • CommisarNoddy

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 6:43 pm GMT

    I totally agree. I have stopped watching the vids as i refuse to see more of the game. Same for farcry 3...

  • rahmie0789

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 6:41 pm GMT

    a bunch of over-analyzed info. This game will be fine.

  • LilRoss2k3

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 6:14 pm GMT

    you die at the end.

  • shinx30

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 6:13 pm GMT

    (Cont.) Look at a film like Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange...Very underrated film regarding its audience and cultural impact. Most people watch the film because it's unique and interesting. Nobody cares about the subliminal messaging within the film. Now, that's very contrary to this case, Kubrick having never explained any of it--but still, those of us who do analyze the film are shunned by the herd. The same goes for the rest of art. Most of the kids I had art with in high school were jocks and bimbos that lacked any respect for our teacher and the content. People are bothered by art and its true purpose, and I believe that's the case with the author of this "article". He's not concerned with the gamers' freedom to interpret the game itself--he feels threatened by the artists' analysis of the material, much like the kinds of people who freak-out when they're told of the practically anti-religious subliminal messaging in Da Vinci paintings.

  • shinx30

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 6:08 pm GMT

    I'm sorry but, considering your typical gamer, there's a lot to be explained regarding a piece such as this. They're the artists, so what they say about it IS generally right. Most gamers are not intelligent enough to nitpick symbols, metaphors, and themes within an artwork. The game is without a doubt a work of art, but that is not the cause of its success. People play the game for entertainment and that's it. That's why these explanations are necessary. The predominance of the audience are not artists or those with an artistic mindset--most of them are just simple, generically-minded people. I would know, I deal with these kinds of people everyday, seeing how they makeup 89% of the population.

  • Voice_of_Wisdom posted Mar 22, 2012 6:06 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Voice_of_Wisdom

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 6:06 pm GMT (hide)

    Bioshock = most overrated franchise in history

  • kabuto1990

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 6:04 pm GMT

    I am with @skittles212 100% I dont like trailers for a highly anticipated game that I want.

  • skittles212

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 6:01 pm GMT

    Try my method. When I don't want any spoilers I DON'T WATCH every single trailer that gets released!

  • Nosnitsttam

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 5:57 pm GMT

    "will there be anything left to discover come October 16?" well, yeah. if bioshock and it's exhaustive coverage were any indication, there will be TONS of shocking and memorable moments in Infinite. looking at the 1st bioshock, it really had 3 big things to show off: rapture, splicers, and big daddies. all 3 were prominently featured in countless stories and videos, gamespot itself had TONS of gameplay demos. did any of that ruin the experience that i had? nope. in fact several of the later areas blew me away as did the twist near the end of the game. so i doubt these videos will do anything to spoil the experience because i refuse to believe that irrational would release ANYTHING that would ruin a gamers experience. in any event, if you want to avoid over exposure: DON'T WATCH THE VIDEOS. did we really need an article like this?

  • mat989

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 5:50 pm GMT

    True enough...remember Bioshock's trailer in E3, with almost no sound? I was like, "man, this game will be one the the best in 2012!"...gameplay trailers.."Cool, nice game. I bet the online will be even better if it keeps up like this, etc"...then the flood of videos about story, enemies, commentaries...
    C'mon, it doesn't change the fact the game still looks good. It was like Alan Wake: American Wasteland did, but it didn't stopped people from buying the game. Why? Because it was a good game.

    If Bioshock is going that way, either the story is so deep they're giving lots of hints right now to start figuring what'll happen next, or they will do like Asura's Wrath...reveal everything except main story, release game, wait reviews, and the game's dead...

    Fact: They need to have lessons with Bethesda.

  • Sepewrath

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 5:50 pm GMT

    Well like you said, the audience doesn't know how to regulate hype and expectations. So the game can be DOA, because it can never live up to the lofty standards people have created in their head. Also you have to show ending before the game comes out, so people know its good and they wont be cheated -_-

  • grey_fox1984

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 5:49 pm GMT

    Amazing that this article exists- because I purposely avoided those videos, having a gut feeling that they were filled with spoilers I would prefer to experience first hand when the game is finally out. I don't even think I'm going to watch any more trailers for Prometheus or The Dark Knight Rises if they are released either. I'm sold on all of these things already and can't really get any more excited, previews and trailers will just ruin stuff at this point.

  • aermeus

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 5:44 pm GMT

    @WizardGlass

    Umm...did u even read the article? He is saying the exact opposite. He is saying the trend now is to media hype games so much, including these videos that have the developers explaining the game rather than letting the gamers interpert for themselves...if you think there have been, as you say "asinine" articles, maybe you should go back and read them just to insure you comprehended them correctly lol

  • Goatlord6669

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 5:42 pm GMT

    They used to write articles that literally challenged your way of thinking, and usually was more creative and sounded hopeful, now every article is a 3-6 paragraph complaint.... Regarding this article....Okay previews can spoil some small things in a game that's why they are previews. They are intentionally suppose to give a taste of whats to come, and I doubt they are going to just show the ending of a game in a trailer haha, so I don't see the big deal. I kind of like to know what the game is gonna have before I go out and buy it with my hard earned cash. That's why I watch previews! Especially today's games you never know what is a sales gimmick and what is an innovative masterpiece. If you are afraid you might see something that might take away from your experience, then don't watch previews or anything, it's really self explanatory...... I challenge you Gamespot, to write something fun to read instead of having us go through pages, pages, pages of rants. Reach deep deep down inside, find that happy place, and write us some gold!

  • WizardGlass

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 5:35 pm GMT

    so.... this article.... in a series of gamespot articles that have been completely asinine lately.... is complaining that irrational isnt releasing more information about their game prior to release?

    ..... have we really come to complaining about something like this?

  • FlamingFury

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 5:31 pm GMT

    I agree. I've been avoiding trailers for this very reason.

    Generally, I'll watch a trailer, and then maybe a gameplay video or two, and then justify my purchase on reviews instead of fan hype.

  • SuprSaiyanRockr

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 5:28 pm GMT

    Yeah, I have noticed that a lot of games show too much content before release. I can agree with that.

  • Vaasman

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 5:27 pm GMT

    I think the author of this article may be looking a bit too deep into these. They're just showing off what they've been working on aren't they? Why does that destroy all interpretation? It's not like they told you exactly how the story plays out.

    So many opinion pieces recently. Must be a slow month for gaming news.

  • Luminious0

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 5:24 pm GMT

    Also, I am sure Kev reads Gamespot and will come across this article. Probably will add a few more enemies that he won't show by then

  • GunnyHath

    Posted Mar 22, 2012 5:22 pm GMT

    You're absolutely right Giancarlo.. that is why I avoid almost all media related to a game I care about. After so many years as a gamer I can smell a good game, without any media coverage except an announcement.. in a lot of cases. In those cases I won't read much of anything about it, until it hits. Certain franchises you just know will be good. But it's definitely a problem.. and I don't like the trend either.

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