2K's Ken Levine on BioShock, casual gaming, acquisitions and more

Posted Feb 28, 2008 at 7:07AM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: PS3, Xbox 360, PC Gaming Tags: 2K Games, BioWare, Boston, Electronic Arts, Ken Levine, Take-Two Interactive

Taking a look inside the head of the man behind 2K Boston's BioShock (Xbox 360, PC), GamesIndustry.biz got to talk to Ken Levine about BioShock's success, as well as several other topics which took the interest of the game's creative director.

Levine attributed the success of BioShock to its superior storytelling, an aspect which they placed a particular focus on. He considered it an honor to have them put among the ranks of other bigger companies like Valve, BioWare and Infinity Ward yet still come out on top.

He also shared his thoughts on casual gaming, where he believed is a genre that can open the gateway to more opportunities for the industry. While hardcore gamers will always have a niche in the market, giving non-gamers a look into the video game world through casual games is a sure-fire opportunity for the industry that no one should overlook.

The topic then shifted to the recent rumors about the acquisition of Take-Two Interactive by Electronic Arts. Levine was asked his opinion about the effect it may have on 2K Games, considering that Take-Two is its parent company.

Levine mentioned that he was unconcerned with the outcome of the acquisition and instead explained that development talent plays a larger role in the end whatever happens. Said Levine:

Look at the Call of Duty guys who came over from the Medal of Honor franchise. It's the talent. You can do a game, but if you don't have the talent, maybe you'll sell a lot of a sequel or something, but you need the talent to keep it going. The question is - are you building up the brand or are you damaging the brand? You have to be very careful with brands.

He ended the interview by praising other titles which placed their focus on story rather than gameplay, such as Portal (PC, Xbox 360) and World of Warcraft.

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2K's Ken Levine on BioShock, casual gaming, acquisitions and more

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