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Ghost Story Games, LLC

Moby ID: 1581

AKA +
  • Irrational Games, LLC (from 2009-01 to 2017-08-29)
  • 2K Boston, Inc (from 2007-08-10 to 2009-01)
  • Irrational Games LLC (from 1997-05-05 to 2007-08-10)

Overview edit · view history

Irrational Games LLC was a development studio founded in in 1997 by Ken Levine, Jon Chey and Robert Fermier. The original studio was located in Boston, MA (USA) and was dubbed Irrational Games Boston. In 2005 it was relocated to Quincy, Massachusetts, just outside Boston. In April 2000 an additional studio was established in Canberra, Australia: Irrational Games Australia.

The company initially focused on role-playing games. Irrational Games is known for such titles as System Shock 2, Freedom Force and Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich, Tribes: Vengeance, SWAT 4, SWAT 4: The Stetchkov Syndicate, BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock: Infinite.

On 9th January 2006, the company was acquired by Take-Two Interactive.

On 10th August 2007, Take-Two Interactive announced that the US and Australian offices of the company had been renamed 2K Boston and 2K Australia respectively.

In December 2007, a third studio was established, 2K Marin, in Novato, California (USA). Initially it only consisted of five people from 2K Boston.

The original name eventually made a return when Game Informer reported on 8th January 2010 that the original name Irrational Games would be restored, to respect the studio's legacy.

Irrational Games is claimed to have been closed in 2014, but some of its key staff remained. Twelve staff members of Irrational Games founded Ghost Story Games, including creative director Ken Levine and art director Shawn Robertson, but although they are effectively the replacement of Irrational Games and had managed the "closed" studio's social media profiles after its formal "closure", Ghost Story Games distance themselves from the Irrational Games' portfolio and wish to create their own path. They are still a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive.

Credited on 15 Games from 1999 to 2020

BioShock 2: Remastered (2020 on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch)
BioShock: Remastered (2020 on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch)
BioShock: Remastered (2016 on Windows, Macintosh, Xbox One)
BioShock: The Collection (2016 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...)
BioShock 2: Remastered (2016 on Windows, Xbox One, Macintosh)
BioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition (2016 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...)
BioShock Infinite (2013 on Linux, Windows, Xbox 360...)
BioShock: Ultimate Rapture Edition (2013 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
BioShock 2 (2010 on Windows, Xbox 360, Macintosh...)
Netherworld: Beyond Time I Stand (2009 on Windows)
BioShock (2007 on Windows, Xbox 360, Macintosh...)
SWAT 4 (2005 on Windows)
Freedom Force vs The 3rd Reich (2005 on Windows)
Freedom Force (2002 on Windows, Macintosh)
System Shock 2 (1999 on Linux, Windows, Macintosh)

History +

January 2010

The US studio's name is changed back from 2K Boston to Irrational Games.

August 10, 2007

It is announced the US and Australian studios are renamed 2K Boston and 2K Australia, respectively.

January 9, 2006

The company is acquired by Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.

2002

Due to legal issues with Crave Entertainment, development on the game The Lost is halted.

April 27, 2000

The Australian division of Irrational Games is established in Canberra, headed by Jonathan Chey.

[ view all ]

Trivia +

The German online magazine 4Players named 2K Boston as #3 Best Developer of 2007.

Related Web Sites +

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