Ken Levine Rising: Will BioShock be his big Break?
By Shawn on Wednesday, August 15th, 2007 at 11:24 AM PST In Computer, Game Companies, Games, Microsoft
Ken Levine has been eclipsed by such video game greats as Miyamoto, Kojima, Carmack and Molyneux. That could all change. As his brain child, BioShock, is poised for launch Levine teeters on the brink of becoming a gamer household name.
An article in GameAlmighty follows Ken Levine from his humble beginnings to present as he prepares to unleash his magnum opus upon the gamer populous. Levine is a fairly recent comer to the video game industry. He joined Looking Glass Studios in 1995 where he worked on his first major game, Thief: The Dark Project (1998). Award winning System Shock 2 (1999) soon followed. Then he helped to break the “comic curse” with Freedom Force (2002) released by Irrational Games. Levine also worked on Swat 4 (2005) which was known for introducing that necessary evil, in-game advertising.
Levine’s latest, greatest project is BioShock this innovative game is an example of the best that video gaming has to offer. It’s the one that will make Roger Ebert eat his words. Video games can be art. While the critics already love BioShock, it remains to be seen whether consumers will share their enthusiasm. However the stars seem to be aligned and all the signs point to BioShock being a run away. Levine’s time has finally come.
BioShock releases August 21 in
via GameAlmighty
Mr. Levine really has never been a best kept secret, at least not in the PC domain. System Shock 2 might not have been the selling Juggernaught that was Doom & Quake, but it achieved something few games do: cult status. Hell, even Thief has some cult status. If anything System Shock 2 was his breakthrough game. I know I would certainly put it right there next to Doom and Quake in the greatest PC games of all time.
Bioshock will be his breakthrough console game.
I personally agree, but the point is he does not have the name recognition of a Warren Specter or Will Wright in the PC arena even. When looking at the bigger industry he is definitely not on the radar with the majority of folks.
Freedom Force and System Shock 2 are two of my all time favorite games but more people remember Irrational or Looking Glass than Ken Levine when associating those two games to their creation.
I certainly hope he gets more recognition. Thief and System Shock 2 still rank as two of my all-time favorite games, and I never knew they were created by the same guy.