Irrational Games: Difference between revisions

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Background

Irrational Games was founded in 1997 in Boston by Ken Levine and other people from the closed Looking Glass Studios. In 2000, they opened a side studio in Canberra. Take-Two Interactive Software acquired these studios on January 9, 2006, and a year after, the "Irrational" name was dropped and the studios were incorporated into the 2K Games label, renaming them 2K Boston and 2K Australia respectively (in 2007, 2K Marin was also spun off by five people from 2K Boston). The 2K Boston name was only used for Bioshock in 2007, while 2K Australia operated until 2015. In 2010, Take-Two decided to return the "Irrational" name back for the Boston studio "to respect the studio's legacy". It was announced on February 18, 2014 that the studio would be restructured with fewer staff and a bigger focus on narrative games; it eventually rebranded as Ghost Story Games on February 22, 2017.

Contents

1st Logo (August 11, 1999)	2nd Logo (January 9, 2002-March 10, 2006)	3rd Logo (August 12, 2010-March 25, 2014)

1st Logo (August 11, 1999)

Visuals: There is a rusty metal ball in a dark space. Then a light shine comes to float around it, making it into the circular logo with a wide "i" in it. The name "Irrational Games" zooms out over the circle.

Technique: 3D animation.

Audio: Space humming sounds, and a robotic voice saying "Irrational".

Availability: Seen on System Shock 2.

2nd Logo (January 9, 2002-March 10, 2006)

Visuals: A big and blue, 3D-looking Irrational Games shield logo is seen, with or without the name below.

Variants:

On the Freedom Force dilogy, game characters appear in action.
On Tribes: Vengeance, the print version is used.

Technique: A still 3D render, or the game-generated action.

Audio: Various sounds.

Availability: Seen on the Freedom Force dilogy, and SWAT 4 and its add-on The Stetchkov Syndicate. The print version is seen on Tribes: Vengeance.

3rd Logo (August 12, 2010-March 25, 2014)

Visuals: On a black background is a big 3D-styled "i" letter, surrounded by rays of light. The name "IRRATIONAL GAMES" appears on two red banners stuck to the letter.

Variant: On BioShock Infinite, the logo is full of static noise, while the game's trailers have it still.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The static sounds.

Availability: Seen on trailers for BioShock Infinite, the game itself, and its expansions.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+===Background===
-Background: Irrational Games was founded in 1997 in Boston by Ken Levine and other people from closed Looking Glass Studios. In 2000 they opened side studio in Canberra.
+'''Irrational Games''' was founded in 1997 in Boston by Ken Levine and other people from the closed [[Looking Glass Studios]]. In 2000, they opened a side studio in Canberra. [[Take-Two Interactive Software]] acquired these studios on January 9, 2006, and a year after, the "Irrational" name was dropped and the studios were incorporated into the [[2K Games]] label, renaming them [[2K Boston]] and 2K Australia respectively (in 2007, [[2K Marin]] was also spun off by five people from 2K Boston). The 2K Boston name was only used for ''Bioshock'' in 2007, while 2K Australia operated until 2015. In 2010, Take-Two decided to return the "Irrational" name back for the Boston studio "to respect the studio's legacy". It was announced on February 18, 2014 that the studio would be restructured with fewer staff and a bigger focus on narrative games; it eventually rebranded as Ghost Story Games on February 22, 2017.
+{{ImageTOC
-Take-Two acquired the studio on 9th January 2006. Year after the old name was dropped off and the studios incorporated into 2K Games label, renaming 2K Boston and 2K Australia (In 2007 2K Marin was also spun off by five people from 2K Boston). These  names were used for Bioshock and its sequel before 2010, when Take-Two decided to return the old name back, "to respect the studio's legacy". It was announced on February 18, 2014 that the studio will be closed down.
+|Irrational Games (1999) (From - System Shock 2).png|1st Logo (August 11, 1999)
+|Irrational Games (2002) (From - Freedom Force for PC).png|2nd Logo (January 9, 2002-March 10, 2006)
+|Irrational Games (2013) (From - Bioshock Infinite for PC).png|3rd Logo (August 12, 2010-March 25, 2014)
+}}
-st Logo
+===1st Logo (August 11, 1999)===
+<gallery mode=packed heights=200>
+Irrational Games (1999) (From - System Shock 2).png
+</gallery>
+'''Visuals:''' There is a rusty metal ball in a dark space. Then a light shine comes to float around it, making it into the circular logo with a wide "'''i'''" in it. The name "Irrational Games" zooms out over the circle.
-(1999)
+'''Technique:''' 3D animation.
-Logo: We see a rusty metal ball in a dark space. Then a light shine comes to float around it, making it into the circular logo. The name zooms in over the circle.
+'''Audio:''' Space humming sounds, and a robotic voice saying "Irrational".
-FX/SFX: The ball moving, the shine flying.
+'''Availability:''' Seen on ''System Shock 2''.
-Music/Sounds: Space humming sounds.
+===2nd Logo (January 9, 2002-March 10, 2006)===
-Availability: Used on ''System Shock 2''.
+<gallery mode=packed heights=200>
+Irrational Games (2002) (From - Freedom Force for PC).png
+</gallery>
+'''Visuals:''' A big and {{color|blue}}, 3D-looking Irrational Games shield logo is seen, with or without the name below.
-Scare Factor: Low.
+'''Variants:'''
-nd Logo
+* On the ''Freedom Force'' dilogy, game characters appear in action.
+* On ''Tribes: Vengeance'', the print version is used.
+'''Technique:''' A still 3D render, or the game-generated action.
-(2002-2006)
+'''Audio:''' Various sounds.
-Logo: Big and blue, 3D-looking and engine-generated Irrational Games shield logo is seen, with or without the name below. <br />Variants: <br />
-* On the ''Freedom Force'' dilogy, game characters appear in action.
-* On ''Tribes: Vengeance'', the print version was used.FX/SFX: None, or the game-generated action.<br />Music/Sounds: Various sounds.<br />Availability: Seen on ''Freedom Force'' dilogy, ''SWAT'' and its addons, and the print version of ''Tribes: Vengeance''.<br />Scare Factor: None.<br />3rd Logo
+'''Availability:''' Seen on the ''Freedom Force'' dilogy, and ''SWAT 4'' and its add-on ''The Stetchkov Syndicate''. The print version is seen on ''Tribes: Vengeance''.
-(2007)
+===3rd Logo (August 12, 2010-March 25, 2014)===
-Logo:  We see the ar-deco grammophone playing an old-style music. When the  camera comes close to the recording disc, the 2K initials can be seen on  it. Then the 2K sign flashes into a 2K Boston logo, which looks like a  normal 2K Games logo, but it's blue and the word BOSTON replaces GAMES.  Then the town name is wiped out by the smoky effects and replaced with  AUSTRALIA.<br />FX/SFX: The grammophone animation, the logo changing smoke effects.<br />Music/Sounds: The music playing before the logo is shown.<br />Availability: Seen on ''BioShock''.<br />Scare Factor: Low, due to the specific style of the animation.<br />4th Logo
+<gallery mode=packed heights=200>
+Irrational Games (2013) (From - Bioshock Infinite for PC).png
+</gallery>
+{{YouTube|id=ddm7SxZK1q0}}
+'''Visuals:''' On a black background is a big 3D-styled "'''i'''" letter, surrounded by rays of light. The name "IRRATIONAL GAMES" appears on two {{color|red}} banners stuck to the letter.
-(2010)
+'''Variant:''' On ''BioShock Infinite'', the logo is full of static noise, while the game's trailers have it still.
-Logo:  We see a closeup of a Little Sister stacking some colored blocks. We zoom out, where we see a Big Daddy behind the window. It stomps the  ground, causing the cubes to fall and revealing each block has a different one of the games companies on it. We then see each individual logo on a grungy background: '''Digital Extremes''', '''2K China''', '''2K Australia''', and '''2K Marin'''. The fifth cube, depicting '''2K Games''', is not shown fullscreen.<br />FX/SFX: The game-based animation, the logo changing effects.<br />Music/Sounds: Some ominous game-world sounds.<br />Availability: Appears on ''BioShock 2''.<br />Scare Factor: Low.<br />5th Logo
+'''Technique:''' CGI.
-(2010-2014)
+'''Audio:''' The static sounds.
-Logo: A big 3d-styled "'''i'''" letter is seen, surrounded by rays of light. The name appears on two red banners stuck to the letter.
+'''Availability:''' Seen on trailers for ''BioShock Infinite'', the game itself, and its expansions.
-Variant: On the game, the logo was full of static noise, while the trailers had it still.
+{{Video Game-Navbox}}
-FX/SFX: The static.<br />Music/Sounds: The static sounds.<br />Availability: Seen on ''BioShock Infinite''.<br />Scare Factor: Minimal.<br />
+[[Category:American video game logos]]
+[[Category:United States]]
+[[Category:Video game logos]]
+[[Category:2K Games]]
+[[Category:Take-Two Interactive Software]]