Speaking at the GDC in Paris, BioShock (PS3, Xbox 360, PC) lead programmer Chris Kline said that the game should gave failed from the get-go. This caught many attendees by surprise because BioShock was one of last year's most decorated titles. Why did Kline say this? Find out in the full article up ahead.

Over at the 2K games The Cult of Rapture website, the orchestral score for BioShock (Xbox 360, PC) has just been released. The set contains 12 tracks from the award-winning composer Garry Schyman - a download that's only worth 21MB of your bandwidth time. Getting paranoid about seeing Little Sisters and Big Daddies everywhere you go is one thing. Hearing the music of Rapture while you're being paranoid is something else. Here's the tracklist:

1. BioShock Main Theme (The Ocean on His Shoulders)
2. Welcome to Rapture
3. Dr. Steinman
4. The Docks
5. The Dash
6. Step Into My Gardens
7. Dancers on a String
8. Cohens Masterpiece
9. The Engine City
10. Empty Houses
11. This is Where They Sleep
12. All Spiced Up

This musical score does nothing but relive the BioShock experience. If you're that masochistic enough (hey, that includes me), you might want to plug this into your mp3 player and invoke all those feelings you've experienced in the game: sinking below the depths and into the city, nuking it out with Big Daddy for the first time, and facing the decision of whether to harvest or save a Little Sister.

As video game music goes, this one's a keeper. As musical pieces in general go, this one's still a keeper (given that you're really masochistic and brave enough). Personally, it reminds me a bit of the Lost soundtrack (Michael Giacchino FTW!) coupled in with the chill factor of the first and second Silent Hill albums. If that's not your cup of plasmids, it won't hurt to give it a shot. Enjoy the music! Play it loud!

Download: BioShock Orchestral Score

Buy: [Bioshock (Games for Windows)]
Buy: [Bioshock (Xbox 360)]

We're hoping you guys saved up enough money for this week's releases. There's quite a lot of eye-catchers hitting the shelves and every single major platform out there - PS3, 360, Wii, PC, PSP, and DS - has at least one good title to offer.

Those who were able to try out the demo of BioShock can finally dive into the full game. Don't forget to take your daily dose of plasmids when you're there. Meanwhile, GRAW 2 will roll out for the PS3 and PSP as well. Tactical shooting has never been this orgasmic.

Handheld gamers get a heavy dose of RPG treatment with the release of Jeanne d'Arc and Dragoneer's Aria for the PSP. Whether you want to go for turn-based or SRPG, we'd still suggest you get both. DS owners get some bite-sized fun with more Brain Age 2 training and Turn It Around - another "mini-game collection" title that'll surely get heads spinning.

Let's get ready for the plunge! On Shelves This Week include...

BioShock. Take a dive into the not-so-dead underwater city of Rapture as you FPS your way through the horror of Big Daddies and Little Sisters. Hone your skill on controlling the destructive powers of the plasmids to fight for your survival.

• Xbox 360, PC - August 21, 2007
• US$ 59.99 (Xbox 360), US$ 49.99 (PC)
  
• ESRB M (Mature 17+)
• 2K Boston/Australia and 2K Games

Jeanne d'Arc. Another RPG heading to Sony's handheld platform, but this time in the form of a tactical RPG. The game is a historical-fiction retelling of the times of Joan of Arc. And because we know Milla Jovovich reincarnated the said heroine on the silver screen, this title will probably also have some of us awake at night seeing holy visions.

• PSP - August 21, 2007
• US$ 29.99
  
• ESRB T (Teen)
  
• Level-5 and Sony Computer Entertainment

More titles behind the Full Article link below!

* Originally posted at 06:34 AM, August 20, 2007

While we know that the combat system in 2K Games' horror FPS, Bioshock(Xbox 360, PC), is multi-layered and lets us tackle any hostile situation in countless different ways, it's certainly good one way or two being carried out in picture-perfect execution. It's the same here in this latest gameplay video of Bioshock, with the player toying with one of the machine gun-equipped doctors of Rapture before sending him into a crispy, soggy death.

The video runs at about 49 seconds, but it's 49 seconds of perfect timing, nerves of steel and just a tiny hint of sadism. In this brief moment of videogame goodness, we see the player force the doctor back into a waterlogged part of a room, before shocking him with the electrocution plasmid again - and again - and again. Yours truly nearly laughed as the player waited for the doctor to recuperate, before slamming a thousand jiggavolts or so back into the water to resume the frying process. Awesome.

Embed's below, you know what to do. Enjoy!

PC BioShock fans, the wait is finally over. We know that you've been wailing and gnashing teeth since the Xbox 360 demo was released last week (among other things, like not being able to play the PC version until August 21).

Well, Irrational Games and 2K Games heard your near maniacal pleas and will be releasing the PC demo on Monday, 7 p.m. EST. Wait, that's later today. According to BioShock's official website, you can pre-load the demo from FilePlanet, though the BioShock demo will be going live at seven, on the dot.

Before you run over there, make sure that you're running on your video card's latest drivers just so you can squeeze the best visuals from them. Also, players from Europe need not fret as Eurogamer announced that the demo will be going live at midnight for their side of the Atlantic.

At any rate, keep your your eyes peeled for the demo on the Cult of Rapture website, as we'll be doing the same. Stay tuned for more BioShock (Xbox 360 and PC) news and updates.


Buy: [Bioshock (Games for Windows)]
Buy: [Bioshock (Xbox 360)]

Those waiting for BioShock (Xbox 360, PC) to launch on August 21 will have another huge reason to go out and get it as soon as they can. Along with the Limited Edition package of the game comes a free three-track CD featuring remixes of the soundtrack done by Moby and Oscar The Punk.

Beyond the Sea, God Bless the Child, and Wild Little Sisters are songs from the 40s and the 50s which echo throughout the length of BioShock in their original form. Their tappy nature has become an inspiration for developers 2K Boston and 2K Australia to have them remastered to better suit the game's tone.

From the initially light songs, Moby and Oscar The Punk transform the tracks into twisted beats which will capture anyone who's ever played the game in an atmosphere which will make them feel like they never left Rapture.

Along with the game and the remix soundtrack, a Big Daddy figurine will be included as a collector's item. To complete the pack, a behind-the-scenes DVD will be right in the bundle, too.

BioShock Limited Edition will be available in GameStop and EB Games nationwide. The game takes place in an eerie world under the sea where mutants and technology hunt players down. To survive, one must create modified weapons, alter his bodily structure, and devise deadly tactics. BioShock is rated "Mature" by the ESRB and is published by the Microsoft Corporation.

Buy: [Bioshock (Games for Windows)]
Buy: [Bioshock (Xbox 360)]

For those of us who didn't manage to snag a copy of 2K Games' first-person masterpiece, Bioshock (Xbox 360, PC), here's a few choice bits of gameplay video joy to get you through the few days left before its official release. Of course, seeing that this is Bioshock we're talking about, the usual warnings apply - there's quite a bit of violence here, as well as a few spoilers about the Little Sisters you'll be encountering.

In this video update, we get to see more of the ways you'll be able to dispose of the gibbering and mumbling inhabitants of Rapture, including the heavily-armored (and heavily-armed) Big Daddy. Using guns, plasmid powers, and the environment around you - it's not a one-man fight anymore, to say the least.

The last video of the bunch, as yours truly mentioned, has something to do with the Little Sisters - and it's about the moral decision you have to make when you've finally backed one of them into a corner. And while you're free to pick either one, it's really something to see a Little Sister actually look normal for the first time in the game - it certainly helps to reduce the loneliness of being the only sane individual left in Rapture. And not only are you doing the right thing, but you also get free ADAM. Neat!

Updates as we get them. Enjoy the videos!

The other videos after the jump!

It seems Florida-based lawyer Jack Thompson's at it again, and apparently the latest item in his agenda is to appear in an upcoming episode of Dr. Phil as a "game violence expert" - with the host of the show himself, Dr. Phil, inviting the attorney over. This bit of news comes from a comment posted on a recent Game Politics article, with the poster bearing the name of none other than Jack Thompson himself. Here's the statement, verbatim:

You all can relax. Dr. Phil’s people called me last week, and at that point they were going to take the show in the direction of video game violence. They indicated they wanted me on the show. I got a call yesterday, and they decided to take the show in a different direction, with the focus on role-playing game addiction. They have a girl who has that problem.

Look, I’m giving you the straight scoop here, so knock off the flaming at least in response to this. Dr. Phil’s people were very nice, very professional, and quite enthusiastic. Of course, Dr. Phil was spot-on after V-Tech, given the link to video game play by Cho substantiated by the New York Times and the Washington Post (you won’t read about that here).

Of course, with Internet anonymity and GamePolitics' commenting system not needing any sort of verification to post, it certainly does read like some of the past statements the attorney has made. It's also worth noting that in a more recent article, the individual posting as Jack Thompson also made note of upcoming horror FPS Bioshock(Xbox 360, PC), promising quite a hard time for Take-Two. The comment itself:

By the way, since Dennis McCauley has proven once again, by this thread, his Jack Thompson obsession, please note that big trouble is on the way for Take-Two re Bioshock. Hooah!

Is BioShock going to be the next game in Mr. Jack Thompson's sights? While the game certainly has violence - lots of it - it also supports a gameplay where you can use the environment (and your Plasmid abilities) to approach the game in a less violent and more stealthy, security-alarm-evading manner.

There's also the decision of either killing or saving Little Girls - probably the only ones left "sane" in Rapture - after defeating the Big Daddies that travel with them. In my opinion, that certainly gives Bioshock an edge over the other, more violent titles out there, if we're to nitpick violence in videogames itself.

Certainly a very interesting update in the case of Jack Thompson. What about you, dear readers? What's your two cents in the matter? Let us know by your comments below.


Buy: [Bioshock (Games for Windows)]
Buy: [Bioshock (Xbox 360)]

If you thought there was a lot to Bioshock's combat system, then be prepared for a very rude (and yet very cool) awakening as the minds behind 2K Games' latest horror shooter gives us a taste of just how many ways you can lay waste to the gibbering denizens of Rapture. So far, the possibilities of doing so are nearing the infinite mark. We get you all the awesome details in this video update of Bioshock for the Xbox 360 and PC.

In this action-packed video interview, we learn about how the combat system is divided into three layers: the weapons, the plasmid abilities and, of course, the environment. Mixing these three massive layers up in a way that you either use them as a combo or a natural advantage gives you a massive edge over the worst that Rapture can offer, including those Big Daddies.

One very good example is setting someone on fire after you've set a ton of proximity mines around a puddle of water. The end result? Someone running to their own explosive death. Yay! Tons more combos and revelations in this developer interview. Enjoy!

Buy: [Bioshock (Games for Windows)]
Buy: [Bioshock (Xbox 360)]

Just when you thought the BioShock fever was over a couple of days after the demo was released on Xbox Live, more and more information still oozes from devs over at 2K Games. This time, they're talking about the game's weapon and Plasmid system and how the two aspects come hand in hand. Let's listen to what they have to say and see that stuff in this clip:

As you've seen in this video, BioShock pits you in a system where you've got a couple of ways to rain some serious pain to the creatures of Rapture. You can go for the more traditional weapons which are easily identifiable as to what use they'll have and then there are the active Plasmids which make you lose your humanity a bit in order to gain some nice powers. Electricity, wind, bees and a truckload of bullets all combine to give any kill artist the perfect canvas for self-expressive devastation.

BioShock is a single-player FPS set for release under the Microsoft umbrella on the Xbox 360 game console and the PC. A demo for the PC version is in the works and is set to become available by the end of August. Watch out for that one.

Buy: [BioShock (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [BioShock (PC)]