Better Know Ken LevineIrrational Games co-founder Ken Levine, known for System Shock 2 and the critically acclaimed BioShock franchise, is one of the industry's creative leaders. Levine has demonstrated a knack for building engrossing, immersive and sometimes politically charged worlds that instantly suck the gamer in. IndustryGamers wanted to find out more about Levine and his thoughts on the industry, so we sat down with him to pick his brain in our latest "Better Know" feature.
IndustryGamers: At what point in your life did you know that making video games is what you definitely wanted to do?
Ken Levine: Well, I always played games. I’ve been playing games since I was a little kid, before there were really any consoles or anything like that. I used to play sort of like electromechanical arcade games in the arcade... I always loved games, but it never occurred to me that somebody made them until I was in my late 20s and I was really struggling to figure out what I was going to do in my life. I had a couple of false starts with screenwriting and computer consulting and graphic design, all these different things. And then it occurred to me - I was reading NextGen magazine, which they don’t publish any more - and I saw their ads in the back for jobs at game companies and one ad that really stood out to me was an ad for a company called Looking Glass, which also doesn’t exist anymore unfortunately. And there was a game designer job and I was like, “Game designer. Well, that sounds good. Let me try to do that.” And I applied for a job and they called me up and they gave it to me. I got in fairly quickly. It occurred to me first that there was such a job, and then I was like, “Oh. OK. That’s what I want to do.” The moment it occurred to me such a job existed, it was very clear I wanted to do that.
IG: You seem to have great creative vision, and as you mentioned, you originally pursued a film career with screenwriting – would you ever consider using your talents as a consultant or producer on a movie?
"I have no patience for any game designer who says everybody should design games just like I do. That’s f***ing bullshit."
KL: A part of what we do, which is similar, when we do work on these pre-rendered videos and there are non-interactive sequences in the game which I think are quite similar in terms of making an animated film, a 3D rendered animated film. Working on a set of live actors is a different experience I think. I think it all depends on if the right situation came up and the right people came up. You never know what stands in your future. Right now, I’m pretty happy doing games, because games are really challenging and it’s evolving all the time. Not just the technology, but even the platforms... it's a really interesting challenge and you’re surrounded by really bright, interesting people and you’re trying to do something creative and you’re all in a process, literally, of invention all the time. - just like, “How are we going to do that?” I find it really fascinating.
IG: Who are your biggest inspirations in the video game industry, and how have these people influenced your design and development approach?
KL: I think probably the singular most inspirational video game to me has been Ultima Underworld – the work of Doug Church, Paul Neurath and the guys who were working with them at Looking Glass. Because that was the first game that I felt like I was really in a real place, like a place that sort of existed, had a life of its own. And that, I think, inspired System Shock 1, which I didn’t work on, but I went on to make the sequel of that, and then, you know, BioShock and beyond that BioShock Infinite. These are all games that I think are really struggling to create a sense of place and a sense of rewarding the player for exploring that space and really getting to know that space, so I think almost everything I’ve done has been a descendent of that feeling I had the first time I played Ultima Underworld of just like, “Oh my God. This is like a real place. I really feel a connection to this place.” We really connect to where is this happening.
IG: You made some interesting comments recently about Occupy Wall St and how political movements have influenced your game design. Do you feel that game developers need to make political or cultural statements with games, or at least games that make people think?
KL: I’m perfectly happy going home and playing some dual stick zombie shooter. I love all kinds of games. I’m totally happy playing the most mindless nonsense out there. I’m also happy playing something like Bastion or Limbo, which I think is a colossal smart piece of work, but... the last I want to do is say to any game designer, “Hey, you should be doing this instead of what you’re passionate about.” They should do what they’re passionate about. I have no patience for any game designer who says everybody should design games just like I do. That’s f***ing bullshit. It’s so small minded. There’s room for all kinds of games.
Some days I want to just escape and sometimes I want to go somewhere really smart and thoughtful and sometimes I want something in between. And that’s what's so great about what we do. The team and I just make the kind of games that we make because that’s where are heads are at. That’s the kind of game we like to make. You make what you make because you care about it, because you’re passionate about it. I wouldn’t know, really, how to make anything else. We made a game called Freedom Force, which is sort of a little silly homage to Silver Age comics, but that’s because I love Silver Age comics and we care about it. We care about that stuff. If you gave me a basketball game to make, I’d be helpless, because I don’t care about basketball. But, hey, I’m thrilled the 2K guys are out making great basketball games. So you just have to make what you love. I don’t think there’s any real recipe for what people should make.
IG: Do you think the industry has become too reliant on the same genres or tropes and gameplay mechanics?
KL: I don’t know. If you look at the last couple weeks, you’ve got 4 new games coming out. You’ve got Call of Duty, which is a first person military shooter. You’ve got Uncharted, which is a third person action adventure, which is a totally different tone. And then last night at midnight, I’m downloading Skyrim, which is a totally experience. And then you have Zelda coming out. And I think that’s pretty diverse – let alone all the millions of games out on the iPad and the Xbox Live Arcade and the strategy games coming out. I just bought Rocksmith, which is basically helping you play better guitar. But that’s pretty diverse. I think that’s great. I don’t feel a need that we have to have more diversity, per se, but I wouldn’t be upset if there was more diversity. And we have people that are pretty much into making weird little experimental games like Jason Rohrer, and then you’ve got the Call of Duty guys who are making huge blockbusters. I think that’s a pretty good range of people working in the space.
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