Before taking on directorial duties for BioShock 2, Thomas co-designed the original's epochal Fort Frolic level.
For over six years-first at 2K Boston, later at Irrational Games-they helped redefine what big-budget games could do, invigorating the famously crude shooter genre with horror, tragedy, and political intrigue. We all agree the independent video game scene is destined to succeed.Īs former BioShock developers, Jordan Thomas and Stephen Alexander are familiar with unconventional video game stories. Reassured that low-budget, personal, and idiosyncratic titles can be successful, an entire culture also gets to feel like video games, at last, are getting better by the power of their sheer creative worth. The developers make their money back and then some, win awards for “narrative,” and start to plan a second game-a game that’s going to be even more honest this time. Idealistic and humble, the group are finally able to make the game they've always wanted to make, a game that just so happens to resonate with an increasingly sophisticated and artistically aware video game audience. The conventional indie game developer success story goes something like this.Īfter growing disillusioned in the overly-corporate mainstream, a group of designers and artists take a risk and set up their own studio.