NERD ALERT
May 30, 2011 8:47 AM Subscribe
L.A. Noire has lots of references to Bioshock -- namely (heh), Fontaine and Ryan.
Why?
I could understand a hat-tip, but Bioshock is a pretty new game. It doesn't seem like homage. Is Rockstar mocking them or doing them a favor?
I could understand a hat-tip, but Bioshock is a pretty new game. It doesn't seem like homage. Is Rockstar mocking them or doing them a favor?
Bioshock is a pretty new game.
It came out four years ago. Just sayin'.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:08 AM on May 30, 2011
It came out four years ago. Just sayin'.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:08 AM on May 30, 2011
Probably just coincidence; both names have a mid-century America feel, which fits both games.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 9:22 AM on May 30, 2011
posted by Admiral Haddock at 9:22 AM on May 30, 2011
Best answer: Both games are owned by Take-Two Interactive. Bioshock was developed and published by Take-Two, and Rockstar is a wholly-owned subsidiary.
posted by waxpancake at 9:27 AM on May 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by waxpancake at 9:27 AM on May 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
My guess would be that they're doing the HalfLife-Portal / Predator-Alien thing, whereby independent and different (but not explicitly incompatible) IPs can be potentially enbiggenated by linking them together to form Voltron.
posted by -harlequin- at 9:32 AM on May 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by -harlequin- at 9:32 AM on May 30, 2011 [2 favorites]
Best answer: It isn't really possible to overestimate the degree to which video game developers are also video game nerds. Add in a shared parent company to mitigate any copyright snarling (and which tends to imply cross-studio staff movement as well) and this sort of thing is inevitable.
posted by restless_nomad at 10:03 AM on May 30, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by restless_nomad at 10:03 AM on May 30, 2011 [3 favorites]
Best answer: What's really funny is that I worked on Bioshock (and am working on Bioshock: Infinite), and I didn't know about this or if there's a specific reason for it other than an inter-studio hat-tip. Basically what waxpancake said: Rockstar is a label within TakeTwo, everything else is under the 2K label, so it's not like there's any reason they couldn't.
The Rockstar guys are pretty universally fantastic and we see them a fair amount at conventions since we're usually in Take2's booth/area together. There may, however, be a bit of a team rivalry between us and Rockstar New England within the Boston game developers' soccer league...
posted by Ryvar at 10:56 AM on May 30, 2011 [6 favorites]
The Rockstar guys are pretty universally fantastic and we see them a fair amount at conventions since we're usually in Take2's booth/area together. There may, however, be a bit of a team rivalry between us and Rockstar New England within the Boston game developers' soccer league...
posted by Ryvar at 10:56 AM on May 30, 2011 [6 favorites]
Best answer: "It isn't really possible to overestimate the degree to which video game developers are also video game nerds."
restless_nomad knows what she's talking about!
In games I've worked on, I've inserted references to books, movies, music, and other games. I even named something after my cousin once. I would be pleased if somebody noticed the pop culture references -- I put them in there as a small homage!
The bit about my cousin -- now, that would weird.
posted by liet at 1:35 PM on May 30, 2011
restless_nomad knows what she's talking about!
In games I've worked on, I've inserted references to books, movies, music, and other games. I even named something after my cousin once. I would be pleased if somebody noticed the pop culture references -- I put them in there as a small homage!
The bit about my cousin -- now, that would weird.
posted by liet at 1:35 PM on May 30, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by bardic at 8:47 AM on May 30, 2011