Thomas, who would go on to found 2K Marin with LeBreton, where he directed BioShock 2, remembers the sense of elation when a design fell into place. One night he was working on the area of the game for which he was responsible, Fort Frolic, where an insane artist, Sander Cohen, holds the player captive. “Chris Kline, lead programmer at the time, was there at 2am with me, and would give me a first read on new content. I was trying to show him Cohen’s big final entrance scene, and had been tinkering with it for several days, with the savvy assistance of JP LeBreton.
“That night, though, some minor bug fouled it up. Chris left to go home.” Thomas remained at his desk and, after some time, solved the issue. “In the scene Cohen descends – applauding himself. There’s canned cheering and the music swells… but the only people there to observe his work are you, his prisoner, and the dead. Oblivious in my pride I stood to my feet, arms thrown up, and bellowed: ‘IT IS DONE!’ to a completely empty building. As Cohen sat there in his looping poses, admiring his masterpiece, I realised that, in a way, I had become him.”
The always startling Simon Parkin writes about the true story behind Bioshock 1. Warty as hell and completely compelling. Also includes the whole of the original Bioshock pitch. (via kierongillen)