Irrational Games

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum

Background

Irrational Games was founded in 1997 in Boston by Ken Levine and other people from the closed Looking Glass Studios. In 2000, they opened a side studio in Canberra. Take-Two Interactive Software acquired these studios on January 9, 2006, and a year after, the "Irrational" name was dropped and the studios were incorporated into the 2K Games label, renaming them 2K Boston and 2K Australia respectively (in 2007, 2K Marin was also spun off by five people from 2K Boston). The 2K Boston name was only used for Bioshock in 2007, while 2K Australia operated until 2015. In 2010, Take-Two decided to return the "Irrational" name back for the Boston studio "to respect the studio's legacy". It was announced on February 18, 2014 that the studio would be restructured with fewer staff and a bigger focus on narrative games; it eventually rebranded as Ghost Story Games on February 22, 2017.



1st Logo (August 11, 1999)

Visuals: There is a rusty metal ball in a dark space. Then a light shine comes to float around it, making it into the circular logo with a wide "i" in it. The name "Irrational Games" zooms out over the circle.

Technique: 3D animation.

Audio: Space humming sounds, and a robotic voice saying "Irrational".

Availability: Seen on System Shock 2.

2nd Logo (January 9, 2002-March 10, 2006)

Visuals: A big and blue, 3D-looking Irrational Games shield logo is seen, with or without the name below.

Variants:

  • On the Freedom Force dilogy, game characters appear in action.
  • On Tribes: Vengeance, the print version is used.

Technique: A still 3D render, or the game-generated action.

Audio: Various sounds.

Availability: Seen on the Freedom Force dilogy, and SWAT 4 and its add-on The Stetchkov Syndicate. The print version is seen on Tribes: Vengeance.

3rd Logo (August 12, 2010-March 25, 2014)


Visuals: On a black background is a big 3D-styled "i" letter, surrounded by rays of light. The name "IRRATIONAL GAMES" appears on two red banners stuck to the letter.

Variant: On BioShock Infinite, the logo is full of static noise, while the game's trailers have it still.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The static sounds.

Availability: Seen on trailers for BioShock Infinite, the game itself, and its expansions.

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