BioShock Infinite Delayed Until February 2013

Ken Levine of Irrational Games has announced that BioShock Infinite will be delayed until February 26, 2013.

It’s clear that Ken Levine gives a damn about how great he wants BioShock Infinte to turn out. Not just a GOTY type of game but possibly something that will be looked at by game designers and developers in terms of excellence. Why else would he delay BioShock Infinite for around nine months (he dosen’t seem the trolling type to me). So if you want to get your BioShock fix, either play the previous installments, get some BioShock figurines and make your own “BioShock Infinite” game or wait until February 2013.

While Ken Levine could have kept things brief, he instead gave us a detailed and passionate message about why BioShock Infinite is delayed:

“When we announced the release date of BioShock Infinite in March, we felt pretty good about the timing.

“Since then, we’ve come to realize that some specific tweaks and improvements will make Infinite into something even more extraordinary. Therefore, to give our talented team the time they need, we’ve decided to move the game’s release to February 26, 2013. We wanted to let our loyal (and very patient!) fans know this as soon as possible.

“I won’t kid you: BioShock Infinite is a very big game, and we’re doing things that no one has ever done in a first-person shooter. We had a similar experience with the original BioShock, which was delayed several months as our original ship date drew near. Why? Because the Big Daddies weren’t the Big Daddies you’ve since come to know and love. Because Andrew Ryan’s golf club didn’t have exactly the right swing. Because Rapture needed one more coat of grimy Art Deco.

“The same principle now applies to BioShock Infinite.

“What does this mean for you? It means a bit more waiting, but more importantly, it means an even better BioShock Infinite. The great can be made greater, and we owe it to both ourselves and to you, our fans, to take this opportunity. Irrational Games is one of those rare developers lucky enough to ask the people who sign the checks: “Hey, can we have a few more of those checks?”

“We are also going to hold off on showing BioShock Infinite at the big events of the summer, like E3 and GamesCom. That way, the next time you see our game, it will be essentially the product we intend to put in the box. Preparing for these events takes time away from development, time we’re going to use instead to get the best version of Infinite into your hands in February.”

– Ken Levine, May 9 2012

So while waiting even longer for what looks like an awesome game does sting a bit, at least it looks like Levine and Irrational Games will make it worthwhile.

BioShock Infinite will be released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC Windows.