Treefingers

Sadly, I don't own a 360 and I had a terrible PC in 2007, so I only experienced Bioshock 1 a couple of years ago, and I missed the discussion that occurred during its initial release. When I finally played it, I found elements of the theme incredible, but I found the plot and the way it was executed to be too similar to System Shock 2. I also think that Bioshock:Infinite's story is objectively more ambitious - it involves multiple lofty themes, and it also executes the main story in an incredibly satisfying way. I can't speak to whether or not people will still be discussing this game a year from now, but several reviews explicitly mentioned that as a possibility. Infinite is actually the first game I've preordered in a looooong time, and it really makes a great argument against waiting for a steam sale for everything. Being part of the conversation (as opposed to hunting down forum topics and threads several months later) is more valuable and interesting than I ever realized.

In the interests of full disclosure, a) I added the "unfair" comment at the last moment, and I had doubts about its inclusion immediately, and 2) I'm only half-way through the podcast (at the 55-minute mark, I'm smack in the middle of your Infinite discussion, and probably just before you mention that there will be more Bioshock talk once you finish it). I just wanted to draw attention to the fact that a brief window is more than enough for most of today's games, but it's another reason why I think Bioshock:Infinite is a unique moment for the medium. Like a good book, I wanted to run to a forum and discuss it the moment it was over. Also like a good book, I didn't fully appreciate it until I finished it and gained some perspective. Speaking of perspective, I need some because I'm fawning over Infinite more than it probably warrants.

I love everything about Idle Thumbs, and each podcaster's opinion is worth 10,000 of my own, but I can't shake the feeling that commenting on BS:I after 2 or 3 hours is like commenting on a movie you're currently 20 minutes into watching. It seems a little unfair. I'll be curious to see how their views change over time. If I was to use my own experience with this game as an example, it would go like this: 1 hour in - What an incredibly gorgeous world they've constructed. I can't wait to see more of it. 7 hours in - This is a good, yet totally overrated game. Why so many 10/10 reviews? 14 hours in (i.e. finished the game) - This is one of the most memorable gaming experiences I've ever had. I don't want to give anything away, but the fact that so much of the story is still being debated and interpreted feels like a landmark moment in video games. It's the exact opposite of the patronizing drivel we're usually fed. Think about how many other developers (or publishers) would have been afraid to tackle these themes and/or focus-tested the game into oblivion.

It was an interview on Revision3 with Adam Sessler - it's actually an excellent two-part interview, but I put a direct link to the time where the White City was mentioned above. (Edit: the time stamp in the hyperlink isn't working, so skip to 1:21 to get to the part about his influences). It's a shame that the book isn't stronger, since the subject is so interesting. On a related note, I have found that my tastes have changed dramatically since I started following the Idle Book club. Now, I expect more from the books I read than I'll typically get from a traditional pop best-seller, so I don't think I'll be able to suffer through a poorly written work such as The Devil in the White City even though I'll probably enjoy the historical topic.

I just saw an interview with Ken Levine where he mentions "The Devil in the White City" as one of his inspirations for Bioshock Infinite. The description of the book sounds fascinating, and it might be worth investigating as an option for the Idle Book Club. I'm not sure if the writing is strong enough; from the samples I've seen, the prose isn't on the same level as a Thomas Pynchon or Hilary Mantel novel. However, it could be an interesting way to marry the two Idle worlds for a brief moment. If anyone has read "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson, perhaps they could post their opinions here.