BioShock Game Developer Mocks His Industry in The Magic Circle

Question Games

SEATTLE — “I’ve been in game development since 1998,” says Jordan Thomas. “I’ve been through many cycles of games, I’ve gone through the entire curve of cynicism and idealism and back out the other side, like Andy Dufresne. So the idea of a dark comedy set inside an unfinished game from the game’s eye view—it tickles my particular funnybone.”

You may never have heard of Thomas, but he may have blown your mind more than once. If you thought “Robbing the Cradle” was the best level of Thief: Deadly Shadows or “Fort Frolic” was the apex of the original BioShock (many did), you’ve encountered Thomas’ handiwork. He was the creative director of the acclaimed BioShock 2 , and made major contributions to BioShock Infinite and South Park: The Stick of Truth.

Now, like many of his Irrational Games confederates, Thomas has gone independent, opening a studio alongside two other veterans of acclaimed big-budget projects. Their upcoming game, The Magic Circle , is born of their experiences in blockbuster hell. You’re stuck inside a triple-A vaporware project that’s been in development forever and probably won’t be finished. All around you are unfinished graphics, placeholder sound effects and glitchy interactive elements. All the while, you hear the arguments of an egomaniac game designer and his hapless staff as they fail to make any decisions—they’re represented by giant godlike eyeballs that float above their slapdash creation.