Irrational 
Games, the developer of the hit games BioShock and BioShock Infinite, is calling it quits.
Ken Levine, head of the studio, announced the stunning news Tuesday, saying all but 15 employees would be let go as he and a core team begin a “smaller, more entrepreneurial endeavor.”
The 
story of Booker DeWitt and Elizabeth, so far, has largely taken place high above the earth, in a floating city hidden amongst the clouds. For their next chapter, though, they’re headed down to Rapture.
Irrational Games surprised fans Tuesday by announcing the release of new downloadable content for BioShock Infinite — including a trip back to the same underwater city as the original BioShock– after maintaining a virtual cone of silence since the critical hit’s release.
Key 
members of the development team on Bioshock Infinite have left Irrational Games, raising questions about the state of the highly anticipated title, sources tell Gamasutra.
Tim Gerritsen, director of product development, and art director Nate Wells have both announced their departure. Wells was a 13 year veteran of the studio, whose distinctive style was heralded in the original Bioshock.
After three years of silence, Irrational Games, the studio behind 
“Bioshock” has taken the wraps off of its next game. The studio today unveiled “Bioshock Infinite,” a new installment in the franchise that upends many gamer perceptions about the franchise.
The original title, which sold over 4 million units worldwide, was set in Rapture, an crumbling aquatic world. “Bioshock Infinite” is set above the clouds in Columbia, a floating city that mixes the “Star Wars’” cloud planet of Bespin with a steam punk sensibility. The game is set for a 2012 release and will be released on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
Read more (and see the trailer) at Variety’s Technotainment blog
Chris Morris: Journalist 