|
"The slugs alone could not provide enough ADAM for serious work. But combined with the host...
now we have something." - Brigid Tenenbaum This article, or section of an article, is a stub.
It is too short to provide more than rudimentary information about a subject. Would you kindly help this wiki by expanding it? |
- For the removed content from BioShock 2, BioShock Infinite and Burial at Sea, see Removed Content.
Before its final version, BioShock was submitted with numerous ideas from its developers, 2K Games. This article's purpose is to reveal all recorded content that did not make it to the game, or that was modified beforehand. However, since the following elements were removed or unused on purpose from the final version of the game, they should not be freely considered canon to the game's history nor as an actual part of its universe.
The Original BioShock Pitch[]
- Main article: BioShock Original Pitch
Very early in the development of BioShock a "pitch" was created to gain financial support from development of the game. This pitch gives a unique look at the concepts, setting and game mechanics first envisioned for BioShock.
Mechanics and Gameplay Elements[]
A Single Ending[]
BioShock was originally a game with only one, ambiguous ending. Levine remarked: "There are a million different things you can do in every combat; you can play it a million different ways. Looking into the future for the franchise, that's something I want to [figure out], that by the time you get to the ending of that choice path, you have a sense of your impact on the world through lots of little permutations rather than like a giant ending piece, if you follow my meaning". The multiple endings were added late in development, when the game publisher requested it.[1][2][3]
Levine later clarified in the 2016 developer's commentary that if it weren't for time and economic restraints, the one ending would have been more vague with a subtle story about "dissolute living" with "a life that is sort of separate from a moral structure" and would focus on "the moral ambiguity of the world".[4]
Atmospheric Pressure System[]
In BioShock, a feature originally existed that would change the local air pressure levels from low, normal, and high parameters.[5] It entailed altering the dynamic lighting and fog effects for each change and adjusting enemy AI animations, vocalizations, appearance, speed, and vulnerabilities. For example, flames would shoot farther under low pressure and bullets were more likely to blow things apart under high pressure.
This was eventually scrapped because it was difficult to visually convey to the player the changes in air pressure and its effects. Notably, the mechanic was reused in the tree-killing scene in Arcadia in conjunction with "a special plant shader that used a masking effect" similar to Julie Langford's window writing death scene.[6] In addition, the system was used in the Andrew Ryan encounter in Rapture Central Control to orchestrate the theatrical lighting changes since the Unreal engine at the time did not have the tools by default.[7]
Associated Physical Gene Tonics (Ecology Type Plasmids)[]
| Name | Description[8] |
|---|---|
| Mutant Synergy (AggressorBuff) | Junkers who are near to you will take less damage. |
| Drone Neural Dampening Field (DelayGathererAlarm) | Drones take longer to sound their alarms when near you. |
| Pressure Manipulation (EnvironmentResetting) | You can use a Pressure Station even if its timer is currently running. |
| Drone Attractant (GathererAttractant) | Makes Drones want to follow you. |
| Drone Synergy (GathererBuff) | Drones who are near to you will take less damage. |
| High-Pressure Armor | When local pressure is high, you take less damage. |
| High-Pressure Conservation | When local pressure is high, your Active Plasmids consume less EVE. |
| High Pressure Entropic Dampening | When local pressure is high, your weapons will not degrade. |
| High-Pressure Plasmid Synergy | When local pressure is high, all your other Plasmids are treated as if they had an extra slot. |
| High-Pressure Security Crate Access | You can automatically open security crates in high pressure. |
| Localized High Pressure | Your Weapons and Plasmids are always treated as if they were in high pressure. |
| Localized Low Pressure | Your Weapons and Plasmids are always treated as if they were in low pressure. |
| Low Pressure Armor | When local pressure is low, you take less damage. |
| Low Pressure Conservation | When local pressure is low, your Active Plasmids consume less EVE. |
| Low Pressure Entropic Dampening | When local pressure is low, your weapons will not degrade. |
| Low Pressure Plasmid Synergy | When local pressure is low, all your other Plasmids are treated as if they had an extra slot. |
| Low Pressure Security Crate Access | You can automatically open security crates in low pressure. |
| Guardian Synergy (ProtectorBuff) | Guardians near to you will take less damage. |
Research Machine[]
The Research Machine.
This appears to be a device used to obtain Research Rewards. Similar to other vending machines, an item is exchanged for a service; in this case, film pictures are developed to gain valuable research information. In the final game, the machine is absent and the process is streamlined. Jack need only take a picture with the Research Camera to earn research rewards.
Strings from the game files indicate that developing photos would require money and the machine could even be hacked to reduce the cost.[9][citation needed]
The Research Machine was designed by Mauricio Tejerina.
Dual Wield[]
Dual wielding, meaning that the player could use both their weapon and their Plasmid at the same time, was intended for BioShock, but was cut last minute for unknown reasons.[10] This feature was later implemented in BioShock 2.
In a 2015 question and answer session, developer Jordan Thomas slightly elaborated on the issue in response to a question about last minute revisions: "Well, I advocated loudly and annoyingly for true Dual Wield in Bioshock 1 — but for lots of very grown up responsible reasons, it couldn't be done. I then promptly made it a central feature in 2. I'm proud of that..."[11]
Leaning[]
In the "Hunting the Big Daddy" trailer, it appeared that the player originally had the ability to lean behind cover.
Logo[]
According to the developer's edition of BioShock: Breaking the Mold, the BioShock logo by Lesley Zinn went through an extensive growth period. From the pages of fonts displaying simply the word "BioShock", to the hundreds of different concepts, the BioShock logo evolved just as much as the game did. The following is an overview of the logo's evolution, a loose chronology that ereated the iconic rusted cityscape we all know so well, including phases of Initial logo concepts, Using the "O"s, In-game inspiration, getting closer and A logo is built.
%27.png "Bioshock concept Logo - Initial logo concepts - the fingerprint and 'Would you (kindly)'.png (988 KB)"){kind=logo}
.png "Bioshock concept Logo - Getting closer - explored some other water options (waves).png (599 KB)"){kind=logo}
_2.png "Bioshock concept Logo - Getting closer - explored some other water options (waves) 2.png (1.55 MB)"){kind=logo}
_3.png "Bioshock concept Logo - Getting closer - explored some other water options (waves) 3.png (1.1 MB)"){kind=logo}
_4.png "Bioshock concept Logo - Getting closer - explored some other water options (waves) 4.png (1.06 MB)"){kind=logo}
User Interface[]
The user interface, both in-game and in the menu, changed a lot according to the developer's edition of Breaking the Mold. In order to create a good user interface, the art team went through countless iterations to find the design that meshed with the game and the controls in a simple and intuitive way. For example, in the tech demo, the HUD looked a lot different than in the final game.[12]
ADAM as Currency[]
Before the money feature was implemented, the original idea for currency was to be ADAM, as seen in the tech demo, where it was used to deactivate alarms.[12] Multiple unused posters, as well as in-game posters, had suggested ADAM as the currency of Rapture.
Songs[]
At least three songs were planned to be included in the game, but the developers were not able to get the licence for them. The songs were Édith Piaf's "La Vie en Rose", Louis Prima's "That Old Black Magic",[13] and the original French version of Charles Trenet's "La Mer".[14]
Drunk Rate[]
A fully functioning support script for making the player drunk at different rates, depending on what type of alcholic beverages they consumed, was created for the game, but was not implemented. The script was used for BioShock 2.[15]
Levels[]
Before the Art-Deco style of Rapture was finalized, the different areas of the city were called Decks. For example, Fort Frolic was the Recreational Deck, and Arcadia was the Hydroponics Deck, which both were names for levels in System Shock 2.
The Lighthouse[]
As said by Ken Levine in an interview, the Lighthouse was intended to have a gunfight, but was cut from the final game.[16]
BioShock: The Collection[]
The promotional image.
A promotional image for BioShock: The Collection featuring the remastered version of BioShock shows a different design for the Andrew Ryan statue in the Lighthouse lobby than what is seen in the final version.
Welcome Center[]
Bathysphere Station[]
The pre-launch Lounge.
The Lounge in the Bathysphere Station originally had advertising posters for Telekinesis and Ryan Industries Plasmids on the wall of the stairs leading to the Gatherer's Garden. The Plasmid mural was also in a pristine condition, opposite to the damaged one seen in-game.
Atrium[]
In the released game, the doors to the elevator bank will close, the class ceiling will crack causing a leak, flooding the room until reaching knee-length and extinguishing the elevator fire. In early iterations of the game, this scene was slightly more dramatic. Bill Gardner explains this would be a puzzle/pressure test sequence that would involve retrieving a key from the elevator car after the fire had been extinguished and escape before drowning, as the room would fill with water. When he felt the experience didn't work completely, it was decided that this would ultimately be reduced to a piece of dramatic set dressing.[17]
As seen in the gallery bellow, the wall with The Great Chain monument originally had windows.
Kashmir Restaurant[]
The early model, by Scott Sinclair.
The Restaurant has a blocked door leading to the Footlight Theater that was supposed to have a lot more bodies than the two seen in the game in front of the door, resembling everyone trying to get out at the same time and trampling each other during the attack on New Year's Eve of 1959.[18]
The Atlas statue in the restaurant had a slightly different model than what can be seen in-game.
The restaurant's interior was originally notably different from what is seen in-game, visible in the gallery below.
Footlight Theater[]
The Footlight Theater was not originally a theater at all, but merely the burnt out shell of a building. Since the game developers had so many assets from the Fort Frolic level, it was decided to change the room into a small theater space to give the Big Daddy and Little Sister a literal theatrical introduction.[19]
This was the place where the player would originally get the revolver from the Thuggish Splicer killed by the Big Daddy, but was moved to the Kashmir Restaurant's entrance so the player would get a gun earlier.[18]
Medical Pavilion[]
Early promotional images of the Medical Pavilion show it being full of makeshift barricades and barbed wire, making it appear much more like a literal war zone. The Pavilion's Metro Station was also originally located in a separate building and connected to the medical center via glass tunnel.
A "Tenenbaum, B. PhD." plaque is found in the game files for the level, which was not used in the final version of the game. This indicates that Brigid Tenenbaum did have an office in the Medical Pavilion at one point during development. The same file also features laboratory and autopsy plaques which were also not used.
Neptune's Bounty[]
The 13th Muse Pub[]
The 13th Muse Pub seen during the loading screen.
While a sign for the The 13th Muse Pub can be seen on a building outside the Proving Grounds level, the actual pub was intended to be a explorable area in Neptune's Bounty. A screenshot of the building can be seen in the loading screen for Neptune's Bounty (not in the remastered version). The stand-alone building has various beer advertisements outside and a glass tunnel connection to it. The pub was replaced by The Fighting McDonagh's Tavern in the final version of the game. Visiting the area was part of getting the Spider Splicer photos for Peach Wilkins quest, and was an area where the player could buy film for the camera.[20] An unused quote from Peach Wilkins in vo_s_2_pc_gainaccesstofilm mentioning The 13th Muse Pub: "Fair and fair, and deal's a deal. Something for you in the tube. This here'll get you into The 13th Muse. A contraption in there will sell film to a man for too rich a price. But, paying swanks a sight better than pushing dirt."
Arcadia[]
Players may notice a collapsed passageway at the end of Arcadia Glens. This was originally another way to the Langford Research Laboratories, but it was changed for unknown reasons. The park would have had two entrances to the Farmer's Market, the one at Tree Farm, which remained in-game, and another in the Rolling Hills which would have led directly into the wine cellar of Worley Winery.[6]
Also, earlier versions of this level had Ryan killing the flora in Arcadia in stages as the player progressed to each new area.[6]
Farmer's Market[]
The Farmer's Market was first built twice as large as its final version, with two symmetrical halves and long corridors for the various stalls. The level ultimately had to be cut in half for navigational and production reasons, and the market's corridors were separated using doorways.[6] The Rapture Metro Station found in Arcadia was first placed in the southeast corner of the Farmer's Market, where a Gene-Bank can now be found. It was moved to the Rolling Hills when the developers decided a trek back after healing the forest was boring and redundant.[6] The hanging corpses found in the crawlspace in one of the fruit stalls in the Main Market were leftovers from an idea of a serial killer loose in Rapture during the fall.[6]
An Epstein the Swami vending machine was intended to be included in this level, but developer Jean-Paul LeBreton simply forgot to add it.[6]
The logo for the Farmer's Market originally had a different design, but had to be redone in a hurry, leaving it with the Arial font, much to the developers' dread.[21]
Fort Frolic[]
Fort Frolic started out as a mall with no signs of the entertainment elements of Fort Frolic, which was developed into the recreational district seen in the final version of the game.
Rapture Zoo[]
Concept art of the Zoo.
The Rapture Zoo was an area that was intended to be included in BioShock as a part of Fort Frolic. Multiple interviews with developers of the game mention that this was a level that was ultimately cut fairly far along in the design process due to time constraints, and they indicate that it was one of the things they most regretted having to cut. The only known piece of information about this level is that it would have featured an elephant.
Ferris Wheel[]
A Ferris Wheel was supposed to be included somewhere in the map, but much like the Rapture Zoo, the wheel was cut far in the process:[22] It was however included in the downloadable content Challenge Rooms.
Rapture Central Control[]
The black text.
The "Would You Kindly" text in the workshop of the Office of Andrew Ryan was originally written in black paint instead of red.
Apollo Square[]
Early pictures of missing people posted on the wall in Apollo Square.
Compared to the texture file for the missing person poster found within the game files, early pictures of missing people posted on the wall in Apollo Square were originally featuring recurring Audio Diary portrait of in-game minor characters, such as Diane McClintock, Peach Wilkins and Silas Cobb.
Point Prometheus[]
An early versions of the Test Subject Storage.
A pre-launch screenshot of the Test Subject Storage in Optimized Eugenics shows that originally there were no wall with doors splitting the two sections of the area. The test storage tank placements and their platforms, as well as some stains, were also different.
Characters[]
The Emily model (AKA Beta Brigid Tenenbaum's model).
Brigid Tenenbaum[]
Brigid Tenenbaum originally had her own unique character model called "Emily." The early character model had two forms, one appeared to be a young woman in a mechanic's jumpsuit (seen picture to right) similar to the Rosebud while the other form was that of an older woman in a more distressed jumpsuit. This model was cut and replaced with a slightly touched up Lady Smith model kept in the shadows. Brigid Tenenbaum was actually intended to have a unique character model in BioShock, but was left without one for the sole reason that there was no room in the budget.[23]
Captain Cal Franklin[]
Some of the audio files hold a few unused lines spoken by Captain Cal Franklin, the pilot of Apollo Airways Flight DF-0301. The full sequence including Jack's unique phrase without the missing part (in the game's English dubbed version only) and a stewardess imply a different opening where the plane crashed by accident instead of being hijacked.[24] The lines are as follows:
Julie Langford[]
Julie Langford was originally supposed to be a male: Holden Langford, but it was cut far in the progress. Ken Levine stated that they didn't have many female characters in the game, and so they made the change.[18]
The only reference to this in-game is a mistake made by the developers: if the player looks at the sign in the reception area at the entrance to Langford Research Laboratories in Arcadia, the subtitled text will read "Professor Holden Langford Research Laboratories."
Jack[]
Jack's original arms.
The prototype for Jack's arms originally had a slightly different sweater and no chain tattoo. During development, Jack was referred to as "Joe" in the first developer demo.[12]
Kyburz[]
The file name of the sign for Kyburz' office in the Workshops is named Signs_Eng_Shader_OfficeOfWahl and sign_superwahl, indicating that Kyburz was previously named Wahl.
Sander Cohen[]
Early footage of BioShock shows an alternate audio diary portrait for Cohen. It was also used on an early poster for Why Even Ask?[12]
Charley[]
The Spliced-character Charley found banging on the kitchen door in the Kashmir Restaurant of the Welcome to Rapture level has some unused lines of dialogue found in the game files, specifically for if he would be burning or frozen. As Incinerate! and Winter Blast are not in the players arsenal when encountering him, they were not used. The quotes are the following:
- Burning (
vo_S_1_Ch_burning)- "Hot!"
- "My face… Hot!"
- Frozen (Stuttering) (
vo_S_1_Ch_frozen)- "So cold, cold."
- "Cold… it's so cold."
- "It's… so cold."
Enemies[]
The Gatherer[]
Before the Little Sisters were chosen to be the ADAM producers and gatherers in Rapture, many other designs were talked about and drawn up. The first idea was for the actual Sea Slugs themselves to be the gatherers, however this idea was scrapped as the player would not feel empathy for the slugs. Other designs included frogs, chipmunks, crabs, monkeys and even a crippled dog. Increasingly the Gatherer shifted to more humanoid beings to elicit empathy. The idea of using little girls was picked because the player would easily feel sorry for them and want to save them, making harvesting a much tougher choice.[25]
The icons displayed on the screen when the player is given the choice the rescue or harvest the Little Sister, were originally an angel for rescue and a devil for harvest. This was cut by Ken Levine, as he wanted to leave the morality of the choice ambiguous.[1] The Little Sister's eyes were at one point glowing completely red instead of yellow.[26]
Early Bouncer[]
An early version of the Bouncer Big Daddy.
- Main article: Bouncer
The original model for the Bouncer type of Big Daddy featured a flat headed drill at the end of each arm. The Big Daddies were envisioned as the builders of Rapture. with weapons modified from tools they would have used in its construction. When the Gatherers were reimagined as Little Sisters, one of the Bouncer's drills was changed to a gloved hand so the two characters could interact with each other. The early model appears as a statue in the Museum of Orphaned Concepts.
Slow-Pro[]
Research Icon for Slow-Pro.
A Slow-Pro in early gameplay.
- Main article: Slow-Pro
The Slow-Pro, dubbed "SlowProFum" or "Slow Pro FUM" by the development team, was a model of Big Daddy cut from BioShock. Standing for "slow-moving, projectile-shooting, f'ed-up-melee", this Big Daddy was intended as a slow, ranged type that would center itself and kneel to fire a heavy projectile at enemies via a large arm-mounted cannon. However he was cut out in late development due to limitations in file space and storage.
It was also planned to get research points from Slow-Pro like other enemies in some point of development. His research icon can be seen in BioShock: Breaking the Mold. This Big Daddy was modified and featured in BioShock 2 as the Rumbler, where the player can now get research points from him.
Slug Bug Big Daddy[]
Concept art for the Slug Bug.
A fourth type of Big Daddy called the "Slug Bug" started to be developed, but never got past the concept art stage. This Big Daddy type would have had a large slug-like creature riding on the head and shoulders of the Big Daddy suit. Several of the slug's tentacles were rammed into the viewports of the suit. Other smaller tentacles produced arcs of electricity and could fire bolts of plasma at its enemies. It was first envisioned that the player would have to kill the slug in order to defeat the Big Daddy, but the concept was deemed unworkable.[27]
Savants[]
Savants were genetically engineered enemies/bosses in an early version of BioShock. The Savants were essentially "heads in jars" that was in control of the city and affect different aspects of each level in the game. Each level had its own Savant that would have to be defeated, two of which were named Themis and Prometheus. The developers felt that there were too many [Savant] characters that didn't make any sense and that interactions/fighting a head in a jar was not fun or logical.[25][28]
ADAM Anomaly[]
An ADAM Anomaly.
This is an enemy concept from before before production on the game started. Little is known about this enemy other than it seems to be a collection of objects forming a roughly humanoid torso with what appears to be electricity flowing over and around it. Some of the objects are: a pipe for a right arm, a left arm created from a Rosie's Rivet Gun and the "Photographer's Eye" advertisement from a Gatherer's Garden where a head would be. Also included are pieces of ruble, a Big Daddy helmet and metal struts. It is unknown if this construct was deliberately created with Plasmids or an uncontrolled creation due to the overuse of ADAM.
Aggressors[]
During the early stages of BioShock's development, the game's main enemies, who at this point were called Aggressors, had purposefully mutated themselves in order to be able to utilize better weapons and become stronger foes. As their concepts developed, the team decided that the enemies became creepier as they became more human. Eventually this realization, along with the change in Rapture's design and purpose, led to the Splicers seen in the final game. Though removed from the final game, many Aggressor models appear as statues in the Museum of Orphaned Concepts.
Stitchy[]
The Stitchy model in the Museum of Orphaned Concepts.
"Stitchy", also known as the Ranged Aggressor, was the first Splicer created. Stitchy was fully functional in-game with kinematics, hit reaction, voice-over, and was used in many early demos. Stitchy is a very muscled character, missing an arm and carrying a Shotgun in the other. He only wears pants, has a tumor growing out from his head, and what appears to be intestines hanging out from his stomach. Lead artist Shawn Robertson labeled him as "probably the worst abortion that Irrational has ever made".[29]
Pre-Yam Hand[]
The Pre-Yam Hand model in the Museum of Orphaned Concepts.
The "Pre-Yam Hand" was an early concept for a Splicer related to the usage of Adam. Before solidifying the fiction around ADAM, Irrational experimented with the idea of it being an external, injected substance. "Here you can see us playing around with Adam being mechanically injected", said lead Artist Shawn Robertson, "so this Splicer's got vials of it on his belt".[29] This Pre-Yam Hand model was created but never made it into the game in any form. The name "Yam Hand" was given to the Splicer as his hand resembles a potato, according to the developers.[30]
Yam Hand[]
The Yam Hand model in the Museum of Orphaned Concepts.
The Yam Hand was an early concept for a Splicer from a time period when disproportional limbs were being considered. Of special note is the misshapen head which its creator Robb Waters liked since "[i]t kind of made you wonder what the heck was going on under that dingy burlap sack".[31] The Yam Hand was designed as a melee enemy, using his mutated hand as a weapon. The name "Yam Hand" was given to the Splicer as his hand resembles a potato, according to the developers.[30]
Missing Link[]
The Missing Link model in the Museum of Orphaned Concepts.
The "missing link" Splicer is the last of the more monstrous Splicers and points towards the development of the more human ones seen in the final game. The official name seems to be "Rifleman". As with some other designs of this time, this Splicer has a device on his back that is pumping fluid into him. Unlike most other Splicers in development at the time, his clothes are mostly intact and he does not have disproportionate limbs.
Hooker[]
The Hooker model in the Museum of Orphaned Concepts.
The "Hooker" is an early character model for the Spider Splicer that was created before the enemies for BioShock were determined. The model is a bald female with hooks attached to her arms and legs, giving her the ability to climb on walls and ceilings. She was eventually developed into the Baby Jane Splicer model.
Grenadier Splicer[]
The Grenadier model in the Museum of Orphaned Concepts.
The "Grenadier" is what would ultimately have similar functions as the Nitro Splicer. This large gray model spliced to carry giant grenades to throw at the player. He has a backpack and a messenger bag for the grenades and additional smaller bags attached to his pants. He has a strange black tool sticking out from his chest and bandages covering the majority of his arms and face.
Splicer Models[]
An early look at Fort Frolic.
Baby Jane[]
The Baby Jane Splicer has been seen in some pre-launch images of BioShock wearing both a pink dress and a white fabric rose. Neither of these cosmetic variations are seen in the final version of the game.
Her earlier concept designs also show her with medium-length unruly, brunette hair, and more cuts across her face.
Early Character Types[]
The early concept for the archetypes.
Once it was decided that the Splicers would be more human, early ideas were drawn up of the different types of people who be seen in that era. The designs on the right show five early ideas. A businessman (which would eventually evolve into the Breadwinner model) and four others models which never made it past the drawing board, a Bellboy, Greaser, Waitress, and a School Girl.
Ducky[]
Concept art of Ducky's headgear.
Concept art reveals that various types of headgear were considered for the Splicer model Ducky. In addition to the waterproof hood that all Ducky Splicers wear, a peaked police cap, a Brodie-style helmet listed as "riot gear helmet", a pair of goggles, and a firefighter's hat were proposed. The latter headpiece also suggests that Ducky might've had a fireman orange colored uniform could've expanded Ducky's range of duties to that of a firefighter. Ultimately, only the police officer's hat made it past the drawing board.
Mommy Dearist[]
Concept art for the female Splicer.
Concept art from BioShock: Breaking the Mold reveals an illustration of a unique female Splicer labeled Mommy Dearist[27] that does not appear in the final game. She wears a light-teal colored dress accessorized with single orange glove, ascot, and fascinator.
Nothing is known about the character since it was never made, but the design of her dress was used for the many female Corpses seen in the game. Although she doesn't appear in the game, various parts of her design have parallels with the appearance of other Splicers: Lady Smith has a similar 1940's hairstyle and silhouette, one of Toasty's eyes are covered with a heavy gauze bandage, and Baby Jane wears a dress with a dramatically torn hemline. It is perhaps because of these multiple comparable designs between her and other Splicers that this model never made it past the drawing board.
Early Splicer Concept Art[]
The road to the finalized Splicer design was long and varied. Many monstrous designs were proposed before the game creators finally agreed that a more identifiably human enemy delivered greater horror and pathos than any deformed "creature" could. Many of the Splicer designs were showcased in the Museum of Orphaned Concepts.
Businesses[]
Poppadopolis Police Department[]
The Poppadopolis Police Department is a subscription police department that operated in pre-war Rapture, only known from a single, unused advertisement in the Strategy guide. In Rapture's objectivist economic conditions, there were many other subscription services, including semi-canon businesses, like Fontaine Fire Fighters. Judging from the poster, there seems to be multiple other subscription police services.
Fontaine Fire Fighters[]
Fontaine Fire Fighters is a fire department owned by Frank Fontaine, operating in Rapture. The company's policy was swift action in case of a fire emergency. Fontaine Fire Fighters was ultimately cut from the game and thus is a semi-canon business.
Sinclair Spirits[]
Sinclair Spirits was originally named Stephenson Spirits. This is revealed from the texture file for the sign, as it reads Stephenson_Spirits_Diffuse.tga and from a prelaunch image of Fort Frolic displayed above.[32]
Wissmuller Beer[]
Advertisements for Weissmuller Beer were intended to be featured in BioShock, which is evident by its appearance in BioShock: Breaking the Mold and on the back of the PlayStation 3 manual for BioShock. The advertisement did however make it into BioShock 2 Multiplayer and The Protector Trials.
Topaz Brand[]
The pre-launch image.
The advertisement.
An advertisement for Topaz Brand apples was seen in a pre-launch promotional screenshot of Arcadia. Unlike many in-game advertisements based on real-world fruit crate labels, the Topaz Brand fruit crate label doesn't appear to have been altered in any way.
A portion of the label does appear in the final game as part of generic wooden planks which typically appear on boarded-up doors such as those in Fontaine's Home for the Poor, but the advertising poster is never seen in-game. The text seen on the generic wooden planks reads 'Fontaine Packaging Corporation'.
Wooden plank texture files, with text reads: 'P1 122 NTS AI; SI 438 ON E; Fontaine Packaging (Pacagking) Corporation'.
Champ Brand & Dupuis Produce Company[]
A poster advertisement for Champ Brand sweet potatoes and yams is found in the game files, but is not seen anywhere in-game. The packaging for the brand was done by the Dupuis Produce Company, which has its only appearance on said cut poster. Compared to the real-world counterparts, the in-game poster removes the text about places of production (Louisiana and Breaux Bridge) and changes 'U. S. A.' to 'Rapture'.
Top Card & Lambert Marketing Company[]
The game files feature an advertising poster for Top Card brand Bartlett pears, produced by Lambert Marketing Company, which didn't make it into the final game.
The ad is in actuality a slightly altered real-world fruit crate label for Top Card brand Bartlett pears, which was packed by the real Lambert Marketing Company. The in-files poster has been altered to have the country and location of origin removed, to show that it is a product of Rapture.
The same real-world label was used as a base for another removed poster: Billy G. "The Ace", which appears to be an advertisement for an album/single. The name Billy G. is a reference to BioShock's Lead Level Designer Bill Gardner.
Wellsworth[]
Wellsworth is a Bathysphere maker in Rapture. It was the producer of the 1959 "Seahorse" Bathysphere model and the company slogan was "Simply fathoms above the rest…". Concept artist Robb Waters designed an advertising poster for a Wellsworth "Seahorse" Bathysphere model for BioShock, but neither the poster, the Bathysphere model, or any mention of Wellsworth appeared in the final version of the game.[citation needed]
Telephone Company Advertisements[]
The loading screen for the Welcome to Rapture level and the PlayStation 3 exclusive installation screen feature two unused advertisements for telephone services. The Welcome to Rapture loading screen advertisement is seen in an early screenshot of the level, right outside the Kashmir Restaurant. The only things that can be made out from the advertisement is a telephone handset and the price tag of 5 or 6 ADAM (ADAM was the currency of Rapture before, being changed to the Rapture Dollar, see "ADAM as Currency"). The Playstation 3 Installation screen advertisement shows a man and a woman on the phone and reads "Rapture Local and Long Distance Service!". There is a "New Rapture Low Rates" section, listing the prices for calls to many areas in Rapture, including Arcadia, Fort Frolic, Hephaestus, Medical Pavilion, Neptune's Bounty, Point Prometheus and an illegible one. There is also an illegible small print in the middle of the advertisement. If the two advertisements are connected to each other or if they are related to the Pay-phone is unknown.
Richard's Cheese[]
The loading screen, showing the early version of advertisement.
Richard's Farm Fresh Quality Cheese was originally named just Richard's Cheese, as seen in the Farmer's Market's loading screen, which shows a screenshot of an early version of the level featuring an alternate and very different version of the Richard's Farm Fresh Quality Cheese advertisement.
Bart and Smithers Baking Co.[]
Unused package models for Creme-Filled Cake, Bart and Smithers Baking Co. on the right.
Along with John and Welch Holding Co., there was meant to be a second producer of Creme-Filled Cake named Bart and Smithers Baking Co. The brand was cut when Creme-Filled Cakes were found in box packaging, instead of plastic wrapper as seen in the final version of the game. "Creme" was also spelled "cream" and the Mom!-brand cakes also had box packaging.
The name appears to be reference to the TV-show The Simpsons, specifically the characters Bart Simpson and Waylon Smithers.
Snappy Chappy- and Wild Nights-Brand Potato Chips[]
The unused bags.
Developer James Sharpe's portfolio shows two additional potato chip bags, the Snappy Chappy-brand and Wild Nights-brand,[33] which were cut before the game was released. Sappy Chappy appears to have been developed into the bag that is used in-game. Both bags have the name of their producing company on them, but the text on the source picture is too small and illegible.
Objects[]
Audio Diaries[]
- Brigid Tenenbaum — Gatherer's Flu
- J.S. Steinman — Why Two
- Peach Wilkins — Prison Code
- Peach Wilkins — Smuggling is a Crime
- Yi Suchong — Little Sisters and Corpses
Audio Diary Model and Message Display[]
Early in the development of BioShock Audio Diaries were planned to be "squishy, organic things, with lips and ears" instead of tape recorders.[34] Late in development, the Audio Diary model was an audiotape reel before being changed to the recording device seen in-game, and the "pop-up" display when playing a message was also a different design.[12]
Musical Insult/To The Editor[]
The E3 2006 BioShock tech demo features an alternate version of the Audio Diary "Musical Insult", named To The Editor, with a slightly different script and a flatter intonation. A song can be heard playing in the background. Notably, the "musical insult" is specified as being Ryan's Songbird. The original script: "Regarding your recent review of Anna Culpepper's latest musical insult entitled 'Ryan's Songbird': This, of all of the worthy artists in Rapture, why you continue to devote column inches to this musical gremlin is beyond my imagination. Where she is not derivative, she's boring. Where she's not boring, she's obvious. Where she's not obvious, she's dangerous."[12]
2005 Alpha Vision Demo Footage Audio Diary[]
During a gameplay demonstration from a 2005 vision demo of the game, an Audio Diary (or radio message) can be heard in the background that was not used in the final version of the game. As the clip is from a demostration, most of the Audio Diary is inaudible as the Technical Director Christopher Kline talks over the clip. The portion of the audio that can be deciphered regards an unknown female character talking about Brigid Tenenbaum's research and some task: "All of Tenenbaum's researching is carrying [inaudible] sector. Think of it, you could find [inaudible]. Maybe we could squeeze an ounce of oceans from this board. [inaudible] isn't it? [inaudible] Watch out! [inaudible] making sure [inaudible] up to."[35]
Ammunition[]
Game files of BioShock mention an unused type of ammunition called Disease Bolt.[citation needed]
Bioweapon[]
The Bioweapon.
Fastened from impromptu parts and resembling a pump-action bug sprayer, the Bioweapon can be seen as the precursor to the Chemical Thrower. The device fires chemicals that were eventually integrated into the player's Plasmid abilities. The four Plasmids it was capable of expelling were Insect Swarm, Berserk Toxin, Disease Cloud, and a Generic Repellent.
The trimmed down Bioweapon as it appears in the Silverwing Apiary.
Interestingly enough, both the Bioweapon and its ammunition exist in Rapture. A slightly toned-down version of the weapon can be found in the Silverwing Apiary, though it cannot be used in its original function. Cans of "Berserk" can be seen stacked in one of the target practice stands at Rapture's Grand Carnival in the Challenge Rooms stage A Shocking Turn of Events. Hovering over the "Berserk" cans with the cursor will display the "What is this?" help caption. However, pressing it will not open any specific section, only the help menu. The Bioweapon was designed by Mauricio Tejerina.
EVE Hypo[]
The original EVE Hypo (as seen in the BioShock X06 trailer), had a smaller, leaner needle filled with a green murky liquid.
Gatherer's Garden[]
Gatherer Machine.
What appears to be a significantly different version of the Gatherer's Garden was designed by Mauricio Tejerina. Aside from being flanked by the iconic Little Sister statues, the machine more closely resembles a Vita-Chamber than the Plasmid-dispensing vending machines.
An early design of the Gatherer's Garden featured EVE Hypos in the two slots above the Plasmid bottles in the machine, which are empty in the final version of the game.
Gene Bank[]
Gene Banks were originally called "Plasmi-Quik", but the name was changed to be more descriptive of its function. Early versions of the game used ADAM as currency with Plasmi-Quik machines having prominent ADAM symbols and a coin slot. Plasmi-Quik machines can be seen in the E3 2006 tech demo and the Hunting the Big Daddy demo. Gene Banks still show a small ADAM symbol under the third bottle to the right.
A Plasmi-Quik machine from the E3 2006 demo.
The name Plasmi-Quik is still retained in the game as a general pick-me-up for the "Plasmid Blues".
When BioShock's first playthrough demo was released during E3 2006, the role of Plasmi-Quiks (Gene Banks) were discussed in Rapture to not only alter what Plasmids and Tonics the player could have, but it was meant for citizens to cosmetically enhance their own physical aesthetics, such as their body size, how they look, etc.
The eleventh BioShock podcast from the Cult of Rapture reveals that the Gene Bank originally would have had a function combined with that of the Gatherer's Garden.[36]
Med Hypo[]
The Med Hypo was cut at late development from the game and is only mentioned in the audio diary "Big Night Out". It still exists in the game files and can only be accessible through console commands. The Medical Hypo is an item found in System Shock 2, the game BioShock is a spiritual successor to, and its associated sound has been reused for the EVE Hypo injection sound. Its unique effects included boosting the health of the player by 30%, and it would fill the player's health bar for 8 seconds.
Red Cross[]
Red crosses were present in early builds of BioShock, but it appears that the developers became aware of the fact that the red cross emblem is not "public domain" and misuse of the symbol breaks the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement as well as in some extension the Geneva Conventions.[37][38] As seen in pre-release screenshots and early models, changes that were made include: The Health Station's cross symbol was changed from being fully red to just the outlines, and the same goes for the pillars and lights featuring the cross in the Medical Pavilion level and the removed Med Hypo item. The Power to the People machine also featured the red cross symbol, but it was completely removed and replaced with a cloth banner in the final version of the game. The Booze Hound Gene Tonic originally had a red cross symbol on the barrel around the dog's neck, instead of the "XXX" symbol.
The original Health Station promotional poster can be seen in one of the promotional videos for Burial at Sea - Episode 1.[citation needed]
Masks[]
Unused masks.
Concept art shows the iconic masks seen in the game would've been colorful. In the final version only the masks worn by Sander Cohen's disciples are colored while the rest are a uniform white material with minimally embellished filigree details. Originally, there was supposed to be both a bat and fish mask in BioShock, but they aren't present. The fish mask did ultimately get used in "A Shocking Turn of Events" as a prop.
Cohen's Muse Key[]
The game files also include an alternate icon for Cohen's Muse Key. This one is golden instead of red version seen in the final version of the game.
Lot 192[]
Originally, Lot 192 was supposed to have an icon, and it can be seen in the game's files, but it was ultimately unused as Jack consumes the substance immediately upon picking it up meaning there's no chance to see the icon.
Power to the People[]
Power To The People Machine.
Before the Power to the People machine was finalized, it had a some-what different design. The overall structure was the same, but it had different ornaments and logo. It was also originally called "Fire for Effect".
Sea Gate 12 Sign[]
The Sea Gate 12 sign from BioShock 2.
A sign for "Sea Gate 12" was seen in early screenshots of Neptune's Bounty, which did not make it to the final version of BioShock. However the sign was used in the Atlantic Express level in BioShock 2 and the Fontaine's Home for the Poor map in BioShock 2 Multiplayer.
Gene Tonics[]
Organic Pockets[]
Organic Pockets was a Gene Tonic that was removed from the final version of the game. It allowed the player to have double the normal capacity for First Aid Kits, and EVE Hypos. This tonic was ultimately removed from the game prior to release, but still can be enabled on the PC version with modification.
Shutdown Expert[]
Shutdown Expert was a Gene Tonic in BioShock that was removed from the final version of the game. The tonic would have changed the amount of time that Security Cameras and Turrets stay hacked. Since Security Devices in the final game stay hacked permanently, this tonic was dropped. However, it can still be enabled in the PC version of the game through modification, although it will not give any effects.
Plasmids[]
Aggressor Irritant[]
Aggressor Irritant is a Plasmid that existed in an early video of BioShock, narrated by Ken Levine, but was ultimately removed from the game. This Plasmid is similar in functions to Enrage and Security Bullseye, but different in that when used on an enemy, it would have caused everyone in the area to attack them.
Hypnotize Big Daddy[]
Bioshock - Befriend BigDaddy Training Clean (early Hypnotize Big Daddy training video)
Early Hypnotize Big Daddy training video — Befriend BigDaddy
Prototype training video of this Plasmid had different music (the same that plays during the trip down in the bathysphere), and unfiltered narration. It also indicated early name for this Plasmid, shown "Befriend Big Daddy" rather than "Hypnotize Big Daddy".
Parasitic Healing[]
Parasitic Healing was cut in late development of the game. The Plasmid would have fired an energy bolt at enemies, damaging them and healing the player. As with most other Plasmids, Parasitic Healing would have had three levels of advancement. In addition, certain Spider Splicer variants would have been able to use this Plasmid. These enemies would have appeared in multiple levels, including Point Prometheus and the Proving Grounds, and would have looked the same as regular Spider Splicers.[citation needed]
Sanctuary[]
This Plasmid was cut in early development. It was to create a bubble to protect the player, intended to be used while hacking, as initially the game did not pause during this time.
Speed Booster[]
This Plasmid was cut during early development, and only appeared in the first demo. BioShock 2 Multiplayer's Aero Dash has similar functions.
Telekinesis 2[]
The Telekinesis Plasmid was to have an upgraded version named Telekinesis 2 that was supposed to cause more damage. The sales pitch was: "Mind over matter has never been better, with new, improved Telekinesis! PULLS an object to you, then THROWS it with IMMENSE FORCE".
The Plasmid is featured in BioShock 2.
Telekinesis Icon[]
Originally the man seen on the Telekinesis icon would have had visible pupils showing that his eyes were open. In the final version, they're absent.
Teleportation[]
This Plasmid was cut late in development due to the potential for glitches and skipping important story events. It still appears via an in-game advertisement.
In BioShock 2, the Plasmid shows up as an Easter Egg in Fontaine Futuristics.
Winter Blast[]
Bioshock - Cryo Shard Training Clean (early Winter blast training video)
Early Winter blast training video — Cryo Shard.
Winter Blast's name went through several iterations during development. The developers refer to it as "Cryokinesis" in one of the podcasts.[36] Another name for it was Cryo Shards, as seen in a developer walkthrough video.[39] Prototype training video of this Plasmid had different music (the same that plays during the trip down in the bathysphere), and unfiltered narration. It also indicated early name for this Plasmid, shown "Cryo" rather than "Winter Blast". And the video title was known as "Cryo Shard".
Public Address Announcements[]
See Also[]
References[]
|