You just know someone is going to read the flier, go to the site, and get all outraged about "all these abductions!"

2k is playing a dangerous game. We all still bear the scars from the Aqua Teen Hunger Force incident. (Well, some of us do. I don't. I heard about it after the fact. But, um, yeah.)

This could end badly for them. I really hope not though.

Interesting stuff. I quite enjoy these viral websites/campaigns, if they are done well that is. Even if I may end up disappointed by them (anyone remember eon8?).

I'd like to see some of these fliers or posters dotted around. One can always guess as to the reaction of the generally alarmist public to this kind of thing...

I don't think it's a problem unless the game somehow falls on its face and is wildly disappointing. The risk they run is over-hyping to the point where you expect more out of the game when it finally arrives. Personally, I don't expect much more then the original, except to fix some of the glitchy aspects and a new story. Gameplay could be generally the same and I would be happy with it.

Cool beans. I hope this ad campaign will turn a couple of those crazy tinfoil hat people into gamers.

I don't know how to react to the news that Levine won't be behind it. I guess I can only wait and sea.

Rednecks are already grabbing their shotguns and heading to the nearest body of water I'm sure. 2K should be careful otherwise this could blow back in their faces.

Fanboy:
Cool beans. I hope this ad campaign will turn a couple of those crazy tinfoil hat people into gamers.

I don't know how to react to the news that Levine won't be behind it. I guess I can only wait and sea.

I sea what you did there.

I really wanted them to continue on from the bad ending. Oh well.

From what I'm gathering, you'll either play as or with this "Lynch" guy (go to the website) and you'll be going down to Rapture and investigating the place in a bit more of an official manner.

Either that, or this Lynch is a villain who takes Rapture into his own hands and tries to kill everything and this is all a big power struggle....

Okay, no more theories until tomorrow, Wes... *sigh*

nilcypher:

The level of involvement of series creator Ken Levine is also causing some consternation as development of the game was passed from 2K Boston/Australis to 2K Marin. There are fears that without Levine's input, the series will lose much of the originality that made it so popular.

"Lose much of the originality?" The game story was unique, but the gameplay/structure was pretty much derivative of System Shock 2... maybe giving it over to another studio for a bit may give it more originality (emphasis on the maybe).

Quite a good ad, though I too definitely see some people not familiar with the series being confused and worried by it. Also I always thought it would be a sequel, the girl in the teaser looks too much like a little sister grown up. Though of course it could of been a grandparent in the past or such I guess.

I don't understand how people thought it was going to be a prequel, it seemed obvious to that it was a grown up little sister in the trailer. Or maybe I'm just crazy or missed some subtle hint in the video.

darthzew:
From what I'm gathering, you'll either play as or with this "Lynch" guy (go to the website) and you'll be going down to Rapture and investigating the place in a bit more of an official manner.

Either that, or this Lynch is a villain who takes Rapture into his own hands and tries to kill everything and this is all a big power struggle....

Okay, no more theories until tomorrow, Wes... *sigh*

Lynch just seems like a conspiracy nut, none of the letters look in any way official, I bet he just follows the clues and somehow stumbles upon Rapture.

Theory 1: The red lights are possibly the bathyspheres of trying-to-escape splicers.
The monsters could also be the splicers, kidnapping children to use them as Little Sisters.
They became so incredibly obsessed with ADAM that they came to the shore and kidnapped little girls in the hopes of obtaining ADAM.

Theory 2: The red lights are produced by the Big Daddies' suits and they are swimming with the suits on.
They are then kidnapping the children thinking they are Little Sisters.

Theory 3: The lights are (once again) the lights from bathyspheres of splicers.
The girls were formerly Little Sisters that plan to escape back into the sea.

EDIT: They say the red lights came from a "lean figure", so the Big Daddy theory is scrapped.
However, this could also reinforce the theory that they are escaped splicers.

EDIT V2: The attacks seem to be centralized around northern Europe.
If I recall correctly, Rapture resided in the Mid-Atlantic.
So the idea of splicers doing said attacks is once again reinforced.

EDIT V3: Another press release stated that they saw the "red light" when their daughter was taken.
They also said that it "may have come from a flashlight, possibly mounted on a hat or helmet".
Also, the family saw the assailant wielding a "sharpened tool with extreme force".
As we all know, Spider Splicers wield hooks and can rip people apart easily.
However, where does this "red light" come in? No spider splicers had a helmet or red light of any kind.

EDIT V4: Aha! So it says the victims aren't all just similar in age, but appearance as well.
Could this once again reinforce the idea of the splicers believing they are Little Sisters and kidnapping them in the hope of getting ADAM?

Hunde Des Krieg:
Lynch just seems like a conspiracy nut, none of the letters look in any way official, I bet he just follows the clues and somehow stumbles upon Rapture.

None of the letters are official?
Look at the one behind the picture of the red light.
It is a press release from INTERPOL, so clearly this isn't just a random, silly conspiracy trheory.

EDIT V5: The red light moving underwater was carried by something large, as it nearly capsized a small boat.
However, since it was also carried on land, this suggests Big Daddies once again.
Also, the children spotted "unusual boot prints". Bid Daddy boots, perhaps?

But wait... The light is carried by a large vessel...
But some say they saw the shadow of a "lean figure" capturing little children.
Big Daddies escorting splicers, perhaps? How does it all fit together?

EDIT V6: Here is a picture of all 3 kidnapped girls, side by side.

They all look similar, don't they? Perhaps this reinforces the idea of them thinking they are Little Sisters.

SUPERMEGAULTRAIMPORTANT EDIT:

Look at Game Informer's cover for Bioshock 2.

THAT'S WHERE THE RED LIGHT CAME FROM!
It is no doubt a Big Daddy doing this, and he has that "sharpened weapon" they spoke of in the news feeds!
Also, since it says "Big Sister", it's possibly a female variation of Big Daddies.
The truth has been revealed!

Eentreeeging.

*Puts on tinfoil hat*
Ryan was tied into the Bilderburg group and the Elders of Zion! The Skulls and Bones will seek to reclaim Rapture as their own with the aid of Jacques Cousteau!

Klagermeister:
Theory 1: The red lights are possibly the bathyspheres of trying-to-escape splicers.
The monsters could also be the splicers, kidnapping children to use them as Little Sisters.
They became so incredibly obsessed with ADAM that they came to the shore and kidnapped little girls in the hopes of obtaining ADAM.

Theory 2: The red lights are produced by the Big Daddies' suits and they are swimming with the suits on.
They are then kidnapping the children thinking they are Little Sisters.

Theory 3: The lights are (once again) the lights from bathyspheres of splicers.
The girls were formerly Little Sisters that plan to escape back into the sea.

EDIT: They say the red lights came from a "lean figure", so the Big Daddy theory is scrapped.
However, this could also reinforce the theory that they are escaped splicers.

EDIT V2: The attacks seem to be centralized around northern Europe.
If I recall correctly, Rapture resided in the Mid-Atlantic.
So the idea of splicers doing said attacks is once again reinforced.

EDIT V3: Another press release stated that they saw the "red light" when their daughter was taken.
They also said that it "may have come from a flashlight, possibly mounted on a hat or helmet".
Also, the family saw the assailant wielding a "sharpened tool with extreme force".
As we all know, Spider Splicers wield hooks and can rip people apart easily.
However, where does this "red light" come in? No spider splicers had a helmet or red light of any kind.

EDIT V4: Aha! So it says the victims aren't all just similar in age, but appearance as well.
Could this once again reinforce the idea of the splicers believing they are Little Sisters and kidnapping them in the hope of getting ADAM?

Hunde Des Krieg:
Lynch just seems like a conspiracy nut, none of the letters look in any way official, I bet he just follows the clues and somehow stumbles upon Rapture.

None of the letters are official?
Look at the one behind the picture of the red light.
It is a press release from INTERPOL, so clearly this isn't just a random, silly conspiracy trheory.

He didn't write that did he? Look at the letters signed by him, they are scrawled and messy.

Indigo_Dingo:

nilcypher:

Fanboy:

I don't know how to react to the news that Levine won't be behind it. I guess I can only wait and sea.

Levine is having something to do with it, but no one seems to know exactly what.

So, the same thing as Jaffe and GoW III?

I'm siding with the skeptics on this one - a game like that is well praised because its so very original and self contained. Too often do we see the ominous "To be continued" so it was nice to see a game being and end.

Other series that didn't get the message - No More Heroes and Uncharted.

I agree completly Indigo, although, I do hope that I'm proven wrong.

Indigo_Dingo:
Considering the build, timeframe and previous games ending, could the figure be Jack carrying on from the evil ending?

I pretty much doubt this, I think the Evil ending was rushed and did not provide the closure of the good one (Jack lives the life he only just got)

It's not a Big Daddy Kidnapping either unless it's a new type of very skinny Big Daddy...either someone is using these girls for ADAM or it's Big Daddies confused and pissed off from the first game, hunting down girls that look like Little Sisters.

Heh it would amuse Me if someone became panicked about this and went into Ireland searching for Red Lights

I reckon they should up their game and put lights under the water whilst abducting girls....too far?

Indigo_Dingo:
Hmm...replace "Jack" with "The splicer remaining in the second-to-last area"

Personally I think that it's either a new main foe or a creature that we have not encountered...Splicers are not very intelligent and I think the red lines over stuff like "Very Thin" on the website are trying to tell us it's something new

I cannot wait to visit Rapture again and find out what has hopefully changed dramatically

Something weird I have noticed on the website is the poster for the website...could this mean it is set in our time and the notes are old...(Since Websites don't exist during 60's)

The link referring to the teaser trailer "contains a malformed video ID"

Moving on.

Amusing. Viral marketing is always a good means of stirring up hype, if not necessarily towards directing it towards a goal (the Aqua Teen Hunger Force debacle is one such noteworthy stunt). I believe 2k will fare fine with this. I eagerly look forward to Bioshock 2 and this game 2k have laid out to make us buy their game.

That's a pretty cool teaser site. Just looked through it.

And maybe Bioshock doesn't need a sequel but that doesn't mean it'll be bad. How could they go from making a game as good as Bioshock to crap? Hopefully it will be good.

old news to me. I found out about this before they even started updating it. I don't remember how though.....

Indigo_Dingo:

nilcypher:
The developers have said that it will be both a sequel and a prequel.

The hell is that supposed to mean? Also, if it means what I think it means (I'm thinking either Metal Gear Solid 2 when it wasn't trying to fuck me over cause I didn't play Metal Gear Solid, despite not actually needing to, or Tranquility Lane and Operation Anchorage), which will be the larger part?

My money is on playable flashbacks. Remember in the original how you got ADAM induced ghost images of things that happened in the past. Perhaps the ADAM level has reached saturation point where you can "re-live" the memories of the fall of Rapture.
Then again, who knows.