Rumour - BioShock: Infinite delay related to "networking aspects"

File this under "wild extrapolation" if you like, but BioShock: Infinite's delay and Irrational Games's search for a networking expert paints a compelling picture, probably titled "still life with multiplayer".

In a recent positions vacant ad, via Superannuation, Irrational advertised for a network programmer to join the BioShock: Infinite team

"The BioShock Infinite team bets big on everything we do - we strive to be careful about the problems we tackle, innovative in our approach, solid in our implementation, and we polish the heck out of everything we do. Networking is no exception," the ad reads.

"Right now we're looking for an talented and experience individual to help us with the networking aspects of BioShock Infinite. This position will require a combination of initiative, leadership, design, coding, and daily problem solving on multiple target platforms."

The successful applicant would "work with the team who created BioShock network code", have "previous experience developing network backend support on a multi-console title with support for matchmaking, stat tracking and analysis, in-game push updates, etc" and have "shipped at least one commercial network-connected game title, preferably on a console".

No multiplayer modes have been announced for BioShock: Infinite, but Irrational was known to be experimenting with the idea as far back as late 2010.

Infinite's politically-charged storyline, which has two factions battling over the city of Columbia, seems reasonably well-suited to some kind of multiplayer mode, as does Elizabeth's mysterious ability to open tears to other dimensions.

BioShock: Infinite is now expected in February 2013.

Thanks, Eurogamer.