As you're no doubt aware, you'll be playing as the very first Big Daddy in 2K Marin's upcoming BioShock 2. If you're craving a bit more insight into just how said Big Daddy came to be, 2K's just dropped some concept art showing the development of the hulking bruiser.

The final product looks cool, but are we the only ones that would have totally dug this armored Terminator Big Daddy? Just us? Fair enough.

[Via GameSetWatch]

E3 was brütal! If you blinked, for a split/second, you missed something. Even if you were trine to keep up, it was a blur -- staying a.wake like that, you only pushed yourself to the brink of your own dark void. That's where Joystiq comes in; to crackdown on the madness; to reach out ... with conviction -- phew! Crysis averted.

We've scoured the dark corners and survived the inferno to piece together this roundup of all things Xbox at E3. Why? Just 'cause we love you. So, draw nier and shift your eyes past the break.

We're sure the lot of you would rather hear about the intricacies of the single player campaign of BioShock 2 that we divined from our time with the game at E3 -- unfortunately, 2K wasn't keen on sharing any new details about the story of the core game. What we did get a chance to see was the multiplayer portion of the undersea follow-up -- a feature that we've yet to hear much about before today.

Watching the six-player deathmatch BioShock 2 demo was kind of like watching your beloved family dog sing opera. Mind you, this dog sang opera really well, but still, watching your canine companion sing is a somewhat unsettling experience. For some reason, it's ingrained in our minds that BioShock is meant to be experienced on ones lonesome. When you strip the rich story away from the game and toss in multiplayer elements, you end up with a product that, despite its strengths, seems a bit out of its element.

We've been waiting on platform confirmation for 2K's upcoming BioShock 2 for some time now, and now we finally know which systems the title will release for. VG247 confirmed with 2K that the game will release "on PS3, 360 and PC on 30th October, just for the record." It should be noted that October 30 is the European release date for the game, and that it's already been confirmed for a November 3 release in North America.

With the game releasing on multiple platforms on day one, it means that PS3 enthusiasts won't miss out on the fun due to timed exclusivity this go round.

Update: We contacted 2K to clarify the statements that VG247 received, and it confirmed that a simultaneous Xbox 360, PS3 and PC release would occur in North America as well. Huzzah!

According to Gamasutra, Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey isn't buying the release dates Take Two is selling. Hickey has "concerns" about the announced release date for BioShock 2 -- October 30 in Europe and November 3 in North America -- "given the unannounced platforms and expected last-day-of-quarter release." We're not psychics or anything, but we get the feeling that the platforms just might be announced at E3.

Concerning the upcoming GTAIV expansion The Ballad of Gay Tony, Hickey is even less optimistic, saying it might not release until late 2010 or possibly even 2011, though he states that a fiscal 2010 release "seems probable." Quite a statement considering how heavily the DLC and GTA: Episodes from Liberty City factor into Take Two's plans for the rest of 2009.

Furthermore, Hickey resurrects the ghost of the EA buyout of Take Two, stating that the company is a "viable acquisition candidate" thanks to the fact that it has "some of the strongest video game development talent and IP in the world." Gamasutra adds that acquisition by another company is more feasible this year, as Take Two stock is trading for significantly less that it was at its highest point last year.

During Take-Two's second quarter financial conference call, CEO Ben Feder announced that BioShock 2 will release in Europe on Friday, October 30, while North American gamers will be returning to Rapture on Tuesday, November 3. It's worth noting that Take Two still lists the game's platforms as "TBA." Given that the previous title was released for Xbox 360, PC and (eventually) PS3, and that Take-Two enjoys making money, it's likely the game will again hit all three high-definition platforms. There is still the question as to the order in which the game will hit those platforms, though, and with E3 looming, a timed-exclusivity announcement may be in the offing.

Any masochists in the room? Don't be shy, go ahead and raise your self-battered hands. We've got great news for these deviant individuals -- in a recent interview with CVG, 2K Marin executive producer Alyssa Finley explained that the original BioShock's easily exploitable respawn points, Vita Chambers, can be turned off in BioShock 2, allowing the player to die without the luxury of a self-cloning safety net.

It was an option that last year's BioShock DLC (as well as the PS3 version of the game) afforded to its more hardcore players. And by "hardcore," we mean "absolutely insane." Seriously, during our first jaunt through Rapture, we died more times than Bill Murray did in Groundhog Day.

GamePro is promising that its upcoming July issue will blow the doors off of the sequel to 2K's undersea shooter, BioShock. Of course, by the time it hits newsstands, you'll probably be full to the gills with all the the BioShock 2 details you can handle -- we're sure to hear a ton about the game during E3.

Fortunately, GamePro recently offered a delicious morsel to its potential readers, uploading the Big Daddy-infused cover of the upcoming issue to the mag's online edition. You can check out the full cover -- and the design for BioShock 2's diving suit-wearing protagonist -- after the break. As a point of reference, here's the original Big Daddy. And here's a poster for the hilarious, heartfelt Adam Sandler comedy Big Daddy. And here's professional wrestler Big Daddy V! Wait, we forgot what we were doing ...

[Thanks, Storm Eagle!]

Though we already caught a snippet of the gameplay offered in the video you see above, why not watch a much longer, smoothly narrated version of some BioShock 2 footage? What's that? You say you don't want to ruin the game for yourself by watching the same vertical slice demo too many times?

While we can appreciate the hard-line stance you've taken, dearest reader, we highly suggest checking this clip out -- if only for the deep sea exploration and tactical combat. Sure, the underwater paths look a bit linear and the Little Sister's dialogue digs into our mind grapes like so many clog-footed wine makers, but hey, we've wanted flamethrower hands since we can remember. Is that so wrong?

Download HD BioShock 2 'Hunting the Big Sister' Gameplay Video (244 MB)

From the "be careful what you wish for" file, we've got the first details on the BioShock 2 multiplayer you all wanted so very much after the first game. You'll play as a Plasmid test subject working for Sinclair Solutions during the fall of Rapture as you battle other players in re-worked game locales like Kashmir Restaurant and Mercury Suites.

Victory over your opponents will yield experience that you can spend on new Plasmids, weapons and tonics. If you can take it, you can read all about the mode right here. The mode's being developed by Digital Extremes, which you likely remember for its work on Dark Sector.

... Hey, why do you all look so depressed? What? Us? No, we're not crying. Why would you *sniff* think that?

We weren't positive we wanted the first return to Rapture in BioShock 2, but it apparently wasn't a tough decision to keep the series underwater. In an interview with OXM, 2K Marin creative director Jordan Thomas said, "We feel that Rapture is so core to BioShock it has to feature in some form. It's one of the characters we don't want to let go."

OK, fair enough. But Thomas went on to undermine our confidence, saying, "With BioShock 2 we're actually going to make sure that you have some strong and unforgettable encounters with unspliced characters that you can develop genuine empathy for, who will not be trying to hide their face from the camera."

You know the problem with BioShock? ... Too isolated. We can't wait to meet Loony Lou, Rapture's top comedian. "What's that, Lou? You know the secret combination to get into Laugh-a-porium's cafeteria? But you want to come along and be my hilarious sidekick? Deal."

[Via CVG]

As much as the developers of BioShock 2 at 2K Marin were eager to show us their game in action, they were (quite pleasantly) even more eager to talk about it. Following the conclusion of our demo walkthrough, lead designer Zak McClendon, lead environment artist Hogarth De La Plante and lead level designer JP LeBreton opened the floor to questions from the half-dozen game journos in attendance.

Read on after the break for the team's take on revisiting the first game's mysteries, the intricacies of plasmid mixing, the return of Vita-Chambers and more.

A German site has gone ahead and posted a multitude of images from BioShock 2. Oh, should we attempt the pretense? Fine, a German site has posted images that are allegedly BioShock 2.

You know, with the numerous embargo times across this little blue planet about BioShock 2, we have no idea when these images were actually supposed to release. What we can tell you is that "all assets, impressions and video" for North America should be ready to go at 12:01AM Pacific, Thursday, April 23. So, who knows, we might have something similar then.

Before reading on, we beg of you, our dearest readers, to heed this solemn warning. Do you remember that magical feeling that filled you the first time you crossed the aquatic threshold into Bioshock's labyrinthian metropolis, Rapture? That warm, gooey feeling of excitement and wonder? If you read Gamespot's recent all-inclusive, spoiler-filled preview of 2K Marin's highly anticipated follow-up, you'll probably be robbed of that feeling the first time you boot up Bioshock 2. Trust us. We made the sacrifice to pass this news onto you, and we're pretty sure we won't be able to get to sleep tonight.

If you absolutely must know what tantalizing details Gamespot dug up, you can check out their video featurette, which we've posted after the jump. Just don't come crying to us when you learn that the original Bioshock was actually just a dream sequence. (Oops! Sorry!)