It is 1912. You are on a boat. A man and a woman are rowing you toward a lighthouse in the middle of a torrential downpour. They hand you a box. Inside? A gun, a map, and a photograph of a girl with a very specific instruction: "Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt."
When 2K Games and Irrational Games were gearing up to launch BioShock Infinite back in 2013, they didn't just send out a boring email with a download code. They sent the box. Specifically, a select group of journalists and influencers received the BioShock Infinite press kit, a physical recreation of Booker DeWitt’s luggage that felt less like a marketing tool and more like an artifact smuggled out of Columbia.
If you're a collector today, you know how hard these are to find. It’s not just a disc in a fancy sleeve. It is a time capsule of the "pre-digital-only" era of gaming PR. Honestly, it's one of the few pieces of gaming memorabilia that actually lives up to the hype.
What’s Actually Inside the Booker DeWitt Box?
Most people assume a press kit is just a flashy folder. For Infinite, it was a wooden box designed to look weathered, as if it had been sitting in the bottom of a rowboat in the Atlantic. It’s heavy. It’s tactile. And the contents are deep-cut lore for anyone who spent hours exploring Everyman’s Terrace.
The kit typically included:
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- The Lutece Coin: A heavy, 1.5-inch metal coin. One side shows "Heads," the other "Tails." It’s a direct nod to the first time you meet Robert and Rosalind Lutece.
- The Silver Eagle: A replica of Columbia’s currency.
- Vigor Pins: Specifically, the "Undertow" and "Possession" pins, usually housed in Fink Manufacturing-style packaging.
- Postcards from the Sky: You get the "Monument Island" postcard and the "New York City" one with the coordinates ($74^\circ W$, $40^\circ N$) written on the back.
- The Songbird Key: A small, metallic key that looks like it belongs to Elizabeth’s cage.
- A Comstock Banner: A thin, almost translucent fabric banner representing the Prophet’s authority.
There’s also the Mind in Revolt book. This is a prequel novella written by Joe Fielder with input from Ken Levine. It’s framed as a series of psychological interviews with Daisy Fitzroy, the leader of the Vox Populi. If you want to understand why Columbia fell apart before Booker even arrived, this is the text you need.
The Mystery of the Different Versions
Here is where it gets kinda confusing. There isn't just "one" press kit. Because BioShock Infinite had a massive development cycle and several "re-reveals," the promotional items shifted over time.
Some people confuse the Infinite kit with the original 2007 BioShock press kit. That one famously came in a box marked "Damaged by Seawater" and contained a syringe pen and a CD made to look like an old 45rpm record.
For the Infinite release, some kits were "Booker’s Box" replicas, while others—usually distributed at European trade shows or specific 2K events—might have fewer items or different Vigor pins. Then you have the BioShock: The Collection press kit from 2016, which was limited to 450 numbered copies worldwide. That one is a whole different beast, often featuring promo discs for the remastered trilogy and a coin.
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Why Collectors Are Still Obsessed in 2026
Rarity drives the price, but "vibe" keeps the interest alive. Most press kits from the PS3/Xbox 360 era were thrown into the trash by busy journalists. They were clutter. But the BioShock Infinite press kit was art.
Current market values for a complete, mint-condition kit can easily swing into the high hundreds or even thousands of dollars if it includes the rare "Murder of Crows" Vigor bottle, which was sometimes bundled as a separate ultra-high-end promotional item.
There’s also the Ken Levine factor. Since Irrational Games effectively shuttered and became Ghost Story Games, these items represent the peak of a specific kind of "auteur" game development. It was a time when a studio would spend a fortune just to make sure a journalist felt the weight of a fake coin before they wrote their review.
Is It Worth the Hunt?
If you are looking to buy one now, you’ve got to be careful. eBay is full of "custom" kits where people have 3D-printed the items and put them in a wooden box from a craft store.
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Real kits have specific weathered textures and weight. The Mind in Revolt book should have that specific "hand-sketched" look to the interior pages. The coins shouldn't feel like plastic.
How to Verify a Real Press Kit
- Check the Weight: The metal items (coins/keys) should have significant heft.
- Examine the Printing: Postcards should have "aged" yellowing that is part of the print, not just cheap paper.
- The Box Joinery: Original 2K kits used specific hardware for the latches that look period-appropriate to 1912.
Basically, if it looks too new, it's probably a reproduction.
Actionable Steps for Collectors
If you're serious about snagging a piece of Columbia's history, don't just search for "press kit."
- Set up Saved Searches: Use terms like "Booker DeWitt replica box" or "Irrational Games promotional."
- Check Video Game Auctions: Sites like Heritage or specialized gaming auction houses often get these when former industry PR folks clear out their garages.
- Verify the "Mind in Revolt" Edition: Ensure the kit includes the Joe Fielder book; it's the most common item to go missing but also one of the most valuable for lore hunters.
Own a piece of the sky, but don't let it put you in debt to the Luteces.