Artistically the game is inspired by authors like William Gibson, Ray Bradbury, and George Orwell, as well as film directors such as Terry Gilliam, Jim Jarmusch, Tom Tykwer, Darren Aronofsky, Alex Proyas, David Fincher, and Christopher Nolan. The game also takes inspiration from real locations and environments, with lead designer Barry L. Gibbs commenting that "I feel that I can be, and have often been, influenced by simply walking out my front door, or just by driving down the street. When I see something that inspires me, I pull over and snap a photo." Work on the game was completed by the spring of 2003, and it was released in North America on March 25, 2003.