When it arrived on gaming shelves in 2007, all the excitement was focused on "BioShock," a first-person shooter that took players to an underwater world where science trumped politics.

Soon after, talk started on creating a film version of the game, capitalizing on the tremendous buzz the game was creating.

Four years later, however, no film is out, and work hasn't even started. And it likely won't happen anytime soon.

"There's no burning [desire] to have a movie made just to get it made," Ken Levine, the creative director of Irrational Games who wrote the original game, told Industry Gamers. "For us and for Take-Two, it's really got to be something that will ... give the fans something that they want, and ... for those who don't know 'BioShock,' really introduce them to something that is consistent with the game, and is it going to be a good representation of the game."

Take-Two Interactive is the New York publisher of the BioShock games. It had originally struck a deal with Universal Studios to put together a film written by "Gladiator" and "Star Trek: Nemesis" writer John Logan and director Gore Verbinski attached. However, budget became an instant concern, especially with Verbinski's insistence that the movie be rated R. That rating limits the audience that could see the film -- including many under 18 who are fans of the games -- and would make the outing a risky proposition financially for Universal.

Plus, Hollywood has had a hard time making films based on video games a success. In fact, the only games that have successfully translated to film were the Resident Evil series, Tomb Raider and "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time."

"Prince of Persia" also was the most critically acclaimed video game-to-film, according to Rotten Tomatoes. However, only 36 percent of critics surveyed liked it.

If and when the movie is made, it will have to not only live up to the spirit of the original games, but also serve as a way to introduce more people to the games, Levine said.

"There are differences between games and movies, no doubt," Levine said. "But the movie has to draw from the same DNA in terms of the world and the story beats. But you know, we don't have a need to get it made."