Let's get the obvious out the way first, Bioshock 2 is a pointless endeavor unto itself because the first was such a contained story and doesn't require a follow-up. There, it's been said, we can now move on to what's been puzzling me about it, the multiplayer. The multiplayer unto itself doesn't particularly bother me, and oddly enough I have Uncharted to thank for that . When I first heard Uncharted 2 would possess multiplayer, I was wary. After spending time with the beta and realizing that it was in fact, a hoot, I changed my mind. As a result, I'm not 100% convinced Bioshock will fail in it's attempt to do the same.

What bothers me is something far more insignificant, a trivial detail mentioned in a Joystiq story back in May. It's been gnawing at the back of my mind ever since. From the article:

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.

Wait a minute..the multiplayer is canonical?
What. The. Fuck.
Now, I don't have anything resembling a consistent appreciation of multiplayer games, let alone a full understanding of the mindset of those who do. But here's what I've gleaned about them from my time online. They don't give one shit about the story.
I'm being presumptuous, I'd like to amend that if I could.
They don't give one shit about story when they're playing online multiplayer modes. That's not what they're there for. What your average multiplayer enthusiast wants is something that re-contextualizes the games key mechanics into a more competitive experience. In this context, story would be an unwelcome distraction. Granted, a large part of why people come to Bioshock IS the narrative, but trying to cram it where's it not welcome is a pointless endeavor.

Side note, is it Multiplayer or Multi-player?