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Power to the People Machine
A gun in every home, peace on every street.
― Frank Fontaine, on installing the first Power to the People machine[src]

Power to the People is a one-time use weapon upgrade vending machine. They are scattered throughout Rapture. Each gives one upgrade to a weapon of the player's choice, after which the station cannot be used again. The first Power to the People machines were installed in 1957, created by Fontaine Futuristics.[1] They were installed as protection for the citizens of Rapture, although they may have been built by Frank Fontaine in a cynical and self-serving attempt to spur armed conflict between the citizens of Rapture. They were used by various combatants many times during the war and were a successful business venture for Fontaine Futuristics.

BioShock[]

Main article: BioShock

It's possible to collect 12 upgrades in total thus upgrading every weapon twice.

Upgrades[]

Chemical Thrower[]

Crossbow[]

Grenade Launcher[]

Machine Gun[]

Pistol[]

Shotgun[]

Locations in BioShock[]

Neptune's Bounty[]

  • Freezer Bottom Floor: Go through Fontaine Fisheries (where Peach Wilkins asked for the three Spider Splicer pictures). As the player goes down the stairs from the second floor to the first they should see the machine right in front of them.

Arcadia[]

  • Tree Farm: On the way to the Farmer's Market, it'll be on one's left.

Farmer's Market[]

  • Winery Cellar Bottom Floor: Take the stairs from the top floor to the bottom floor, and keep going straight once done descending the stairs. The machine should be right in front of the player in the water.

Fort Frolic[]

  • Le Marquis D'Epoque: Start from the Circus of Values machine in the Lower Atrium. With one's back to the machine, go down the stairs into the Southern Mall. Make a right at the end towards the Gene Bank, then make a left and a quick right, then another left and another right to go into Le Marquis D'Epoque. Go straight upon entering and go down the stairs. The player will see a U-Invent machine in front of them. Go right and then turn right, go straight and then make a quick left to see a room filled with cigars along with the Power to the People machine.
  • Sinclair Spirits: Once one enters the room, turn left. One should see water falling from the ceiling with a door behind it. To open this door, go to the counter on the opposite side of the room, and there should be a button behind the counter. Press it to open up the door, then go downstairs and the machine should be right there. Upon using this Power to the People machine, all the "statues" will come alive and attack the player. These Plastered Splicers do not make any sound or scream dialogue like most Splicers. They attack the player in complete silence, so keep a watchful eye, as they also never stop spawning and while providing a steady supply of items, can be deadly when exploring. It might be helpful to use this machine near the end of the level to avoid most of them.

Hephaestus[]

Olympus Heights[]

  • Mercury Suites: In the main square opposite side of the elevator's doors, on the center pillar.
  • Sander Cohen's Apartment: This is the room where the player gets the achievement/trophy for entering Sander Cohen's personal quarters.

Note: The player must let Cohen live when he was in Fort Frolic to be able to get into this room, otherwise it will be locked, and they will not be able to access the machine. Sander Cohen's apartment can be seen at the lower left of the corner of the map, on the west side square. Basically, go into Cohen's apartment on the first floor, and if the player disrupts the dancers (such as by knocking over the gramophone or killing the dancers), Cohen will come down from his private quarters and open the door for the player. Through the door, at the top of the stairs, turn left and the player will see the machine right there.

Apollo Square[]

  • Hestia Chambers Fourth Floor: To get to the fourth floor, the player needs to go to the top of the staircase. Enter the room on the right and one should be in Atlas' headquarters. There will be a machine in the second room.

Point Prometheus[]

  • Atrium: The machine is right next to the Big Daddy corpse on the south side of the Atrium.
  • Optimized Eugenics: The machine is right next to the Gene Bank in Eugenics Analysis.

BioShock 2[]

Main article: BioShock 2
“'Power to the People'? Hell, I've met the people, friend… an' they're a pack o' shaved monkeys run amok.
Augustus Sinclair[src]

Power to the People stations have returned in the sequel, and are able to upgrade Subject Delta's arsenal. However, the upgrading structure has changed: each weapon now has three upgrades, and the third can only be purchased if the player already possesses the first two.

Note: Although there are 14 Power to the People stations (2 more than in the previous game), there are 18 possible upgrades in total, forcing the player to choose which weapons to specialize in. Moreover, unlike in the original BioShock, it is now impossible to backtrack to earlier levels, so remember to use the Power to the People machines in a level before moving on.

Upgrades[]

Drill[]

Launcher[]

Machine Gun[]

Rivet Gun[]

Shotgun[]

Spear Gun[]

Locations in BioShock 2[]

Ryan Amusements[]

  • Going to get the ticket, across from the window where the Machine Gun is located.
  • After the last display of the Journey to the Surface ride (the one with the family watching television), through the door and straight ahead.

Pauper's Drop[]

  • The Hamilton building, 2nd floor, down the hall from an El Ammo Bandito vending machine.
  • In the back of Skid Row, in The Limbo Room club, behind the stage and in one of the side rooms.
  • In the opposite hallway of the vent shrine in The Sinclair Deluxe, there will be a connecting hallway with a turret at the end of it. Next to said turret is the room where the machine can be found.

Siren Alley[]

Dionysus Park[]

  • Cohen's Collection, in Basement Storage, behind the combination locked door. Combination: 1080.
  • On the path to the train station, in a room with a safe and a Health Station.

Fontaine Futuristics[]

  • In the locked security room, after it becomes accessible.
  • After the lights in the second area are on, it will be in the bottom of the Holding Cells area in a security office. The door has to be opened by hacking a panel through the broken window, on the left side.

Outer Persephone[]

Inner Persephone[]

  • In the Holding wing in the back of the room with the keypad where Sinclair is being held captive, on the left-hand side.
  • In the Infirmary wing, just after Ward B in the room with the Heat-Seeking RPG Turret.

Gallery[]

Concept Art and Models[]

BioShock Locations[]

BioShock 2 Locations[]

Behind the Scenes[]

  • According to concept art and an early render, this upgrade machine was originally going to be called "Fire for Effect".
  • The Minuteman's Armory vending machines found in BioShock Infinite are the Columbian equivalent of the Power to the People machines, in the sense that they provide upgrades for weapons.
    • In Burial at Sea - Episode 1, the El Ammo Bandito machines assume the purpose of Power to the People stations by selling weapon upgrades in addition to ammunitions. However like in BioShock Infinite's Minuteman's Armory, those upgrades are not free and not limited to one per machine.

References[]

  1. BioShock Loading Screen Quote: "A gun in every home, peace on every street." - Frank Fontaine at the installation of the first Power to the People machine, 1/22/57
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