BioShock ain't dead yet & RDR sequel rumored

Via ever-reliable Eurogamer, aka thinking man's gaming site:

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has called the Red Dead series a "permanent franchise," suggesting that more Rockstar westerns are on the way.

Red Dead Redemption.

This information was obtained by GameSpotupon listening to Zelnick's presentation at the Cowen and Company analyst conference. The CEO explained that Take-Two has launched a new successful franchise every year since 2007 and it would like to continue doing so with the goal of creating more long-lasting IPs.

"I pretty much know the ones that I can assure you are permanent," Zelnick said. "It's obvious that GTA is a permanent franchise as long as we keep delivering this incredible quality; it seems quite obvious that Red Dead is a permanent franchise, again with the same caveat, or Borderlands, for example, and NBA and others."

This suggest that not only will Red Dead be around for awhile, but it doesn't sound like Borderlands is going anywhere either. Granted that has the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC spin-off, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, on the way, along with Telltale's collaboration Tales from the Borderlands.

Zelnick also noted that the publisher has "very high hopes" for Evolve to become a franchise.

Furthermore, Zelnick confirmed that BioShock 2 developer, 2K Marin, will be handling the lost at sea series following BioShock Infinite developer Irrational Games shedding the lion's share of its staff.

"We haven't given any colour on how you should think about it yet except we do believe it's beloved; we think it's important [and] certainly something that we're focused on; something 2K Marin will be responsible for shepherding going forward," Zelnick said.

This is an especially odd claim as 2K Marin supposedly went kaput last autumn following its release of The Bureau: XCOM Declassified.

"I think there's a lot of upside in that franchise," Zelnick said of BioShock. "It hasn't necessarily been realised yet." Zelnick also noted that the series has "been a profitable piece of business" with its latest iteration, BioShock Infinite, shifting 6.5 million copies.

Earlier this month Take-Two teased a new game by Rockstar coming between now and 31st March 2015. Could it be another Red Dead title?

We've reached out to Take-Two for further info on what's happening with Red Dead, BioShock and 2K Marin. So far none of these projects have been confirmed, but they sound likely, so try to act surprised if and when they happen.

This is very interesting. 2k Marin are a quality developer. BioShock 2 fixed everything what was wrong or disappointing about the combat/gameplay of the first one plus it provided the biggest choice how to influence the story in a BioShock game. Even XCOM; Declassified which I actually finished was propelled by a huge promise and you could have felt that they were rushed into finishing it as the game had potentially much bigger scope than what it ended up being.

As for RDR's sequel - I enjoyed RDR immensely. Of course it had limited scope, and a lot of its sandbox elements were undermined by linear execution of certain segments. However, on the other hand, it prevented the game from being, a chore- and grind-fest for me. John Marston was a highly interesting character and I've been following the story line with much interest.

My two biggest complaints are that it was too easy and that its core gameplay never actually evolved beyond first couple quests.

I do not know what to think about Bioshock.

Burial At Sea was a complete and utter rape of the entire franchise. It is Spielberg and Lucas taking Indiana Jones behind the jungle bush and making him squeal like a pig rape. Not only did Burial At Sea completely ignore Bioshock 2, it exposes all the weaknesses of the first game's story, forces Elizabeth into it to fill those holes, and is spectacular fail when it comes to character writing. So many plot holes as well, and really, I thought Levine made it up as he went along. Completely lazy.

I would want 2k Marin to continue the series, Minerva's Den (the best thing in the series) left it open, however, the people responsible for Bioshock 2 and Minerva's Den are gone.

Bioshock could use some co-op

RDR is boring as hell.

There is always room for more Red Dead.

Def up for another RDR. Think they should drop Bioshock for a long time though.

Dunno if I'd want another RDR since it ended in 1914 near the end of the whole Cowboy Western era....unless it was like a prequel or something then I'd probably dig it. As for Bioshock, don't care, the only one I actually enjoyed was the first one.

I hope if they are making a new Red Dead, they add more to it. I enjoyed the story of RDR, but the amount of time spent riding a horse around that barren wasteland with NOTHING to see or do ruined it for me. I understand the Wild West isn't gonna be a sprawling metropolis but it still needed something, anything, to break up the boredom of riding from one outpost to another.

wtf. what are the plot holes? name them and bioshock 2 is easily the weakest entry in the series

(yes, I stole this from IGN)

A new RDR would be tits. Needs to be further back, during the Injun Wars.

@ghostwarrior786

How can the Game with better gameplay be the worst in the series ?

A RDR sequel would definitely be one of my most anticipated games!

because gameplay is only one part of a game and the gameplay isnt so great anyway, its just a minor improvement to bioshock 1. also the story and characters are no where near the level of the other 2 bioshocks. let me put it this way, i have replayed bioshock 1 and infinite but never will replay bioshock 2 again.

You could have just taken a coach.

I would love another RDR and Bioshock. I enjoyed both series a lot.

@ghostwarrior786

Well theres half your problem right there. If you're not in it for the gameplay then theres much better places to get a good story than Bioshock.

Need I remind you this is the game that is responsible for the existance of the term "Ludonarrative Dissonance".

Cool can't wait to shoot bandits, and rob a train.

They'd be crazy not to do a RDR sequel on next gen, it's garanteed income, though not as much as if they could also release on past gen, install base so far on next gen is puny compared to previous one, and a beast duo like Take2/Rockstar are acustomed to massive hauls of income when a game first goes on sale, so I'm not sure we will see anything too soon, but one day for sure.

Red Dead >>> GTA

Would love a RDR sequel

BRING IT, put it in my veins!

i am in it for the gameplay, what i said is bioshock 2 is hardly an improvement over the first and in every other way is inferior so there is no reason to replay it at all because even though it is an improvement it still isnt amazing gameplay. no game has captured and kept my attention like bioshock does, there are very few games that tell a better story than bioshock.

@ghostwarrior786

Yeah... I just told that the 1st Bioshocks story doesn't line up with its gameplay.... So even if your just in it for the story then Bioshock is still flawed in that area..... Not to mention after the plot twist things just went down hill from there, the plot and gameplay dragged on from that moment.

Just admit you didn't like Bioshock 2 because it was developed by 2K Marin so I can go to bed.

haha wtf the so called critique is bullshit, nitpicking at its absolute finest and no i didnt even know a different developer made bioshock 2 so thats another theory shot down. what does the gameplay aligning with the story have to do with anything anyway? i just told u i primarly play bioshock games for the story i couldnt give a shit about the gameplay because none of the games have great gameplay anyway.

@ghostwarrior786

Good.... Then Bioshock 2 is the better game.

oh wow great argument u made there. bioshock 2 is average at best. blah gameplay blah story at least the other bioshock games have good stories

@ghostwarrior786

If you want a decent argument then I suggest you start giving a shit......

Your argument = "A is better because I don't give a shit about B"

so when you start giving shits I shall enlighten you..... :p.

Untill then..... Bioshock 2 is the better game whether you give a sh!t or not.

my argument is all bioshock games have just average gameplay so saying bioshock 2 is superior to the rest because it has minor gameplay improvements over the first but is worse in every other department that bioshock games actually focus on ie. story, atmosphere is weak sauce.

bioshock 2 is just an incremental update in gameplay mechanics, the game falls flat on its face in every other category. and gameplay is only 1 component of a game anyway, it take more than that to create a great game

Aw dude why did you have to go and do that? Now you're gonna set him off again....

@ghostwarrior786

Alright , since you sound serious again, I'l thow you a bone.

Biosock Infinite has absolutely sh!t gameplay AND story, its only good thing is its Character Performances, I could go into detail why but thats more work than I'm willing to do just to point the Obviousness of its flaws. Bioshock has ambitious but average gameplay that conflicts with its story, Bioshock 2 has slightly above avarage gameplay and its story doesn't conflict with game play......

You keep saying Bioshock 2 is worse in every other department..... Lets talk about that.....

The Graphics.... Pretty much Identical so nothing to discuss there.

The Atmosphere..... Bioshock 2 may not have had the exact same impact as the 1st game but the atmosphere was perfectly intact, they had the same composer, same enemy behavior, same original music from that time period playing as ambiance on vinyl players and jukeboxes, same dark and danky enviroments a shadow of their former glory, it even had an element of horror to it just like the 1st game, they even expanded on the lore of the little sisters and big daddies by letting you adopt one in gameplay.... Honestly I'd say Bioshock 2 has the superior atmosphere.

The Story.... Bioshock 2's Story has alot in common with Bioshock Infinite, the only difference is they don't hand wave away inconsistencies with Quantum Physics and time traveling bullshit. B2's story was good.... For a video game.

Now lets head on over to your idea of gaming..... I'm not even going to ease you into this fact.... You're Wrong !

Gameplay IS the only component important to gameplay. Everything Else is only important for our percecption of gaming. Everything else is just what we need to get into gaming, I'm no different than you, I too need more than just gameplay to enjoy a game. But just because thats what we need doesn't change the definition of a game. We can't use our perception to redefine a clear concept just because it gets us what we want, no matter what journalist, reviewers, analysts, gamers or even developers say, they can't change the actual definition and criteria. Games don't need all that stuff....... people do. So even if Bioshock provides the Better experience, Bioshock 2 is still the Better game simply because it has better gameplay.

Can I go to bed now ?

so much wrong in that post but its 2am here so im going to bed, will reply tomo

@ghostwarrior786

its 02:56 Here ! You are only 1 hour away away from me !

Since your behind I's that puts you somewhere in the UK.... :).... Am I right ?

ok....how did Atlas/Fontaine get "Would You Kindly?"? How did the big daddies and little sisters bond without Suchong knowing? These plot holes were in the first game, but Burial At sea has an answer, Deus Elizabeth Machina!!!!

Pathetic.

Nevermind that Levine reintroduced a huge logical order of events plot hole from the first game that Bioshock 2 retconned. Really, how could they even have a mature Big Daddy protector program, depicted in the last two stages of the first game, when Suchong never knew how to bond the daddy and sister until AFTER the civil war starts and Rapture goes to hell? At least Bioshock 2 addressed this by moving Suchong's death back before the civil war starts, allowing Gil Alexander to not only introduce the Alpha Series, but to mature the Big Daddy program to where it was believable when you see it in the first game. But nope, in Burial At sea, Suchong is alive, and nonsense was restored.

Talking about plot holes, I haven't even talked about the wretched, I mean wretched, character writing that Burial At Sea has, or its forceful plot. It does everything Bioshock Infinite does wrong, and makes it 100x times worse.

You see, what Levine did to this series reminds me of this. Come on, SQUEAL!!!!!!

No, Bioshock 2's story is excellent. Why? Because it brings more to its characters and their motivations, more than just, "they lost their way" or they went insane. Bioshock 2's characters surpass the first game's characters (outside of Andrew Ryan), and completely obliterate the poorly written caricatures of Bioshock Infinite. It was consistent it the story it wanted to tell, revolving around a pairbond, and its themes, of parenthood. And it ends much better than the first game did. Nevermind choices mean more and the Little Sisters are more fun this time around.

If they're going to continue the Red Dead series I hope they bring back those epic boss battles of the first game, I loved Red Dead Redemption but I was disappointed it didn't have the boss battles like in the first game.

Don't know how I feel about Bioshock still kicking around. I liked the 2007 game a great deal, but Infinite I didn't feel was worth all the hype or delay. I just hope 2K Marin at least keeps the series decent. It is odd they're handing it to 2K Marin if they did indeed basically close it, but that article in the OP link says they were merged the remaining staff with another studio.

@lamprey263

Maybe they can give the game what its always been missing..... CO-OP ! ;)

Same here.

Yay for RDR, Nay for Bioshock.

yup, it's been missing co-op, because it doesn't need it

@lamprey263

Video Games are entertainment.... They don't operate on the logic of "Needs". Bioshock doesn't need alot of things.... Atmosphere.... Graphics, Ambience, Story, Lore etc.

The Fatal Frame games though are scary games, having co-op will cause it to lose some of its frightening element having a co-op partner there to hold your hand and be there for moral support, not to mention screw up the scripting of the horror elements. These games should be played late at night, alone in the dark, with headphones on or the surround sound cranked up, as God intended :P

Hah RDR sequel hermits going to cry when it is Ps4/Xboner exclusive :D

@lamprey263

Fear is extremely irrational and even though its obvuous somethings just arent scary theres no clearcut criteria defining whats scary and what isn't.

It doesn't make sense why people are afraid if their the ones sitting safely in the Theatre or on the couch. You'l excuse me if I don't give up on co-op horror so easily.

Having a co-op partner can induce a different type of frightening experience. Like it did in Lost in Nightmares.

Unlike other genres horror is not as easily defined as Alone/Powerless = Scary.

Red Dead sequel? Take my money

If they make a new Red Dead, it needs to not involve John Marston, be set in a different period (perhaps one during the War?) and take place in a different region (California for instance, instead of the "Texas" and "Mexican" border). The "Edge" series of books would make for a wonderful game.

@foxhound_fox

They should work on the gameplay before they get around to that..... RDR was tedious !

@Lulu_Lulu: The series obviously just isn't for you. Go play something else.

As westerns go it was the best western game ever. Comfortably. It was the first which depicted the freedom a lot of people really love about the concept of being a western hero.

It doesn't work in "the war" (assuming you are talking about world war 1 or 2) although California would work.

@DocSanchez

I can play anything..... Steampunk, Cyberpunk, Midievel, Gothic, Western, Modern, Futuristic, Middle Easter, World War Era, etc.

The Setting, Characters, Lore, etc doesn't phase me at all and I like to believe that Playing a Western shouldn't just look the part but it should Feel like it too, it shouldn't be GTA with a Different theme/skin. I'm extremely flexible.

@Lulu_Lulu: GTA with a different skin is what the series is about. It's rockstar. It was so well received that people obviously enjoy it and they shouldn't change it just to suit you.