BioShock 2 revealed, Borderlands, Midnight Club: LA delayed

2K Marin developing follow-up to undersea adventure under Ken Levine's supervision; postapocalyptic and urban-auto action games pushed back to later in the year; 2K Boston working on new IP.

Along with better-than-expected-but-still-unprofitable earnings, Take-Two Interactive had both bad and good news to deliver to gamers today. First, the good: As had been rumored for months, 2K Marin is now officially developing a sequel to BioShock, the award-winning action adventure title from the studios formerly collectively known as Irrational Games.

Inventively titled BioShock 2, the game will be released during the fourth quarter of Take-Two's 2009 financial year. That means the game would arrive sometime between August 1 and October 31, 2009, on unspecified platforms. The first BioShock was released on August 25, 2007 for the Xbox 360 and PC, and has gone on to sell over 2 million copies worldwide.

Speaking with an analyst in a postearnings conference call, Take-Two Chairman Strauss Zelnick confirmed that Ken Levine, head of former Irrational studios 2K Boston and 2K Australia, would be involved with the project--as well as an all-new mystery game. "Ken is a terrific asset to the company, brilliant game designer," reassured Zelnick. He also reconfirmed Levine is working on "a new IP."

Now, the bad news: Borderlands, the ambitious open-world, postapocalyptic driving/shooting game from Gearbox Software, has been delayed. Originally slated for release during the August-October 2008 quarter, the game will now arrive sometime during Take-Two's FY '09--meaning it could conceivably arrive before the end of the 2008 calendar year on the PlayStation 3, 360, and PC.

According to a statement from Take-Two, the Borderland delay was "in order to allow additional development time for this highly anticipated game and provide a better balance in the release of Take-Two's triple-A titles."

Also postponed today was Midnight Club: Los Angeles, the forthcoming PS3 and 360 street racer from Rockstar San Diego. Now, instead of its previously scheduled "early 2008" release, the game will now arrive during the August-October quarter of this year.

"Midnight Club: Los Angeles was initially planned for release this spring," Take-Two CFO Lainie Goldstein said in a postearnings conference call. "We moved the title to the 4th quarter to leverage the retail strength leading to the key holiday selling season, and in order to provide some distance from the release of Grand Theft Auto IV."

Rockstar Games' GTAIV, easily Take-Two's biggest title of the year, is now slated for an April 29 release on the 360 and PS3. It had been first set for release in mid-October 2007, but was pushed back after multiconsole development proved more difficult than anticipated.

314 Comments

  • Hellfire93

    Posted Jan 10, 2009 6:45 pm PT

    Bioshock is sweet as, still playing through that. Definitely getting this, unless it gets a crap review of course ^^

  • pwnd-ur-mom

    Posted Aug 15, 2008 1:02 am PT

    Badlands looks good. It's just, he's looking for a vault, in a post-apocalyptic land- hmmm........ Fallout 3?

  • pwnd-ur-mom

    Posted Aug 15, 2008 12:54 am PT

    Bioshock is too nice. The visuals and gameplay in the first were amazing. Also a very compelling story. But MC: LA is really the game im anticipating. Over the top customization and fun arcade style driving.

  • Shosta211

    Posted Aug 13, 2008 12:37 pm PT

    Yes Bioshock 2!!! It's not much of a surprise that they are making this game considering the success of the first but I am thrilled either way. I am glad to see that Ken Levine is working on the project, he is a great developer and he comes up with some awesome stuff. I've heard that the story for Bioshock 2 is a prequel so hopefully it tells the story of the rise of Rapture-that would be really cool.

  • megamaster32

    Posted Aug 1, 2008 6:11 pm PT

    Yes another bioshock looking forward to that and the others

  • BurningChrome

    Posted Jul 4, 2008 2:08 am PT

    Yea,I've been waiting and witching Borderlands!

  • LowlyKnight

    Posted Jul 3, 2008 5:13 pm PT

    I cannot wait for Borderlands! I would pay $100 to play Borderlands right now! Seriously, we all know Bioshock 2 will be amazing, but there are so few new IPs these days... yes I know Bioshock was a new IP, phenomenal at that... that's my point. Borderlands is going to be an unbelievable new IP. I can't wait to play 4 player coop while gathering endless guns and goodies in mad max style wars. Seriously, holy $%&# this game will be awesome!

  • justinjohns0n

    Posted Jun 5, 2008 2:43 am PT

    looking forward to BioShock 2. It was an incredible game w/ a great story line but it needed a little more at the end. Plus there wasn't enough boss fights. They won't really need to do much to the already thrilling gameplay just add some umphh to the story. well maybe a few more plasmids and weapon upgrades! Other than that I can't wait to see what they do. It has a lot to live up to.

  • Shinkada

    Posted Jun 3, 2008 9:09 pm PT

    Bioshock 2 is going to be interesting. The one down side to Bioshock was that the storyline was almost carbon copied from System Shock 2. If they can just come up with a more original (but still excellent) story and pop up a bunch of new creative weapons and Plasmids, then Bioshock 2 will just be a perfect 10.

    As for the rest... What the hell? They delayed MCLA PURELY for sales? See. This is why casual gamers becoming bigger is a problem. If this was 2005 they wouldn't give a toss because release date wouldn't change their sales figures in the least. Whoever was going to buy MC would buy it anyway. But no, now that the Wii has brought in a massive flock of casual idiots, they have to 'strategise the release date' around GTAIV for more sales. What a load.

  • sullyliam

    Posted May 30, 2008 9:49 am PT

    BioShock was class hopefully 2 will be as good but was really looking forward to Borderlands hopefully the delay will be to make the game better cause looks promising already...

  • Kakashi306 posted May 25, 2008 6:04 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    Kakashi306

    Posted May 25, 2008 6:04 pm PT (hide)

    I honestly don't give a rat's ass about BS2 and Borderlands, but I'm pissed that MC is delayed.

  • thenephariouson

    Posted May 23, 2008 5:22 am PT

    1287965, Yeah, i reckon it will be a Prequel. The rise & fall of 'Ryan Industries', Plasmid Overdose etc, bring it!! Cant wait! Borderlands also looks & sounds V cool too!

  • christian777

    Posted May 15, 2008 6:02 pm PT

    i really couldnt care less about midnight club or bioshock 2. what i have been waiting for is boarderlands. they had me at 500,000 guns. it was going to be released right around my birthday too. its like they are taking away a birthday present.

  • 1287965

    Posted May 8, 2008 1:31 pm PT

    what you reckon. bioshock 2 a prequel?

  • gangsterjc

    Posted May 7, 2008 3:16 pm PT

    sancezz:jack had a face if you ever looked under the words "would you kindly?"on the desk it shows jack's face.anyways bioshock 2 will be great,num 1 had a greats story GTA 4 quality and darkness quality man 2k makes great games........(now that there with rockstar, take 2? makes me think of bad ps1 sport games....Irrational studios was a great name for the company)

  • gauthamR

    Posted Apr 13, 2008 12:21 pm PT

    nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =( i really wanted mc la so bad they said it will release on march 28 then may 28 and now sep 2. it is insane. i am so pisted off. on the other hand ill just order from united kingdom. it is out already. plz tell me if anyone brought the uk version of any game and if it is the same or different from the us version

  • homiebo

    Posted Apr 10, 2008 10:37 pm PT

    I really like bioshock 1, had some peaks and prime into it, I wish it wasnt so "good oriented" like you get better stuff when you do good things, maybe a little variety of being bad would be cool

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Apr 9, 2008 7:54 am PT

    Bioshock 1 was fantastic! it oozed class, i have no doubt that the sequel will be at least just as good. Borderlands also looks quite good.

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Apr 9, 2008 7:54 am PT

    Bioshock 1 was fantastic! it oozed class, i have no doubt that the sequel will be at least just as good. Borderlands also looks quite good

  • Sackettmyer

    Posted Apr 8, 2008 6:55 pm PT

    so roughly 2 years between bioschock and bioshock 2? anyone else feel that may not be enough time to make a quality sequal? IMO it needs 3 years minimum but i'd love to be shown otherwise

  • godofwarfan1

    Posted Mar 31, 2008 2:44 pm PT

    Bioshock 1 was amazing and is one of my favorite games. I am so excited for the sequel. I am wondering how they could make a sequel. The only way I could think of is making it a prequel of what happened at Rapture before Jack got there. I also wish they wouldn't take such a long time to make a game.

  • onep

    Posted Mar 28, 2008 8:13 am PT

    I don't mind when games get delayed for development reasons. I'd rather wait an extra 6-8 months for an A+ quality game than get a mediocre game on time. In a perfect world, EVERY game would receive the development attention that the first Bioshock did.

  • Spartan_418

    Posted Mar 23, 2008 8:05 am PT

    In other news, new Rare game announced, delayed.

  • taj7575

    Posted Mar 22, 2008 10:59 am PT

    3 great games, cant wait for either one....ohhh im so excited!

  • sancezz

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 6:27 am PT

    ...BioShock 2 had best match the quality of the first one, and not become yet another faceless victim of sequelisation.

  • parrot_of_adun

    Posted Mar 21, 2008 1:28 am PT

    WTF!?!?
    I WANT SYSTEM SHOCK 3!! Not more of this... filler...

  • trystkl1826

    Posted Mar 20, 2008 10:14 pm PT

    Bioshock 2? That's awesome. I have not had the time to open up my copy of Bioshock. I've had it for some time now. LOL I'll play it soon enough.
    I have not had the pleasure of playing Midnight Club yet. i look forward to Midnight Club: L.A's debut.

  • Stitchez_6669

    Posted Mar 20, 2008 8:18 am PT

    I really can't wait for borderlands...I MUST PLAY IT NOW! I don't know that the borderlands push back is really that bad of news though, it seems to only be a possibility of a month maybe 2 and still has a chance Q4 of 08...Crossing my fingers for Q4 08.

  • thecakeisalie47

    Posted Mar 18, 2008 9:55 am PT

    "revealed" is a tad misleading..."announced" seems more appropriate. But hey, you're writing the article, not me so w/e. I just can't wait!


    And don't start flaming me (you fanboy flamers), but I hope it comes to PS3 so I can play it. I loved Bioshock 1 and really want to experience 2, but I won't be able to if it stays exclusive to PC and 360. This is not a fanboy rant, I just want to play the game, man!!

  • SpoonHeroSR

    Posted Mar 16, 2008 6:45 pm PT

    I loved The first Bioshock, great storyline and gameplay.. Cant wait for the second one.

  • armagon9177

    Posted Mar 15, 2008 12:22 pm PT

    Jaeme Since Gearbox did a great job porting Halo to PC, creating incredible expansion packs for Half Life (Opposing Force was almost better then Half Life! IMO) and created Brother's in Arms: Road to Hill 30, and earned in blood. All those games were incredible and are some of my best gaming experiences ever I would give them the benefit of the doubt. If Gearbox is taking this long its because they are crafting an incredible game with Hell's Highway. Also remember that new tech for Unreal Engine 3 was recently developed and they may be reworking some things and implementing those new features. Anyways I know they're working hard so please be patient. If they take their time and then the game sucks then I'll compain right along with you. Maybe they want to make something really special. Thats what I got from the footage and interviews.

  • Jaeme

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 7:39 am PT

    Does Gearbox in fact produce games or just delays? I have been waiting for Brother`s in Arms Hells Highways since before the next gen systems launched. It was supposed to launch a year ago february , and the Wii version of the first two BiA games were supposed to be out last august. Now they push back Borderlands, and Samba Di Amigo has completely left the radar screen. I wonder when they`ll announce the delay on the Aliens game they`re "working" on. I know that release dates can shifty and such but more than a year in delays is more than an "oops". Either stop pushing games until they`re nearly ready to ship or get a clue about game development cycles and stop slinging dates that are produced by horoscope. We didn`t know for sure Ubisoft was shipping Rainbow Six Vegas 2 until a mere month before the launch (although we all knew it was coming) and so it was a HAPPY surprise. Maybe Gearbox could ask their publisher (Ubi is the BiA publisher) for some pointers in future instead of hiring the marketing team from Duke Nuk`em Forever.

  • darkride66

    Posted Mar 13, 2008 1:55 pm PT

    edhc44 mentioned "And it's even easier (or not quite as hard) to develop on the 360 alone than on the PS3" Sure, but then you limit your market. I'm sure developers are more than happy to port a game when it opens up another potential 10 million customers. Look at the sales of Burnout and DMC4. The PS3 and 360 versions of the game are selling neck and neck. If I were a developer I'd take notice of that.

  • JB2B

    Posted Mar 13, 2008 1:45 pm PT

    Bioshock was awesome, a great story, gameplay and b-e-a-utiful graphics. I'm really looking forward to part 2. Don't dissapoint me Take Two.

  • ion383

    Posted Mar 13, 2008 11:31 am PT

    I highly agree with SillyLoki. Everything on the Xbox360 is better and cheaper. I see the PS3 making another desperate price drop soon. It aint gona work

  • ryandaniel22

    Posted Mar 13, 2008 10:44 am PT

    I hate PS3

  • SillyLoki

    Posted Mar 13, 2008 9:26 am PT

    If it wasn't for the PS3 we would be playing GTA IV and probably quite a few other games right now. And for anyone who has both consoles, why would you want to play it on PS3? The 360 version will likely look or play better, and it will have rumble without buying a new $50 controller.

  • edhc44

    Posted Mar 13, 2008 6:27 am PT

    darkride66

    [...] I understand it's easier to build on the PS3 and port to the 360 than the other way around. [...]

    And it's even easier (or not quite as hard) to develop on the 360 alone than on the PS3 ^^

  • edhc44

    Posted Mar 13, 2008 6:15 am PT

    BioShock was great but not perfect. Game progression was top-notch and Rapture was a masterpiece in terms of architecture. It was so immersive that little things that you even notice in other games bothered the player a bit. Plasmids and weapons were awesome, I never really cared about steampunk before, but BioShock turned me into a fan of this kind of setting.

    However, it lacked difficulty and variety. There could be more uses for plasmids and way more than 10 different kinds of enemies. And the Vita-Chambers... Ok, it helped not screwing up with the forementioned immersion, but it killed difficulty.

    If they can adjust these flaws in the second game, we'd be looking at the best game ever.

    Oh yeah 2K (and most US developers for that matter): extras wouldn't kill anyone.

  • Warghost2k

    Posted Mar 13, 2008 4:46 am PT

    Why do people get upset when a game gets delayed? I want Borderlands as much as the next guy, but I also understand that the longer it takes them, the less chances of game-breaking bugs ruining this game. Also, the more time they put into a title, the more additional content we get in the game. Since most games do not have decent user-made content, I'm willing to wait for the developers to add as much into a game as they can before release.

  • Dryker

    Posted Mar 12, 2008 11:32 pm PT

    I'm curious as to the extent of Ken Levine's actual involvement in Bioshock 2. If I had to guess it probably amounts to a weekly meeting with the team at the very best. I don't expect much from this title.
    Edit: I'm sorry, don't mean to sound so negative... I'm looking very much forward to Ken Levine's "Mystery IP".

  • PumpkinBoogie

    Posted Mar 12, 2008 10:05 pm PT

    OMG......I could just throw up

    Dammit, a freakin' Fall release for Midnight Club: LA!!!! Why are they worry if it's gonna mess w/ GTA: IV??? There not even in the same damn game genres! And believe me if would matter if they both came out at the same time or not, I'm sure ppl ready have in their minds what they're gonna buy and many would probably buy both anyway (if not at the same time at least in a back to back sorta way).......geez, thanks Rockstar, thanks a lot.

  • themc_7

    Posted Mar 12, 2008 8:01 pm PT

    bioshock i was great, maybe this one will be set b4 the first one?

  • JaMeS4418

    Posted Mar 12, 2008 7:48 pm PT

    I love bioshock, but am unsure as to how they can continue the story after the last game

  • sdchargers619

    Posted Mar 12, 2008 7:39 pm PT

    WHYYYYYYY???? do this to MCLA

  • homie13_9

    Posted Mar 12, 2008 7:13 pm PT

    cool bioshock 2 definitely waiting 4 dat

  • JDaleMoney

    Posted Mar 12, 2008 6:57 pm PT

    bioshock 2 for PS3 SWEET (i hope)

  • JetWu10

    Posted Mar 12, 2008 5:26 pm PT

    bioshock is an amazing game. hopefully it isnt for ps3 also! =D cuz of course ps3 will sell out unless MGS3 comes out....

  • aRE-you-AFraid

    Posted Mar 12, 2008 4:05 pm PT

    I was more excited for Borderlands than Bioshock 2. Don't get me wrong, Bioshock was amazing, but I don't think that it was as good as everyone makes it out to be.

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