BioShock 2 delayed to '10
By
Tom Magrino
[UPDATE] CEO confirms 2K Games' 360, PS3, PC dystopian action-RPG will now launch during first half of next year; new multiplatform GTA in doubt for fiscal 2010.
With BioShock 2 just four months away from its previously announced November 3 release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, Arkane Studios made the somewhat surprising announcement last week that it had been tapped to lend design, animation, and art work on 2K Games' dystopian shooter. As it would turn out, the French developer is going to have more than just a handful of months to assist 2K Marin, 2K Australia, and Digital Extremes on the production.
Take-Two Interactive today announced that it has pushed BioShock 2 into its 2010 fiscal year, which begins November 1, 2009, and runs through October 31, 2010. According to the publisher, BioShock 2 was delayed "in order to provide additional development time for the title." As the game would have secured retailer purchases before its November 3 consumer street date, Take-Two had previously considered BioShock 2 as a part of its current fiscal year.
Unsurprisingly, Take-Two also took the opportunity to lower its revenue projections for the remainder of its current fiscal year. The publisher now expects to bring in $120 million to $130 million during its in-progress quarter, with fourth-quarter sales revised downward to $350 million to $400 million.
For the full fiscal year ending October 31, Take-Two expects revenues of $960 million to $1.0 billion, with a per-share loss of $0.80 to $0.95. Previously, the company had expected to take in $1.05 billion and $1.15 billion dollars in revenues, a number that was itself revised after Take-Two delayed Mafia II and Red Dead Redemption to its fiscal-year 2010 in May.
"We recognize that our revised outlook for the balance of fiscal year 2009, due to both internal and external factors, is a disappointment," Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick said in a statement. "That said, we concluded that moving the release of BioShock 2 into fiscal year 2010 was the right decision for the product. We believe the result will be a more compelling consumer experience and a better performing product in the marketplace. At the same time, near-term retail conditions have proven to be more challenging for our business than the assumptions built into our prior outlook."
Following today's announcement, Take-Two held a conference call with investors to discuss BioShock 2's delay and its ramifications on the publisher's fiscal-year outlook.
"We believe the value of the BioShock franchise will be maximized in the long term by taking this step," Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said as part of today's conference call. Zelnick also said that today's revision was partly due to softness in the publisher's baseball business.
"Our goals for fiscal 2010 include operating the company on a profitable basis without the release of a new Grand Theft Auto multiplatform release," said Take-Two CEO and president Ben Feder. Feder also confirmed that BioShock 2 is expected during the first half of calendar year 2010.
By
Tom Magrino
Tom Magrino has covered the games industry since 2006. He's been compared to Steve Martin by Ozzy Osbourne and Daniel Craig by Tim Schafer. His voice, heard largely on GameSpot's podcast, recalls that of Kermit the Frog. It ain't easy bein' Magreen.
546 comments
All of these delays have either two reasons to them. A. Various issues from the inside delay progress for all of these games simultaneously. B.None of these game developers have the balls to compete against the obvious Mother****er of the entire holiday season in both sales and quality: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2
i already payed for mine and they keep changing the launch date on people now i got wait longer to get the game thats not cool usally that put a date on a game it comes out on that date the gaming industry use to never change the date that the game came out when they say it came out onb that certain date it came out then not pushed to a later date are confusing people of when it comes out it makes me mad i dont no about anybody else but its very disapointing ive been waiting along time its just keep getting my hopes up it said november and that was a long while back then it said january thats a much longer wait now this where it could be pushed longer that is upsetting and disapointing to i wsh it will come out when it says no push backs are date changes thats not cool at all
Also glad they did it, it gives the game a bit more dev time and foremost: i do not have to money to get this one, Call of Duty, and Assassins Creed 2 all at almost the same time.
im glad they did it, because making a masterpiece like bioshock is One Hell of a task!
I'm extremely dissappointed that we will have to wait longer to play BioShock 2. But I would rather 2K took time to perfect the game than get a broken game sooner. So overall, I feel the delay was the right call to make.
yeah, im actually glad they made the decision to hold. rushing production to meet a date never works out well (need I mention Spyro 4?) that's not to say i don't wish it were out in November, but id rather wait the extra months and get the game in it's best possible form.
Same. More production time is a good thing. Better for me too probably. I need to space out my game buying ALOT and this fall is jam packed with stuff I'm wanting. This being pushed back and my boycotting Activision (CoD:MW2 and Wolfenstein are off my list) sure helps my pocketbook!
Well i prefer delay rather than buying an unfinished product. It suck but i'm sure the wait will worth it.
Well I've been a doubting Thomas through this whole thing. Teaser trailer many months ago I was wicked psyched. Almost as soon as I even heard one "big sister" came back down to the previous Rapture, my spirit fell like the balloon in UP. I really could give a rat's patootie about MP. It would be nice but who cares really. No, I just don't think this "big sister'" idea and me in a big daddy suit is gonna fly. I'm not being fair either ever since I saw the globe at the beginning of the Bioshock, 1959 New Year's Eve party and the revolution as played back by Diane McClintock's audio, I wanted a prequel, not a sequel. Really sucks I have even be negative about this but maybe, just maybe I'm wrong.
@MrManiacNF They are putting NO effort into the multiplayer. They have brought on a separate development team to make the multiplayer. They then have another developer, which helps tidy up the presentation, you know the menus, load screens and some in-game design. Then they have 2 developers, the new team, and a small team from the team that made Bioshock 1, who solely focus on the story mode and gameplay mechanics. So don't worry, multiplayer shouldn't bother you, plus it has a little prologue story attached to it. Back to the topic in the article: I, personally, don't mind the delay, I was struggling to find money with this and all the other great games being released in the last few months of '09 (Modern Warfare 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Forza Motorsport 3, Splinter Cell: Conviction and lots more that I'm not interested in but others may be), this should help relieve some pressure, but (oddly) I also have a lot of games I want to buy at the start of next year; Alan Wake, Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2. But hopefully I'll find a way to get through all of that. Hurrah to games! Boo to bank balances!
Well, thats a kick in the.... something guys have:P And I was looking forward to hear Tennembaum's voice again:( Still, work hard 2k! Improve what will be a masterpeice anyway:D
I don't know if I should consider this a smart move or a terrible move, on 2K Games part.
I Don't know why Take 2 can't keep the release dates almost every game of theirs gets delayed,this is such a shame because they have got some really interesting I.P.'s in their stable but they just don't seem to be efficient enough.
NOOOOOO!!! Why must you torment the Bioshock fans!!! i would rather see COD:MW2 be delayed then this. But since you are delaying this i expect 110% or more!!
damn,, cant wait to play the bioschock 2..first one was great.. but no hurry,,i hope they make it much better.
You guys are all right..I myself; I agree, if the game needs to be delayed for a legit reason, and that reason is aimed at ensuring the consumer gets the best product.. perhaps all other developers need to call 2K and get some tips.. actually forget that.. then we have to wait another 6 mnts cause they spent all their time on the phone.. Darn 2K... this is not good. I been following this game for a LONG time now, the first game I ever played on 360, and absolutly loved it; was BIOSHOCK. They really did set a standard with the first one, it didn't have multiplayer... which is the way it should stay. Big Daddy battles do sound fun, but add people with their lame comments, and everything else you get on live... and it takes the fun away. (you know who you are!) Something I've always throught would be a good idea, is 2 versions of the popular games... one with just solo... and a multiplayer only.. and a disc with both/combo pack That has advantages, and disadvantages. Removing the multi off the disc allows for more solo content.... and sell it at a lower price... allowing the developers to put more focus into the solo as well... I don't like how they put all the efforts into the multiplayer. Why people are having fun with the solo.. they can be gearing up the multiplayer and release it a couple weeks later... even as dlc. But allow total cost for the consumer to be close to full games nowis. But that's just my opinion... and I honestly believe it would work for the better.
are u kidding me... the best game of 2009 and it get delayed.. this game better be the best game i ever played
Oh, and obviously there probably not doing it for my previous reason, mainly to iron out bugs which I dont mind. Does anyone know the average budget for making a game? Just wondering. I want to compare Wheelmans budget to CoD5's budget!
Im so annoyed! Ive been hoping for this since the first Bioshock. The only good thing for this is if they push it to May or June and then they wouldnt have to compete with COD, AC2, etc . . . in the Christmas Rush Time. Think about InFamous, Red Faction and Prototype. All of them have been topping the charts and only had to compete with eachover. It'll probably help it sell, I guess, due to lack of other games.
BTW on what take-two will earn this year & what they are releasing this year??? First Mafia 2 & Red dead redemption. Now Bioshock 2, What the hell, Take two............
If they're gonna delay it a year, they could announce a collector's edition, probably throw in a few more goodies..and maybe give us a demo or some Bioshock DLC to keep us happy till release date.
It sucks cause i was looking forward to this one. But if its to iron out any bugs then i don't mind. But like thenephariouson says, if its to make the books look good ie Shareholders then i'll get a used copy aswell hahah
So long as the 'Delays' are to add TLC and iron out any bugs/glitches then im ok with that, however if a game is simply delayed in order to make the books look good for the quarter, then id rather get a used copy instead for spite.
The problem here is that delays have become all too common. In very few other industries is this type of incompetence tolerated, and for those that do it always ends in a major collapse of the industry. DO NOT ANNOUNCE A DATE UNTIL YOU KNOW YOU CAN MAKE IT. Many times consumers have already pre-ordered for the product when it is delayed. I'm not saying a game shouldn't be held back a month or two occasionally ,but now days 1 to 2 year delays is an every day occurrence. It's down right bad business, that hurts sales and it hurts the industry. It's called consumer confidence and hen it comes to the gaming industry I have litle to no confidence in the developers, publishers or reporters. So much money is floating around that it has ballooned into an inevitable disaster. Comic books did the same thing in the 90's and games will do the same. I'm gonna guess that by 2011 the industry will collapse in on it's self and blame "The Economy" when in reality it was them.
I only have one thing to say about this: NOOOOOO!!! Ok, I'm over it. While I'm really looking forward to this game, I'll wait for it to be as good as it can be. The bar was set high with the original.
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