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Bioshock Ships 1.5 Million, Sequels Likely
Gamespot is reporting that 2K games has shipped 1.5 million units of BioShock to games stores and retailers. The title was noted by EA Sports' Peter Moore as proof that third-party publishers aren't getting squeezed out by first-party AAA games. "It turns out the comments by the former Xbox 360 and Games for Windows marketing chief were prescient. Today during a post-earnings report conference call with analysts, Take-Two Interactive Chairman Strauss Zelnick said BioShock was already a runaway success for the controversial publisher, which has been set back by the Grand Theft Auto IV and Manhunt 2 delays."
While I'm sure their publisher would love a sequel, I think it really depends on the Irrational team. They might not do it if they don't think they have the material to do so. From what I've seen so far, these guys are pretty good about not selling out. There are some rumors that System Shock 3 is planned, and they appear to have a habit of making rounds through their main franchises with pretty good levels of success.
"Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!"
... shipping is not selling.
RIP Slashdot. I used to love you. dead account - but slashdot wont let me delete it.
Bioshock really doesn't need a sequel. The best thing about the game was that it put you in this mysterious place and you gradually discover how it became that way. You know all that now. Sure some new bad guy can take over the city and need to be taken out, but thats nowhere near as interesting, and by the nature of being a sequel the game won't be anywhere near as original.
I would hope the irrational team gets to do another new property, since they've shown how good they are at it.
The thing about sequels in video games, however, is that it's simply brand recognition. It really doesn't have anything to do with the previous games in a lot of cases. Look at the Grand Theft Auto series- the games are all separate entities: different cities, different themes. Sure it's the same (boring?) game play over and over, but it can be a lot different.
:-\
Part of the fun of Bioshock is discovering the city, and also, to me, it was the moral/ethical battle that the game explored. The game play was simply a venue for that story to unfold. Don't get me wrong, it was a great venue to play through. But first and foremost there was a story to be told/acted out. And I think they could build another rapture and another interesting story to go along with it.
Disregard all of this if it comes out within a year and a half, though