At the mere mention of a BioShock sequel, your average gamer would squeal with glee and dance around wildly. You may ask yourself, why would anyone be against the idea of Metacritic's favorite title going on to become a series? Before I get on to my rant, let me at leat clarify what I'm rambling about: Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take Two, announced in a analyst conference call that there are definite plans to turn BioShock into an franchise. He says of an analyst's inquiry about how to keep the titles innovative:
"I would say, probably, roughly an every-two-year schedule would be optimal. And if you look historically that has been largely the case with GTA, and I'd expect we'd apply rougly the same strategy to BioShock because BioShock is shaping up to be a very important franchise," Zelnick said in response to an analyst's query. "I don't want to say more than that about BioShock because I certainly don't want to jinx it, but I feel awfully good about where that's going."
He sounds positive, doesn't he? I envision the bigwigs at Take Two sitting in big leather chairs with visions of cash and world domination dancing about their heads. I'm sure this vision is partially influenced by the idea of the future ruination of my favorite game of this year, so before I enrage the masses, I'll try to keep my delusions objective here.
I feel strongly that BioShock should not be a franchise. I know it would be a tremendous success and make garbage trucks full of money, but the truth of the matter is there are few titles on the market with the integrity to stand alone. 2K's aria to objectivism and moral dilemnas deserves to be remembered as a title that transformed the landscape of shooters permanently. As much as I want to go back to Rapture, I think it's best remembered as it was originally conceived.
[Via Shacknews, thanks Golden Donut!]
Contest:
10:47 PM on 09.10.2007
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no way, it should just be a glorious stand-alone game.
what are they gonna do next Bioshock 2: Shock Harder???
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Didn't you die in the end? With all of the Little Sisters? What the hell?
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Gosh im mad.
For as much as I know now a sequel would jsut seem silly, maybe ill cange my mind once i beat it.
In less angry terms, System Shock did get a sequel, but it was a while before they made it. Two years seems too short.
I am surprised no one has mentioned (besides me) that when Ken was asked questions about multiplayer he would say in the next game.
SPOILERS!!!
SPOILERS!!!
I actually think a direct sequel would be a great idea. Have the lead character play a KGB agent. Russia orders him into Rapture having just lost one of their submarines. encounters "Jack". Needs plasmids faces same dilemmas. Essence of awesome.
A sequel to BioDome could be teh roxxors. Just because most sequels smell doesn't mean a BioShock sequel will smell as well.
If they work hard on the game and don't rest on their current success, they will make Bioshock 2 better than the first.
Also, vote for Emoti-Man.
I really want to see more bioshock titles, but I don't know what they mean by "franchise". Do they want 5 more games? that would be too many.
The way I see this is reminiscent of the first time I heard they may be making a Half-Life 2. Though there was probably room for it in the story, it seemed as if they were just milking the cash cow. We saw how that turned out, right? (though there is points of argument for the episodic content, most would agree that at it's essence, HL2 was a good idea).
BAIOSHOCK!
LOOKS LIKE MY FAILURE HAS BEEN ERASED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH
And I think you're viewing the ending from an incorrect POV, Chief.
i'm not sure what happens to our hero, but no matter his fate, i would love to play as someone else that either already lives in Rapture or is a man looking from the outside in. it could be set right when things turn to shit, or maybe even after the current story (IF Rapture is still together at the end of the game). there's plenty of stories to be told.
just as there's plenty of stories to be told, there's GOT to be plenty of places we haven't seen in Rapture - just look out the glass at the vast city around you! plenty more to see.
oh, and MULTIPLAYER anyone?!? Little Sister vs. Big Daddy ftw!
then again there is the entire underwater Eco-System that you can play with
something akin to Aquanox... my god i loved that game like no other....
There is plenty of meat in this here to expand the bio-verse :P
"Bioshock 2: Shock Harder???"
I love you for that awesome name.
I wouldn't like a sequel. I'd like a prequel. Does anyone feel me on this? Find out how Rapture really got the way it is. Be there when it's happening. That sounds sweet, but after the end of Bioshock, I can see how a sequel could be made. I mean, there are still crazies in there, but I don't like the idea of a sequel. It wouldn't seem as epic.
You are a lone 1st grader, an innocent lad trying to survive the school day while trying to stop the ambitions of Andy Ryan, a 5th grader with dreams of making the swingset a paradise for the 'elite' of the school.
"Isn't every kids entitled to the sweat of his brow? No says your parents. It belongs to no one. No says the teachers. It belongs to the community. No says the teenagers in the junior high. It belongs to us.."
I think you can see where I'm going with this =).
One last thing! Big Daddies would instead be just one kid named 'Big Davey', a simple-minded boy with a pituatary gland disorder that makes him much bigger and stronger than the other students. He also guards the precious 'Little Debbie' snack cakes you must acquire for the sweet sugar within.
I do agree that in a perfect world a great game could be just that, but we all know that isn't true. But in fairness the story that makes this fantastic shooter into the game of the year was, in reality, dreamed up after the game had been in development for a long time. The fact of the matter is that a good game can flourish if the designers really do care about it. I guess the only question about a BioShock is sequel isn't whether it should be made (it is too successful not to be) but will they let them make it right?