While the delay BioShock 2 into calendar year 2010 may have gamers crying and sad, Electronic Entertainment Design and Research analyst Jesse Divinich thinks the publisher has made a smart decision. Divinich even goes as far as to say fiscal 2010 could be now be “the year of Take-Two.”
“The news of BioShock 2 being delayed into fiscal 2010 has drastically changed my view on Take-Two,” he says. “I originally anticipated that Take-Two would outperform the industry in fiscal 2010. Now, I expect them to dominate fiscal 2010. BioShock 2, Max Payne 3, Red Dead Redemption, Mafia II, additional Grand Theft Auto downloadable content, and the possible launch of Agent should make fiscal 2010 the year of Take-Two.”
Divinich is also impressed with Take-Two’s delay decision, calling it a move that puts “gamers before investors.”
“Even though investors are likely to punish Take-Two for this delay,” he continues, “we has gamers should reward them for their persistence on improving game quality over meeting ‘financial expectations.'”
On the topic of financial expectations, Divinich doesn’t feel sales of BioShock 2 will suffer, but does note that “a game whose quality didn’t meet consumer expectations definitely would sell fewer units.”
