When the original Bioshock released to the gaming world in 2007, it was met with widespread approval. Not only did gamers absolutely love it, but also critics. It was hailed for its innovative story, coupled with its unique gameplay and weapons. The sequel, while not attaining quite the level of praise, still managed to sell quite well for 2k Games. Some questioned whether or not a sequel was necessary. It might comfort you to know that 2k Games also shared the same reservations, back in the initial development stage.
Speaking in a recent interview, 2K’s vice president of marketing, Matt Gorman, talked about the success of the original Bioshock, and that it was a “blessing and a curse” for 2k.
“One of the main things that was ‘a blessing and a curse’ was BioShock 1. You had many scores that were 100 and you had a lot of people who felt it was a contained, finite experience.
“So you had hardcore fans that weren’t convinced that they needed a sequel and here we were two years later with BioShock 2. There were also people that never got on board and it was a challenge to detail to them they don’t have to play the first to enjoy the second.”
Gorman then went on to talk about how the success of the first title did not guarantee the success for the sequel.
“It wasn’t a given our fanbase would buy this, just like there’s no guarantee that those who buy Modern Warfare would buy Modern Warfare 2.
“So we had campaigns for the hardcore and we had one for those who weren’t fans, with the understanding that the same message would not work for everyone.”
He does make sense. The first game, while excellent, was almost too good. However, Bioshock 2 is certainly not a bad title. While not meeting the high quality the first title put forth, it still managed to sell three million units. Did you enjoy Bioshock 2? Did you hate it? Was a sequel necessary? Post your responses in the comments section below.
