Ben-DutkaThe news gets better for Take-Two Interactive and the amazing Bioshock Infinite .
The critically acclaimed title from Irrational Games hit #1 on the March NPD charts , and recent estimates are quite rosy. Deservedly so, too.
According to Cowen & Company analyst Doug Creutz, the new Bioshock sold 878,000 units during the month of March. That's pretty damn impressive considering that the game didn't even launch until the last week of March (the 26th, to be exact). Creutz says the number is "a few hundred thousand" higher than Take-Two's internal expectations and all told, the game may sell upwards of 4.5 million (including retail and digital copies) in its first year of availability. That qualifies as a super success, doesn't it?
Yeah, well, we say it deserves every cent it earns. It's definitely our current front-runner for GotY 2013 . Played it yet?
Related Game(s): Bioshock Infinite
I'd love to play it for its story, but I've never liked the Bioshock gameplay. (If it were more like Dishonored insofar as adding stealth approaches, I'd play it in a heartbeat.) I'd love to watch someone play it, though!
Playing through it now, I do like it, no doubt about that. It is just…. I find that the game is very "back to basics".
I kind of feel like I don't understand the things people are saying about the game? One review said it had the best combat gameplay in any FPS this generation, I mean, the combat is one of the simpliest this gen, is that what he meant? Another person on this site said it had the best environment interaction he'd seen, besides collecting items what else is there?
Anyway, a good game, I just feel like I am either playing a different version to these people, or am completely missing a lot of things?
It's not an FPS. That's first. Playing it like one means you miss 90% of why this game is so amazing.
It's about the story and characters and atmosphere. If you don't take the time to appreciate those, then you probably won't get it. Unfortunately, Bioshock has always been a franchise where you either get it or you don't. The artistic-minded tend to understand while those who just want a shooter or a fast-action game don't.
That's not meant to be an insult; people play games for their own personal reasons, and if someone wants lighter, action-based stuff, that's cool by me. That's why not everyone gets why Heavy Rain is fun. Same sort of principle with Bioshock, really, even though the gameplay is vastly different.
Akuma, it's technically correct that underneath it all we find rather standard, although solid shooter mechanics (but pretty darn fun weapons, don't you agree?).
But like Ben say, the whole deal here is the atmosphere, the story, the experience on an artistic level.
I started playing it yesterday, and I spent the entire evening in total awe. It feels like I'm being given a very unique chance to enter and explore a movie that I love!
I'm eavesdropping conversations, playing with the different abilities, studying the game world, listening to the recordings, filling out the canvas for the story.
The way the story is told never feels force fed (as opposed to games based on cut scenes and QTEs), it all just unfolds like a dream. So natural, so unrestricted.
Gorgeous game design, fantastic artwork and premium storytelling. That's Bioshock to me.
So sit back, enjoy and *become* mr Booker! Explore Columbia, its weird citizens and their screwed up world view. Maybe even draw parallels to the real world and our challenges.
Last edited by Beamboom on 4/22/2013 1:28:39 AM
Hmmmmmm. You both make compelling arguements. I guess I'll take more time to enjoy it. I've kind of been paying all my attention to the story.
I guess I may have approached the game the wrong way. I have enjoyed the relation between Elizabeth and brooker so far. I am looking forward to the rest of it.
Don't just shoot at the bad guys, play with your abilities, combine attacks for unique affects, lay traps and skulk…
As far as environmental interaction there is more than opening boxes, you are meant to use the sky rails effectively to get around during combat, either shooting while riding, speeding up to dodge bullets, or jumping off to sky-strike opponents, or jumping into crowds to activate landing abilities.
Also you are meant to use Elizabeth to pull useful things into your dimension so as to customize your form of combat. Bring in patriot friends if you want a shootout, bring in cargo hooks if you like to fight from the sky, bring in cover if you prefer to stay low etc.
Try em all out and have fun! 🙂
I just want to add one thing Akuma: There's absolutely *nothing* wrong if you're not getting as immersed in the game as us fans do.
I've had the same problem with several games others hail for the story and characters. Like Heavy Rain. I found the story to be quite uninteresting, as I often do with dramas. Plus I *hate* QTE. So for me it didn't really matter what people said about the story or the graphics or whatnot – it just wasn't for me.
So if you don't particularly fancy the story, the game world or the characters and see it as "just another good shooter" then it is that to you. Totally fair.
Songbird Edition owner here. Still unopened.
You're missing out, pal.
Better go buy a standard copy if you're intent on not breaking the seal on the Songbird Edition. 😉
I'll take that songbird son, *yoink*
2 more exams and I go home. Then I buy this.
Hooray, a publisher actually set realistic sales targets, AND surpassed them.
What a novel concept of sensibility Take-Two brings to the gaming industry.
Maybe there is still hope. 🙂
really surprised how low the sales are on this.
not even 1M units sold, most big name exclusives manage to break 1M and thats exclusives!
not games available on 3 platforms, not to mention bioshock has received one of the biggest marketing campaigns ever!
hell i cant take 1 step out of my front door without seeing a bioshock infinite ad!
seen 7 movies in the past month, and every one of them have shown the games ad.
every shop has posters up of it, every bus stop has posters, even every freaking bus has posters!
only thing they have not done to market the game is have door to door sales.
hey, thats not a bad idea……..
or pamphlets in the mail box.
That was 878k in 5 days……. that sounds impressive to me.
for most other games it would be, but come on this is one of the biggest games of the year!
next GTAV will be releasing and will only sell 1M units within its first week.
dont forget, as i said above, tons of exclusives have sold 2M+ units within their first week of sales.
and there exclusives, on one platform, with a much smaller marketing budget!
it deserves, no, demands so much more!!!!!
Good to hear good to hear, love the game, love irrational. Love that the subtitle "Infinite" actually made sense at the end. I'm curious as to whether or not Columbia will get a sequel like Rapture did in Bioshock 2. I don't think it's fair or good of us to ask for a while new city every time.
I've only heard good things about the game, and bought this new a couple of days ago 🙂
Unfortunately, I won't be able to play yet due to assignments piling on top of each other…
I'm thinking of it as a "reward", something to look forward to one everything is done 😉
Can't wait!