BioShock 2 delayed to 'first half' of 2010 [update]
In a move that's not all too surprising, Take-Two has announced that BioShock 2 has been delayed until fiscal 2010. The game, which was originally scheduled for an early November release, is being delayed to "provide additional development time for the title." While Take-Two's next fiscal year begins in November, the lack of a specific timeframe for release suggests this delay will be quite significant. Update: Take-Two clarified at its press conference that BioShock 2 is now planned for release in the "first half" of 2010.
Perhaps the late addition of yet another developer to BioShock 2 should have acted as an early indicator of the delay. Take-Two's Chairman Strauss Zelnick publicly apologized about the setback in a press release: "We recognize that our revised outlook for the balance of fiscal year 2009, due to both internal and external factors, is a disappointment. That said, we concluded that moving the release of BioShock 2 into fiscal year 2010 was the right decision for the product."
Take-Two's investors are unlikely to respond to this news positively, considering the company's sparse presence this holiday season. With Take-Two's most anticipated titles -- Mafia II, Max Payne 3 and now BioShock 2 -- all appearing in fiscal 2010, the company will have little to rely on to bolster its current year results. Zelnick reiterated that "we remain confident in the long term potential for Take-Two's business, and our ability to capitalize on that potential through our exceptional creative talent and solid balance sheet."
