BioShock has made waves in the gaming community since its release, captivating players with its unique underwater setting and compelling narrative. The BioShock sales figures highlight the game’s commercial success, reflecting its widespread appeal and enduring popularity. Meanwhile, BioShock statistics demonstrate its impact on the gaming industry, showing impressive player engagement and retention rates. This title continues to be a benchmark for storytelling and design in video games.
The BioShock series has sold more than 41 million copies, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time.
(Source: GameSpot)
- The original BioShock game has sold around 3 million copies as of June 2009.
- BioShock 2 sold more than 3 million copies, though its performance was considered disappointing by the publisher 2K.
BioShock series has firmly established itself as one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful video game franchises of all time. From the original BioShock’s groundbreaking narrative and exploration of Objectivist philosophy, to the thematic depth and technical achievements of BioShock Infinite, the series has consistently pushed the boundaries of what is possible in the medium. With over 41 million copies sold, the BioShock games have not only captivated players, but have also cemented the franchise’s legacy as a landmark.
BioShock Infinite has sold 11 million units, the most in the series.
(Source: GamesIndustry.biz)
- Bioshock Infinite accounts for big part of the total Bioshock franchise sales.
- The game was critically acclaimed, but its “long and expensive production and marketing process” raised doubts about its profitability.
- Even with fluctuating prices, 11 million sales is considered an impressive amount for the game.
Bioshock Infinite has proven to be a major commercial success. While the game faced doubts about its profitability due to its lengthy and costly development, its strong sales performance has solidified Bioshock as a critically and commercially important series for publisher Take-Two Interactive.
BioShock Infinite cost $100 million to make.
(Source: PC Gamer, Polygon)
- The game took around 5 years to develop
Involved a team of around 200 people from Irrational Games, in addition to support from outside studios. - The development process was troubled, with Irrational’s creative director Ken Levine’s management style resulting in wasted work and missed deadlines.
The development of BioShock Infinite was a long and troubled process, taking around 5 years to complete. The game went through numerous changes and revisions under the creative direction of Ken Levine, with the team constantly reworking the story, setting, and gameplay. The open-world nature of Columbia presented technical challenges, requiring the team to overhaul the engine and AI systems. Despite the difficulties, the final game was widely praised for its compelling narrative, stunning visual design, and innovative gameplay mechanics like the Sky-Line system. The development process highlights the challenges of creating an ambitious, narrative-driven game, but the end result was considered a landmark achievement in the first-person shooter genre.
Sources
- “BioShock Franchise Still “Really Important,” Publisher Says”. GameSpot, https://ir.take2games.com/static-files/f0f9ff64-0b90-4781-bd7c-76e016e03a1e
- “Bioshock Infinite reaches 11 million sales” GamesIndustry.biz, 2015, https://www.gamesindustry.biz/bioshock-infinite-has-sold-11-million-units
- “BioShock Infinite goes gold, Irrational says it cut enough content to make five or six games”. PC Gamer, 2013, http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/02/19/bioshock-infinite-gold-irrational/
- “2K Australia’s role in BioShock Infinite’s development”. Polygon, 2013, https://www.polygon.com/2013/2/12/3979724/2k-australias-role-in-bioshock-infinite-development