World of Darkness Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 - VTMB sequel from The Chinese Room - coming early 2025

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

The reason they kept it a secret was because

I don't give a shit. That wasn't my point.
The point is that no one would have cared even remotely to begin with.

Also, contrarily to your claim the game wasn't exactly a smashing hit, either. It grabbed some headlines at first for the unusual way it was announced and because it was genuinely fun, but sales in the end turned out to be quite underwhelming.

 

[Roguey]

Also, contrarily to your claim the game wasn't exactly a smashing hit, either. It grabbed some headlines at first for the unusual way it was announced and because it was genuinely fun, but sales in the end turned out to be quite underwhelming.

Xbox Exclusive Hi-Fi RUSH Has Now Surpassed 3 Million Players

That's a hit. Bloodlines 2 could wish to have 3 million players. The original game only sold 72,000 in the US when Troika shut down and Steam sales estimates for the 15+ years it's been out and heavily discounted aren't exactly stellar

488.8 k .. 1.22 M on reviews
~1.98 M by PlayTracker
~637.4 k by VG Insights
~665.0 k by SteamSpy

 

[duskvile]

[UPDATE – Possible Launch Date Leak] Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Re-Reveal to Take Place @ PAX West​

October 27th. But what year?

 

[Cross]

Also, contrarily to your claim the game wasn't exactly a smashing hit, either. It grabbed some headlines at first for the unusual way it was announced and because it was genuinely fun, but sales in the end turned out to be quite underwhelming.

Xbox Exclusive Hi-Fi RUSH Has Now Surpassed 3 Million Players

That's a hit. Bloodlines 2 could wish to have 3 million players. The original game only sold 72,000 in the US when Troika shut down and Steam sales estimates for the 15+ years it's been out and heavily discounted aren't exactly stellar

488.8 k .. 1.22 M on reviews
~1.98 M by PlayTracker
~637.4 k by VG Insights
~665.0 k by SteamSpy

It doesn't say it sold 3 million copies, but that it had 3 million players. Something being Game Pass fodder doesn't mean it was commercially successful.

Though I'm loath to trust game journalists, it was reported that it flopped.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/c...-money-it-needed-to-make-report/1100-6513467/

Critically Acclaimed Hi-Fi Rush "Didn't Make The Money It Needed To Make" - Report​

 

[Roguey]

Though I'm loath to trust game journalists, it was reported that it flopped.

That article includes a quote from an executive who says Grubb is talking nonsense. The whole point of Game Pass is that these smaller titles don't need to sell big. If millions of people play it, it's a success. Same deal with Pentiment.

 

[Zombra]

lol. Plaions who? I tried Google searching for it 3 times with no results before I gave up. Like it's never happened before that some store somewhere made up a release date.

 

[Cross]

Though I'm loath to trust game journalists, it was reported that it flopped.

That article includes a quote from an executive who says Grubb is talking nonsense.

Yeah, and that quote is what makes me really believe it flopped.

Xbox games marketing VP Aaron Greenberg refuted that Hi-Fi Rush had disappointed Microsoft, saying it was a "breakout hit for us and our players in all key measurements and expectations." He did not specify what those internal expectations were, specifically.

"It was a massive success but we can't tell you how or give you any explanation for how it succeeded, but trust us guys" isn't convincing. Unless you're you, I guess.

The whole point of Game Pass is that these smaller titles don't need to sell big. If millions of people play it, it's a success. Same deal with Pentiment.

You're assuming most of those 3 million players subscribed to Game Pass specifically to play Hi-Fi RUSH, rather than already being subscribers to begin with.

 

[Roguey]

lol. Plaions who? I tried Google searching for it 3 times with no results before I gave up. Like it's never happened before that some store somewhere made up a release date.

Check https://plaion.com/ and specifically https://shop.plaion.com/shop/de_DE/catdet.html?nav1=GAME&nav2=ALL Plaion is Paradox's publishing partner on Bloodlines. They don't just sell any games, they specifically sell the games they're in charge of publishing.

"It was a massive success but we can't tell you how or give you any explanation for how it succeeded, but trust us guys" isn't convincing. Unless you're you, I guess.

Consumers don't need to know this information.

You're assuming most of those 3 million players subscribed to Game Pass specifically to play Hi-Fi RUSH, rather than already being subscribers to begin with.

??? The point is to keep people subscribed, not to get new subscribers. It'd be absolutely unsustainable if every new game was expected to get millions of new subscribers.

 

[Dishonoredbr]

Ok, but when they gonna confirmed the romance options? Can we fuck Werewolves?

 

[Abu Antar]

October? I would never have guessed.

I think the game will be so bad that I have to try it.

 

[Zombra]

I mean, I guess it makes sense to release just before Halloween ...

 

[Tyranicon]

Is this gonna be a visual novel?

 

[Russia is over. The end.]

I mean, I guess it makes sense to release just before Halloween ...

Some the game is gonna get rushed for Halloween and will be a bugged mess? Nice to know.

 

[Abu Antar]

It isn't a real Bloodlines game if it isn't bugged to hell and back.

 

[Morgoth]

lol. Plaions who? I tried Google searching for it 3 times with no results before I gave up. Like it's never happened before that some store somewhere made up a release date.

They were Deep Silver before.

 

[Zombra]

Some the game is gonna get rushed for Halloween and will be a bugged mess? Nice to know.

I mean it has been 2½ years since the change in developer. I'm not saying it won't be buggy, and I'm not saying it will; but a working game certainly could have been built in that time.

 

[Grauken]

Some the game is gonna get rushed for Halloween and will be a bugged mess? Nice to know.

I mean it has been 2½ years since the change in developer. I'm not saying it won't be buggy, and I'm not saying it will; but a working game certainly could have been built in that time.

Yeah, but the games that have been in made in that timeframe that are good are usually very different things, like platformers or so

 

[Cross]

Is this gonna be a visual novel?

No, but there's a good chance it will have shallower gameplay than a visual novel.

 

[Tyranicon]

I am super skeptical but also excited. The popcorn gods have blessed us this year. JA3, BG3, Starfield and VtMB2 in the same year?

There will be fighting in the threads until well into next year.

 

[Herumor]

I wonder if it's gonna have a worse gameplay and story than that Swansong game.

 

[RagingNomad]

I wonder if it's gonna have a worse gameplay and story than that Swansong game.

Are ur kidding? Swansong have pretty good plot, and solid gameplay. What's wrong with u?

 

[Roguey]

I mean it has been 2½ years since the change in developer. I'm not saying it won't be buggy, and I'm not saying it will; but a working game certainly could have been built in that time.

Yeah, but the games that have been in made in that timeframe that are good are usually very different things, like platformers or so

Bloodlines itself was made in three years. The Outer Worlds was about three and a half. ELEX was nearly three years, as was Greedfall. If they were smart, I'd expect a narrow scope (far fewer features than what Troika put themselves through hell for to deliver) and a short-for-an-RPG playtime (like 15-30 hours).

 

[Moink]

Asset re-use from the cancelled version would help speed up dev time as well.

 

[Abu Antar]

A completionist 30 hour run would be good enough.

 

[The President]

Who knows, maybe they’ll delay again.