Analyst Reverses Course On Bully Sequel, Says "Sorry" to Take Two

Analyst Reverses Course On Bully Sequel, Says "Sorry" to Take Two

January 15, 2007
Say what you want, Michael Pachter is a stand-up guy.

In a recent, widely-quoted story, the Wedbush-Morgan analyst told GamePolitics that he did not expect sales numbers for Rockstar's Bully to merit a sequel. Newly-released figures from the NPD Group, however, now show strong Bully sales during the holiday season. Based on those numbers, Pachter has done a public 180 on his opinion of the controversial game:
(Bully) sold over double my expectations in December, and Take Two told me the game is selling slightly better in Europe. That means it's probably over one million units, with a few more to go.

Given the very high rating that the game received and its potential for expansion to other platforms, it is realistic to think a sequel could generate two million units in sales. That is generally suffucient to justify a sequel. I'm not competent to discuss whether it can be built using the GTA 4 engine, so it's premature to guess how much a sequel would cost, but if the company thinks it can sell two million units of Bully 2, it will probably produce a sequel.

Please make sure you print my apology to Take Two - I have been consistently wrong about this title. I thought it would be stupid, and it was fun; I thought it would get poor reviews, and it got solid 90s; and I thought it would bomb, while it now appears to be a million unit seller. As a result, I did not expect a sequel, while now I have to acknowledge that a sequel is a possibility. I never hesitate to take credit when I'm right, and I never hide from my mistakes.

GP: We originally ran this on Saturday, January 13th, but we're bumping it into the weekday coverage because we think it is an important story.
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Comments

Submitted by ZippyDSMlee - January 15, 2007 at 6:51 am -0500
OMG,somone has the balls to admit hes wrong!
I am wrong almsot all the time ,however I got over it and merely want to converse over the subject I am talking about.
Submitted by PS3 Game Geek » Analyst apologizes to Take-Two, wants - January 18, 2007 at 2:31 pm -0500
[...] While Bully was a slight departure from the established GTA franchise that Take Two Interactive are known for, it was received very well. By critics, by consumers, even by analyst Michael Pachter. He will be the topic for this post. See, initially, he was quoted as saying that sales of Bully won’t merit a sequel. How would you like those words cooked, Pachter, before we force them back into your mouth? Nah, we won’t do that, because you apologized like a human being. [...]
Submitted by Analyst apologizes to Take-Two, wants Bully sequel » P - January 18, 2007 at 2:31 pm -0500
[...] While Bully was a slight departure from the established GTA franchise that Take Two Interactive are known for, it was received very well. By critics, by consumers, even by analyst Michael Pachter. He will be the topic for this post. See, initially, he was quoted as saying that sales of Bully won’t merit a sequel. How would you like those words cooked, Pachter, before we force them back into your mouth? Nah, we won’t do that, because you apologized like a human being. [...]
Submitted by x(wai)x - January 14, 2007 at 4:54 pm -0500
It's always refreshing to see someone stand up and admit when they're wrong. Too many people either refuse to see evidence that contradicts their beliefs or do a complete 180 and pretend that was the view they held all along because they simply can't bear to admit they might have been wrong. I have to give Pachter credit here.
Submitted by sugreev2001 - January 16, 2007 at 3:31 pm -0500
It's so good to see that my favourite videogame developer,Take-two,finally rising from the controversy last year and make a bundle.I also loved Bully,almost as much as any GTA series and I'm now really hoping to see a sequel.And last but not least,it's sure is nice to see a journalist actually making an effort to apologize for his boorish behaviour.
Submitted by Games Asylum » The Quote Boat - January 20, 2007 at 12:31 pm -0500
[...] » I’m growing to like Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter. He does love to comment on the games industry, and he doesn’t care if he’s wrong. A couple of weeks ago his thought that there wouldn’t be a sequel to Bully spread over the internet like something stupid. Then, last week, he took it back. “I have been consistently wrong about this title,” he told GamePolitics.com. He could also have said, “Analysts are a bit pointless,” but didn’t. [...]
Submitted by kurisu7885 - January 14, 2007 at 10:10 am -0500
I figured that wasn't the case.
Submitted by Jabrwock - January 13, 2007 at 7:28 pm -0500
I just wanted to point out that Pachter is NOT a columnist. He is a financial analyst for Wedbush Morgan who specializes in the video game industry

Technically a columnist for financial stuff. He *is* writing his opinion about Bully's future. Granted it's backed up by expertise and better knowledge than your average columnist, so more like an "expert columnist". ;)
Submitted by gamepolitics - January 13, 2007 at 6:43 pm -0500
Since a couple people mentioned Pachter as a "columnist," I just wanted to point out that Pachter is NOT a columnist. He is a financial analyst for Wedbush Morgan who specializes in the video game industry...
Submitted by Parallax Abstraction - January 13, 2007 at 5:27 pm -0500
No, what would have been kind of Pachter was not to make a prediction out of nothing and speak as if it was fact. Perhaps he should do more research before condemning a product to failure. I admit that he apologized to Take-Two which is more than a lot of analysts would do, but what do you think is going to be seen by and remembered by more people? It'll be the initial prediction. An apology is good, but next time maybe he should think before he speaks. The people who work so hard on these games deserve at least that I think.
Submitted by Kobra - January 13, 2007 at 5:29 pm -0500
I thought that Bully would've been crappy, but then I played it at a friend's house and immediately wanted to own a copy of it.
Submitted by mikemil828 - January 13, 2007 at 5:45 pm -0500
It's nice of him to admit his mistakes, but that he is always this wrong to the point that even the CIA gets more things right than he does, doesn't bode well for his career as an analyst
Submitted by Gabriel Celesta - January 13, 2007 at 5:10 pm -0500
Well, actually, to be honest, I, like Pachter, once thought Bully would be a lousy game too.

We've seen people bitch and moan about games because of their violent content... only to turn out to be total disappointments (NARC, 25 to Life, 50 Cent: Bulletproof... I'm looking at you guys!)

But then I find out Bully getting a great deal of respect. Who'da thunk it?

(Then again, I thought God Hand looked like a retarded game, but whatever...)
Submitted by Tyetheczar - January 13, 2007 at 4:16 pm -0500
Well, he's talking about his statement about the sales, oy. No rant on the content, oy. No no.
Submitted by Brokenscope - January 13, 2007 at 2:02 pm -0500
Mmm pork wings.
Submitted by Sam - January 13, 2007 at 2:02 pm -0500
That was nice. He admitted he was wrong, apologized to Rockstar, and in the end, was, in my eyes, very fair.

Why can't there be more columnists like this?
Submitted by Jabrwock - January 13, 2007 at 1:39 pm -0500
It's good to see columnists who can admit they're wrong. Now if only O'Reilly could get off his high horse... then again, I think pigs will be genetically merged with chickens long before that...
Submitted by -Jes- - January 13, 2007 at 1:45 pm -0500
Jabr, O'Reilly getting a clue is as likely as JT supporting anything started by the gaming industry.
Submitted by MrKenyon - January 13, 2007 at 1:31 pm -0500
Well, that was awful kind of him. Can no one else imagine a Rockstar rep standing behind him while he says this, armed with a baseball bat?

But, yeah, I'll be surprised if Rockstar doesn't take advantage of the Bully series by busting out a sequel.
Submitted by Analyst apologizes to Take-Two, wants Bully sequel | Mrongos - January 17, 2007 at 10:16 am -0500
[...] While Bully was a slight departure from the established GTA franchise that Take Two Interactive are known for, it was received very well. By critics, by consumers, even by analyst Michael Pachter. He will be the topic for this post. See, initially, he was quoted as saying that sales of Bully won’t merit a sequel. How would you like those words cooked, Pachter, before we force them back into your mouth? Nah, we won’t do that, because you apologized like a human being. [...]
Submitted by liljimmyhopkins - June 28, 2007 at 2:14 pm -0500
dude i had a brilliant idea they should have field trips in bully!!!!!
Submitted by liljimmyhopkins - June 28, 2007 at 2:00 pm -0500
so r they going to make a bully 2? i want this yes or no thing over with!
Submitted by liljimmyhopkins - June 28, 2007 at 2:09 pm -0500
they should have it for all playstations xbox has its games so make bully 2 for ps2 psp and ps3 because if you have it on ps3 it will be a very famous game because ps3 is famous you should make it on psp becauese it will be a portable game for once and ps2 bacause if psp and ps3 cost too much you should also make it on ps2 that way you will get a lot more money
Submitted by cody hopkins - September 24, 2007 at 8:10 pm -0500
if they do have a bully 2 i think they should allow you to go out for sports or somthing and let you pick watever classes you want to take.
Submitted by cody hopkins - September 24, 2007 at 8:12 pm -0500
one of the main reasons i liked bully is because the main charachter has my last name and i would like to see that on the back of jerseys. LOL
Submitted by Jimmy Hopkins - May 3, 2008 at 11:02 pm -0500
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