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Gearbox begins work on Mechromancer as Borderlands 2 wraps up
Borderlands 2 has been completed and sent off for certification, according to an update by Gearbox community manager Chris Faylor, which means the studio is free to begin work on other things -- specifically, the Mechromancer.In addition to being an awesome hip-hop name we totally can't prove we came up with years ago, the Mechromancer is a class of character that will be made available as free DLC to those who pre-order the game. Faylor anticipates the class' release to come "roughly 60 to 90 days after launch." He also stated that the Mechromancer is "just one of the many bonuses" that will be made available to pre-order customers.
Borderlands 2: Shooting and slicing with Axton and Zero
Like the original Borderlands, there are four playable classes in Borderlands 2. Developer Gearbox has been forthcoming with the Gunzerker and Siren classes – bringing them out at various trade shows and preview events – but have kept quiet on the other two characters: Zero, the katana-wielding assassin, and the new soldier, Axton.After spending a sizable chunk of time with the other two characters, I wonder why we hadn't seen them earlier. Zero and Axton in Borderlands 2 are responsible for some of the most stylish and exciting combat options I've seen in the game.%Gallery-160312%
Borderlands 2 would make a great musical, and this trailer proves it
The musical aspirations of Gearbox Software have never been more clear than in today's Borderlands 2 "Wimoweh" trailer. Yes, Claptrap is keen to bounce along, but so are all the other vile residents of Pandora. Is it too much to ask for an Easter Egg involving this song somewhere in the game? We don't think so.
Borderlands hipsters get skins, heads with 'Vault Veterans' rewards
Gearbox Software is rewarding its OBs (Original Borderlands players) in Borderlands 2 with exclusive customization elements, including the pictured character heads and skins, as part of its "Vault Veterans" rewards program.The Vault Veterans goodies automatically install when Borderlands 2 detects save data from the first Borderlands, applied across PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. All Borderlands hipsters can check out the full poster of exclusive digs right here.
Gearbox wants Borderlands 2 on Vita, requests Sony's help
Gearbox Software president Randy Pitchford is excited about the possibility of Borderlands 2 on Vita, a version able to share characters with the PS3 version. He's not excited enough to make Borderlands 2 for Vita, however.Speaking at the Rezzed conference today, Pitchford asked fans to bug Sony to get behind it. "Perhaps some of you folks can convince Sony to start that," Pitchford said. "We're too busy to develop it ourselves. But I know there are a lot of talented developers who could take our code, our source and our content and perhaps create something like that."Though Borderlands publisher 2K Games would seem like a more likely decision maker for a potential port, we could see Sony potentially being interested in putting such a popular game on its handheld, which could use some popular games.Update: Reader Stewox points out that Gearbox owns the Borderlands IP, and thus is free to talk to, say, Sony instead of its current publisher of choice.
Borderlands 2 fixes voice chat, framerate issues from first game
The folks over at Gearbox Software have been busy with a lot more than designing fancy collector's editions, according to Borderlands 2 producer Matt Charles. Answering fan-submitted twitter questions on the PlayStation Blog, Charles addressed several technical problems suffered by Borderlands – by and large, the news is positive. Voice chat issues that plagued the first game, for instance, are currently being worked on and the system "will be working for everyone when the game launches." Charles also said that while it's "too early for me to give any final numbers," Borderland 2's framerate will "see an improvement over the first game."He also mentioned the upgraded user interfaces we've talked about before, and that players will now automatically pick up ammo and currency dropped by felled villains: "There's a lot more useful data for gear comparison and also more descriptive text on the item cards as well. Having said that, the best way to know what a gun does is to use it."
Borderlands 2 box art deserves its own post
Sure, we already had a post earlier today detailing the lavishly equipped Deluxe Vault Hunter's Collector's Edition and Ultimate Loot Chest Limited Edition of Borderlands 2, but what about us average Joes? What about everyone who wants to look at Borderlands 2 packaging, but doesn't want to waste time daydreaming over ornate collector's editions that won't fit in our tiny efficiency apartments? Where's that post?!Shhhhh, it's okay. It's right here, friend. This is that post. Behold, the regular retail packaging for Borderlands 2.%Gallery-155666%
Borderlands 2 special editions revealed
Good day, vault hunters. Today, 2K Games announced two special editions of Borderlands 2 for optional acquisition for the game's launch in September.The $100 "Deluxe Vault Hunter's Collector's Edition" includes the game, Marcus Kincaid bobblehead, art book, stickers, digital comic and some unspecified DLC. There's also the "Ultimate Loot Chest Limited Edition" (pictured), which includes all items previously mentioned, along with actual red loot chest box and other goodies.Pre-ordering the game in any edition (even the plebby "standard") at "participating retailers" will also net access to the Borderlands 2 Premiere Club, to download the Gearbox Gun Pack, Golden Key, Vault Hunter's Relic and the Mechromancer character class when the game's out.
Borderlands action figures from NECA are looking nice-a
Borderlands is getting the Barbie treatment with its own line of action figures from NECA, starting with Claptrap and the Psycho Bandit. The Borderlands Series 1 figurines are painted in an homage to the game's cel-shaded cartoon style, and while we wonder how the Psycho Bandit's pants can possibly stay on his hips even with that belt, the simple, chunky designs have grown on us.Claptrap stands 4.5 inches and looks especially canon, featuring an extendable antenna (making him 6 inches), a wheel with shocks, hinged shoulder and eye flaps, ball-jointed shoulders and hinged, swiveling elbows, along with a display stand. The Psycho Bandit stands 7 inches and includes a buzz axe accessory, ball-jointed head, shoulders, elbows, thighs, feet and wrists, a hinged torso, swivel waist and hinged knees.Check out a few photos here and look out for Series 1 figurines to be available in May, with Series 2 to debut in August with Zero the Assassin and Salvador the Gunzerker.
Co-opinion: Slaughtering Skags in Borderlands 2
.portal-left { padding: 10px; background: #CCC; margin: 20px 0; min-height: 85px; } .portal-right { padding: 10px; margin: 20px 0; min-height: 85px; } .portal-right img { padding-left: 5px; } .portal-left img { padding-right: 5px; } David Hinkle: So, Borderlands 2. How fitting I would play as the slender female and you the hulking giant mohawk guy, eh? Jessica Conditt: To be fair, Salvador is supposed to be a tiny, muscled man, not the hulking behemoth that I felt like while playing him. Double shotguns will do that to a man. Agreed. And even though you were carrying every single gun in the universe, we ran into a few bottlenecks. I certainly tried to play Maya as a tank, but I don't think that was a very good idea. Skags, man. Skags. And that new, juicy element. Slag, right? We took more damage when they flung it on us, which was an annoying experience. But the phaselock health dump was a saving grace there. You kept me alive on quite a few occasions with that. Slag, man. Slag.%Gallery-152249%
Borderlands 2 conjures up Mechromancer class, adds character customization options
On the final day of PAX East, members of Gearbox detailed plans for Borderlands 2, which is set to drop on September 18. The biggest news nuggest is the Mechromancer, a class that will be added to the game as DLC after launch and free to those who pre-order. The Mechromancer is a female human/machine hybrid, which is totally great because we wrote all of this erotic Claptrap fan-fiction that would totally explain -- ahem, sorry. She will also have a friend: a giant robot called D374-TP (Deathtrap).Game Informer was at the panel – all of us were too busy scurrying back to our respective journalizing holes to attend today – and says that in addition to the Mechromancer, there will be options to customize the look of your character. Costumes and custom gear will be earned when players complete missions and challenges.Finally, there will be a special edition of Borderlands 2 that will retail for $149.99. It's packaged in a big plastic loot box replete with a Marcus Kincaid bobblehead and, obviously, a copy of Borderlands 2.
Each Borderlands DLC pack was made in eight weeks
Borderlands 2 art director Jeramy Cooke and concept designer Scott Kester both worked on the first Borderlands, and they shrug off accomplishments such as "made Borderlands" with considerable humility. When Cooke mentioned casually that every piece of DLC for the first title was created in just eight weeks each, we stopped him for clarification."You don't understand, those first DLCs, we were literally counting K to try and fit features in there because at the time we hadn't expected it to be such a huge success, so we didn't know that 'oh, we'll have to put all this DLC in,'" Cooke said during a meeting at PAX East 2012.This development time is impressive considering the heft of each pack, but also because Gearbox hadn't prepared the full game to handle add-on content."It was the first time the company had ever done DLC, but we were like, damn it, if we're going to do it, let's do it," Kester said. And so they did.Borderlands 2 is the second time Gearbox can attempt DLC and it has implemented a robust backend system to support whatever additional content it needs, including patches and support updates. With this improved system maybe Gearbox can beat its previous record and build one piece of 20-hour DLC in just 2 hours.Maybe.
2K Games' PAX East lineup includes playable Borderlands 2
Borderlands 2 may not hit store shelves until mid September, but that doesn't mean you have to wait until then to play it. All you have to do is spend several hundred dollars on last-minute travel and hotel accommodations for next week's PAX East convention in Boston, and you too can get your randomly generated little hands on all that cel-shaded goodness.The demo, playable at 2K's booth, will feature the Siren and Gunzerker character types and will take place in two zones, "Caustic Caverns" and "Pandora Park." XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Civilization 5: Gods and Kings and Spec Ops: The Line will also be present and accounted for, but only Spec Ops: The Line and Borderlands 2 will be openly playable.
Claptrap wants to whisper sweet Borderlands 2 PC specs to you, baby
Borderlands 2 features a PC-specific UI, FOV slider, remappable keybindings for keyboard and mouse, complete Steamworks support, and more. That's all gathered from Claptrap's love letter to future players. Turns out Claptrap has a broader range of emotion than many people we've met in our very popular lives, showing humor, determination, lust, compassion and now -- possibly our favorite -- romance. We're a sucker for roses, candles, compliments and software upgrades.Gearbox has decided to reveal its innermost PC features in this gushy love letter from Claptrap, detailing the things that many players were upset to find missing in the PC version of the first Borderlands, as listed below:
Borderlands 2 brings the best of all worlds to Pandora, devs say [Update]
Borderlands 2 is a hybridized beast of mechanics, play styles and audience potentials, all wrapped up in one cel-shaded package (now with green!). The sequel builds upon feedback from 2009's Borderlands, tweaking many aspects of single-player mode, streamlining co-op skill sets and building new character designs, writer Anthony Burch and concept designer Scott Kester from Gearbox told Joystiq.One of the most prevalent changes players will notice in Borderlands 2 is the skill-tree functionality in co-op mode. Instead of simply beating down enemies separately but at the same time, as often happened in Borderlands, there will be more synergy between each character's abilities, Kester and Burch said.For example, the Siren's phaselock abilities have been fine-tuned to include the "sweet release" kill skill, which insta-heals every member of her party if she kills an enemy frozen in phaselock. Additionally, the Assassin can execute enemies in the Siren's phaselock relatively easily with his melee or sniping moves, and the Commando will be able to throw down a bubble shield to protect the entire team. The Gunzerker is nuanced as well, including a skill that ramps up the power in the last shot of his gun's magazine, and if an enemy is killed with an excess amount of force, the extra points are converted to health. He can also dual-wield any weapon, which is awesome for everyone. Except the guys he's shooting at.
Borderlands 2 out September 18 in North America, September 21 elsewhere
Borderlands 2 will be out in North America on September 18, and internationally on September 21. That date might be enough incentive for you to pre-order -- it's so far away, and you might forget! -- but 2K offered initial incentive, in the form of the "Premiere Club."Premiere Club members will get a unique "Gearbox Gun Pack," a "Golden Key" item to unlock something in the Golden Sanctuary Loot Chest, and the "Vault Hunter's Relic." These are all in-game items, by the way. 2K didn't really build a "Golden Sanctuary" and send out keys to it.
Gearbox reveals its new real-world Lilith model for Borderlands 2
After an exhaustive process of ... asking people to send in headshots and come to auditions, Gearbox has found its real-world Lilith analog for Borderlands 2 promotional events. Witness Australian model Yasemin Arslan's transformation into the Borderlands character, including creepy contact lenses, in the above video. Next up: auditions for a real-life Claptrap.
Borderlands 2 Gunzerker profiled, Siren gameplay will be 'very, very different'
We saw the new Gunzerker class in the Borderlands 2 teaser trailer released way back in August, and Gearbox has shared a little more information about just how the gun-wielding brute will work. The class is a dual-wielder of weapons, but can only bring out two guns for a limited amount of time, which means you'll have to make tough decisions about which guns to pull out and when. Combine an electric machine gun with a flaming shotgun to drop shields and do flame damage? Sure, why not! There are three skill trees in the class: One has skills like "Yippe Ki Yay," which extend your berzerk mode when you make a kill. The second is more of a tank tree, with abilities that boost your heath and offer a taunt to drive enemies to attack you (instead of weaker teammates). Finally, there's a tree called "Gun Lust" that seems targeted more towards solo play, with vampiric attacks and special skills available, like one that grants more damage to the last bullet in a clip, or another that provides extra shots with no ammo cost. Gearbox has also confirmed that the Siren class will return to the game, but says it won't necessarily be a phasewalker like last time. Instead, the gameplay will be "very, very different and very, very new," according to lead writer Anthony Burch. That sounds ... ominous, no? Maybe she'll take a tip from the Dragonborn and have some singing attacks.
Gearbox seeks live-action Lilith
Borderlands 2 developer Gearbox is seeking a real-life Lilith. The person hired will appear in the game as the "live action version of the character," and there are additional opportunities to participate in promotional events and trade shows. We pity the actress in advance for the latter. This isn't a contest, it's a contract job opportunity. The actress/model will be paid $1,000 per day of shooting, with a guaranteed minimum of one day of work. Interested applicants can either submit a headshot photo (of their face, not of one committed in Borderlands) by email or attend one of the cattle ca..., er, open casting calls being held in Dallas, TX, during the first two weeks of December.
Gearbox to move HQ to new $61 million building in Frisco, TX
Randy Pitchford's Gearbox Software (currently working on Borderlands 2) has entered into a lease for a 61,000 square foot space in Dallas, Texas, part of a new $61 million "mixed-use" space called Frisco Square that will also host other businesses, "220 apartments, 50,000 square feet of retail space and an 800-space parking garage," according to the Dallas Business Journal. The project is scheduled to break ground sometime next year, and will be done in 2013 if things go as planned. At that time, Gearbox is scheduled to move its headquarters from about 15 miles away in Plano, TX to Frisco. A developer for the project says that Gearbox is "the straw stirring the drink" in development, with various other businesses showing interest in space after the initial deal. That's all fine and good, but we just hope there's a nice penthouse. Duke can't be expected to move in somewhere without a fully-stocked penthouse!
