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Borderlands 2 DLC and bumped level cap coming this fall
Borderlands 2 will get a new DLC pack this fall, Gearbox announced at PAX Australia. The Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack 2 will include the Digistruct Peak Challenge map and 11 levels. It also comes with a bumped level cap of 72, all for about $5. According to OXM, studio head Randy Pitchford said "two or three" additional "Headhunter Packs" for Borderlands 2 are also on the way, starting with T.K. Baha's Bloody Harvest, which sees the return of Borderlands character T.K. Baha, if the title didn't indicate as much. None of said DLC is included in the Season Pass, but is expected to launch by Halloween.
Aliens: Colonial Marines trophies reveal extended campaign DLC
A new set of unlockable trophies has surfaced for the PlayStation 3 version of Gearbox Software's Aliens: Colonial Marines, hinting at the imminent release of a new batch of downloadable content. Judging from its trophy descriptions, the "Stasis Interrupted" downloadable content offers a new single-player campaign, with trophies available for story progression and audio log collecting. Stasis Interrupted will likely premiere as the last of four add-on content packs promised by the Aliens: Colonial Marines Season Pass, following up on the previously released Reconnaissance Pack, Movie Map Pack, and Bug Hunt Pack. Speaking with the Nerdist podcast recently, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford revealed that the company will cease development for current consoles once it has completed its DLC plans for Colonial Marines and Borderlands 2. Pitchford also hints that a new IP is in development at Gearbox, which the company will officially announce "sometime later."
Borderlands 2 'Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep' DLC review: Roll for initiative, suckas
Borderlands 2's Tiny Tina has got some bizarre quirks and qualities a vocal few openly denounce, but she's memorable in a way so few women in games are. All that, and she's still a little girl. The frenetic little firecracker is a bundle of energy, so it makes perfect sense that she should host a game of Bunkers & Badasses, an obvious parody of Dungeons & Dragons. In "Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep," your go-to Vault Hunter rolls for initiative with Lilith, Brick, and Mordecai as part of the very first play session ever sanctioned. The final piece of Borderlands 2 DLC serves up a hilarious send-up of nerd culture sprinkled with nods to D&D, marinated in Tiny Tina's peculiar blend of humor. Fast-traveling to the Unassuming Docks of Little Importance, we find our heroes embarking on their first role-playing adventure while a certain "Hyperion informant" is roughed up downstairs. After a brief interlude, the stage is set (by Bunker Master Tina of course) at Flamerock Refuse – a "nice place until the Handsome Sorcerer messed it up." The rainbow etched across the sky in this land of make-believe you're suddenly transported to doesn't exactly reflect an air of desolation, so Tina rectifies her mistake by instantly changing the scenery to something more eerie and hopeless, music included. It's immediately obvious this scenario is a meta look at playing dungeon master and the way a D&D narrative can be altered so hastily. From then on, you're exploring the entire imaginary landscape on Tina's terms, which results in some giggle-worthy location names and terrain altering, as well as a bundle of surprises.%Gallery-189391%
3D Realms sues Gearbox over unpaid Duke Nukem royalties, Gearbox responds
3D Realms has filed suit against Gearbox Software, claiming unpaid royalties for the 2011 multiplatform release of Duke Nukem Forever. Gearbox took over and resumed development of Duke Nukem Forever in 2009, eventually completing the project that 3D Realms had spent nearly 15 years developing. 3D Realms now seeks to recover over $2 million, claiming that Gearbox blocked an independent audit attempting to document the company's royalty earnings from Duke Nukem Forever. The lawsuit filing, discovered by Duke4.net member "Green," notes that Gearbox agreed to pay off a $2.9 million loan that 3D Realms owed to an unnamed company, as part of its purchasing agreement for the rights to Duke Nukem Forever and the follow-up project, Duke Begins. 3D Realms alleges that Gearbox refused to pay out royalties until the cost of this loan is recouped, violating the terms of the agreement. Responding to Joystiq's request for comment, Gearbox VP of Marketing Steve Gibson said, "The reality is that Apogee / 3D Realms (3DR) received the full benefit of its bargain. Gearbox, in its fulfillment of its commitments, enriched 3DR, saved 3DR from its debts and rescued 3DR from its litigation surrounding its failed dozen-plus year attempt to ship Duke Nukem Forever." "Everyone wished that 3DR's game was better received by the market for the benefit of gamers and profit to its creators," Gibson continued. "While 3DR might not wish the reality that the results make clear, 3DR turned out to be the only beneficiary of the deal. Gearbox Software, meanwhile, experienced damage to its credibility and loss of its money. "It's unfortunate that 3DR did not abide by the the objective audit rules outlined in the agreement and even more unfortunate that it chose to blame its failures on Gearbox. Since 3DR seems unable to accept reality and has chosen to become hostile, Gearbox is forced to bring its actual claims of breach of contract against 3DR and is confident Gearbox will prevail. "Perhaps the lesson learned here is to never enter a gaming business deal with a person who has had more lawsuits than shipped games."
Borderlands 2 'Krieg' short is the shiniest meat bicycle
We feel for Krieg, the recently introduced sixth vault hunter in Borderlands 2. His calm inner voice fights to be heard, while his psychotic outer voice screams things like "I'm the conductor of the poop train!" This short has its funny moments, but it's also quite sad. While Krieg's already available, Borderlands 2 is due another piece of DLC in the form of Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon's Keep. That arrives on June 25 for 800 MSP/$10.
PSA: Borderlands 2's playable Krieg the Psycho available today
Borderlands 2's sixth vault hunter, Krieg the Psycho Bandit, is now available across Xbox 360, PS3 and PC for $10. The latest playable character is not part of the Borderlands 2 Season Pass, so don't go thinking grabbing that will net the psycho. Gearbox covered Krieg's skill tree during PAX East, which features more melee and fire upgrades. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick mentioned during a recent investor call Borderlands 2 has shipped over 6 million units and "remains on track to become the highest selling release in the history of 2K."
Next Borderlands 2 DLC is 'Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep,' coming June 25
Coming DLC for Borderlands 2 will be called "Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep." It will launch on June 25 as the fourth pack included in the game's Season Pass, or for $10 (800 MSP) standalone, Gearbox confirmed to Joystiq. The name of the fourth DLC pack was leaked today in a now-deleted tweet from Gearbox writer Anthony Burch, a screen of which was saved by Stealthy Box. Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep features Tiny Tina herself as the host of a board game.
Sega and Gearbox targeted in Aliens: Colonial Marines lawsuit
Gearbox Software and Sega have both been named in a class action lawsuit alleging that the two companies knowingly misrepresented Aliens: Colonial Marines in trade show demos. After the game was released to negative reviews, some players and critics claimed the game's trailers and demonstrations didn't match up to the final product. The lawsuit's plaintiff, Damion Perrine, and the law firm of Edelson LLC have decided to take the matter to court for consumers. The suit cites a tweet from Gearbox head Randy Pitchford, who called initial complaints over the delta between demo and final game "understood and fair." The legal action also suggests demos were misleadingly labeled as "actual gameplay," and that Sega embargoed press reviews until the early morning of Colonial Marines' release date, preventing early buyers from discovering the differences. Accordingly, the suit asks for class action damages for anyone who pre-ordered the game or bought it on release day. The next step in a class action suit like this will be for the courts to certify the class. Unless Sega and Gearbox fight for a settlement right away, Edelson will next need to figure out how many players were mislead in the way described in the lawsuit. Once determined, the class will be notified of the suit, and the case can move forward.
Homeworld intellectual property purchased by Gearbox Software
Gearbox Software, best known for the Borderlands series, has purchased the rights to the Homeworld intellectual property during the recent THQ back catalog auction round.Gearbox Chief Creative Officer Brian Martel has "great love and respect for Relic's brilliant, fun and innovative game and personally spearheaded the acquisition," according to a studio statement.The company's subspace communication continues: "Brian intends as first priority to direct Gearbox's interest to preserve and assemble the purest form of the original acclaimed and beloved games, Homeworld and Homeworld 2, with the intent of making them accessible on today's leading digital platforms."The Homeworld series was originally developed by Relic Entertainment, which was purchased by Sega during a previous round of the THQ bankruptcy auctions.It is unclear at this time if Sega bid on Homeworld. We do know that Galactic Civilization developer and Sins of a Solar Empire publisher Stardock was in the running. CEO Brad Wardell tweeted us, "I'm surprised. I was wondering who had outbid us. It'll be interesting to see what they do with it. As long as I get [Homeworld 3]!"
Aliens: Colonial Marines for Wii U 'no longer in development'
The Wii U version of Aliens: Colonial Marines is game overed, man."Sega can confirm that the Wii U SKU of Aliens: Colonial Marines is no longer in development," a company representative has informed Joystiq.Discomfort over the game's heartbeat rose this week after the title missed its first quarter launch window and publisher Sega was unable to confirm an updated status. Aliens: Colonial Marines currently stands as one of the worst-reviewed games of the year.
Aliens: Colonial Marines for Wii U misses launch window, Sega declines comment
The Wii U version of Aliens: Colonial Marines missed its first quarter launch window at the designated retail rendezvous point and its fate is currently in question. Gamespot asked Sega yesterday if there was a new debut date for the year's highest profile disaster (you're welcome, SimCity) for the Nintendo console and the publisher responded, "Still no comment on ACM, sorry!"Gamespot notes this is the third time the publisher has refused a status update and Demiurge, the developer tasked with the Wii U version, isn't talking. Randy Pitchford, CEO of Gearbox Software (which put its name on the box for the other console versions), was also unsure last month if the Wii U version was coming out, noting it was Sega's decision.
Sega Europe acknowledges Aliens: Colonial Marines trailers didn't reflect final content
Sega Europe will alter its deceptive trailers of Aliens: Colonial Marines in the UK to acknowledge the difference between promotion and final product. GI.biz reports a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority in the UK by a Reddit user triggered Sega to make amends in order to avoid a formal investigation."Sega Europe acknowledged your objection that the trailers did not accurately reflect the final content of the game," Niall McVeigh, complaints executive at the Advertising Standards Authority wrote. "[Sega] agreed to add a disclaimer, both on their website and in all relevant YouTube videos, which explains that the trailers depict footage of the demo versions of the game. The disclaimer will be visible when each online trailer is played."According to the ASA website, the organization received four complaints. It's widely known now that Sega and developer Gearbox Software misled the press and public with inaccurate demonstrations of Aliens: Colonial Marines for years. The game currently stands as one of the worst reviewed titles of 2013.
Borderlands 2 level cap raise available now for a fee
Borderlands 2's "Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade Pack" is available now for $5 (400 Microsoft Points) on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. For those with the Borderlands 2 Season Pass, this piece of DLC is included in the bundle.The new pack increases the level cap from 50 to 61, unlocks new game ++ with the "Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode" and adds the pearlescent-colored weapons tier. The pearlescent tier is the rarest in the game, which we guess makes it epically uber?Borderlands 2 is slowly wrapping up its downloadable content with the (not season pass eligible) Psycho Pack this May and a final piece of campaign DLC expected in June.
Gearbox details the evolution of the playable Borderlands cast
During a panel at the SXSW Interactive Festival, Gearbox franchise director Matt Armstrong and Borderlands lead character designer Jonathan Hemingway provided a behind the scenes look at how the developer evolved its playable characters from faceless archetypes to its four-person killing crew.Each character was originally conceived to give players a point of comparison to other genres or game franchises. The accessible and easy to use "Doom Guy" focused on giving classic shooter fans their familiar FPS fix; the tactical shooter archetype focused on delivering more strategic options, like in Metal Gear or Splinter Cell; and a world manipulator character concept wanted to give gamers a James Bond-like, gadget-focused killer.Eventually, these original concepts – crudely drawn in shapes – evolved into the four playable characters featured in Borderlands.
Gearbox reveals next Borderlands 2 DLC includes a new vault hunter [Update]
During a panel at SXSW, Borderlands 2 developer Gearbox has revealed a new vault hunter is coming to its RPG-fueled first-person shooter."Deep beneath Pandora, an experiment has escaped," a teaser for the DLC announced, revealing a silhouette of the new character decimating enemies. "Bandits beware, a new vault hunter is coming. More mayhem awaits."Details for the second add-on character were scarce, much like the Pandora wasteland; however, the teaser (which you can view above) leads us to believe the new character is melee-focused. Gearbox franchise director Matt Armstrong wouldn't reveal the exact release for the DLC during the panel but added, "DLC is announced on a very tight schedule, and I don't think you'll have to wait long until you see that character."Update: Gearbox has clarified to Joystiq that the upcoming DLC character is not included as part of the Borderlands 2 Season Pass. The story above has been edited.
Aliens: Colonial Marines storms this week's UK charts
Disaster or no, Aliens: Colonial Marines is still a big enough name to not only take top spot ahead of Dead Space 3 in the UK charts this week, but to become the country's biggest new release of 2013 so far - a stat perhaps scarier than anything in the game itself.Dead Space 3 is in second place this week after a 57 percent drop in sales, while the traditional mid-term holiday bump - sales rose 39 percent overall from last week - sees Assassin's Creed 3 and Halo 4 re-enter the top ten at sixth and tenth respectively.Ni no Kuni and DmC: Devil May Cry suffered big drops last week, and both continue their descents this time around. Ni no Kuni's third week in Europe sees it tumble to 25th, while after five weeks DmC almost leaves the top 40 altogether, coming in at 39th.
Metareview: Aliens: Colonial Marines
Get away from this game, you @#%$!. Our review of Gearbox's Aliens: Colonial Marines found it "devoid of any redeeming qualities whatsoever." Let's find out how others felt. EGM (90/100): "On an express elevator to otherworldly awesomeness."meanwhile, everyone else... OXM UK (60/100): "It needed to offer intense combat against an unstoppable force, deft storytelling that matched the cinematic flair of the films, and some new ideas that could have rejuvenated an overexposed franchise. It needed, in short, to be a better game." Edge (50/100): "Colonial Marines feels stiff, shallow and dated. First announced for a 2008 release before the Aliens franchise machine prioritized other projects, it feels like more work has been retained from that initial production period than either Gearbox or Sega would care to admit. " Game Informer (40/100): "Take away the Aliens license, and you've got a shooter that has no reason to exist. It would be like stripping the terraforming from Fracture or playing Inversion without its gravity-defying gimmick. At its best, it's barely mediocre." Eurogamer (30/100): "It's shocking stuff, certainly one of the most glitchy mainstream releases of this hardware generation, and the sort of thing that would barely pass muster as a low budget game from 2002."
Aliens Colonial Marines review: Bore to the corps
Aliens: Colonial Marines seems like a product developed over a series of Friday afternoons. You know, those long days where passion felt throughout the rest of the week has dissolved and all that's left are the moments you count off in your head as the clock inches toward closing time.Though my tongue is planted firmly in cheek as I describe Gearbox's development schedule, Aliens: Colonial Marines showcases the monstrous pendulum that swings between the quality of the products released by the Texas studio. Whatever magic Gearbox pours into the Borderlands series, it isn't to be found here, and despite being blessed with a franchise practically tailor-made for a video game adaptation, Aliens: Colonial Marines is devoid of any redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Aliens: Colonial Marines 'Bug Hunt' DLC coming in March, more on the way
Aliens: Colonial Marines will receive four add-on packs starting with the launch of the Bug Hunt DLC in March. Bug Hunt has players cooperatively taking on waves of enemies in three new maps. The other three content packs, a mixture of campaign and multiplayer DLC, will be available by the end of August.All four of the DLC packs will be available individually and for Season Pass holders, which Sega confirmed is "a $29.99 / 2400 Microsoft Point bundle that offers a savings of almost 40% over buying the content individually." The Season Pass can be bought on Steam right now for $27, and will make its way to Xbox 360 and PS3 in the near future.
Borderlands Legends update opens a loot chest full of new mechanics and features
Borderlands Legends has received quite the hefty update and is now compatible with iPhone 5 and iPad Mini. The most significant changes are enhanced controls and path-finding for the Vault Hunters, gun loot drops, new enemy types, miniboss encounters, plus Game Center support.2K Games has also added a Sniper mode for Mordecai, where players can pinpoint a specific enemy in the game for him to let loose a high-damage shot at. In addition, players will find "enhanced visual effects," rare Eridian weaponry to obsess over and new night maps to shoot their way through.In celebration of the update, Borderlands Legends is on sale for $.99 on both iPhone and iPad for a limited time – sorry, no universal app here.
