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Borderlands 2 hack can 'sabotage' characters through Xbox Live, Gearbox warns [Update: patch incoming]
While PS3 and PC owners can sleep soundly at night knowing that their Borderlands 2 characters are safe from the nefarious plots of evil men, Xbox 360 owners are not afforded such a luxury."Users have begun violating the Xbox Live Code of Conduct by using an external application to maliciously disrupt the experience and sabotage characters of legitimate Borderlands 2 players on Xbox 360," Gearbox Studios community manager Chris Faylor said in a post on the developer's official forums.While Gearbox and its "partners" work to resolve the Xbox-specific issue, it recommends avoiding public games with unknown players for the time being. Additionally, players should always Save & Quit before returning to the dashboard or powering down their Xbox, and if you find yourself kicked back to the main menu after death, select "Continue" immediately.What destruction is actually involved in the exploit's sabotage is uncertain – anecdotal accounts on the forum report everything from wiped character progress to entirely deleted characters. We've reached out to Gearbox for clarification and will update with any new information we receive.Update: Gearbox has informed us that a patch to exterminate the exploit has been submitted to Microsoft for approval and will be released "as soon as possible."[Thanks, Justin!]
Hit List Q&A: Randy Pitchford, Gearbox Software President
In the "Hit List" from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the video game industry's top talents describe their current gaming addictions, their most anticipated releases and more. This week: Gearbox Software President Randy Pitchford. A note from the AIAS:Randy Pitchford is co-founder, owner and President of Gearbox Software. Randy served as Executive Producer and in creative and development capacities in the creation of Gearbox Software's award winning, best-selling original franchises Brothers in Arms and Borderlands. Under Randy's leadership, Gearbox Software has also developed a string of hits with sequels, expansions, and original games for many of the industry's most credible franchises and in 2010 acquired Duke Nukem to add to its stable of properties. Before the launch of Borderlands 2 on September 18, 2012, Gearbox Software games have sold over 30 million units earning more than $1 billion in gross revenues.What many do not know is that prior to game development, Randy was a professional magician. In his forthcoming 2013 D.I.C.E. Summit session titled "Video Games Are Magic," Randy will explore how the lessons of magical performance apply to our industry. Along the way, he'll demonstrate and expose specific techniques, methods and ideas from magic that illustrate how the art of illusion has a lot in common with the art of interactive entertainment and leave his audience with tools that are useful and applicable from the executive level to the design level of our craft.
'Borderlands Legends' is an action-RPG iOS game, available Oct. 31
The Borderlands franchise will make its portable gaming debut on Wednesday, October 31, when Borderlands Legends launches on iPhone and iPad for $4.99 and $6.99, respectively. Rather than furthering the series' FPS heritage, however, Legends instead opts for an isometric action-RPG take on murdering people and then stealing from them.Familiar inventory management and skill tree systems return, though the rest of the experience is reportedly an entirely new, touch-based affair, according to 2K Games' announcement. Based on what we've seen in the gallery below, we're inclined to believe this ain't your mother's Borderlands. %Gallery-169067%
Borderlands Legends will 'blow your mind' on iPhone & iPad this month
Borderlands Legends is an iPad and iPhone game releasing later this month. Gearbox Forums user Ownzilla spotted the above advert for the iOS game in the Borderlands 2 digital strategy guide.Despite the details and screenshots in the advert, it's unclear exactly how Legends plays. What it features for certain are the four playable characters from the first Borderlands, character-specific abilities and powers unlocked by levelling up, plenty of weapons, a "strategic cover system," and a 'Fight for your life' mode which likely ties in to its namesake in Borderlands 2. And since there's mention of "in-game cash", surprise surprise, in-app purchases are likely to feature too.The advert includes no release details beyond Borderlands Legends arriving in October. We've reached out to Gearbox for more info.
Captain Scarlett hails Mr. Bubbles in Borderlands 2 'Pirate Booty' DLC
There's an interesting easter egg in the new Borderlands 2 DLC, Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty. The iconic Big Daddy (AKA Mr. Bubbles) from the BioShock series makes an appearance at some point in the add-on adventure and – well, we don't want to ruin it for you. In the interest of spoilers, we've embedded the video showing off the Pandora version of everyone's favorite child social worker past the break.
PSA: Borderlands 2's 'Captain Scarlett' DLC out today
Borderlands 2's first downloadable expansion, Captain Scarlett and her Pirate's Booty, will be available at some point today for Xbox 360, PC and PS3. The expansion adds the sandy Pirate Bay area, the town of Oasis, new enemies and, of course, more loot.Captain Scarlett is the first of four downloadable expansions for the hit game, which sold 1.4 million copies in the US during its debut month, and is priced at $9.99 (800 Microsoft Points) There's also the Borderlands 2 Season Pass, which includes all four pieces of DLC as they become available for $29.99. Now, vault hunters, will you answer the call of booty?%Gallery-168131%
Gearbox boss on an industry inching toward the 'holodeck'
Despite striking gold, once again, with the Borderlands series, Gearbox isn't sitting back to watch accolades and sales numbers pile up. Having recently released Borderlands 2, the Texas-based team now turns to focus on supporting that game with additional content, and on completing the team's next high-profile project, Aliens: Colonial Marines.During the 2012 New York Comic Con, Gearbox Software President Randy Pitchford was on hand to help promote the narrative sequel to the classic mid-80s film; a game that has finally settled on a firm February 2013 release date for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (with a Wii U version planned later).In keeping with Gearbox's forward-looking plans, Joystiq asked Pitchford what his team wants the next-generation Xbox and PlayStation to include. What hardware does Gearbox need?"Imagine the spectrum of what's possible in the computing world," Pitchford dared us, asking to then pick a sweet spot between price point and computational power. Unlike the response we got from the Frostbite engine crafters at DICE, Pitchford stepped away from naming exact specifications; however, he suggested the next generation would come about from smarter, strategic partnerships across the development community.
Borderlands 2 Mechromancer trailer shows off your early skills
Sure, most of you have already downloaded Gaige the Mechromancer, the fifth playable character in Borderlands 2, but she was supposed to launch tomorrow. All that play time you already clocked with her? We hope you cherished it, because it was special – Early Bird special.
Borderlands 2's Captain Scarlett DLC lands on October 16 [update: gallery]
The first Borderlands 2 downloadable expansion, Captain Scarlett and her Pirate's Booty, is landing next week on October 16. Associated Press reports the DLC is set in a new area which features the bandit-occupied slums of Oasis. Gearbox Software president Randy Pitchford described the area as a dried-up landscape "more like Tatooine than an ocean." The Sand Skiff vehicle Pitchford discussed last month also features in the expansion, along with a new currency called "seraph crystals."Captain Scarlett is the first of four downloadable expansions Gearbox is releasing for Borderlands 2, each priced at $9.99. The Borderlands 2 Season Pass makes all four pieces of DLC accessible when they release for $29.99. We've reached out to Gearbox for more information on the upcoming DLC.Update: Gearbox sends some hi-res images of the DLC, including the Sand Skiff after the break. Keep heading on and you'll find a gallery, which also has some box art.
Borderlands 2 Captain Scarlett and her Pirate's Booty DLC outed
The first downloadable expansion for Borderlands 2 is titled 'Captain Scarlett and her Pirate's Booty', according to the game's updated trophy list. PS3Trophies noticed three extra Captain Scarlett trophies added to the game via yesterday's title update.The three trophies are for completing the "X Marks the Spot" mission, discovering all named locations in Oasis and the surrounding Pirate's Booty areas, and completing all Pirate's Booty side missions. This, along with information drawn from the game's PC source files by Gearbox forum users, suggests the DLC introduces new areas.We've reached out to Gearbox for further information on the DLC, and we'll update you as soon as we know more. Until then, this was the voice of the Mysterons, and as ever we know that you can hear us.
Borderlands 2's Mechromancer prepares for the Eden-5 Youth Science Fair
Gaige, the plucky Mechromancer in Borderlands 2, has some stiff competition at this year's Eden-5 Youth Science Fair. In a missive to her near-dozen subscribers, Gaige describes her prototype for the fair, Project DT: a mechanized drone designed to hunt down bullies and pulverize 'em.
Borderlands 2 bug wipes Badass ranks, chievos, across all platforms
So there's this bug in Borderlands 2. It wipes out players' Badass Ranks, golden keys, heads and skins with no chance of redemption, at times lowering stats to unplayable levels. The bug affects Xbox 360, PS3 and PC versions of Borderlands 2 and it doesn't appear to follow a pattern of attack.The bug, viewable in the above video, doesn't reset any of the challenges it erases, meaning players can't go back and try to complete them again. A 300-response thread on the official Gearbox forums chronicles players who have encountered the bug, though Gearbox Community Manager Chris Faylor says it is a "fairly rare" occurrence."Thanks for all the reports and specific details, folks," Faylor writes in the forum. "Our engineers are looking into this, and the information you've provided has proven to be a great resource while we investigate. At the moment, it seems to be a fairly rare issue and we'll keep you updated on when we resolve it."So far one piece of advice in the forum tells players who log in to find wiped Badass Ranks or achievements to immediately quit the game and boot it back up.We've reached out to Gearbox for more information about the bug and any potential fixes.[Thanks to everyone who sent in this tip!]
Borderlands 2 gets its first level 50 vault hunter in 43 hours
It's been a week since the launch of Borderlands 2, and though most players probably have a couple character builds by now, it only took 43 hours for the first player in the world to reach level 50. Noted streamer Matt Siegfried credits himself as being the fastest gamer to reach level 50, having played for 43 hours and 15 minutes nonstop since picking up Borderlands 2 at a midnight launch.The video above documents Siegfried's milestone, so you probably don't want to watch it if you've yet to finish Borderlands 2 or want to play it at some point in your life. You have been warned!
Borderlands 2 will have 'non-season pass' DLC, Pitchford promises
Borderlands 2 is getting four confirmed slices of DLC as part of the Season Pass, but it has even more planned, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford tells Kotaku. We already know about one piece of additional non-Season Pass content, the Mechromancer."We will have other, non-season pass related DLC," Pitchford says. "The additional character (Mechromancer) is one kind of example."We've heard rumblings of themes for future Borderlands 2 DLC: One may be an expansion on the weapons manufacturer Torgue, and another might involve Sand Skiff-like transportation. Pitchford reiterates a vehicle-focused DLC approach."Since we finished the game, we've started with some new ideas that we expect will show up in DLC," Pitchford says. "Some new vehicle types are on-deck – awesome stuff."All of the Season Pass DLC packs will be "big," similar to the third expansion for the original Borderlands, The Secret Armory of General Knoxx. Knoxx raised the level cap, added 30 new enemy types, new weapons, new vehicles and improved the AI."The stuff we're planning and working on for the Campaign DLC Season Pass is big DLC stuff – more like Knoxx," Pitchford says. "We're extremely far along with the first campaign DLC. The second DLC is also in amazing shape. The third DLC is a little farther out and the fourth DLC is just in the pre-concept stages."
Borderlands 2 'Torgue' expansion turns up on The Workshop resumes
Borderlands 2 promises four bits of DLC by June, and one of those may very well be based on the game's Torgue weapons manufacturer. A "Torgue" expansion is listed on a few resumes from The Workshop Entertainment, the studio behind PS3 Move's Sorcery, as spotted by Superannuation.A level designer lists the Torgue expansion for Borderlands 2 on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC and a former senior level designer (through August 2012) lists "unannounced DLC" for those three platforms. Superannuation notes a current animator also includes the Torgue DLC listing on his resume, but that has since been taken offline.Another Workshop level designer describes one piece of unannounced DLC as an "expansion for a highly successful triple-A FPS," and with more than 10 hours of gameplay.
Check out this Minecraft easter egg in Borderlands 2
This video shows you how to reach a hidden Minecraft-inspired area in Borderlands 2, which includes Creepers and familiar blocks just begging to be broken. Be warned: the video includes minor spoilers for the game (and a lot of awesome).
Borderlands 2 region-locked in Russia, players speak out
Steam versions of Borderlands 2 are region-locked to Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Ukraine, Lithuania and Estonia, meaning players with the RU version will be unable to play online with anyone outside of these areas. Many people in these regions pre-ordered Borderlands 2 without receiving any indication that they would get a different version, and on the eve of the game's launch they're taking their case to Reddit, Gearbox and publishers 2K Games and 1C.Reddit member K900_ has compiled a list of grievances and attempts to solve the issue:These potential players are unable to pre-load Borderlands 2 and it is unclear if the game will support multiple languages, or if it will only be in Russian. Since many people in countries outside of Russia don't speak Russian, this further complicates the issue. DLC may not work on the RU version of Borderlands 2, as those who pre-ordered the Season Pass are unable to activate it. Players paid full price for the game.2K Games is in charge of any region-locking and responded to one inquiry with the following message: "All users with a Russian IP address that are attempting to purchase and play the game will be restricted to the RU version of the game. This version of the game will only be compatible with other RU versions of the game, meaning you will only be able to play online with other Russian IP players. We deeply apologize for any and all inconvenience this issue may cause."Boxed versions of Borderlands 2 appear to not be region-locked, even though they are compatible with Steam.2K responds to these problems on its own forum, apologizing for not providing region-lock information during the pre-sale and discussing possible refunds:"2K Games and 1C are aware that digital distribution pages for the Russian, CIS and Baltic states versions of Borderlands 2 contained incorrect information regarding the language and cross territory compatibility support. We apologize that this information was incorrect during the pre-sale and pre-order period for these territories. We are working with our partners to update those pages, and offer any customers who pre-ordered or pre-purchased the game the opportunity to cancel their order and receive a refund."Additionally, we are working with our product development teams to investigate potential support for additional languages and options for our customers in these territories. While this was and is not possible for launch, we will provide an update this week on our progress."
Borderlands 2 review: Non-trivial loot pursuit
Borderlands 2 caters to a primal part of the brain, where violence is the answer to everything and fat loot is the worthwhile reward. Gearbox Software's second effort shows a more learned approach that doesn't languish, and sets a breakneck pace from the opening moments of the game.%Gallery-161206%
Borderlands 2: every enemy in one image
Borderlands 2 has around 300 enemies, and they're all in the image below, which we assume was torturously sketched, lined and colored by a Gearbox marketing artist. Borderlands 2 drops tomorrow, so click to make the pic bigger and study up.
Borderlands 2's handsome launch trailer
Borderlands 2 won't be available until tomorrow, despite what its trailer released this morning wants you to believe, which means there's still time to get the Mecromancer DLC as a bonus with pre-order.
