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Tackle 'Son of the Crawmerax' in final Borderlands 2 DLC
Developer Gearbox Software has released its final piece of Borderlands 2 DLC. Headhunter 5: Sir Hammerlock Versus the Son of the Crawmerax is available now via Steam, PlayStation Network and the Xbox Live Marketplace for $2.99. The content sends players to Wam Bam Island to partake in the largest Headhunter DLC mission released, according to a 2K blog post. "At the end of your adventure, you will battle a foe that may look familiar – Crawmerax Jr., the son of the great crab worm from The Secret Armory of General Knoxx add-on from the original Borderlands." The content now shelves the Borderlands sequel, giving developer Gearbox ample time to focus its efforts on the next installment of the game: Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. Successfully completing the Headhunter 5: Sir Hammerlock Versus the Son of the Crawmerax DLC (boy, that's a mouthful) will allow players to wear a shrunken version of the final enemy's head like a hat. If swanky travel duds are more of an incentive, each character will net a beach-themed skin as part of the content. Taking on Handsome Jack in an "Aloha shirt"? Say no more. [Image: Gearbox]
Gearbox reveals Homeworld Collector's Edition Mothership statue
A Homeworld Remastered Collector's Edition is prepping for landing, developer Gearbox announced at its PAX East 2014 panel today. The special edition will include, among other things, a replica statue based on the game's Mothership, pictured above. The figure stands at more than 12 inches tall, is USB-powered, and lights up. Gearbox polled fans last month asking what they'd like to see in a Collector's Edition, and it looks like people chose "big spaceship." Can't say we blame them. [Image: Sierra Entertainment]
You might hate Claptrap in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and Gearbox is fine with that
Claptrap as seen in the original Borderlands The next Borderlands isn't Borderlands 3, and it's not being developed by Gearbox. As we learned earlier this week, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (read our preview!) bridges the gap between Borderlands and Borderlands 2, it's only on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC, and development has been handed to 2K Australia. Oh, and it's set on the moon. Placing Borderlands with a new studio and introducing a new setting offered up a chance to reinvigorate the series, says 2K Australia general manager Tony Lawrence. "We had an opportunity to make it fresh. We sat down with these guys from Gearbox Software, talked about where it would be and who the characters would be, and what the fans would really like. The moon was something that came up quite a bit. So that was it: to the moon." The lunar environment naturally lends itself to The Pre-Sequel's headline features like low gravity and the necessity of oxygen. The Pre-Sequel also introduces the ability to freeze and shatter enemies with ice weapons. And, of course, it has new playable characters. That includes allowing players to play as Claptrap for the first time, something that could be equal parts amusement and annoyance – but we'll get to that in a moment.
Butt-stomp the moon in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
Borderlands is in the wonderful business of providing goods and guns to insatiable looters. Dubbed the best-selling game in publisher 2K's history, Borderlands 2 refines a gaming bear trap of Diablo-esque questing and shooting, sending up to four friends across the craggy planet of Pandora in search of treasure, weapons and mightier bosses to topple. It's the perfect platform for more, more, more, and Gearbox Software has delivered big and small expansions breathlessly. Some level of self-awareness has always pervaded Borderland's sense of humor, but the title of the newest game, developed in collaboration between 2K Australia and Gearbox, is the strongest instance of it yet. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! – exclamation and all – is a laughing deflection of whatever criticisms you might have in the quiver. It's not quite as big as Borderlands 2, no. It's not rethinking the franchise. It's the same engine on the same ol' Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. It's filling in the backstory between games. But, y'know, it's not like Randy Pitchford's been calling it Borderlands 3! (He hasn't, honest.) I get the sense that fans are still getting more than the game's pre-emptive modesty implies, and that even a basic plan of "more Borderlands" grew into something slightly more ambitious. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel takes players to the low-gravity environment of the moon and the Hyperion space base that's watched over them on Pandora, and it finally lets them see things (and shoot things) as a short, eccentric robot – Claptrap.
Gamespy's multiplayer servers are going dark, be prepared
Even if you've only played a handful games with online multiplayer in the past dozen years, chances are that at least a few of your sessions have been powered by Gamespy's back-end tech. On May 31st, the company is shutting down its servers for good, and as a result, a bunch of games are losing their online capabilities. For console games, that largely amounts to multiplayer. For certain PC titles though, that also includes authentication servers for CD keys -- losing those means losing access to the game itself. You probably weren't playing most of what Gamespy's listed anymore (WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2009 on PS3, anyone?), though, and a good deal of what's there are somewhat obscure Wii, DS and PC titles. There are, however, high-profile stand-outs: most anything from Rockstar Games and Activision, or the PS3 version of Borderlands and the hardcore military-sim (and basis for DayZ) ARMA series, for instance.
3D Realms responds to Gearbox, claims it owns Duke Nukem trademark
3D Realms isn't backing down from its most recent legal dispute with Gearbox, after the studio asserted it has the rights to develop its Duke Nukem game, and more than that, it has the sole rights to the Duke Nukem trademark. Following 3D Realms' tease of Duke Nukem: Mass Destruction, Gearbox announced it's suing the developer over unauthorized use of the Duke Nukem property and a violation of trademarks. In its complaint, Gearbox said 3D Realms sold the franchise rights to Gearbox in 2010 but then "sought to privately convince others that the sale never happened." 3D Realms filed its response to Gearbox last week, and the now Interceptor-owned studio provided Polygon with the following statement explaining its position: "On March 17, 2014, 3D Realms filed its answer to the complaint by Gearbox Software in Dallas, Texas. 3DR denies all allegations set forth in the complaint. In its answer, 3DR has submitted evidence showing that Gearbox at no point intended to enter into good faith negotiations but instead sought to force former owners, Scott Miller and George Broussard, to improperly surrender what rightfully belonged to 3DR. "It is our position that 3DR retains the right to develop the tentatively titled "Duke Nukem Survivor" game for specific platforms. This game was previously licensed for development to Interceptor Entertainment. Furthermore, it is our position that the Trademark for "Duke Nukem" was never assigned to Gearbox, but remains the sole property of 3DR." A spokesperson for Interceptor Entertainment explained "Duke Nukem Survivor" is the tentative title for Duke Nukem: Mass Destruction. Interceptor provided its own statement to Polygon, adding that "It's unfortunate that Gearbox has shown no intention of finding a peaceful solution with us. We will however continue to work towards a solution." Last month's legal action comes five months after 3D Realms and Gearbox's last dispute. 3D Realms filed a lawsuit against Gearbox in June 2013 over unpaid royalties from Duke Nukem Forever, only to withdraw it three months later after reviewing the evidence. [Image: Interceptor Entertainment]
3D Realms acquired by Rise of the Triad developer
Interceptor Entertainment, developer of the 2013 Rise of the Triad reboot, has acquired Apogee Software, who in turn owns the 3D Realms brand and formerly owned the Duke Nukem IP. The news was first reported by Danish newspaper Borsen, and confirmed on Twitter by Interceptor CEO Frederik Schreiber. Apogee/3D Realms recently became embroiled in a legal battle with Gearbox Software, the current owners of Duke. It's not clear how the acquisition will impact the ongoing legal battle, but Schreiber noted that Interceptor will have an official statement tomorrow. [Image: Apogee]
Interceptor CEO on Duke Nukem case: We 'acted in good faith'
Interceptor CEO Frederik Schreiber has acknowledged yesterday's surprise lawsuit between Gearbox Software, the current license holder of the Duke Nukem franchise, and 3D Realms and Interceptor, the two studios currently collaborating on top-down shooter Duke Nukem: Mass Destruction. "We are aware of the lawsuit against 3D Realms and Interceptor," Interceptor CEO Frederik Schreiber told Game Informer. "It's an unfortunate situation, but we have acted in good faith and are working towards a resolution." 3D Realms has yet to comment on the situation. The Duke Nukem license was purchased by Gearbox in 2010. Yesterday's filing claims 3D Realms "sought to privately convince others that the sale never happened." This isn't the first time Gearbox and 3D Realms have gotten into a legal kerfuffle. After Gearbox purchased the Duke Nukem license and shipped Duke Nukem: Forever, 3D Realms sued over alleged unpaid royalties. A few months later, 3D Realms offered a public apology and dismissed the lawsuit. [Image: Gearbox]
Gearbox suing 3D Realms, Interceptor for 'unauthorized' Duke Nukem use
Gearbox Software filed a lawsuit against 3D Realms (3DR) and Interceptor Entertainment, accusing the studios of unauthorized use of the Duke Nukem property and alleging violation of trademarks held by Gearbox. The lawsuit points to 3D Realms' recent reveal of Duke Nukem: Mass Destruction, which features a teaser site with a timer counting down to February 25. "Apparently, after selling its Duke Nukem IP rights to Gearbox in 2010, 3DR sought to privately convince others that the sale never happened," the complaint reads. "The result is the unauthorized development effort that reportedly exists between 3DR and Interceptor." Among the documents filed in the suit is a breach statement issued by Gearbox stating that 3D Realms infringed on Gearbox's intellectual property in addition to a statement signed by 3D Realms CEO Scott Miller and Duke Nukem co-creator George Broussard that acknowledged the infringement. In a statement filed to Joystiq, Gearbox Software said, "As the filing shows, 3DR's wrongdoing is both admitted and unfortunate for everyone who cares about Duke Nukem." 3D Realms filed a lawsuit against Gearbox in June 2013 for alleged unpaid royalties for Duke Nukem Forever, and later issued a public apology and withdrawal of the lawsuit in September 2013. Gearbox took over the development of the game in September 2010 in addition to acquiring the rights to the brand from 3D Realms. [Image: Gearbox Software]
Tales from the Borderlands SXSW panel presents first details in March
Telltale Games will share its first Tales from the Borderlands details at an upcoming SXSW 2014 panel, the studio announced this week. Attending Telltale Games representatives include president Kevin Bruner and designer Harrison Pink. Gearbox president Randy Pitchford, Borderlands series director Matthew Armstrong, and Borderlands 2 writer Anthony Burch will also attend, presenting new insight into the game's creation and fielding audience queries in a Q&A session afterward. The panel runs from 5:30 through 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, at the Palmer Events Center in Austin, Texas. [Image: Telltale Games]
Love is a battlefield in Borderlands 2 Valentine's DLC
Borderlands 2 continues its pattern of holiday-styled Headhunter packs with "Mad Moxxi and the Wedding Day Massacre," and the DLC is due to hit all platforms next week on February 11, with the usual exception of PSN in Europe which gets it the day after. It's priced $3 in North America, and £2.39/3 euros across the ocean. The Valentine's-themed update sees the hatted hostess Moxxi bring back the Innuendo Bot 5000 to try and make two rival clans go all lovey-dovey for each other. If only love was that simple, and not hilariously violent as it'll likely prove in the DLC. According to 2K Games Community Manager Joveth Gonzales, Borderlands 2 is so overflowing with DLC that it's getting to a point where "technical limitations" may make it impossible to add any more – and, you know, maybe 2K and Gearbox could move on after that. That won't happen until April at least, as the fifth and final Headhunter DLC is due then – we're not taking bets on an Easter theme. [Image: Gearbox]
Borderlands 2 adding colorblind mode
Color plays a big part in the vivid world of Borderlands 2, particularly in its loot system, so it makes sense Gearbox is adding a colorblind mode to its shooter. In an extensive post that goes into what colorblindness is and what can be done to help players who suffer with it, programmer Jeff Broome said the mode is coming to all platforms, with more info on its release "in the near future." Like many loot-heavy games, Borderlands 2 uses colors to distinguish the rarity of the items spread across its wasteland. That color shines out from loot in a beam, and it features on their descriptions in the title. For colorblind players, distinguishing those different colors from one another is problematic, so Gearbox is modifying them to make them more identifiable, as well as denoting the color in text on the descriptions. It's a shame it wasn't there when the game shipped - it it had, Gearbox would've been able to apply i to just one side of a split-screen, rather than the whole screen. Still, it's good it is being added, and that Gearbox has gone to the lengths of letting players specify different types of colorblindness; when toggling the mode, players can select Deuteranopia, Prtoanopia, or Tritanopia.
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Rumor: Vita to shoot and loot Borderlands 2 in March [Update: 2K says Nope]
The long-discussed Vita port of Borderlands 2 may be due on March 18, at least according to a now deleted tweet by publisher 2K Games, which we've screen-capped above. It was posted by the @2KInternational account this morning and then deleted shortly after. It's worth noting 2K International covers the publisher's activity outside of the US, so even if the tweet is accurate, it might not reflect the release date in the States. As PlayStation Lifestyle reported in December, it's a date that's popped up before, that time on a NewEgg listing - that said, NewEgg lists the game currently for April 15. We've reached out to 2K Games for comment. Looking back, it feels like the Vita port was as much in the limelight as the action-RPG shooter itself, after Gearbox received countless questions about the handheld venture it seemed so keen on. Thankfully, 2K Games and Sony put an end to the seemingly endless discussion by announcing it at Sony's Gamescom conference, and unveiling Divekick studio Iron Galaxy as its developer. Update: Via the @2KInternational account, 2K Games said the March 18 date is incorrect. "We apologize for a tweet about a release date for Borderlands 2 on Vita which was posted in error. The release date mentioned is incorrect," reads the 2K tweet.
Bethesda, 2K Games $30 bundles: Skyrim & BioShock Infinite, Dishonored & Borderlands 2
Bethesda is palling up with 2K Games on an Elder Scrolls/BioShock bundle again, this time for BioShock Infinite and Skyrim. It's not the only cross-pub bundle on the way; there's also one for Dishonored and Borderlands 2. Both bundles are priced $30 and are due to arrive on February 11. It may seem a bit of an unusual union, but there's precedent: The two publishers teamed up on an "Award Winning Combo" bundle for Oblivion and the original BioShock back in 2009. We've reached out to Bethesda to find out more details, including which editions of the various games are being included. Update: A Bethesda spokesperson told Joystiq each game is the base edition, with no DLC bundled in. Also, the bundles are on PS3 and Xbox 360, and for North America only.
Borderlands 2 mobile app turns QR codes into absurd in-game armaments (update: how it works!)
Borderlands 2 is attempting the Herculean task of exciting people about QR codes. With its new LootTheWorld mobile app, Gearbox Software (Borderlands, Brothers in Arms and, er, Aliens: Colonial Marine) is turning any barcode or QR square into in-game gear like acid-burst armor or a flame-spewing sniper rifle with a 12x zoom scope. Whether you bought the game last year or just downloaded it for free from the PlayStation Store, this app could be one of the more useful mobile companions on your phone. Perhaps best of all, it's free and available right now from iTunes and Google Play. We've reached out to Gearbox for info on how the loot is determined and will update this post if we hear back. You should hurry along though; Mercenary Day is almost upon us. Update: Gearbox got back to us about how the app determines what gear comes from the scans. The loot is totally random (just like it is in the game proper), but there's a twist: Once you scan a product UPC or a QR code, the generated item is forever tied to that item. For instance, if you get a rocket launcher that does ice damage from a box of Honey Nut Cheerios, everyone who scans the cereal will get it. Gearbox's Adam Fletcher tells us this was designed so you could tell your friends where to find wacky kit in the real world. When we asked how the loot distribution worked, Fletcher assured us it was totally random and not tied to a real-world product's price. "A small box of paper clips could mean a legendary and your 50-inch Samsung [TV] may not," he said.
Inferno Legend begins closed beta on December 10th
Chinese developer Gamebox announced that its upcoming "reverse Diablo" MMO Inferno Legend will be going into closed beta testing on December 10th. The company said that it was inspired by the movie Avatar in the creation of Inferno Legend's air island world. Players will explore these islands brick by hexagonal brick, finding out what's on each when they step on them. The unpredictability that each brick brings, from a battle event to a treasure boon, is what Gearbox hopes will intrigue players. Inferno Legend has five classes: Vampire, Cyclops, Ghost Knight, Fairy, and Mummy. Battles take their visual cues from the comic books, and there's a demon summoning system that gives alternate skills and buffs for players foolish enough to toy with the underworld. You can check out the preview video of Inferno Legend after the break. [Source: Gamebox press release]
Borderlands 2 'Headhunter 2: Wattle Gobbler' DLC lands in November
The second Headhunter DLC pack for Borderlands 2 drops in November and is a warbled mess to say out loud: "Headhunter 2: Wattle Gobbler." The launch window popped up in Take-Two Interactive's financials for Q2 2014. The Headhunter DLC series kicked off this month with TK Baha's Bloody Harvest, which we ran through – screaming (with laughter) – in a live stream last week. The Headhunter trials are self-contained missions each with a unique boss whose head you get to keep and wear once he's slain. TK Baha's Bloody Harvest costs $3 and went live on Steam, Xbox 360 and PS3 on October 22. With a name like Wattle Gobbler, we're hoping the second Headhunter pack has something to do with giant, mutant turkeys and guns that shoot carving knives.
Borderlands 2 new Halloween-themed DLC available Oct. 22
Borderlands 2's "headhunter" series begins with a trip to hollow out a Pumpkin Kingpin's head for your Vault Hunter to wear. The downloadable content with the Thanksgiving mouthful of a name, "Headhunter 1: TK Baha's Bloody Harvest," will be available on Steam, Mac, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on October 22. Each headhunter installment will culminate with Vault Hunters fighting a "rather unique" boss and then taking their head to wear. It's far less creepy than that Hannibal Lecter image you've got in your head. This first installment concludes with a trip to the Pumpkin Kingpin's pumpkin patch to claim his orange melon. Are pumpkins melons? Too early to Wiki it. The DLC is priced at $2.99 and can be completed "in a single sitting," according to 2K Games. In keeping with the spirit of Halloween, there will also be pieces of candy from enemy drops that provide temporary buffs. Oooo, piece of candy. Ooo, piece of candy...
Shoot things in Borderlands 2 for a chance at winning loot, cash prizes
Borderlands 2's upcoming Loot Hunt competition will give you a shot at earning in-game and real-life prizes as you mow down the inhabitants of Pandora. Once players register at the event's site, they can enter themselves in the raffle by hunting Daily Targets within the game starting on October 11. The prize pool will include loot chests filled with Nvidia Shield and Falcon Northwest Tiki PC combos, Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 Ti GFX cards, PlayStation Vitas with copies of Borderlands 2 Vita (once it's released), and lifetime passes to everything 2K ever has and will put out on Steam. One player will also win $50,000 in cash while four others earn scaled amounts from a second pool of $50,000. If you don't win a physical prize, you'll still have a collective chance with other players at "unique in-game loot" by completing the loot hunt's Community Goals. The event's site describes these as daily campaigns of genocide against "a special type of enemy with that day's unique gun." If enough are slaughtered in the name of personal benefit, those involved will earn a special gun at the end of the week. Only players in the US are eligible for the physical rewards, but the in-game rewards will be available to vault hunters worldwide.
3DRealms drops lawsuit against Gearbox over Duke Nukem Forever royalties
There's been a lot of fallout from the Duke Nukem Forever launch in 2011, and not just from critics -- 3DRealms sued Gearbox earlier this year for allegedly skimping on royalties until it paid off a loan. All that's now water under the bridge, as 3DRealms has dismissed its lawsuit. The game developer's Scott Miller describes the suit as a "misunderstanding;" Gearbox is in the clear following an evidence review, he says. The dismissal may not patch things up with gamers, but it shows that industry disputes don't always have to reach a bitter conclusion. Read 3DRealms' full statement after the break.
