randy-pitchford
Latest
Gearbox: Aliens Colonial Marines was announced before development started
Despite first being announced by publisher Sega in 2006, development on Aliens: Colonial Marines didn't begin at Gearbox until after the title was revealed to the world."Everyone was just so excited that the deal got done," Gearbox President Randy Pitchford told Joystiq at a recent event for the title. "20th Century Fox, Gearbox and Sega all had to agree to do this and commit themselves to it. The fact that that deal even existed -- everyone on the business side was so excited that the deal happened that they just wanted to tell the world. So before we even started on the game they announced the deal."Because the announcement was made so long ago, many gamers feel the game has been taking an exceptionally long time to come out. "I think there have been a couple of things that have kind of created that feeling. One thing is that it was announced before we were even started. Another thing is that there was an [Alien] RPG game in development by Obsidian which was canceled. And I think when that happened we hadn't even really shown this game or talked about it yet, so that created some confusion of, 'Wait, what was canceled?'"%Gallery-152245%
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!
Duke Nukem Forever becomes a big Mac game in August
"With sales data, it seems like *customers* love Duke. I guess sometimes we want greasy hamburgers instead of caviar..." - Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford If Pitchford is right, the upcoming Mac version of Duke Nukem Forever, being readied for August by Aspyr Media, may require a marketing strategy for different tastes. A Hunch survey published a few months ago suggested that Mac users are 80 percent more likely than PC owners to be vegetarian. Before you spit out your San Pellegrino Limonata at the mere thought of playing Duke's repeatedly reheated entree on your Mac, let Aspyr President Michael Rogers remind you of the game's pedigree ingredients. "Duke Nukem Forever represents many of the best aspects of gaming: shooting aliens, saving ladies in distress, and great tag-lines," he says. "We think Mac gamers will love taking a bite of Duke's special pain cake." Well, if pain cake is anything like garrote cake, it's as vegi-friendly as it is deadly.
The many hats of Demiurge Studios
Shoot Many Robots is Boston-based Demiurge Studios' first original game, and my hands-on with it at GDC was the first time that anyone at the developer ever gave a press demo. Studio head Albert Reed was, unsurprisingly, excited to delve into the studio's origins. "We got our start doing mods for Unreal Tournament. It was me and two other college buddies doing mods in the frickin' computer cluster at Carnegie Mellon. I'm not kidding!" Reed told me before showing off Shoot Many Robots last week. "Then one thing lead to another and those companies that were licensing Unreal Engine started hiring us," Reed added humbly. It turns out that the folks hiring Demiurge were developers like Gearbox Software, Irrational Games, BioWare, and Harmonix. "We did some work on the first level -- the lighthouse and that sort of descent into Rapture," Reed told me, casually explaining that his studio clandestinely assisted with one of gaming's most iconic openings: the beginning of BioShock.
Duke Nukem Forever being completed as 3D Realms envisioned
Standing in the back room of a Las Vegas strip club -- which sounds far more seedy and sexy than it actually was -- Gearbox president Randy Pitchford detailed for us the once and future Duke Nukem Forever and how the studio's primary goal for the game is fulfilling the vision set forth by defunct developer 3D Realms. "I bought the [Duke Nukem] brand," Pitchford said. "I'll have plenty of time to do my own thing and try to start over, take Duke in whatever direction I want." For now, he wants Forever to be what 3D Realms was working to finish after almost 14 years of development. "What's important is that we get to play the game we've been waiting for all this time."
Get some Duke Nukem Forever on May 3, 2011 [update]
It will have taken over a decade to get here, but we can finally, definitively tell you that Duke Nukem Forever may really, actually launch on May 3 in North America, followed by its worldwide release on May 6. Game Informer exclusively revealed the launch date alongside cheeky remarks from Gearbox Software prez Randy Pitchford, who humbly characterized his company's experience with the project as "inconceivable, incorrigible and inspiring." 2K Games head Christoph Hartmann was equally excited, exclaiming, "The moment fans all over the world have been waiting for is almost here ... His return is going to be epic and one that will make video gaming history!" And we tend to agree -- DNF will be that rare game that's impressive simply for being released. Heck, we haven't felt that way about a game since Gran Turismo 5. Update: Catch the new trailer after the break. Update 2: Whoops! Looks like Gearbox spoke too soon and the Duke won't be arriving on May 3 after all.
Duke Nukem Forever interview: An end in sight
Duke Nukem Forever might actually be completed and released -- but like most everyone, I won't be convinced until the final product is in my hands. During a recent press event, I played through the same demo we saw at PAX and spoke with 2K Games senior producer Melissa Miller, who did her best to reassure me that the game might actually, maybe, seriously come out. "It's really amazing when you think about it, because these guys -- along with everybody else -- thought Duke Nukem was dead," Miller recalled of one of the current developers, Triptych Games, which was founded by nine ex-members of 3D Realms. "And they were a group that just said, 'No, we're not gonna let this stop.'"
Pitchford: Duke Nukem Forever demo an 'important thing to do'
So you weren't at PAX last weekend, and didn't play Duke Nukem Forever? Well, then you probably agree with Gearbox's Randy Pitchford when he says that a playable demo for the mythical title is probably "an important thing to do." That's not a confirmation but, now that the cat's out of the bag, the company will start investigating ways to effectively market the game. Putting a demo in the hands of a skeptical audience is a good start, if PAX is any indication. If you missed it, you might still think of Duke Nukem Forever as vaporware, and remain convinced that Gearbox told PAX attendees that "it would be really funny" if they all pretended the game was playable. Wouldn't it be nice to lay your extremely paranoid fears to rest?
Gearbox discusses Aliens: Colonial Marines, Brothers in Arms, secret Pitchford-directed title, and more
During today's Gearbox Software panel, the developer took the opportunity to assuage concerns that new franchises like Borderlands and Duke Nukem are siphoning away time from its previous projects, like the Brothers in Arms series or the announced-in-2009-and-still-invisible Aliens: Colonial Marines. Pitchford even commented on one of the studio's three unannounced projects. "We're not announcing anything today, but we want to tell you guys that we really care about this franchise a lot," Gearbox co-founder Brian Martel said. "It's something we created and it really means a lot to us. It's not just a game about the combat. It's about the soldiers in the war. We'll deal with Baker and his men in future games for sure." So while they're not confirming that a Brothers in Arms game is in development currently, they are confirming that one will be at some point. But Martel did give us an idea of what we might expect from a future BiA offering: "But we also may do some other things that maybe treat the game in some different ways and take some different directions." So, modern warfare then? Pitchford then jumped in, agreeing. "It was our first original IP. So we'll be taking care of that one." Further confirming that a Brothers in Arms game is possibly in production, Pitchford said, " We've got a lot of action right now, but we're not ready quite yet to bring it out. We want to make sure we know we've got it right before we tell you what we're doing."
'We bought Duke Nukem.' Franchise rights transferred from 3D Realms to Gearbox
Just two days after revealing its stewardship of the Duke Nukem Forever title at PAX, Gearbox Software just revealed that it has actually purchased the Duke Nukem brand. Gearbox president Randy Pitchford told an audience at PAX this afternoon that they're not just making sure Duke Nukem Forever makes it to store shelves, but they've actually purchased the entire Duke Nukem IP. "We actually bought the brand," Pitchford told fans. "We bought Duke Nukem." A press release timed to go out with the announcement has some more information. Here's the big picture quote: "Gearbox Software announced today that it has acquired the full intellectual property rights of the 'Duke Nukem' brand including Duke Nukem Forever and all future projects in a cooperative deal made with 3D Realms." Even more interesting: "The first product to be available under the Duke Nukem brand will be the long awaited Duke Nukem Forever." Naturally, if they're buying the brand you can imagine DNF won't be the last game to feature the Duke. Pitchford made a point to say that Alan Blum, the creator of the Duke Nukem franchise, is now with Gearbox. "He's on the 10th floor with his team," he said. He also wanted to explain that this franchise couldn't simply have been purchased by anyone. "I didn't buy it from [3D Realms]," Pitchford said. "They sold it to me." In the press release, 3D Realms' Scott Miller said, "Gearbox was handpicked as the new home for Duke Nukem because of their continued passion, commitment and long-time heritage with the brand and 3D Realms." So, Duke Begins then?
Free Borderlands update will raise level cap, rebalance main game
We've got bad news and good news. First, the bad news: The new Borderlands DLC pack – that's Claptrap's New Robot Revolution – won't include the two most requested features. Those would be a new level cap and a rebalancing of the main game to accomodate the new level cap. And neither of those will be included with the latest DLC. Now the good news: They are being included in a free update for the game across all three platforms, Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford told a live PAX audience that his studio resisted making it a part of a DLC pack since, if they included those features, "you'd have to buy every previous DLC" to get access to said features. So, instead, Pitchford said they were going to release a "free update to Borderlands that will both rebalance the original game around the level cap and increase the level cap for everyone." But Pitchford said the studio still struggled with how high to raise it. On the one hand, Gearbox didn't want to match the 11-point upgrade that many people paid for with the "General Knox" DLC, but on the other the devs didn't want it to be too low, like 5-points. Instead, they came up with another number. "With the current level cap at 61," Pitchford teased, "we realized if we added 8 levels ... " The audience groans. So the new level cap is 69 and it will be released sometime around the October 12th Borderlands Game of the Year Edition release.
Pitchford explains the Duke shirt that predates Duke Nukem Forever
Come get some background on Randy Pitchford's back-in-fashion Duke Nukem shirt, seen above: "I moved to Texas and became a professional game maker to join Allen Blum, he created Duke Nukem 3D," the Gearbox co-founder told an audience at PAX. "He and Todd Replogle in Southern California, freaking invented this whole damned thing. And I moved out to Texas to join him and George Broussard and Scott Miller, and all the guys on the team, so that I could be part of Duke Nukem 3D. Because I wanted to add to that. I thought it was awesome; it was really fun and I wanted to be part of that team. "This t-shirt I'm wearing, George gave me this t-shirt in 1996," Pitchford continued, now speaking as part of the team that now hopes to complete Duke Nukem Forever. "And we've been waiting for this game ever since. Guys like Alan didn't want to let the Duke dream die. They've worked their butts off all this time making great stuff." [Image credit: Mikey Neumann, Gearbox creative director; via Twitter]
Rumor: Duke Nukem Forever being completed by Gearbox
According to unnamed sources speaking with Kotaku and "claiming to have knowledge of the situation," development on Duke Nukem Forever is continuing -- until completion -- with Borderlands developer Gearbox Software. Stranger still, the sources also claim that a "playable demo" will be distributed at some point "later this year." While Take-Two confirmed that it retains the rights to DNF, it didn't offer any comment on the matter. Gearbox head Randy Pitchford couldn't say anything either, but did note that he might be able to "better clarify the situation" at this year's PAX Prime. Duke Nukem creator George Broussard declined to comment as well. Although this is most certainly a "rumor" for now, we'd still like to wish Gearbox the best of luck over the next 15 years.
Pitchford: Leaked Borderlands DLC details like 'reading a draft of a script'
Gearbox Software President Randy Pitchford isn't denying leaked details about the company's upcoming Borderlands DLC, but he has said that the notes don't give the full picture. Speaking to IGN, Pitchford explains that the details are like "reading a draft of a script for a movie that hasn't even been announced yet." He expressed that people might learn something by reading it, but "it's not the real thing and it could just drive you crazy thinking about it." Officially, a representative for publisher 2K Games says it plans to make an announcement about upcoming Borderlands content "in the very near future." Gearbox tells us it has no comment on the situation as it is "still getting some things sorted out." Hopefully, those announcements will include all the DLC expansions ("The Secret Armory of General Knoxx," "Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot" and "The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned.") being put in one "Game of the Year" edition. [Thanks, Conor]
Borderlands sells 3 million units; Pitchford discusses Gearbox hiring policy, Gamertag
Gearbox head Randy Pitchford delivered some claptrap at DICE today, saying that Borderlands has sold 3 million units globally. A good sign for 2009's fastest-selling original IP, which may not have generated the most revenue, but it's apparently starting off 2010 with good momentum. And with a third DLC pack on the way, The Secret Armory of General Knoxx, it appears Borderlands may welcome even more travelers. As DICE is a business conference, Pitchford was also quite open about what's important to Gearbox as a studio -- he also shared his Gamertag ("DuvalMagic"). He shared components of what he thinks are important to the company's employees, like aggressive profit sharing, milestone bonuses and discretionary merit based rewards. He also mentioned a crass, but wise, tenet of the studio's hiring process: "No drama, no dicks, no douchebags."
Pitchford attributes Borderlands success to targeting the 'current gamer'
If you haven't been paying attention to the end-of-year NPD reports, it may surprise you to learn that Gearbox's multiplayer shooter slash RPG, Borderlands, performed quite well in the gruesome 2009 gaming sales arena. How did it manage this feat? Well, we'd attribute it to the game's massive stockpile of collectible weaponry, which we found to be black tar heroin-esque in its addictiveness. However, Gearbox president Randy Pitchford chalks it up to choosing hardcore gamers as the title's target audience. "Perhaps Borderlands can be a lesson for all of us -- that when making a videogame, we should not be afraid to identify gamers as the audience," Pitchford said in a recent interview with IGN. "I wonder if too frequently publishers and developers are so caught up with going after new, untapped audiences that they can forget to care for the largest, most loyal and reliable audience there is -- the current gamer," he added. Well, there go our hopes for a Facebook-based Borderlands gem-swapping casual puzzler.
Borderlands PC DRM loyally guards street date; Pitchford unable to order stand-down
Isn't this what we all feared would happen when the machines took over? Even the boss's hands are tied in the curious case of consumers legally purchasing copies of Borderlands for PC, only to be barred from playing until the game's official street date, October 26, which is six days later than the console release. On publisher 2K Games' forums, the conspiracy theory abounds -- it's a tactic to boost console sales! -- but the obvious conclusion is that the digital rights management (DRM) technology in place to "protect" the game's release date unnecessarily punishes consumers.Big Download contacted Randy Pitchford, president of Borderlands development studio Gearbox Software, who said, "I don't know if something can be done to unlock copies for people that somehow get a copy before the street date ... I certainly can't do anything about it." Pitchford's sympathetic, of course -- which reminds him of, ugh, Valve's Half-Life 2 DRM -- but as a developer there's not much he can do once the game's been handed over to the publisher and surrounded by unflinching DRM."I know how that feels," Pitchford related. "I'm sorry it's happening to customers of Borderlands, and I wish there was something I could do about it."
Devs show Steam love as Pitchford defends his criticism
Just under two weeks ago, Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford let out his less than pleasant feelings regarding digital distribution platform Steam and its owner, Valve Software. Today, Ars Techinca posted a rundown of developers from World of Goo's 2D Boy to Sam & Max's Telltale Games who all feel ... the exact opposite of Pitchford. "If this is exploitation, more please," Audiosurf creator Dylan Fitterer said.According to Telltale CTO Kevin Bruner, "Steam may be one the greatest things to happen recently ... we put Steam as one of the A-list distribution channels; up there with XBLA and WiiWare." The praise doesn't stop there -- Ars points out that it was unable to find even one developer who would "admit to feeling exploited" by Valve's business practices concerning Steam. We reached out to Pitchford, who told us, "As a gamer, I love Valve ... as a customer, I love Steam." He clarified, "From an industry perspective, Steam would be even better off if it were a separate company ... trust issues that result from conflict of interest could be mitigated." To Pitchford, it's a question of appearances rather than actual impropriety. "It's just perception within segments of the publishing and development community that, I guess, no one is really talking about."We've posted Pitchford's entire (and quite lengthy) response after the break. Hopefully we're not alone in hoping everyone will just hug it out.
Randy Pitchford on Steam: 'Valve is taking a larger share than it should'
Randy Pitchford has a thing for making headlines. Referring to the hugely popular Steam digital distribution platform, the Gearbox boss recently told Maximum PC "I don't trust Valve." Having started his company making Half-Life expansions, Pitchford quickly couched that statement saying, "I, personally, trust Valve. But I'm just saying, honestly, I think a lot of the industry doesn't." Of course, the idea that an independent video game developer would perceive one of the most successful digital distribution platforms for PC games in existence being controlled by essentially a competitor as troubling is ... well, it's enormously understandable. The question then is, why haven't more developers spoken out? While Apple's iTunes Music Store regularly gathers plenty of music industry grumping, Steam has coasted by on a wave of industry support. The solution? Says Pitchford, "It would be much better if Steam was its own business." If Valve spun off the content delivery system, it would also remove the perceived conflict of interest Pitchford takes umbrage with. "Steam helps us as customers, but it's also a money grab, and Valve is exploiting a lot of people in a way that's not totally fair," Pitchford says. "Valve is taking a larger share than it should for the service it's providing. It's exploiting a lot of small guys." Yeah. We expect to hear more on this all week long.
Pitchford: Easy Achievements boost sales by up to 40,000 units
We knew that there was contingency of Xbox 360 owners who place a remarkable amount of importance on their largely unimportant Gamerscore -- however, a recent Official Xbox Magazine interview with Gearbox president Randy Pitchford has got us worried about our fellow man. According to Pitchford, developers who tweak their game's Achievements to make them a tad easier to obtain can boost sales of said game "by something like 10 and 40 thousand units." Yes, Pitchford claims that there are 10 to 40 thousand people out there who purchase games based on their capacity to bolster their e-peen. That represents around $2.4 million being spent on making an inconsequential number slightly larger. Our faith in humanity wasn't just shaken by Pitchford's report -- it was absolutely obliterated. We're gonna go watch Rudy a few times until that faith is restored. [Image]
