But Gearbox Software—hoo, boy.
This privately held game studio has been part of the 2K Games publishing family since 2009, with the launch of the incredibly successful Borderlands franchise. 2K put a lot of weight behind the launch of Gearbox’s big 2016 game, Battleborn, but the publisher will probably best remember Battleborn as a giant tax write-off. 2K needed a successful shooter after its major 2015 shooter, Turtle Rock’s Evolve, tanked hugely. But Battleborn may have actually done worse than Evolve, especially since it launched in the giant shadow of a similar and far superior team shooting game.
Given the flat-lined response to Battleborn, Gearbox needed a good product to follow it up. Instead, the company pushed out two lackluster remasters. The first, a 20th anniversary edition of Duke Nukem 3D, may not have cracked the 50,000 unit-sales mark since launching in October on consoles and PC (this conservative estimate relies on a SteamSpy estimate of 10,000 sales on PC, so its total sales could be even lower). That will be followed in January with a remaster of the 2011 shooter Bulletstorm—to be sold at a crazy-high price point of $60 with very little in the way of new content.
Unless Gearbox knows something that I don’t about this pricing strategy, I expect anemic Bulletstorm sales to force some tough decisions at Gearbox HQ. These will rattle the company through the rest of 2017, especially if 2K Games decides to cut its losses in terms of its Gearbox publishing arrangement.
RedEye9 wrote on Jan 1, 2017, 13:57:
Holy shit. If Twitter goes under, how will the President of the United States provide administrative updates to the entire nation? And don't say "press conferences", because that involves talking to actual live *people* who can ask questions.
JayDeath wrote on Dec 31, 2016, 07:55:Because WW2 was done to death.
Why did they abandon the Brothers in Arms IP? Those games were so much fun.
mellis wrote on Dec 30, 2016, 19:43:Beamer wrote on Dec 30, 2016, 18:23:descender wrote on Dec 30, 2016, 14:36:
This list is so very "ARS"... YikYak? Who cares about a failed social media site that was never actually successful?
Then they blast twitter for the fact that it's users are uncontrollable and leaving the service for SnapChat. Doesn't this (hopefully) mean that Snapchat (running on the same failing business model) is now going to be flooded with the same uncontrollable user base that scares away investors and run themselves out of business as well? Shouldn't they make the list?
How does this list not start with Sprint?!
I'm bored.
No. Snapchat has a path to profitability, my company will soon be paying them tons, as will our competitors, but it also makes random interaction with those jerk consumers near impossible. They're eyeballs, not voices.
Your company will be paying Snapchat oodles of cash for what exactly?
Tjold wrote on Dec 30, 2016, 20:50:NetHead wrote on Dec 30, 2016, 18:57:That article... what the hell? Randy Pitchford, what is wrong with you?
As for Gearbox these days, only positive thing to say is Borderlands though not universally positive. Everything else to say about them or Randy Pitchford is negative.
Oh course lets not forget every time that name comes up, seems like there's a compulsion to lie
https://www.engadget.com/2009/08/17/whats-in-a-name-gearbox-software/
NetHead wrote on Dec 30, 2016, 18:57:That article... what the hell? Randy Pitchford, what is wrong with you?
As for Gearbox these days, only positive thing to say is Borderlands though not universally positive. Everything else to say about them or Randy Pitchford is negative.
Oh course lets not forget every time that name comes up, seems like there's a compulsion to lie
https://www.engadget.com/2009/08/17/whats-in-a-name-gearbox-software/
Beamer wrote on Dec 30, 2016, 18:23:descender wrote on Dec 30, 2016, 14:36:
This list is so very "ARS"... YikYak? Who cares about a failed social media site that was never actually successful?
Then they blast twitter for the fact that it's users are uncontrollable and leaving the service for SnapChat. Doesn't this (hopefully) mean that Snapchat (running on the same failing business model) is now going to be flooded with the same uncontrollable user base that scares away investors and run themselves out of business as well? Shouldn't they make the list?
How does this list not start with Sprint?!
I'm bored.
No. Snapchat has a path to profitability, my company will soon be paying them tons, as will our competitors, but it also makes random interaction with those jerk consumers near impossible. They're eyeballs, not voices.
Wallshadows wrote on Dec 30, 2016, 13:25:
Borderlands feels more like a fluke than anything and they lost the writer who really made it that much more amazing.
Playing the tiniest violin for Randy Shitford right now.
Acleacius wrote on Dec 30, 2016, 13:23:
Never played borderlands because it was gearbox. The only respect I've ever had for gearbox was from Opposing Force and Blue Force, which was all lost after halo.
Creston wrote on Dec 30, 2016, 12:44:
I agree with the skepticism for the insane decisions of a Duke Nukem re-release and charging an absolutely hilarious $60 for an HD remake of a game that nobody bought the first time around, but Gearbox is working on Borderlands 3 (by their own admission), and they and 2K know that it will sell millions and millions of copies, plus many more millions of DLCs.
They're going nowhere.
That said, after Borderlands 2, they've done Aliens:CM, Battleborn, Duke Nukem Forever, Duke 3d re-release, Borderlands pre-sequel and a Bulletstorm re-release. That's five pretty bad releases and one so-so release in a row. They really need to hit it out of the park with Borderlands 3, and I think that means more than just making four new characters with essentially the same set of powers and some new maps.
nin wrote on Dec 30, 2016, 12:53:Borderlands pre-sequel
That was a different studio, wasn't it?
Outside of BL2, I'd say their track record is abysmal.
descender wrote on Dec 30, 2016, 14:36:
This list is so very "ARS"... YikYak? Who cares about a failed social media site that was never actually successful?
Then they blast twitter for the fact that it's users are uncontrollable and leaving the service for SnapChat. Doesn't this (hopefully) mean that Snapchat (running on the same failing business model) is now going to be flooded with the same uncontrollable user base that scares away investors and run themselves out of business as well? Shouldn't they make the list?
How does this list not start with Sprint?!
I'm bored.
maddog wrote on Dec 30, 2016, 16:27:
Wish they would go back to the Brothers in Arms series. Would love a four man squad shooter set in one of the many locales of WW2.