borderlands

Borderlands behind-the-scenes development titbits revealed

December 4th, 2009 at 04:54am Under Uncategorized

Game Informer has posted up a great list of things you may not have known about Borderlands, what went into making it, and how certain elements of the game came to be.

For example, did you know that there were roughly 64 000 check-ins (where new code and art additions are submitted to a central development database) during the development of Borderlands? What about the fact that not only was ClapTrap the last character added to the game, but was also voiced by a Gearbox employee?

Even if you knew those things about Borderlands (which is doubtful), there are a bunch more behind-the-scenes titbits available for you to read below:

There were about 64,000 check-ins to make Borderlands.
Mikey Neumann (creative director) did the motion capture acting for the intro featuring Lilith strutting and blowing a kiss.
The dog paw around Brick’s neck was his dog growing up. Her name was Priscilla. -You can see him as a child with her in the intro cinema to the game.
Crazy Earl, ClapTrap, Scooter and all of the enemy battle dialogue is voiced by Gearbox employees.
The player character Lilith went through seven full revisions until the art director was satisfied with the final version.
ClapTrap was actually the last character added to Borderlands.
Gearbox uses a proprietary automated build system that runs multiple platform builds nightly in addition to specific builds that are manually triggered by developers. The final shipping build of the Xbox game was number 5,700.
There was a suggestion to feature midgets attached to cables that other bandits could toss at you.
A full body explosion will spawn 1 liver, 1-2 kidneys, 1-3 limbs, skull chunks, lots of blood, and other random body parts that have a chance to stick to walls.
23 babies were born to Gearbox developers during the course of this game – three of them to a single designer and his wife.
The Borderlands Official Strategy Guide is the longest strat guide Bradygames had ever written for a single game.
We had a bug once that Lilith’s voice sounded ‘too sexual’ in the international versions, we let it slide.
The actress that played VoG appeared in an episode of Las Vegas on NBC.
“Turtles all the way down” is a reference to infinite regression popularized by Stephen Hawking.

Knowledge is power.

Source: Game Informer

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Take-Two: Borderlands franchise ‘important’ and ‘long-term’

December 3rd, 2009 at 08:45pm Under Xbox 360

After being recognized as the year’s fastest-selling new IP and its developer calling a sequel a “no-brainer,” Borderlands is “showing every sign of becoming an important, long-term franchise” for publisher Take-Two Interactive. That comment was made today by company chairman Strauss Zelnick, during the same earnings call in which a considerable delay for another important franchise title, Max Payne 3, was disclosed.

But really, who cares about Max “I don’t need an intervention” Payne when faced with the prospect of Borderlands: The Clap Trap Chronicles?

Take-Two: Borderlands franchise ‘important’ and ‘long-term’ originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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German Borderlands importers encounter incompatible DLC

December 2nd, 2009 at 07:30pm Under Xbox 360

German Borderlands players who just had to import the gory, uncensored version of the title from another region are getting their comeuppance. According to a lengthy thread on the Gearbox forums, players who purchase the Zombie Island of Doctor Ned expansion from the German Xbox Live Marketplace can’t access the new content from their imported copies of the game.

We’ve contacted Gearbox to find out if anything is being done to refund the DLC’s 800 cost to these depraved, violence-crazed importers. They certainly don’t seem like the type of crowd you’d want to upset.

German Borderlands importers encounter incompatible DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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European PlayStation Store Update for 26/11: Dracula, Madden and Zombie Island Edition

November 26th, 2009 at 10:22am Under PS3+ PSP

The European PlayStation Store update heading out today is chock-full of interesting content, including a PSP mini game by the name of Dracula: Undead Awakening, a PS3 downloadable game called Madden NFL Arcade, demos for Comet Crash and Mushroom Wars, Fallout 3 downloadable content (DLC), the Borderlands Zombie Island DLC, Dragon Ball: Raging Blast DLC, and much more.

Browse through the full list of new PlayStation Store content (Europe only) below:

Downloadable Game

Madden NFL Arcade (£9.99/€12.99)

PSone (emulated for PS3 and PSP)

Lilo and Stitch: Trouble in Paradise (£3.99/€4.99)

Demo (free)

Comet Crash Demo
Mushroom Wars Demo

Add-On Game Content

Borderlands – Zombie Island (£6.29/€7.99)
Fallout 3
- Broken Steel (€7.99)
- Operation Anchorage (€7.99)
- The Pitt (€7.99)
- Point Lookout (€7.99)
- Mothership Zeta (€7.99)
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 – Character and Mission Pack (£7.99/€9.99)
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 – Costume Pack (£3.19/€3.99)
Dragon Ball Raging Blast – Warriors on Earth Pack (free)
EyePet – Lucky Dip Styling Pack 6 (free)
LittleBigPlanet – Limited Edition LBP for PSP T-Shirt (£3.99/€4.99)

Rock Band DLC

Beautiful Thieves by AFI (£0.99/€1.49)
End Transmission by AFI (£0.99/€1.49)
Love Like Winter by AFI (£0.99/€1.49)
Medicated by AFI (£0.99/€1.49)
The Leaving Song. Pt 2 by AFI (£0.99/€1.49)
Walk Like An Egyptian by The Bangles (£0.99/€1.49)

Guitar Hero 5 DLC

Neversoft Thanks the Fans Pack (free)

Videos (free)

Uncharted 2 Eye of Indra Part 1 (Motion Comic) (free)
Uncharted 2 Eye of Indra Part 2 (Motion Comic) (£0.79/€0.99)
The Last Guardian Trailer
Battlefield Bad Company 2 Beta Anouncement
Assassin’s Creed II Gameplay Vignette 1
Assassin’s Creed II Gameplay Vignette 2
Assassin’s Creed II Gamescom Trailer
Assassin’s Creed II TGS Trailer
Gravity Crash Crash Creator’s Tutorial
Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time Replay Trailer
DC Universe San Diego Comic-Con 2009 Vlog
Polar Panic Story Trailer

Premium Themes (Static themes)

Chinese Fighting Dragons Theme (£1.19/€1.49)
Deep Space Theme (£1.19/€1.49)
Hell’s Head Theme (£1.19/€1.49)
Mans Best Friend Theme (£1.19/€1.49)

PlayStation Store via PSP and Media Go

Downloadable Games (also available via the PS3 store)

Breath of Fire 3 (£13.99/€17.99)
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (£15.99/€19.99)
Obscure the Aftermath (£23.99/€29.99)
Power Stone Collection (£13.99/€17.99)
Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron (£15.99/€19.99)
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes (£31.99/€39.99)
NBA 2K10 (£15.99/€19.99)

minis (also available via the PS3 store)

Blast Off (£2.49/€2.99)
Dracula – Undead Awakening (£3.99/€4.99)

PSone (emulated for PS3 and PSP)

Lilo and Stitch: Trouble in Paradise (£3.99/€4.99)

Videos (free)

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Official Trailer

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Borderlands Zombie Island DLC screenshots

November 26th, 2009 at 02:43am Under PS3

The new downloadable content for Borderlands, The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, is now available for 800 MS Points on Xbox Live Marketplace or $9.99 on the PlayStation Store.

Check out the new screenshots from the DLC below to see what lies in wait for you. You can also check out the first trailer for the DLC, which shows off snippets of gameplay and crazy environments from the new content, and read E33tlonline’s review of the full game to see what you’re missing.

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US PlayStation Store update for 24/11: Huge discount edition

November 25th, 2009 at 04:37am Under PS3+ PSP

The weekly PlayStation Store update has come early to citizens of the US, bringing with it a host of new content and a ton of special price offers on a variety of PSOne Classics, PSP minis and PS3 downloadable games.

In an effort to accommodate Thanksgiving holiday, US PlayStation Network users now have access to price discounts and exciting content such as Gravity Crash, the Borderlands Zombie Island DLC, Dino Crisis as a PSOne Classic, as well as Tekken 6 and LittleBigPlanet for the PSP.

Browse through the full list of new PlayStation Store content (US only) below:

Special Price Offers

Now $4.99, originally $9.99:
- Flower
- The Last Guy
- Prince of Persia Classic
- Comet Crash
- Bomberman Ultra
Now $7.49, originally $14.99:
- Smash Cars
- Invincible Tiger: The Legend of Han Tao
UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves – Eye of Indra 2 Motion Comic ($0.99)(US only)
Killzone 2 DLC Sale (Flash & Thunder now $2.99, bundle now $9.99)
Fate/Unlimited Codes Sale (now $14.99)

Downloadable Games

Gravity Crash ($9.99)
Diner Dash ($9.99)
Madden NFL Arcade ($14.99)

PSone Classics: PS3/PSP

Command & Conquer ($5.99)
Dino Crisis ($5.99)
Reel Fishing ($5.99)
Fighting Force ($5.99)
Backstreet Billiards ($5.99)
International Track & Field ($5.99)

Game Demos (free)

Gravity Crash Demo
Comet Crash Demo

Add-on Game Content

LittleBigPlanet Rare “SuperStar” Shirt ($4.99)
Borderlands Zombie Island DLC ($9.99)
DJ Hero David Guetta Mix Pack 01 ($7.99)
Dragon Ball Warriors on Earth Pack (free)

Guitar Hero 5 DLC

Neversoft Thanks The Fans Track Pack (free)
- Lemon Frosting by Bunny Knutson
- RockNRola by Nancy Fullforce
- From the Blue/Point of No Return/T.T.R.T.S by An Endless Sporadic
- Love Holds It Down by Dom Liberati
- You Really Like Me by Davidicus
- Guilty Pleasures by Tony Solis.

Rock Band DLC

Our Lips Are Sealed— Go Go’s ($1.99)
Miss Independent— Kelly Clarkson ($1.99)
Who Knew— Pink ($1.99)
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Live Anthology Pack 1 ($9.99)
- American Girl (live)— Tom Petty ($1.99)
- A Thing About You (live)— Tom Petty ($1.99)
- Even the Losers (live)— Tom Petty ($1.99)
- Here Comes My Girl (live)— Tom Petty ($1.99)
- Mary Jane’s Last Dance (live)— Tom Petty ($1.99)
- Refugee (live)— Tom Petty ($1.99)

Game Videos (free)

Assassin’s Creed II Dev Diary 5
Assassin’s Creed II Factions Video
Final Fantasy XIII Special Announcement Video
MX vs ATV Reflex Announce Trailer
MX vs ATV Reflex Freestyle Trailer
MX vs ATV Reflex Variety Trailer
Resident Evil 5 Lost in Nightmares Trailer
Planet 51 Chuck Trailer)
Planet 51 Gamescom Trailer
Planet 51 Lem Trailer
Dragon Age: Origins Dwarf Noble Origin Trailer
Avatar Ignite War Trailer
Polar Panic Story Trailer

Themes

Afrika Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
Assassin’s Creed II Launch Theme ($1.49)
Cavalier Warrior Theme ($1.49)
King Zumo Theme ($1.49)
Yuefeng: Fire Prince Theme ($1.49)

Wallpaper (free)

topatoi: Wallpaper 3

PlayStation Store for PSP

Downloadable Games

LittleBigPlanet PSP ($39.99)
Tekken 6 PSP ($39.99)

PSP minis

Fortix ($4.99)
Pinball Fantasies ($6.99)
Blast Off ($2.99)
Bloons ($3.99)
Kahoots ($4.49)
Let’s Golf ($6.99)

Add-on Game Content

Disgaea 2 DLC (x7) – Hanako, Pram, Marona, Ash, Plenair, Sapphire and Almaz ($1.99 each)

PSP Themes

Cavalier Warrior PSP Theme ($1.49) (also available from PS3 storefront)
King Zumo PSP Theme ($1.49) (also available from PS3 storefront)
Yuefeng: Fire Prince PSP Theme ($1.49) (also available from PS3 storefront)

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Borderlands Zombie Island DLC looks amazing, trailer released

November 24th, 2009 at 07:38am Under PS3

The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, the new downloadable content (DLC) releasing today for Borderlands, is looking excellent, with all kinds of creative environments and sharp humour available to those of you who have 800 MS Points (on Xbox LIVE Marketplace) or $9.99 (on the PlayStation Store) to spare.

Also, you get to shoot all the zombies you can handle. Sounds like a bargain.

Watch the first trailer for Borderlands’ DLC, The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, below, which shows off snippets of gameplay and crazy environments from the new content, and read E33tlonline’s review of the full game to see what you’re missing:

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Gearbox: Borderlands fastest-selling new IP of 2009

November 17th, 2009 at 02:30pm Under Xbox 360

Gearbox has declared that Borderlands, the studio’s original RPG-FPS (”RPS”) hybrid, is the current leader in the annual undercard, the race to fastest-selling new IP of the year. While it might not make it onto a second-printing retail box, the accolade is still significant, as it implies that a new game has at least been noticed among the familiar franchises that dominate the monthly sales charts. What better hook to land a publisher when pitching a sequel?

Going by not entirely public NPD sales figures (in North America), Gearbox has determined that Borderlands had the most launch-week sales of any new IP in 2009. The only other title that could contest that would be Prototype, which enjoyed greater sales on the Xbox 360 platform (but just by 1,900 units) than did Borderlands when comparing the two games’ respective launch months (419.9k vs. 418k units). However, Prototype, which released June 9, was available at retail for 11 more days during its launch month than was Borderlands (October 20). While we don’t know total sales of either title during their launch months (both were released on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC), it’s reasonable to assume that Borderlands is the fast-selling new IP (during a launch week), if not the best-selling one in combined platform sales for a launch month in 2009.

So, congratulations! But watch out for Dragon Age: Origins — we hear it’s fast, too.

Gearbox: Borderlands fastest-selling new IP of 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Borderlands Official Soundtrack

November 17th, 2009 at 06:23am Under PC+ PS3

Just can’t get enough of Borderlands? Feel kind of sad when you have to step away from the game to go about your normal lives? Then rest easy knowing you can get the Borderlands soundtrack to play through your iPod while out playing paintball. Now the excitement does not have to end when you switch off your console. I wonder if it comes with Bloodwing or if that is an optional extra?

The album includes music from the game composed by Jesper Kyd, Sascha Dikiciyan, Cris Velasco and Raison Varner as well as bonus music tracks by these artists and Tim Larkin. The Borderlands Original Soundtrack is released on December 8th to retail outlets through Sumthing Else Music Works (www.sumthing.com), and will be available for digital download on Sumthing Digital (www.sumthingdigital.com) and iTunes.

If you haven’t yet been addicted to Borderlands, why not read our review of the game because the first DLC for the game, The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, is just around the corner (24th of November for both the Xbox 360 and PS3).

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NPD: October videogame sales decrease 19% to $1.07 bil in US, Uncharted 2 tops with 537K

November 13th, 2009 at 03:36am Under Uncategorized

The latest data from US tracking firm NPD Group shows that sales of the videogame industry in the US fell by 19% to $1.07 in October. Both hardware and software sales also recorded a decrease this past month, with hardware suffering the biggest decline, down 23% to $380.74 million, while software sales dropped 18% to $572.73 million.

Even accessories experienced a decline, although only a 2% drop to $118.88 million. The Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers were the top two items for October, in both dollar and unit sales.

According to NPD analyst Anita Frazier “Based on typical industry seasonality, the industry is on track to generate full-year revenues in the range of $20-$21B in the U.S., which would put it just a bit below last year’s sales of $21.3B.”

However, consumers should be wary because “the continued economic turmoil, and in particular the troubling unemployment rate, is undoubtedly impacting industry sales…If consumers’ personal outlook continues to erode, they could very well be much more conservative with their holiday shopping this year.”

Hardware

On the hardware side of things, the Wii was the best-selling console in America for the month of October with 506 900 units (thanks to its new $199 price tag) followed by the Nintendo DS with 457 600 units. The PS3 slipped back to third place with 320 600 units and the Xbox 360 was next with 249 700 units. The PSP sold 174 600 and the PS2 rounded off the chart with 117 800 units.

Frazier commented “Across all categories, the Xbox 360 platform contributed the greatest portion of total industry sales, representing 27% of total industry sales for the month. The PS3 was a close second at 26%, an 8 point improvement over last October.”

“Year-to-date, the hardware category has experienced the sharpest decline in the industry, with unit sales down 10% compared to the same time period last year. Recent price cuts helped spur a one to two-month increase in unit sales, and this month’s Wii sales reflect that boost, but the other platforms have not sustained the sales momentum post price reduction.”

Software

The PS3 exclusive from Naughty Dog, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, sold an impressive 537 000 copies to take the top spot on the software chart. Wii Fit Plus followed with 441 000 copies, with roughly half the sales generated by the bundled game indicating a large number of newcomers to the franchise. The Xbox 360 version of Borderlands was next with 418 000 copies, proving that Take 2 has a hot new IP in their hands.

Wii Sports Resort continues to perform well in fourth place with 314 000 copies. NBA 2K10 for the Xbox 360 charted at number 6 with 311 000 copies while the PS3 version was at number 7 with 213 000 copies. According to Frazier “The top game for the month across all platforms was NBA 2K10, at 575K units. It was a great launch for the game, outselling last year’s NBA 2K9 by 60% in its launch month. Sales on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 platforms improved substantially over last year.”

Last month’s top seller Halo 3: ODST falls to number 6 with 271 000 copies while another Xbox 360 exclusive, Forza Motorsport 3, debuts at number 8 with 175 000 copies. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days gives the DS its only Top 10 entry at number 9 with 169 000 copies while FIFA 10 for the Xbox 360 is new at number 10 with 156 000 copies.

Looking ahead to next month Frazier said, “With the excitement already being generated by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and the incredible buzz around upcoming titles, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and Assassin’s Creed 2, November is poised to be a strong month for the industry.”

“The music/dance genre saw big declines this month compared to last year. The genre generated $53 million in sales as compared to $137 million last year. Both Rock Band: Beatles, and Guitar Hero 5 have the potential to be good gifting items for the holidays, so we should expect to see an uptick in sales over the next two months.”

US Videogame Industry Totals for October 2009

Below is a list of the category, followed by the total and the change in brackets.