Buy Borderlands, try out Duke Nukem

By Ellie Gibson Published 6 October, 2010

US gamers get first go on Forever demo.

2K Games has announced plans to offer a special treat to those buying the Game of the Year edition of hit shooter Borderlands.

Those who pick up a copy will receive a free membership certificate for the Duke Nukem Forever First Access Club. By entering their unique key, they'll get early access to the playable DNF demo.

But when is that demo out, exactly? 2K isn't saying. The press release simply states it will be released "prior to the retail launch of the game". Which is slated for sometime next year - February, in fact, according to American shopkeepers.

Borderlands GOTY edition launches in the US on 12th October. The PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are priced at $59.99, while the PC one will cost $49.99. The package includes all four downloadable add-ons.

Amazon.co.uk reckons the GOTY edition will arrive in the UK on 26th November, carrying an RRP of £39.99 / £24.99. There's no word on whether it will also give us early access to the DNF demo too.

In the meantime, you might like to check out our recent hands-on preview of the game.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (23) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • UncleLou #1 2 years ago

    Bit strange to reward the latecomers to Borderlands. This kind of stuff only makes sense if it's an entirely new game, surely?

  • shadow1979 #2 2 years ago

    Gearbox should do the "right" thing and offer the demo early to all the guys who bought the game originally AND any new guys purchasing this. Also, wouldn't it make more sense for them to offer this as a "pre-order bonus" for Duke Nukem Forever?!

  • systems #3 2 years ago

    I agree it's odd. It should be open to fans who bought all the DLC on release, not the cheapskates who buy at the end. Isn't that sending the message that we should never buy new games? The original fans always get screwed. Loyalty bonus my arse.

  • tachometer #4 2 years ago

    The demo should only be available to people who bought Borderlands in a month ending with the letter Y

  • andywilkie35 #5 2 years ago

    Brilliant, so the chumps who bought the game on release and the DLC as it came out are not rewarded? GOOD DEAL!

  • SClaw #6 2 years ago

    @systems

    That's not entirely fair. I didn't bother with the DLC, as I often don't, until things get released as a complete addition - it's more affordable to hang on and just enjoy the core game. Plus I bought the shitty PC version, so I'll probably pick this up on PS3 for a better experience. The offer works for me.

  • ZizouFC #7 2 years ago

    It's US only, so who cares?

  • I\'mListening #8 2 years ago

    Don't worry guys - demo might not hit for another 10 - 15 years anyway ;)

  • roquey Verified Lead Quality Assurance Tester and Compliance Specialist, Universally Speaking #9 2 years ago

    @Sclaw

    I actually think the PC version is better. besides i got the DLC on steam for cheaper than the GOTY edition would be. I only bought the game on steam when i got bored of looking for the disc.

  • Ignatius_Cheese #10 2 years ago

    What about those who bought all the DLC separately HMMMMMMMMM?

    /agrees with andywilkie35

  • Dogs-not-Gods #11 2 years ago

    I really don't know how anyone has the patience to hold off buying games for a year, missing the immediacy of it all and the pace of DLC releases, simply to buy a lumped together GotY. Baffles me.

  • roquey Verified Lead Quality Assurance Tester and Compliance Specialist, Universally Speaking #12 2 years ago

    @Dogs>Gods

    Dont forget the more people you can play co-op with!

  • Machetazo #13 2 years ago

    @Dogs/gods: Perhaps the "immediacy" is exactly the reason. Given the option of a 'complete' game, versus waiting for the individual bits, which is the easier? Particularly where you don't feel an overwhelming draw to the game in question? For me, where a game falls in to that category, I know that I most often wait, to guage the DLC strategy, and play something else instead, until I can tell, ALSO, what the online community size/enthusiasm is like, there's another point to validate a wait-and-see approach on an either-way game.

  • homerbert #14 2 years ago

    "Bit strange to reward the latecomers to Borderlands. "
    They already have the money from early adopters. Now they're using incentives to convince people who are on the fence about buying it. Basic business. Early adopters pay more and get less, latecomers pay less and get more.

  • sink257 #15 2 years ago

    I'm sure a couple of weeks of not being able to play the demo won't really matter comared to the 13 odd years we've waited for the game.

    On the other hand, I wish gearbox would implement the steamworks feature of storing savegames online in the steam versions of the game (since they already added achievements, savegames should be possible too)

  • razzastuta #16 2 years ago

    That's interesting - I've already pre-ordered this, with a release date of October 15th being touted on HMV, Zavvi and Play's UK website....so how is Amazon.co.uk coming up w/ November?

  • 32768Colours #17 2 years ago

    So to get the best out of gaming as a hobby you should buy everything twice or wait a year before you play anything?

    I realise these are businesses trying to make a profit, but I'm getting increasingly cynical / frustrated with publishers and developers peddling money-making schemes and then passing them off as if they're great opportunities for gamers. If this was anything other than a marketing strategy to shift more units, they'd have simply plonked the DNF demo on Live and PSN from the off.

    Thanks a lot The Games Industry for once again "incentivising" the "upstream" gamer by "adding value" to "core product"! :/

  • Dogs-not-Gods #18 2 years ago

    @roquey and Machetazo - fair points. I guess i'm pretty much a black and white type of gamer, either knowing I reallly want a game or knowing I don't. There are drawbacks to staggered DLC in that, often 'the moment' has passed for me with a game and i play through the DLC half-heartedly. Borderlands is a case in point and Mass Effect.

  • 8bitMofo #19 2 years ago

    Sounds like a page taken from Turn10.

  • randompanda #20 2 years ago

    homerbert - It's fine to offer incentives to get new purchases, but how exactly does *not* offering the demo to early adopters benefit them?

  • MattyD #21 2 years ago

    I'm pretty sure the game and all the DLC doesn't cost that much on Steam.

  • Soton4084 #22 2 years ago

    This is a bit of a kick in the teeth to those who supported the game when it first came out.

  • Les #23 2 years ago

    Saw this game in the bargain bin for € 20 or something. Was tempted, but in the end rationality won: I haven't finished about 80% of the PS3 games I own and even still carry a PS2 game back log with me...