Pitchford talks up Borderlands DLC

By Tom Bramwell Published 20 August, 2009

Speed and volume will surprise, he says.

Gearbox president Randy Pitchford reckons "people are going to be surprised when they find out how quickly we're coming, and with what content we're coming", when it comes to Borderlands DLC.

"Also, we're going to watch and see what happens when the game launches, so we can have our plans affected by what our customers want more of," he told Eurogamer and others during a presentation at gamescom.

"But we do have some plans for the initial stuff already in motion, and I'll be announcing that soon."

Pitchford was as enthusiastic as ever about the game, which is due out for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on 23rd October, providing his usual effusive commentary throughout a demonstration of a couple of quests played out by four Gearbox staffers in co-op. "That midget just got incinerated!" "Look at that mutant - he's got this little gimp arm!" We suggested 2K includes him in the game box as a pre-order incentive so he can stand in your house making observations.

Despite talking about DLC, he was also adamant about the value in the box, suggesting that there's 100 hours of content in the FPS/RPG hybrid if you want to experience all the quests. That doesn't take into account the 15 million possible weapon drops either.

"We're in cert right now," he said after the demo, referring to the process where Sony and Microsoft make sure the game doesn't climb out of the disc tray and start melting people's hamsters.

"Man, I tell ya, this is the best thing we've ever done, the best my studio's ever done. We're really proud of it."

Look out for more on Borderlands soon.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (24) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • speedjack #1 3 years ago

    I like Pitchford.

    A gamer's gamer if ever there was one.

  • ademkermad #2 3 years ago

    Let's hope that this DLC isn't either 108Kb's or comes out a few weeks after launch. That would be a nasty surprise.

    Also, Pitchford is gamer gamer I echo.
    Edited by 1 at 20/08/09 @ 12:36

  • BobsUncle #3 3 years ago

    To me, DLC so soon after release sounds like stuff being cut from the main game just so it can make extra cash a bit later.

  • crazyhorse174 #4 3 years ago

    Seems a bit weird talking up DLC when the actual game isnt even out yet...

  • muscleblade #5 3 years ago

    Why are developers so stupid that they talk about dlc before a game is released. Its not a very good marketing strategy. Quite the opposite actually. Learn from the mistake Capcom did with the RE5 dlc.

  • Kikizosan #6 3 years ago

    No, this doesn't sound like stuff that was 'cut' from the launch game. Stuff is cut probably from every game, and if a company does DLC right, it leaves it cut and creates something additional to the main game experience.

    Bad examples are Gears 2's Dark Corners, which was a cut and should have remained so (the shooting was fun, but the stealth was just weak), and enablers of content on the disc, like we saw with Resi 5. That Borderlands will launch as a fully-featured game (and 100 hours certainly suggests no lack of content, even if that is developer-hours, not player-hours).

    That a dev is planning DLC before the game's actual launch is not a problem if it's a good developer - in fact, leaving it until after launch is not a good idea in business terms. Gearbox is a good developer, in my opinion, but we'll see what the DLC is soon enough and if they've done right by their players.

  • bodypopper #7 3 years ago

    October 23rd? Going on Gearbox's recent release record that'll probably end up being third quarter 2010.
    Still looks good even though I'd rather have Aliens Colonial Marines first. Assuming it ever gets released.

  • Raiftel #8 3 years ago

    You guys do realise that a lot of the time DLC tends to be concepts and ideas that would only work divorced from the main game. Additional stuff which wouldn't be suitable to part of the main ebb and flow of the game. Take the Pitt from Fallout 3. Having that on the disc would really break the IDEA of the game because you're being transported elsewhere and dealing with different concepts. Same thing with the Marauders DLC for Red Faction

  • YobRenoops #9 3 years ago

    "...referring to the process where Sony and Microsoft make sure the game doesn't climb out of the disc tray and start melting people's hamsters."

    I just have in my head the imagine of 100 PS3s or XBOXs lined up with a terrified hamster in front of each one just waiting...

  • muscleblade #10 3 years ago

    The dlc is probably not cut from the main game. I still find it weird and unnecessary to start talking about dlc before the game is out.

  • kangarootoo #11 3 years ago

    "Learn from the mistake Capcom did with the RE5"

    What, making a shit game? Heehee, I kill myself.


    But seriously, the whole concept of "holding stuff back" is mostly nonsense. They make a game, they price it, they sell it. At the same time, or perhaps later, or perhaps even earlier (unlikely with DLC, but whatever) they make some other stuff, they price it, they sell it.

    This persistent lunatic belief that just because something is made at the same time as the main title, and is compatible with the main title, all gamers should get it for free is pure fantasist rubbish. That DLC didn't get made for free you know. It took people and money to produce, as did the main game. The money you pay for the main game pays for its dev cost, the money you pay for the DLC pays for ITS dev cost (simply put).

    Do you rant at BMW that all their optional extras should be free? Do you? Didn't think do (unless you are mental, but that requires help not encouragement).

  • waynenot #12 3 years ago

    Hope it's a really solid, polished game if they're already focusing on DLC.

    If it is, great - speed isn't a massive concern, either - three of the five Fallout packs could have done with an extra month or two, Randy - learn from that.

  • andywilkie35 #13 3 years ago

    @BobsUncle

    Totally agree.

  • autogunner #14 3 years ago

    I like the idea of this, but would like to see some more gameplay please mr pitchford, how about a brutal legned esque walkthrough? thanks

  • JensonJet #15 3 years ago

    So far everything sounds really good about this game. But there's one thing I think lets it down, what do you think?...

    We're stuck with pre-made characters...

    Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought people loved creating their own unique looking characters; building the faces, possibly choosing their outfits or body size/shape, etc. Microsoft seem to understand this too. Avatars. And they seem to be making a little extra profit from selling clothing and items for these things, knowing people like to create and customise to suit their tastes. I actually thought customisable characters was one of the attractions of RPG or MMORPG, no?

  • ChaK #16 3 years ago

    I'm absolutly revolted (once again) with pre-launch DLC crap talk. (except free content indeed)

    But anyway I just can't wait for this game

    seriously

  • schnide #17 3 years ago

    but will Borderlands have teh MOTION CONTROL ?????11

  • Freek #18 3 years ago

    How you price it or at what time you sell it is entirely irrelevent. It's all about the perception. Is it quality content? Does it add something worthwhile to the game that wasn't there before?
    What features are present in other games?

    In the case of Resident Evil, they released the multiplayer component shortly after the retail release with most of the content already on the disc and in the end it wasn't that fun.

    Clearly that's a failure. Other games come with mutliplayer as standard and are better at it.
    To come in and try sell essential an unlock code to gamers already playing quality multiplayer in other games, simply isn't going to work.

    Even if it cost the developer 10 billion dollars to make, if it's not quality gamers are going to bitch about it. And rightly so.

  • monkeywithnoeyes #19 3 years ago

    speed and volume wont surprise as the contents no doubt already made and has little excuse not to be on the disc.

    Getting tired of companys doing that... and they all do it because once one product ships the focus is generally onto the next project...as they have contracts to meet. They're not going to be investing that time in a product thats already shipped.. so the cheapest and easiest option is to have the dlc already made and simply sit on it for a few days/weeks/months

  • persus-9 #20 3 years ago

    Talking about DLC pre-launch doesn't seem that unreasonable if it's already in certification so they can't make any major changes to the main game after this point so they've got two months before launch when they won't be making Borderlands so they might as well get to work on some DLC no? Might be bad marketing but I really like the fact Randy Pitchford isn't a marketing guy. I really like the way he tells it like it is.

  • metalangel #21 3 years ago

    Hey guys, we can't wait for you to pay the price of the game again for some short miniquests and miscellaneous crap!

  • Trikk #22 3 years ago

    Hellgate London with microtransactions instead of subscription.

  • mkreku #23 3 years ago

    I remember when I used to play my single player RPG's. I used to get so sucked up in the world of the game that when it ended, I used to sit there and long for more. "What if there was a way to keep the character, keep the same game engine, keep everything and just add more land mass to the already existing game world, add more quests, add more levels, more enemies, more equipment.. that would rock!".

    That's what I hoped DLC would be. Optional extras that you could buy if you really wanted more from your favourite game. Instead we get either Horse Armour or 75% of games for 100% of the price (well, Rockstar excluded..).

  • dudefella #24 3 years ago

    God bless Pitchford. He's got like a million achievement points. A president and a gamer, foremost.