Gearbox CEO: No Plans For Battleborn Free-to-Play

[Steven Bogos]

Gearbox CEO: No Plans For Battleborn Free-to-Play

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Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford has squashed rumors that Battleborn is going free-to-play.

Earlier today, a certain news outlet reported from an "unnamed inside source" that his Twitter [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/battleborn].

"I was just told about a reckless story about Battleborn going F2P that is false. There are no plans to convert Battleborn free to play," said Pitchford. However, he did state that a kind of "free trial" was coming to the game in a later Tweet:

"We have some unannounced plans to do a trial version of the game that would be free and from which retail can be purchased along with DLC."

Pitchford continued to engage with replies to his Tweets, addressing criticism of the game's "morbid" PC player population by explaining that "[the] team is looking at motivators to increase PC player base," and that the console player-bases are still quite healthy.

So, no Battleborn free-to-play, at least... not yet...

Soruce: Twitter [https://twitter.com/DuvalMagic/status/781630229299142656]

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[Battenberg]

So they intend to ignore the massive drop in player numbers, the mass requests for a F2P model from people all over the internet, the very recent success of Paladins' as a F2P game, and the fact that every sales initiative so far (including putting the game in a humble bundle) has had virtually no impact on the number of players? They're ignoring all of that just so they can try and get a few more pounds/ dollars entry fee from anyone foolhardy enough to give the game a try at this point.

I honestly can't imagine what "motivators" they could possibly have lined up that they think would resurrect Battleborn but even if they did it seems pretty likely it wouldn't have much long term impact. All Overwatch/ Paladins would have to do is release a new hero or map and everyone would drop Battleborn again and go back to them (yes I know Battleborn's different to those games but they appeal to a very similar market so the comparison is still apt).

 

[Revolutionary]

I give it 2 months, maybe three.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I do feel kind of sorry for these guys. I mean, Overwatch came out and Battleborn basically ceased to exist. That must be frustrating, having put so much time and effort into this project, only to watch another (very similar) one come and and snag all your glory. No matter how you look at it, that's going to sting.

 

[Wrex Brogan]

I do feel kind of sorry for these guys. I mean, Overwatch came out and Battleborn basically ceased to exist. That must be frustrating, having put so much time and effort into this project, only to watch another (very similar) one come and and snag all your glory. No matter how you look at it, that's going to sting.

To be fair, they kinda brought it upon themselves by directly competing with Overwatch anyway. As... alright as Battleborn is (the mix of Moba and Team Shooter mechanics is pretty interesting, but brought down by clunky menus and grind walls), there's no way, shape or form it could throw down with anything Blizzard coughs out, let alone a game in the same genre. They *really* should've released it a couple months before or after Overwatch, not within the same damn month.

Seriously, that should be a rule somewhere for the games industry. 'Don't release your shit in the same month as a Blizzard Product' or something, kinda like how you just don't try to compete with a Call of Duty game.

 

[RJ 17]

Randy is one of the biggest dick-nuggets in the gaming industry, I'm glad he's keeping this albatross around his neck. :^)

 

[Erttheking]

Randy is one of the biggest dick-nuggets in the gaming industry, I'm glad he's keeping this albatross around his neck. :^)

I'm not sure this comparison works, considering that hanging an albatross around a neck implies that someone is admitting there was a fuck up.

Randy is more dancing on the deck of the ship that is Gearbox, screaming "Look everyone! I shot an albatross!" while swinging it above his head.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

You know, to this day, I have no idea how the devs managed to put out Borderlands and Borderlands 2 with this guy leading the fucking studio.

 

[09philj]

That's... optimistic, to say the least.

 

[Zulnam]

*2 weeks later*
Battleborn goes F2P.

Classic Randy!

 

[-Ezio-]

yes coz randy pitchford would never say anything false about a game his company makes. *cough*colonialmarines

 

[Igor-Rowan]

Randy, you do know that there are people who genuinely like Battleborn and want it to succeed, right? RIGHT?

 

[hermes]

I do feel kind of sorry for these guys. I mean, Overwatch came out and Battleborn basically ceased to exist. That must be frustrating, having put so much time and effort into this project, only to watch another (very similar) one come and and snag all your glory. No matter how you look at it, that's going to sting.

To be fair, they kinda brought it upon themselves by directly competing with Overwatch anyway. As... alright as Battleborn is (the mix of Moba and Team Shooter mechanics is pretty interesting, but brought down by clunky menus and grind walls), there's no way, shape or form it could throw down with anything Blizzard coughs out, let alone a game in the same genre. They *really* should've released it a couple months before or after Overwatch, not within the same damn month.

Seriously, that should be a rule somewhere for the games industry. 'Don't release your shit in the same month as a Blizzard Product' or something, kinda like how you just don't try to compete with a Call of Duty game.

It was actually worst because Gearbox always addressed Blizzard and Overwatch as "their competitors". Instead of bringing attention to the differences between the games, they saw the similarities and targeted them head on, to the point I am sure the whole "Battleborn was released on the same month as Overwatch" narrative was created and reinforced by them, as a way to justify the relative wasteland that is their game PC community (instead of being, you know, a mediocre game with very little content, questionable map design and whose graphics and UI wouldn't be impressive in the previous generation).

 

[RJ 17]

Randy is one of the biggest dick-nuggets in the gaming industry, I'm glad he's keeping this albatross around his neck. :^)

I'm not sure this comparison works, considering that hanging an albatross around a neck implies that someone is admitting there was a fuck up.

Randy is more dancing on the deck of the ship that is Gearbox, screaming "Look everyone! I shot an albatross!" while swinging it above his head.

It's not a comparison, it's an old metaphor. It refers to a burden that one must carry that is slowly dragging them down, most usually due to one's pride or hubris.

Just as in the story you referenced: the dickhead shoots the albatross - a massive bird - and that albatross becomes his burden to carry.

 

[DarklordKyo]

If Pitchford really wants the game's numbers to turn around, it would help if he got the devs to properly optimize it. Seriously, I can't get it to run at 60 FPS despite the fact that I'm running a 1060.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Ah, so they are using the Star Wars The Old Republic style Denial strategy. See how long that lasts.

 

[omega 616]

I do feel kind of sorry for these guys. I mean, Overwatch came out and Battleborn basically ceased to exist. That must be frustrating, having put so much time and effort into this project, only to watch another (very similar) one come and and snag all your glory. No matter how you look at it, that's going to sting.

I always thought the same, I'd find it so crushing to spend hundreds of hours slaving away over battleborn and (I assume to) be so proud of what you've made ... and then a couple of weeks later a similar game comes out and steels 90% of your user base.

Christ, it would be "Have I just wasted my life on a game that almost nobody will remember!?".

I remember playing the beta and thinking, it's ok but it's missing the X factor. Though, I am not a co-op gamer ... never even tried to play with strangers online, so maybe it had a chance with that but damn do I feel sad for that bunch!

 

[Karadalis]

Randy pitchford... money stealing, guitar abusing clown of a salesman...

The schadenfreude about how Overwatch simply roflstomped Battleborn into the ground couldnt be greater on my part...

 

[TwoSidesOneCoin]

I doubt going f2p would do jack shit for them at this point. We all know how going up against Overwatch went for them. Do they really think going f2p would do any good when Paladins already grabbed the remaining chunk of the market? Hopefully the captain goes down with the ship.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Whenever I hear about Battleborn and how poorly it's doing I always think of this image

Now I know this comes from 4chan and it's a little hard to make out all of the jokes with such small text but I think the point gets across pretty well.