Blade Runner Game Would Have Killed Gearbox, Says Studio Boss

[G96 Saber]

All i can say to Randy Pitchford, who has a name like a pornstar, is you are a stupid business orientated prick. "600,000 units" my arse, more like 2 million and a second game would make a lot more money. Also, why would it cost $40m dollars, it's basically a Prey 2 style universe without any Aliens and i doubt Prey 2 cost anything close to $40m.

PS. Gearbox ruined Brothers in Arms.

 

[Andy Shandy]

600,000 units, let me do some maths with that.

Let's say it sells for 40 bucks each copy. That's 40 x 600,000... which means only 24 million. Yeah, this is financial suicide.

However they did say that it would cost around about 40 million to make so that would still be a pretty big loss of 16 million for them.

If they kept on making losses that big (assuming they would stay afloat after that loss anyway), it would be financial suicide.

As bad as it may sound, most games are made to make a profit.

Which is exactly what I said. Financial suicide.

Apologies. Read that completely the wrong way, thought it was supposed to be sarcastic.

As did the guy above me, it seems.

 

[D Moness]

Wow,very few to none remember the excellent bladerunner game from 97,first one I got for teh first PC I ever got with my own money...aaah good times,too bad games like that have made mecompletely oblivious to announcements of new features and complexities in current gen games...

I was wondering the same when i read this topic. It even took scenes form the movie. The whole feel of the game was great. Specially when you had to test people if they were replicants.

That game really hit the mood of the movie. I really really loved that game

 

[Pinguin]

As Pitchford says, it's hard to imagine a Blade Runner game that does the movie justice.

Not really, considering one already exists.

^This, again. HARD.

The early 90s (I think) Westwood PC game was excellent. I'm sure it had about a dozen different endings depending on how you played it.

 

[Fasckira]

If I read this back at the beginning of June I would have seen where Gearbox was coming from.

Having now seen Duke Nukem, Im not so sure.

Blade Runner is essentially a rich sci-fi world to do what you want in. Replicants, lone cops, mystery, semi naked women, culture merges, its all there. Theres nothing to stop Gearbox taking any angle they want in this world and it will still be decent.
The only shame is that the name alone wont carry the title anymore, I'd be surprised if a lot of our younger gamers have even heard of Blade Runner, let alone seen it or read the book its based on.

 

[Unrulyhandbag]

As Pitchford says, it's hard to imagine a Blade Runner game that does the movie justice.

Not really, considering one already exists.

^This, again. HARD.

The early 90s (I think) Westwood PC game was excellent. I'm sure it had about a dozen different endings depending on how you played it.

Have to say I was a little shocked reading 600 thousand.

It's a film franchise, they almost always make money even if the game is a turd. This film consistently resells with minor edits so there is a market. If they are worried that only sequels sell then stick a 2 on the end as there has been a, successful and critically acclaimed, blade runner game before.

Westwood's blade runner game was truly an epic achievement in games making.
It captured the feel perfectly, it looked fantastic (even though the voxel engine hasn't aged well its a fantastically detailed and engaging world) and the story was top quality. Running alongside the film as another replicant hunting cop allowed it to stand on it's own and thanks to the writing didn't feel like a cop out.
Even better; reshuffling the clues and altering the ending based on your actions to give 12 endings (pretty sure bugs make some of those impossible to get but still) means that playing it again a couple of years later is completely worthwhile.

So stuff Gearbox, if they don't want to sell me a new blade runner I can happily re-install the noirish adventure game and spend many hours fully immersed in that fantastic world.

 

[LostTimeLady]

I'm a huge fan of Blade Runner and I think that the unique retrofitted future of Cyberpunk LA has the atmosphere and style to form the basis of a unique and atmospheric game.
Although I haven't played the old Blade Runner game the premise sounds like the sort of thing that would work as a game adaptation of the work partly because I don't think the film would adapt well unless they made it very point and click puzzle solver based.
The whole Blade Runner universe appears rich and diverse that in the film we only get a snap shot of. Imagine if they went back to the source material and drew from that as well as the film? I think that would make a rich and interesting game.
I think it's not right to say 'this wouldn't sell', you can make something good out of anything with enough love and dedication to the project.

 

[Metalrocks]

There was already a great Blade Runner game by Westwood, imo also a lot better than the movie:

this game is really good. surprised me how good it was and how much has bin taken from the movie. the different endings made it worth it playing it several times, but you still could choose a bad ending even when you have bin good to every one throughout the game.
wish i can play it again but unfortunately it doesnt work anymore on todays systems

the movie is pretty much my favorite one. got my self the collectors pack with all versions in it like the version were mr. ford give comments throughout the movie which gave more details, wile in other versions you dont have this anymore.

gearbox doing a blade runner game doesnt sound good. unless they pull them self together and really make a good game for a change.

 

[Atmos Duality]

...it's a damn shame that Gearbox has to choose between a successful game or a visionary one.

That's a microcosm of what has become of modern AAA gaming.
Market expectations have destroyed what room there was for creative license in the AAA/"full feature" game category. It's why I can't ever get hyped up for AAA games anymore; they must include a large degree of generic marketable features (even if they don't fit) to sell.

 

[unacomn]

Well, here's an idea, spend less than 40 million dollars on it, then, if it sells 600K, you'll still make a profit.

But I can see why it would be hard for them. I mean, name one Gearbox game that wasn't a shooter and that had a deep story that explores what it means to be human. I think that's why they won't try to make a game out of it.

 

[Lovesfool]

There was already a great Blade Runner game by Westwood, imo also a lot better than the movie:

Agreed. One of the few times that the video game is actually more fleshed out than the movie. The only other example I can think of is KOTOR and the Star Wars mythos.

Actually, although I read a lot of Dick, I liked the movie better than the game.

In any case, I am not sure I feel bad about this piece of news. After what they did to Duke Nukem, I think I would prefer if Gearbox didn't have a go on a Blade Runner themed game, although the Westwood game is one of my favorites and would be itching to play another game themed after my favorite movie of all time.

 

[Triangulon]

Good news if I'm honest. I love the book, film and game and would be delighted if it remains one of the few unsullied IPs out there. Having said that, I wouldn't be adverse to a follow up to Westwood's game, preferrably in the same style. Or an update to the visuals?

 

[Jumplion]

...it's a damn shame that Gearbox has to choose between a successful game or a visionary one.

That's a microcosm of what has become of modern AAA gaming.
Market expectations have destroyed what room there was for creative license in the AAA/"full feature" game category. It's why I can't ever get hyped up for AAA games anymore; they must include a large degree of generic marketable features (even if they don't fit) to sell.

Really, I do think someone needs to slap some sense in the industry *coughcoughMe?coughcough*.

 

[ultimateownage]

There is a game that would work as a Blade Runner one.
Prey 2.

 

[Iron Lightning]

Well that's good news. A Blade Runner game made by Gearbox would probably have the same problem as Rockstar's L.A. Noire. The problem with L.A. Noire being that it was such a departure from form for Rockstar. They tried to make a seriously adventure game that respects human life and you still end up killing about 50 people by the game's end.

Looking at Gearbox's recent works, this hypothetical Blade Runner would probably end at the point that you finish killing every Nexus-6 Replicant ever made. Kinda like hoe Borderlands ended when you finished killing every human, animal, aborigine, and interdimensional tentacle beast on Pandora.

 

[Jabbawocky]

So if they never plan on making the game, why do they have the IP? Was it aquired in a merger or something?