[shinobi602]

Can't say I blame him. It's a cultural phenomenon now almost. Making a COD game and putting the whole thing in your hands? Daunting...

Randy held an interview with a German mag:

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford says he was offered to develop an entry in the "Call of Duty" series but declined the offer because he felt it would not be a "significant challenge". Pitchford says (translated from the german text): "I don’t think there’s anything to accomplish there. I think if I was only in it for the money I would’ve done that.[...] I think to do “Call of Duty” right you need to do what needs to be done and there are a lot of people who can do that. For us it wouldn’t add to our credibility, it wouldn’t move us forward. There would be no significant challenge that would be gratifying to overcome" Pitchford also attributes the immense success of the "Call of Duty" franchise to its reliability. Because every new installement is a guaranteed hit in an often unforseeable marlet the series gets unrivaled support from retailers. "It's becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, to a degree", says Pitchford. Source

[Carl]

Good, they're better than that

[morningbus]

Good, they're better than that

Are they, though? Borderlands 2 doesn't prove it.

[Crewnh]

Good, they're better than that

Duke Nukem Forever

[Criminal Upper]

Probably the wisest move they've made.

Duke Nukem Forever

Didn't they like, simply finish that off development wise and didn't it wind up selling like two million copies?

[Sethos]

Good, they're better than that

Agreed.

More Borderlands!

[-NeoTB1-]

Good decision, Randy.

[The_Darkest_Red]

Good, they're better than that

Unless they feel like making a proper Vita version. ;)

[Clay Davis]

Good, they're better than that

I was left unimpressed with borderlands 2. the first was a revelation, but the second was lacking.

I have high hopes for aliens: colonial marines, hope they can deliver.

[SixStringPsycho]

Are they, though? Borderlands 2 doesn't prove it.

B2 isone of the best game this gen and way better than CoD

[Bo]

Good, all the more time to do Opfor II.

[CheesecakeRecipe]

I'm proud of ya, Randy.

[Xanadu]

Are they, though? Borderlands 2 doesn't prove it.

how about opposing force?

[Vyse The Legend]

Are they, though? Borderlands 2 doesn't prove it.

You must've played a different version than, well, everyone.

Also, I'm glad they didn't do a CoD game; it would be an absolute waste of their talent, and they'd gain nothing from it, sans a paycheck, since that community couldn't care less about who makes the game.

[Dreams-Visions]

Randy, unless the contract would have been bullshit, it would have absolutely added to your credibility. And to your pockets.

I cannot agree.

Are they, though? Borderlands 2 doesn't prove it.

Nonsense.

[Crewnh]

Didn't they like, simply finish that off development wise and didn't it wind up selling like two million copies?

Yes

[M.D]

I always forget Gearbox is an independent studio

[Orayn]

Duke Nukem Forever

DNF was already pretty much finished by Triptych. Game was already dead and Gearbox just supplied the coffin.

[Nirolak]

Probably the wisest move they've made. Didn't they like, simply finish that off development wise and didn't it wind up selling like two million copies?

They weren't really even the ones to do it.

Triptych did most of the remaining work.

Gearbox's Duke game is Duke Begins.

[diffusionx]

"I don’t think there’s anything to accomplish there. I think if I was only in it for the money I would’ve done that.[...] I think to do “Call of Duty” right you need to do what needs to be done and there are a lot of people who can do that. For us it wouldn’t add to our credibility, it wouldn’t move us forward. There would be no significant challenge that would be gratifying to overcome"

I would say that Treyarch proves him dead wrong. That company has most definitely gone above and beyond with this franchise, and established themselves as a top development house.

[animlboogy]

Probably the wisest move they've made. Didn't they like, simply finish that off development wise and didn't it wind up selling like two million copies?

Yeah the game was junk but I'm glad they helped get it out the door. For me, at least, it was almost cathartic playing through it and seeing how awful it was. I know other people would rather they canceled it and made a new game from the ground up... I definitely don't feel that way. Very cool of them to try to make something of it. I had a great time getting drunk and playing through it to see what the hell they were doing all those (wasted) years.

[deim0s]

Give it to someone who'll not pass it up, like Hijinx, High Voltage or Slant Six - just to kill the franchise and be done with it.

[Carl]

So much hate for BL2? I got it for Christmas and am enjoying it immensely.

[LiK]

Cel-shaded CoD for the kids.

[HoosTrax]

I always forget Gearbox is an independent studio

I had to look that one up, I was originally under the impression that they were actually owned by 2K, but apparently not.

[Vyse The Legend]

I would say that Treyarch proves him dead wrong. That company has most definitely gone above and beyond with this franchise, and established themselves as a top development house.

Let's not get crazy. Treyarch is still using the CoD engine, tech built by Infinity Ward.

When the next-gen CoD hits and it's running on a Treyarch-built engine, then we can talk. Until then, they're just making new content with existing tools.

[Sinatar]

Good, they're better than that

That's highly debatable.

Let's not get crazy. Treyarch is still using the Quake 3 engine, tech built by John Carmack almost 15 years ago.

Fixed.

[Guevara]

I had to look that one up, I was originally under the impression that they were actually owned by 2K, but apparently not.

Wow I was sure this is the case.

Anyway I bet their COD sequel would have been fun but I understand why they didn't want to do it.

[Gorillaz]

Are they, though? Borderlands 2 doesn't prove it.

BL2 is actually pretty good what makes you say that?

[Dark Octave]

BS. Anything can be a challenge. Instead of dissing the game, do something different with it while still pleasing existing fans and adding new ones. There's your challenge. How about taking it upon yourself to improve on it. There's your growth.

[Cerrius]

I would say that Treyarch proves him dead wrong. That company has most definitely gone above and beyond with this franchise, and established themselves as a top development house.

Treyarch's best game is a CoD4 WW2 re-skin.

[Kinyou]

Are they, though? Borderlands 2 doesn't prove it.

Didn't every critic love that game?

[AOC83]

Instead they needed 5 years to develop mediocre Alien game (goddamn why can´t a real class A developer get this license for once)

[HoosTrax]

I do agree with one thing in particular though -- at least on PC, I think CoD would be a step down for them, based on the comparative popularity of BLOPSII and BL2.

Didn't every critic love that game?

Hell, I think even Derrick loved the game.

[saladine1]

So that's it, COD will stay with the same formula forever?

I really hope there's a new phenomenon around the corner to replace this series...

[Vyse The Legend]

Fixed.

Sure; whatever floats your boat. Still doesn't change the fact that they can make something quality on their own from the ground-up. Their development history is spotty at best.

[Kickass667]

Can't say I blame him. It's a cultural phenomenon now almost. Making a COD game and putting the whole thing in your hands? Daunting... Randy held an interview with a German mag:

maybe they could get a GOOD development team without the major ego like Gearbox.

[ciridesu]

COD is sometimes being seriously undermined in regards to it's quality and the effort that goes into making it.

[diffusionx]

Let's not get crazy. Treyarch is still using the CoD engine, tech built by Infinity Ward. When the next-gen CoD hits and it's running on a Treyarch-built engine, then we can talk. Until then, they're just making new content with existing tools.

That's a pretty simplistic view of game development.

Just read DF's COD articles, it's obvious Treyarch has put a lot of work into the engine.

Anyway, I'm not saying that Treyarch is god or anything. I'm saying that they have extended the series in lots of clever ways and every game adds something interesting. Before this they were known as a cheap port house. I know a bunch of people who say that Treyarch's COD is the one they look forward to.

[animlboogy]

Let's not get crazy. Treyarch is still using the CoD engine, tech built by Infinity Ward. When the next-gen CoD hits and it's running on a Treyarch-built engine, then we can talk. Until then, they're just making new content with existing tools.

Hmmmm.... Now where did Infinity Ward get all that tech from... Thin air, you think?

I don't wanna downplay their work, it's a very nice engine and I deeply appreciate the focus on performance because to me that matters IMMENSELY in a shooter. But lets not get ahead of ourselves here. Infinity Ward did NOT build that engine from scratch. Lets not deify them just because they're mostly dead.

[NullPointer]

BL2 is actually pretty good what makes you say that?

BL2 is amazing, and I still have fond memories of the earlier Brothers in Arms games. They have it in em', but they seem to slip as often as they succeed.

[confuziz]

Are they, though? Borderlands 2 doesn't prove it.

What the F? BL2 is one of the best games this gen..

[Victrix]

They're either rich as fuck, or he's crazy as fuck. You don't turn down a chance to work on one of the best selling games of all time otherwise.

[terrdactycalsrock]

You know as Randy put it, it would have made them a lot of money. However, theres something to be said about declining an offer because you feel like it doesnt make you better at the end of the day. Good for him

[XenoRaven]

BS. Anything can be a challenge. Instead of dissing the game, how about taking it upon yourself to improve on it. There's your challenge. Do something different with it while still pleasing existing fans and adding new ones. There's your growth.

Do something different? With Call of Duty? A property owned by Activision?

I don't think he dissed the game either. I can't find that he said anything negative about it.

[RionaaM]

Duke Nukem Forever

I agree with Carl. I had more fun with DNF than BO and MW3 (on Wii, haven't played the HD versions). I liked WaW though, and MW had a cool, albeit repetitive, campaign.

[Nirolak]

They're either rich as fuck, or he's crazy as fuck. You don't turn down a chance to work on one of the best selling games of all time otherwise.

Gearbox cofunds Borderlands, so I imagine their royalties are very large.

[Vyse The Legend]

BS. Anything can be a challenge. Instead of dissing the game, how about taking it upon yourself to improve on it. There's your challenge. Do something different with it while still pleasing existing fans and adding new ones. There's your growth.

But, why should they? They already created their own franchise with their own tech. It's theirs and theirs alone.

Call of Duty is a shared franchise, and the fans don't care that multiple studios work on it. They'd gain little recognition for making a new entry in the series, and any improvements they make will be adopted by the next studio that works on the subsequent CoD.

Unless they need money, Gearbox should never work on the franchise.

[Carl]

They're either rich as fuck, or he's crazy as fuck. You don't turn down a chance to work on one of the best selling games of all time otherwise.

Sure you do. Money doesn't mean everything. If they don't feel it would have been the right project for them, there's enough reason to turn it down. No matter how much money they get for it.

[Zaventem]

BS. Anything can be a challenge. Instead of dissing the game, do something different with it while still pleasing existing fans and adding new ones. There's your challenge. How about taking it upon yourself to improve on it. There's your growth.

CoD fans acting up again.