250°

Gearbox turned down offer to develop "Call of Duty"-Sequel

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.

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BillySpandex4115d ago

The irony is that Call of Duty under Gearbox would have actually pushed the franchise back to its roots. Amazing military-based Stories and gameplay over twitchgaming for toddlers.

FarCryLover1824115d ago

Do you really think that Activision would allow that / publish that nowadays? No, they wouldn't. Which is sad.

HammadTheBeast4115d ago (Edited 4115d ago )

Exactly. Gearbox knew that Activision would NEVER let them make huge changes, which is why they knew the morale would be low.+1 for Gearbox for having self respect.

Blank4115d ago

Yeah activision would definetly not let gearbox innovate or take chances the proof on that is activisions own dev teams they just rehash it and release it although ill cut treyarch some slack but this article is bout gearbox and the fact they have lots of dignity and self respect I hope they continue to see good success and profits also I laughed at the reason why gearbox shut down the offer its really good an the dot a really good reason because ANY dev team can do call of duty all they need to do is the copy and paste, insert new guns, use 360 as lead, make maps, cut out maps for later dlc, and let activision publish and advertise it

snipes1014114d ago

I dont know. If acti was willing to reach out to someone like gearbox, chances are they werent doing it to get the same result they could likely get for cheap using one of their in house devs. They probably also knew that there was no way they were gonna be able to pull in a big dev from the outside and expect them to bow down to their every whim.

ATi_Elite4115d ago

Good for Gearbox. B-Lands 2 is a great game and COD is just so repetitive it's crazy!

I have no interest to play a game that is talked about by racist, homophobic snot nose 7 year old "Internet Only Gangsters" and Grandmas.

I think Gearbox would of just got lazy and lost all creativity by making a COD but instead we have B-Lands 3 to look forward to.

Ascerendant4115d ago (Edited 4115d ago )

Not sure if I'd consider the gameplay of "Brothers in Arms" or "Borderlands" far ahead of "CoD". I'd agree though that it would be great if Activision would let a studio like Gearbox reinvent "Call of Duty" as they see fit. But as it seems, if you want to do it, you have to go by the formula.

EddieNX 4115d ago

The gameplay in Borderlands is far ahead of CoD...

Borderlands 2 is on a different level of quality to any CoD game.

Ascerendant4115d ago

You really think so? The core gameplay of the early BiA-Games was: "Set guys to suppres, flank, kill" - in endless repetition. Before "Hell's Highway" the storytelling was pathetic war-hero-patriotism. I agree the third one was good, but not better than CoD. "Call of Duty" has gotten atrociously stale but the core gameplay is extremely refined, especially on consoles. Movement, aiming, reaction times etc - this is all extremely well done.

Now "Borderlands 2" - I love the game to death and I've spent more than 70hrs playing it so far. But what's great about "Borderlands 2" is the perfect "carrot on a stick" balance of loot & experience gain combined with an original and fun world. The shooter-mechanics are extremely simplified. So much so that my girlfriend was able to master it in a day (which is great cause now we can play together). "Call of Duty" is way ahead in terms of refined gameplay, IMO. It's just that they take this great core-mechanic and just rehash it over and over and over again.

solid_warlord4114d ago

Call of Duty 20-30 million per game since 2007..
Border land 1-4million per game..

Best selling point of COD Fast paced gameplay at 60fps...far superier feeling than most shooter.

I know Sales doesnt mean everything most of the time but if u sell 20 plus million every bloody year...that means "sale" tell you its one bad ass game that people want.

Everyone hates COD and i am guilty as charged for that, yet most of us still buy it cause no other game provides fast action that doesnt last 30min a game...the game is addictive pure and simple.

Sure the most biggest haters will say its for kids even though it has an 18 plus rated stamped on it. Porn is also 18 plus rated yet most kids watch it in a daily basis but u know wat...porn is still more popular amongs kids than COD could ever hope to be.

Go ahead, press the disagree button...it will prove how many people hate on COD yet they still go buy it. I also like to forcast a prediction. COD will be best selling game 2013 and BO2 DLC will be the best selling DLC on consoles. BO2 will also be the most played game on XBOX Live and PSN. I would also like to predict that this will be disagreed manytimes and the most of the people who press disagree will go and play on COD afterwards and then come back to hate on it on the intenet. If this is true then i am a psychic.

HammadTheBeast4115d ago

Both games are much better than CoD.

NeverEnding19894115d ago

Major kudos to Gearbox. I'm on the fence about getting Borderlands 2, but this article has given me a huge amount of respect for the devs and may have just convinced me.

Disappear Call of Duty. Forever

EddieNX 4115d ago

Borderlands 2 is incredible and the sort of game that Highlights the Distinc lack of quality missing from CoD.

CoD is OK I guess. But it's too dated now , too repetative. Even NSMBU feels a million times fresher than Blops 2.

Kalowest4115d ago

"I'm on the fence about getting Borderlands 2"
WTF, Gearbox is one of this gens best studios, go pick up Borderlands 2.

Genuine-User4115d ago

In my opinion, I find them to be an okay-ish Studio.
Their next game Alien Colonial Marines looks/plays rather average at best.

Riderz13374115d ago

Good. Don't ruin your reputation with that POS.

1nsomniac4115d ago

Easy decision IMO. Although I'm not a COD fan, It's big shoes to fill & gearbox just arnt good enough & they themselves know that & would inevitably have a huge backlash to deal with.

IMO & i've been a hardcore gamer for 25 years, I have absolutely no idea where Gearbox has actually got there high credibility from. The only half decent game they've released was HL Blue-shift & possibly Boderlands which are again IMO both poor quality.

Blastoise4115d ago

Didn't they make Duke Nukem Forever? lol

People are just hating on Call of duty again, and trying to make out like Borderlands is better than it actually is.

1nsomniac4115d ago

Only thing Gearbox are good at is spinning publicity favourable in their direction...

Wish I was that good at covering up bullshit!

FarCryLover1824115d ago

They only finished Duke Nukem Forever. They did it because Randy is friends with many people from 3D Realms, and he used to work there long ago.

They finished the game as more of a favor to them and to Take-Two. I am sure they were self aware that the game wasn't the best, but that's not why they finished up the loose ends.

Kalowest4115d ago

"It's big shoes to fill & gearbox just arnt good enough & they themselves know that & would inevitably have a huge backlash to deal with."

Gearbox is more creative/talented than the COD devs.
Gearbox working on COD is a step-backwards, and they're trying to move ahead.

1nsomniac4115d ago

OK, so in your opinion, name a single thing they have ever done in their entire development history that has been 'creative/talented'??

vickers5004115d ago

@1nsomniac

Borderlands 1
Borderlands 2

I'm not sure whether or not Gearbox created the shoot-and-loot rpg/fps, but they definitely revived it and made it amazing. How many fps/rpgs with randomly generated loot games can you name, other than BL1/BL2? I'm betting none, unless you can find some mediocre indie game somewhere on the internet that has poorly replicated it.

It may not be 100% unique and original, but it sure as hell is creative with it's great art design and game mechanics that don't exist in any other shooter. Oh yeah, and it has a hilarious story, something that only comes along once in a great while for video games.

Your opinion is terrible if you honestly think Borderlands 1/2 are "poor quality". I can understand not liking them, I don't like a lot of popular games that many people swoon over, but I can still recognize their quality/greatness. You fail to recognize Borderlands greatness. It's a shame, you're missing out on an amazing game. Give it a fair chance (play it for more than 2 hours), try it again, and you will finally get why so many people love the franchise.

BlaqMagiq244115d ago

Please elaborate on how Borderlands is poor quality.

Blank4115d ago

I respect your opinion and experience which formed your criticism about gearbox I too have been gaming for many years so I see what your saying its true at first I didnt see gearbox as top tier but in this game generation after borderlands 1 I feel they got a new mindset that after aliens colonial marines we will see better quality things from them im sure they are planning a new brothers in arms game im sure with that game they will assure and showcase there new mindset randy is loving the spike of trust from gamers borderlands garnered for them he wont let it go to waste keep in mind randy pitchford is an old school gamer I mean he was one of the original devs for duke nukem

Ascerendant4115d ago

That is bullshit. Right now Treyarch is running the CoD-Show. Makers of such hits as "Kelly Slaters Pro Surfer" and the "Quantum of Solace" game. If they can take over for Infinitey Ward without missing a beat, Gearbox could at the very least do the same.

Now could Gearbox have made "CoD 4: Modern Warfare" before there was a "CoD4": I agree, they probably wouldn't have. They're still one hell of a studio though.

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160°

Players claim Fortnite ruined Call of Duty by letting in more corporate greed

Do you remember what gaming was like before Fortnite entered the gaming space? One of the biggest arguments was about loot boxes. Now we have conversations about crossovers, battle passes, and community outreach.

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GoodGuy091d 13h ago (Edited 1d 13h ago )

Idk. Loot boxes did disappear and battle passes and in game purchases are all cosmetic. We get free weapons and maps post launch, any gameplay affecting content. I could care less about all the cosmetics.
I absolutely hated the days where weapons were locked behind a less than 1% chance lootbox pull where it'd take 5+ hours to have enough tokens to do a single pull and lazy remastered/remake maps cost you $15 each wave or $50 for the season pass that you didn't know what you'd get and these maps were only available to those that bought it so you get a smaller pool of players match with.

Tacoboto5h ago

The "good ole days" are actually what drove me away from COD and Halo 3/Reach. Halo 4 becoming a COD-like drove me away from that only a week or so after it launched and I beat its campaign.

It sucked way back then, going a month or two without playing online-shooter-of-the-moment, and then needing to buy a $15 map pack to play with the majority of the population or your favorite playlist. The "community" rejecting Spartan Points in MCC killed that game's support, too. No revenue = no support, plain and simple.

franwex7h ago(Edited 7h ago)

Call of duty can simply not copy the bad aspects of Fortnite? Or is that too out of this world? Like COD, a realistic shooter-just HAD to have Nicki Minaj running around? Or super heroes?

Inverno4h ago(Edited 4h ago)

Exactly! Trends don't all need to be followed. Plus where Fortnite got somewhat better with it's monetization, Acti got worse. Or at least Fortnite has lended itself more to the wacky stuff, and has put more effort and quality into that stuff.

jjb19815h ago

I prefer the battle passes with free maps than the $50 season pass that divided the community. I definitely feel that Fortnite had some influence on CoD having loot boxes with Blackout being introduced in 2018 with Black Ops 4.

PRIMORDUS4h ago(Edited 4h ago)

Actually Fortnite bullshit ruined Unreal Tournament. Epic are sellouts and I will never have that shitty store on my PC, fuck them and that shit bag Tim Sweeney. At least the community keeps the games alive, I still play UT2004.

Psychonaut854h ago

Call of Duty ruined Call of Duty. They needed no outside assistance.

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100°

Massive new COD Black Ops Gulf War leak lifts the lid on loadouts

The Black Ops Gulf War leaks continue with a list of weapon descriptions giving more info on what you can expect from new and returning weapons.

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theloadout.com
80°

Call of Duty Players Disappointed by $80 B.E.A.S.T. Glove Bundle Deal

Recently, players of Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone were met with a new bundle featuring the B.E.A.S.T. Glove, inspired by King Kong's armament in the Godzilla x Kong movie. However, the $80 price tag attached to this themed accessory left many Call of Duty fans feeling underwhelmed.

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Kaii8d ago

Morons that allow themselves to be milked continuously by this company is the definition of irony.
Spend more $$ and you'll end up In easier lobbies so you win both ways when ya spend that cash

melons7d ago

Controversy in the COD community feels like it happens within an alternate timeline. Activision will take the piss with something, there will be a momentary fuss about it, and then they will forget about it and carry on anyway. Repeat this cycle literally every year for the rest of time.

Gridknac7d ago

They call that a crack head! Thats what this is really about, its an addiction. People who dont smoke cigarettes look and laugh at the addicts that spend $8-$10 a pack, but they cant help themselves, they are addicted. That same analogy applies perfectly to the whole MT industry. Only an addict that was not thinking clearly would spend this kind of money on something so frivolous. A round of multiplayer provides the same high a person gets from scratching a lotto ticket, or putting money on a sports bet. MT in general need to really be regulated because you have a generation of kids becoming adults who grew up only knowing the MT era of gaming. Its normal to them and they will in turn teach their kids the same by just being a gaming parent and getting their kids involved with them in gaming. Thats why no matter how ridiculous the headlines keep getting out of the MT industry, it never seems to fade or go away.

X-236d ago

I'm so tired of hearing about what they're doing with this game, its never going to change and it's never going to value the consumer over money, furthermore the people who engage so heavily in the microtransactions I guess allegedly are having a blast and can't wait to do it some more this year when the new version of the game drops.