14 DAY TRIAL // Randy Pitchford, the leader of developer Gearbox, says that he is satisfied by the smaller number of high-profile video games hitting the market because the trend allows even gamers who lack time to enjoy the most important releases.
The developer tells GamesIndustry during an interview that “I’d rather have fewer things that are awesome because I can’t play all this stuff anyway. You know what I mean? There’s just so much that I can’t keep up and I’m [expletive]-ing hard core. I play games all the time. And I can’t keep up so I actually like the idea of fewer, bigger bets.”
He adds, “Each game that did appear sold more than it did before; there are just fewer games. Fewer, bigger bets really means something and there’s an actual effect on the market. Is that bad or good? I don’t know.”
Pitchford also acknowledges the fact that the smaller number of big releases is balanced by the fact that more video games are launched from the indie scene, with limited development costs and with more creative freedom.
Publishers like Electronic Arts and Activision have also suggested that they would launch a smaller number of games over a one-year period in order to better balance financial risks and rewards.
Gearbox is best known for the work it has done on the Borderlands series, which includes two core video games and a number of downloadable content packs.
Recently, the company was involved in controversy linked to Aliens: Colonial Marines, a game that was criticized by fans for its poor quality and lackluster gameplay.
Some industry insiders have suggested that the studio farmed out development to other teams, including TimGate, abandoning the game in order to focus on Borderlands.
Gearbox is at the moment working on a new classic Brothers in Arms title and on the spin-off Furious 4.