Good. I hope that sleaze Pitchford loses a mountainload of money on this. I absolutely hate the guy, he’s a liar and a thief. And arguably, depending how you look at it, a pedophile.
As a short reminder: Borderlands was originally meant to look like this. Then, at the MTV Asia Awards 2006, an artist by the name of Ben Hibon premiered a neat-looking animated short by the name of Codehunters. You can see it here. Witchford saw this and wanted to use the artstlye for his new game. He and Ben had a back-and-forth for a while and then, radio silence.
2009 comes around and Pitchfork’s new game Borderlands is released. And to say that it looked familiar to Codehunters would be an understatement. Kitschford, being an upstanding and virtuous citizen that he is, straight-up aped Codehunter’s style. No discussions or agreements were made with Ben and as such, despite Borderlands becoming hugely profitable, Ben didn’t see a cent. And that is why I will always hope for the Borderlands IP to crash and burn. Or, at the very least, for someone to actually pay Ben Hibon for (unknowingly) creating the game’s artstyle. Anyway, rant over, thanks for coming to my TED talk.
Nah, I didn’t forget. It’s just that Pitchford’s list of screw-ups is so extensive that if I wanted to list of each and every one, we’d be here all day.
I agree that Pitchford is a dick, but I sincerely disagree about the art style comments: I don’t think it’s morally correct to “copyright” (or, reworded: claim exclusivity of) art styles, especially in this context.
I think the two works are completely independent, and Gearbox being inspired by the short film is completely appropriate.
Anything else would be no different (in my opinion) than cases like Roger Dean (the cover artist for Yes’ early albums) suing James Cameron for the floating islands in Avatar.
I remember just a couple months ago before that game Mouse (the one that’s all black and white, rubberhose animation style, where you play as a detective mouse) was supposed to come out, and everyone and their mother was freaking out over the use of the rubberhose style, as if Disney had a copyright on the entire art style itself.
I just thought people were fucking stupid for voicing those thoughts in the first place.
I resolved to stop paying full price for anything Pitchford and his touch based on a number of factors. I did buy the latest BL game when it was on a big sale and thoroughly hated the main story and various plotholes (seemingly from cuts made by the company/directors rather than the writers). I bought Tiny Tina (again, on sale for over half off) and it was a game with all kinds of bugs that just never got fixed – it’s the first game I didn’t immediately roll a new character to replay after beating it. At this point, I’m not sure I would buy anything else they put out.
Big random factor in the loot so you can go long stretches without any interesting upgrades if you’re unlucky.
There’s a lot of time wasting - go here, now go back there, now go to this place
Leveling is weird and is a big factor in damage. If you’re too low level you can’t do anything except die. If you’re too high level you can’t lose. Sometimes you do too many side quests or not enough
The games typically start slow. You go a long while before you unlock your cool powers, or even the ability to equip four guns.
The writing is meh except for Handsome Jack. He’s a great villain.
There was a mega bundle of all the games before 3 for like $5. Look for that kind of sale.
I really wanted to like Wonderlands, but the intended demographic is apparently younger than me. The drop from M to T seems to have cut the writing down to kindergarten level.
Presequel is great, wonderlands is not. Tiny Tina’s dlc in 2 was absolutely perfect and MAYBE should’ve gotten a sequel dlc in 3, but there was never enough content for a stand alone title. Certainly not at a full game price point. I always look back to farcry 3 for the proper way to handle a stand alone dlc installment. Blood dragon was always a smaller spinoff and it worked well in that regards.
I don’t think Wonderlands had much replay value. Plus the DLCs were garbage, speed run dungeons and new items in the loot pool, no new story. I lost faith in gearbox after that.
I highly, highly recommend playing BL1 and BL2. They’re fantastic games, and wonderfully written. Not all of the humor has aged really well (nothing offensive, just mostly very 2010’s-specific humor), but the gameplay still holds up today, IMO. The DLCs for BL2 are particularly good, and among some of the best DLCs I’ve seen for any game.
Agreed! The quality and quantity of the content in that DLC are enough to qualify for a standalone game. Not to mention all the wild new mechanics that the DLC introduces, and work seamlessly with the rest of the game. TTAODK was probably the best piece of content Gearbox will ever produce.
It’s the classic thing that happens to all these movies and TV shows that are written by people who purposely avoid the source material and brag about “we didn’t play the game or read the books” like that somehow is going to make the content better?
Offhand I can only think of one movie (and sequels) where “didn’t read the book” made the movie significantly better: The Bourne Identity. Those books really were awful!
Not only that, they probably would have been better off not using the original 4 playable characters since every game comes with a new set. Just make sure the side characters are done well and you keep the same feel as the games and it should have been an easy win
I’m sorry but the cast alone is proof they didn’t give a fuck about the fans. It’s also dumb as fuck how they’re “telling their own story” and aren’t ballsy enough to go the route fallout did (telling a good story within established canon).
I’m not going to see a movie about borderlands if the established, existing core character cast isn’t literally from the game actors. Big celebs can be cool if they’re their own unique characters, but core, pre-existing characters should be played from the games.
Should clarify: if you’re going to use the main characters in the series, they should be using the actual actors. If you want to make some new characters, then that’s fine. If these guys were brand new vault hunters, I’d be far more forgiving.
I love the borderlands franchise but there is no chance ill watch the movie. As soon as it said some of the writers from marvel was involved i was out.
Nah, I saw that piece of shit in theaters and still wish I would have walked out. I know what he was going for, but like every other roth movie I’ve seen (doubly for anything he’s written), it’s just not well done outside of the cinematography. And frankly, well shot porno and gore scenes don’t make for a compelling movie on their own.
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Good. I hope that sleaze Pitchford loses a mountainload of money on this. I absolutely hate the guy, he’s a liar and a thief. And arguably, depending how you look at it, a pedophile.
As a short reminder: Borderlands was originally meant to look like this. Then, at the MTV Asia Awards 2006, an artist by the name of Ben Hibon premiered a neat-looking animated short by the name of Codehunters. You can see it here. Witchford saw this and wanted to use the artstlye for his new game. He and Ben had a back-and-forth for a while and then, radio silence.
2009 comes around and Pitchfork’s new game Borderlands is released. And to say that it looked familiar to Codehunters would be an understatement. Kitschford, being an upstanding and virtuous citizen that he is, straight-up aped Codehunter’s style. No discussions or agreements were made with Ben and as such, despite Borderlands becoming hugely profitable, Ben didn’t see a cent. And that is why I will always hope for the Borderlands IP to crash and burn. Or, at the very least, for someone to actually pay Ben Hibon for (unknowingly) creating the game’s artstyle. Anyway, rant over, thanks for coming to my TED talk.
You forgot that he also assaulted Claptrap’s original VA because he asked for past royalties to come back after the team begged him to.
Nah, I didn’t forget. It’s just that Pitchford’s list of screw-ups is so extensive that if I wanted to list of each and every one, we’d be here all day.
I agree that Pitchford is a dick, but I sincerely disagree about the art style comments: I don’t think it’s morally correct to “copyright” (or, reworded: claim exclusivity of) art styles, especially in this context.
I think the two works are completely independent, and Gearbox being inspired by the short film is completely appropriate.
Anything else would be no different (in my opinion) than cases like Roger Dean (the cover artist for Yes’ early albums) suing James Cameron for the floating islands in Avatar.
It’s not stealing to be inspired by someone else.
I remember just a couple months ago before that game Mouse (the one that’s all black and white, rubberhose animation style, where you play as a detective mouse) was supposed to come out, and everyone and their mother was freaking out over the use of the rubberhose style, as if Disney had a copyright on the entire art style itself.
I just thought people were fucking stupid for voicing those thoughts in the first place.
The cops should be called on Hollywood for IP abuse. 😂
Should I play the game though?
BL2 is one of my fav games ever.
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I resolved to stop paying full price for anything Pitchford and his touch based on a number of factors. I did buy the latest BL game when it was on a big sale and thoroughly hated the main story and various plotholes (seemingly from cuts made by the company/directors rather than the writers). I bought Tiny Tina (again, on sale for over half off) and it was a game with all kinds of bugs that just never got fixed – it’s the first game I didn’t immediately roll a new character to replay after beating it. At this point, I’m not sure I would buy anything else they put out.
Played the first two, cringy and tedious. And this is coming from someone who loves plenty of pulp and grindy games.
They’re fun especially with friends
They are great, but the unskipable cutscenes kill me.
They are… Okay.
Big random factor in the loot so you can go long stretches without any interesting upgrades if you’re unlucky.
There’s a lot of time wasting - go here, now go back there, now go to this place
Leveling is weird and is a big factor in damage. If you’re too low level you can’t do anything except die. If you’re too high level you can’t lose. Sometimes you do too many side quests or not enough
The games typically start slow. You go a long while before you unlock your cool powers, or even the ability to equip four guns.
The writing is meh except for Handsome Jack. He’s a great villain.
There was a mega bundle of all the games before 3 for like $5. Look for that kind of sale.
play the trilogy and your faith in the franchise will be restored
bl2 is the best one hands down, you could totally start with that one
The PreSequel and Wonderlands are both great too
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I really wanted to like Wonderlands, but the intended demographic is apparently younger than me. The drop from M to T seems to have cut the writing down to kindergarten level.
Presequel is great, wonderlands is not. Tiny Tina’s dlc in 2 was absolutely perfect and MAYBE should’ve gotten a sequel dlc in 3, but there was never enough content for a stand alone title. Certainly not at a full game price point. I always look back to farcry 3 for the proper way to handle a stand alone dlc installment. Blood dragon was always a smaller spinoff and it worked well in that regards.
Blood Dragon is the only FarCry I’ve played
I don’t think Wonderlands had much replay value. Plus the DLCs were garbage, speed run dungeons and new items in the loot pool, no new story. I lost faith in gearbox after that.
I highly, highly recommend playing BL1 and BL2. They’re fantastic games, and wonderfully written. Not all of the humor has aged really well (nothing offensive, just mostly very 2010’s-specific humor), but the gameplay still holds up today, IMO. The DLCs for BL2 are particularly good, and among some of the best DLCs I’ve seen for any game.
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Agreed! The quality and quantity of the content in that DLC are enough to qualify for a standalone game. Not to mention all the wild new mechanics that the DLC introduces, and work seamlessly with the rest of the game. TTAODK was probably the best piece of content Gearbox will ever produce.
Well that tracks as Eli Roth has never made a good film.
I bet isn’t worse than Uwe Boll.
Duh.
It’s the classic thing that happens to all these movies and TV shows that are written by people who purposely avoid the source material and brag about “we didn’t play the game or read the books” like that somehow is going to make the content better?
Offhand I can only think of one movie (and sequels) where “didn’t read the book” made the movie significantly better: The Bourne Identity. Those books really were awful!
The Witcher video games are better than the source and the original author is seething from its success
The games are great because CD Project are massive fans who read the books many times, so that hardly fits.
I mean the books are great too, apparently they’re even better in it’s native language.
There’s also Adaptation, technically.
I thought the 1993 Mario movie was pretty fun
I think there’s a difference when the source material isn’t great. IIRC Forest Gump is another example.
Also Starship Troopers
I thought that was debunked?
I’m not sure how you think this video is related to the comment I replied to ?
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“I hate that thing that you love, so I convinced someone to pay me a million dollars to shit on it for you.
”
Not only that, they probably would have been better off not using the original 4 playable characters since every game comes with a new set. Just make sure the side characters are done well and you keep the same feel as the games and it should have been an easy win
I think the Halo show could’ve been much more interesting too if they focused on someone not the main character of the games.
But no, gotta keep the most recognizable character
Only if they read anything about the games or books. Leaving master chief out doesn’t fix the active contempt for the source material.
I would have fully supported a movie with Mister Torgue running around having adventures. Of course he would be played by John Cena in a mullet.
Looking at Witcher TV series
I’m sorry but the cast alone is proof they didn’t give a fuck about the fans. It’s also dumb as fuck how they’re “telling their own story” and aren’t ballsy enough to go the route fallout did (telling a good story within established canon).
I’m not going to see a movie about borderlands if the established, existing core character cast isn’t literally from the game actors. Big celebs can be cool if they’re their own unique characters, but core, pre-existing characters should be played from the games.
Should clarify: if you’re going to use the main characters in the series, they should be using the actual actors. If you want to make some new characters, then that’s fine. If these guys were brand new vault hunters, I’d be far more forgiving.
Just saw this a few hours ago. If it wasn’t for this post I think I’d have forgotten about it already.
I guess it’s fine, just entirely unremarkable.
The casting alone is all you need to know to expect an unmitigated disaster.
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Well, there is the rock for any roll that isn’t a literal rock.
I love the borderlands franchise but there is no chance ill watch the movie. As soon as it said some of the writers from marvel was involved i was out.
It might become a cult terrible movie. I think thats its only hope.
Ill watch it at some point, but I wont be paying.
As if borderlands is some peak fiction.
The trailer looked like a wannabe Guardians of the Galaxy clone.
I am Jack’s complete lack of surprise. Has Roth made a good movie?
I thought the Green Inferno was perfectly cromulent. I can’t remember much of it, but I didn’t despise it.
I kind of like Hostel.
Nah, I saw that piece of shit in theaters and still wish I would have walked out. I know what he was going for, but like every other roth movie I’ve seen (doubly for anything he’s written), it’s just not well done outside of the cinematography. And frankly, well shot porno and gore scenes don’t make for a compelling movie on their own.
It’s been some time since I saw critics and fans so aligned, congrats to the Borderlands movie! lol
well its impossible that it could be worse than the games so im sure the borderland fan will like it give it some time
Not surprised. But with some better writing this could’ve been at least somewhat decent. Love the games and there are lots of stories to tell there.