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[havoc00]

Baldur's Gate 3 dev calls Randy Pitchford's $80 Borderlands 4 comments "gross" because it implies the FPS is more important than "making it day to day"

Gearbox Software boss Randy Pitchford has found himself in hot water this week after saying that real fans would "find a way" to buy the upcoming Borderlands 4, even if it did launch with an $80 price tag. But it's not just fans who are reacting badly - Baldur's Gate 3's publishing director Michael Douse has even chimed in on the "gross" comments.

To quickly catch everyone up, last week, Randy Pitchford responded to a fan worried about whether Borderlands 4 would also adopt the $80 pricing of Mario Kart World. "If you're a real fan, you'll find a way to make it happen," the executive said, before recalling the time he spent $80 on a Sega Genesis game three decades ago - a purchase that was probably more affordable to the son of a US intelligence system tech senior in 1991 than it is for the average gamer in our cursed year of 2025.

"Inflation exists (we give inflation bumps for example to employees) and price increases can make sense," Douse responded on social media, "but saying 'real fans will find a way' is gross because it assumes your game is more important during a cost of living crisis than, for example, making it day to day."

"Real fans are people who love & understand what you do, keep track, and engage with your shit regardless of how much they spend," Douse added. When asked whether Baldur's Gate 3 would also have had a $80 asking price, Douse said even if it did, "we would probably not suggest people do whatever they can to buy it, lest they not be real fans." Ouch.

Either way, neither publisher 2K Games or parent company Take-Two have announced how much the new looter shooter will cost when it comes out this September. Best case scenario: the game's actually been $70 all along and Pitchford caused a hullaballoo over nothing. Otherwise, he's just made fans more antagonistic toward an $80 game than they already would've been because, well, $80 is a lot.

Baldur's Gate 3 dev calls Randy Pitchford's $80 Borderlands 4 comments "gross" because it implies the FPS is more important than "making it day to day"

Larian Studios' Michael Douse chimes in on the controversy

www.gamesradar.com

 

[bitbydeath]

I was tempted to get this at launch but I'm not going to pay $80 for it, even $70 is too much, will wait for a sale.

 

[Hero of Spielberg]

It works both ways. If customers need to find a way to pay $80 then developers need to find a way to get them to pay that amount.

Just to say 'real fans' will find a way to pay is a bit presumptuous, as it will all depend on whether the game is even good enough for 'real fans' to buy.

 

[Hemingwayoffbase]

It doesn't matter either way. After the movie, there are no real fans left anymore.

 

[Punished Miku]

I'm really annoyed anytime I see an article beginning with "Baldur's Gate 3 developer says ____." Didnt they say everyone was waiting for GTA6 to raise the price last year before anyone else even brought it up?

 

[Miyazaki’s Slave]

Randy doing what Randy does really REALLY well...getting eye balls on his games. The man knows how to push buttons and get attention...and that's his job description. His methods are contentious for sure but he is effective....and a billionaire.

 

[Loomy]

Honestly, the price is whatever. Everything is getting more expensive.

Randy's response to people questioning the price is indeed fucking gross though.

 

[havoc00]

Honestly, the price is whatever. Everything is getting more expensive.

Randy's response to people questioning the price is indeed fucking gross though.

 

[dorkimoe]

if it indeed is 80 ill wait a few months, got enough to play anyway. ill buy it used for cheap, which is why physical is superior

 

[Coconutt]

Charging $80 bucks when their last game in the series Borderlands 3 was such trash and the movie that came out based on the game was even trashier. I remember 3 getting down to $20 within a couple of months of release I can wait if I want it that bad but doubt I will.

 

[Pasta la Vista]

It's funny that these companies think they can dictate what we are going to pay for their non-essential product. As if they're in control of the world's water or oil supply. I'm looking forward to this biting them in the ass. Rare cases like GTA VI might be able to get away with it, but there's going to be mass market rejection with games priced at $80. Count on it.

 

[baphomet]

He's not wrong about games being much more expensive back in the day.

But I think I got all the Borderlands games for free, and they still couldn't hold my attention. So I'm not gonna be a "real fan" and spend $80 on yet another Borderlands.

 

[SILKYSMOOTH30FPS]

I never cared about the guy, but i've been seeing him push BL4 with his fake ass enthusiasm, and it's been cringe as fuck. The IP is nowhere near as big as it once was, and i don't think Gearbox gets it. If they're expecting BL3 sales or even better, they'll get so humbled.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Given inflation over decades, Pitchford isnt really wrong as lots of shit goes up in price..... although oddly some shit like apples and bananas I swear are the same price for 20 years.

Problem is video game employees love social media or answering questions with the smuggest dopiest answers.

Nike announced they are raising prices of shoes $5-10 due to tariffs as their stuff is made overseas. They gave a professional answer. But leave it to video game dudes always giving ammo for their customers to hate them.

Weird people.

 

[SILKYSMOOTH30FPS]

It doesn't matter either way. After the movie, there are no real fans left anymore.

The movie was just the cherry on top. BL3 and its dogshit DLC has stomped this franchise. Then you look at BL4, and what's actually different? Its literally the same shit as BL3, years later. Can't wait for Randy's damage control when the game does like shit.

 

[adamsapple]

Randy Pitchford needs to shut the fuck up, he talks too much.

 

[AJUMP23]

Wait for sale.

 

[Ozzie666]

The price is more than the movie made in profits ..

 

[Super Lemon Drop]

News at 11.

 

[Housh]

Maybe Randy was suggesting piracy.

 

[Ribi]

Ok but like does BG3 ever fucking go on sale Mr. Gross?

 

[Dorfdad]

I was tempted to get this at launch but I'm not going to pay $80 for it, even $70 is too much, will wait for a sale.

3 months it will be 39.99 100%

 

[Spukc]

He is right i used a vpn to buy baldurs gate 3 in belarus… when it was in EA.. so i paid 15 euro's about a fair price for an early access game

 

[Puscifer]

I was tempted to get this at launch but I'm not going to pay $80 for it, even $70 is too much, will wait for a sale.

I'll give it a year after all the dlc and get it for 15 dollars from cdkeys, that shit put such disgusting taste in my mouth.

 

[Gtafans93]

Can't spell greasy without randy pitchford......... Dude needs to sell duke nukem franchise and just stay with borderlands

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

what if borderlands 4 is THAT good?

Spoiler

what? im cereal

Never underestimate a magician

 

[Von Hugh]

Larian released a GOTY game with a normal price, no DLC, no microtransactions, and 200+ hours of content just like that.

Gearbox would not have the capacity to even think about what would be the right thing to do towards the customer. They just want your money.

 

[havoc00]

Larian released a GOTY game with a normal price, no DLC, no microtransactions, and 200+ hours of content just like that.

Gearbox would not have the capacity to even think about what would be the right thing to do towards the customer. They just want your money.

 

[Zeusexy]

Considering their massive profits, even 70$ is too damn much. Take it down a notch, Randy "Magic Trick" Pitchford.

 

[March Climber]

StueyDuck was right about Randy doing unnecessary damage to this game's marketing.

Someone please take the microphone and social media away from this man before he does further damage. I mean he isn't even arguing with anyone, he is just being obliviously arrogant.

 

[N0S]

Yikes yall

 

[Thebonehead]

Well considering it's being published by 2k, which is a subsidiary of Take Two, then it's probably $80 at a minimum.

Still I love me some Borderlands, so cdkeys for a cheap deal on pc for me

 

[roosnam1980]

you guys are too harsh on randy , he was just trying to PITCH an idea

 

[nnytk]

Does a high price tag really make more money? Seeing the success of Claire Obscur makes me wonder. It's a 50 euro game that sold really, really well and is on game pass.

Pricing games lower seems like a better path to "more sales" and "positive buzz" than going for 80 bucks.

 

[Bonfires Down]

Eh, not the best choice of words but Randy is just saying that if you really want to play the game then you can find a way to afford it. Which is true.

 

[Shockwave_Fox]

This guy's a clown, no way is a borderlands game worth that much - I've got a few of them for free and they bored me

Also, the only digital game I've ever lost access to was the original Duke Nukem 3D from the 360 days when they removed all versions of it and replaced it with the World Tour version so he can fuck off

 

[Kyo]

Is this a joke? The physical edition of Baldur's Gate 3 (PS5) is available directly from Larian only and it costs, you guessed it, 79.99. That's for both Dollars and Euros, depending on the region. And the only way to get it is as this "deluxe edition" – they don't offer a cheaper stand-alone game option.

Guess they, too, arrived at the conclusion that real fans would "find a way".

 

[Killer8]

The only numbers Randy doesn't like going up are the ages of the girls on that USB stick.

 

[The Cockatrice]

After the movie and the last game they'd have to be pretty fucking retarded to price it at anything higher than 60. Either way, if it flops, as long as Randy gets the axe, I'm fine with it. Guy's a sleazeball.

 

[Brakum]

I was tempted to get this at launch but I'm not going to pay $80 for it, even $70 is too much, will wait for a sale.

I was gonna get it but now i wont get it regardless of price. It's not like borderlands is the best game ever, it's good and i liked them all, but easy to ignore, plenty of games out there.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

It works both ways. If customers need to find a way to pay $80 then developers need to find a way to get them to pay that amount.

Just to say 'real fans' will find a way to pay is a bit presumptuous, as it will all depend on whether the game is even good enough for 'real fans' to buy.

Spot on good sir.

Although I still remember an era of me dumping quite a bit of cash down for C64 tapes and no way of knowing if it would even load.

Some good times were had indeed. The returns policy were a hell of a lot better, mind you.

 

[Generic]

When asked whether Baldur's Gate 3 would also have had a $80 asking price, Douse said even if it did, "we would probably not suggest people do whatever they can to buy it, lest they not be real fans."

Lol, their next game will be $80

 

[Punished Miku]

Lol, their next game will be $80

Of course.

 

[mckmas8808]

I was tempted to get this at launch but I'm not going to pay $80 for it, even $70 is too much, will wait for a sale.

Yeah, when did the price of this game raise to $80?

 

[SILKYSMOOTH30FPS]

He soooo cringe

 

[Madflavor]

He's right. It's just incredibly insensitive and dickheaded thing to say. I'm not getting priced out of my hobby, but $80+ games are a price point where I have to know for a fact that I'm going to get a lot of value out of the game, and it's something I'm really excited for, in order to pay that amount. If it's not a part of one of my favorite franchises, or GTA VI for that matter, I don't see myself spending that kind of money. Shit is expensive across the board, and I got a family that takes priority.

I'm sick of hearing the excuse "oh well back in the 90s games could be upwards of $120"

The thing about the 90s, for those who forget or those who weren't around, the economy was really fucking good in the 90s. It was a time where jobs were plentiful, technology was booming, there was low inflation, and strong economic growth. The 90s were a golden age for America. So sure games were expensive back then, but everything else was cheap or reasonable. Juxtapose that today where there's high inflation across the board, the cost of living is sky high, and there's low job growth. An $80 game wasn't a kick in the nuts back in the 90s as it was today.

 

[Punished Miku]

The thing about the 90s, for those who forget or those who weren't around, the economy was really fucking good in the 90s. It was a time where jobs were plentiful, technology was booming, there was low inflation, and strong economic growth. The 90s were a golden age for America. So sure games were expensive back then, but everything else was cheap or reasonable. Juxtapose that today where there's high inflation across the board, the cost of living is sky high, and there's low job growth. An $80 game wasn't a kick in the nuts back in the 90s as it was today.

The big issue with the 90s is that it was a smash success for a game to sell 1 million copies. Most people rented and maybe got 1 game for a birthday and 1 game for Christmas. Publishers can go back to that era if they want, selling 400k copies.

 

[Madflavor]

The big issue with the 90s is that it was a smash success for a game to sell 1 million copies. Most people rented and maybe got 1 game for a birthday and 1 game for Christmas. Publishers can go back to that era if they want, selling 400k copies.

Sure it is worth noting that gaming and the gamer community was smaller back then. But I think there is merit to the fact that it's easier to spend money on luxuries during prosperous economic times.

 

[CrimsonTide]

Charging $80 bucks when their last game in the series Borderlands 3 was such trash and the movie that came out based on the game was even trashier. I remember 3 getting down to $20 within a couple of months of release I can wait if I want it that bad but doubt I will.

Right? Things might be diff is Borderlands 3 was a GIANT smash blockbuster success

It was everything EXCEPT those things and was panned by many and "meh"d by the rest

 

[Sinozen]

Inflation is real, it's hurting everyone, but these price jumps just reek of entitlement. Instead of working to fix their own budgets they just pass it off on the customer. The executives are the worst because they're not personally feeling any of it with their cushy salaries. Everyone can feel that with how they communicate.

I hope that people vehemently reject these companies pretending as if their customers are the piggy bank. They sincerely deserve as dose of reality because what they're peddling is anti consumerism.