Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Borderlands Online Canceled As Take-Two Closes 2K China
Take-Two has decided to eliminate its studio in Shanghai, China after a decision was made to cancel the in-development Borderlands Online. The move does not impact the successful NBA 2K Online, which is handled by the Singapore location.
The publisher confirmed the news in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz earlier today. The decision was made as more work was required on the adaptation of Gearbox’s Borderlands franchise. The Shanghai studio was home to approximately 150 employees.
“We determined that the additional time required to finish current projects at the studio, particularly Borderlands Online, would not yield a favorable return on investment,” the publisher told GamesIndustry.biz.
Take-Two reported major revenue and profit gains in its second quarter earnings statement yesterday. The studio also delayed Gearbox’s latest project, Battleborn, from February to May.
[Source: GamesIndustry.biz]
Our Take
Our thoughts are with those impacted by the studio closure. Given Borderlands’ focus on co-op play, I’m unclear how this adaptation was going to work. It’s possible that the Call of Duty Online model of adapting missions or scenarios might have been a good fit. Borderlands is a quirky game though, and might not have been the right cultural fit either.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
