Borderlands: Something to Keep a Mad (Max) Eye On.

Per Gearbox's official site:

2K Games to Publish Gearbox Software’s Borderlands TM
for Next Gen Consoles and Games for Windows®

New sci-fi shooter from award-winning developer Gearbox Software blends first-person action with character progression and hundreds of thousands of weapons for an unmatched cooperative gaming experience

New York, NY – August 16, 2007 – 2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today that it will publish Borderlands™, the latest release from acclaimed developer Gearbox Software, for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows®. As the first title in an all-new sci-fi action franchise, Borderlands combines the best elements of Gearbox Software’s famed first-person action titles with player customization and vehicular combat to create an unprecedented gaming experience.

Gearbox Software has developed revolutionary new technology to create Borderlands’ incredible layers of gameplay depth. Borderlands features a groundbreaking content generation system allowing for near-endless variety in missions, environments, enemies, weapons, item drops and character customization.

"Borderlands represents an important evolutionary leap in game design and technology,” said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K. “By utilizing revolutionary new technology to create thousands of unique, randomly generated missions, weapons and situations, Borderlands will raise the bar for next gen action games.”

Borderlands is an extraordinary cooperative experience, allowing for multiple players to share the same game experience simultaneously online. Players can freely join or leave each other’s games at anytime, or choose to play in the full single-player mode. Borderlands features life-like character animations, impressive real-time physics, and customizable vehicles.

“Borderlands creates a universe of gameplay that goes far beyond anything anyone would expect. We’re tapping into every bit of Gearbox Software’s experience with the biggest science fiction video game franchises, then taking everything way past the next level,” said Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox Software. “The team at 2K Games shares our passion for pushing boundaries in gameplay and storytelling and are absolutely perfect partners for Borderlands.”

Borderlands will be available holiday 2008 for PLAYSTATION 3 system, Xbox 360 and Games for Windows®. For more information, see the Borderlands cover story in the September issue of Game Informer Magazine.

About Gearbox Software

Gearbox Software, an independent video game development studio located in Dallas, TX, is respected industry-wide for their ability to create award winning, blockbuster interactive entertainment. The company has established itself as an industry leader, developing games for many of the industry's top franchises including Half-Life: Opposing Force, Half-Life: Blueshift, Half-Life PlayStation®2, Halo: Combat Evolved, Aliens and Tony Hawk. Gearbox Software’s first original brand, Brothers in Arms, was launched in 2005 and has become one of the highest rated and best selling franchises in the genre. The company is currently developing multiple original titles for next generation video game consoles and Windows Vista™. Additional information regarding Gearbox Software can be found at www.gearboxsoftware.com.

About Take-Two Interactive Software

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games for the PC, PlayStation® game console, PlayStation®2 and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Xbox® and Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, Wii™, Nintendo GameCube™, Nintendo DS™ and Game Boy® Advance. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games, 2K Games and 2K Sports, and Global Star Software; and distributes software, hardware and accessories in North America through its Jack of All Games subsidiary. Take-Two's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, the Xbox logos and the Xbox Live logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

I wonder if Miss Tina will be in it? Now, if Hellgate's any good, maybe this one will be too? It promises FPS and RPG, so let moi keep a stalking eye on it.

Here be the official game site: Borderlands

And no, it's not this Chinese game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGOitFpadBY

The BioShock Demo and Me

So, always being slow, I finally got around to downloading the "BioShock" demo. Yes yes, I know it's out in the States (Aug 21st, 2007), but I'm not big on this sort of game since I'm a chicken. When I watch scary movies (and I love watching them), I can't go to the bathroom by myself--I kidnap a cat or a friend to escort me--it's pathetic, really. Most recently, "F.E.A.R." similarly incapacitated me, but before that, all those fuckin' "Silent Hill"s and "Clock Tower"s really fucked me up. I mean, baby midgets with knives stabbing the backs of your legs!? Eww.

So, here's the story straight from the horse's mouth:

BioShock is the "genetically enhanced" first person shooter that lets you do things never before possible in the genre: turn everything into a weapon, biologically mod your body with plasmids, hack devices and systems, upgrade your weapons and craft new ammo variants, and experiment with different battle techniques in an incredible and unique underwater city.

You are a cast-away in Rapture, an underwater Utopia torn apart by civil war. Caught between powerful forces, and hunted down by genetically modified “splicers” and deadly security systems, you have to come to grips with a deadly, mysterious world filled with powerful technology and fascinating characters. No encounter ever plays out the same, and no two gamers will play the game the same way.

BioShock is loaded with some of greatest, most modifiable weapons to ever blast their way into a shooter. But guns alone won’t be enough to defeat the devious AIs of Rapture. There are literally hundreds of other strategies players can use to take out his enemies. Here’s just a few things you can do a foe:

* Catch his Grenades in Mid Air and Toss Them Back at Him
* Freeze Him Solid and Shatter Him with Smack of your Wrench
* Lead him and his comrades to water and Zap them all with 1000 Volts
* Burn Him Up With Home-Made Molotov Cocktails
* Booby Trap Healing Machines and Watch Them Blow up IN his Face
* Brainwash Him to Become Your Personal Body Guard
* Invent your own Ammo Types to Prey on his Vulnerabilities
* Turn his own Security System Against Him
* Light Him on Fire and Launch Heat Seeking Missiles At him
* Torment Him with Plagues of Insects
* Take Research Photos of Him to Learn his Weaknesses
* Send Him Flying into the Ceiling to Knock him Senseless

No encounter ever plays out the same way twice. No two gamers will ever play BioShock the same way.

Ahhh, so yeah, what they said. And yes, it's fun, and yes, I was freaked the fuck out wondering when and what would come out and kill me. I definitely recommend trying it out (the demo is 1.85 gigs, but it goes fast if you use GameShack or something) to see for yourself. As for whether or not I'll purchase it...probably not--I'm too chicken, but I'll certainly have GameFly send me a copy to play on the XBox.)