Gearbox Software are making an “all-new” follow-up to Telltale Games’ Tales From The Borderlands episodic graphic adventure set in the Borderlands universe. It’s out this year, Gearbox revealed at this week’s PAX East event.
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford – who stepped aside as head of Gearbox Software last October – dropped the existence of the project right at the end of the PAX East presentation while wearing some shockingly Borderlands-yellow chinos. You can watch for yourselves below. Skip to about five minutes from before the end if you’re just interested in the Tales From The Borderlands announcement.
]]>After being pulled from store virtuashelves in 2019 following the demise of Telltale Games, Tales From The Borderlands finally returned to sale to today. It's an episodic story spin-off from Gearbox's looter shooters, and both better and funnier than the source material. If you already owned it, hey, you still owned it anyway. But if you missed it, now you can get in.
]]>Telltale Games' episodic Borderlands spinoff story Tales From The Borderlands was removed from sale after the company closed along with many of their other games. Gearbox, developers of the Boderlands series proper, have now announced that this particular narrative adventure is making a comeback next week on February 17th.
]]>Remember Tales From The Borderlands? Quite nice, that. Way back when, Telltale took Gearbox's blockbuster and ditched the rubbish bits (most of the memes, all of the shooting) and made quite a brilliant little story. Now, we all know what happened to Telltale - so it was refreshing news when it appeared at least one Tales character would be returning in Borderlands 3, Troy Baker's leading lad Rhys.
But while Rhys returned, Baker did not. Now the prolific voice actor claims Gearbox's anti-union policies were behind his failure to return to the Borderlands.
]]>Borderlands 3 is on the way, and developers Gearbox really want everyone to know, so they've launched one final piece of epilogue story DLC for enduringly popular looter-shooter Borderlands 2. Commander Lilith And The Fight For Sanctuary is free until July 8th brings the cast back together (including folks from Tales From The Borderlands) for one last fight. They've also slashed the price on Borderlands: The Handsome Collection (Containing Borderlands 2, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and all their DLC) to under a fiver. Below, a trailer for the new stuff, featuring a gun that shoots exploding unicorns.
]]>The sad saga of Telltale's fall is due one last tragic chapter. GOG have just announced that all of the defunct choose-your-own-adventure studio's games will be de-listed next Monday, May 27th at 11am BST. That includes Telltale's own games like Puzzle Agent, and all three seasons of Sam & Max adventures, as well as licensed games like The Wolf Among Us, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Batman, and the excellent Tales From The Borderlands. The last of which has already been removed from Steam, though publisher 2K Games are working to bring it (and it alone) back, as reported by Eurogamer.
]]>Today brings one more twist to the story of Telltale's tragic end. As reported by Polygon, the company has been hit by a class-action lawsuit filed by a former employee over a possible breach of local law.
The prolific adventure studio laid off almost its entire staff last week (minus a skeleton crew who will stay on for a little while longer) with no warning or severance. The suit alleges that this was in violation of California employment law (the WARN act, specifically), and the studio may yet owe the fired staff a full 60 days pay and benefits.
]]>In the wake of Telltale Games laying off 250-odd employees with no notice or (reportedly) severance pay, former Taletellers have been sharing warm memories and silly goofs from working there. They've explained the secret rules of a running joke started in Sam & Max, revealed daft scenes they made to amuse themselves in The Walking Dead with bananas and eyebeams, explained a serendipitous sweary accident in Tales From The Borderlands, and even gushed a bit about good times. The situation sucks but the moments and memories being shared are at least bittersweet.
]]>Following yesterday's initial reports that Telltale Games were effectively shutting down, the studio behind licensed story 'em ups including The Walking Dead and Batman: The Enemy Within have confirmed the bad news. All but 25 Telltale employees have been let go (that's 250-ish people gone, former members report), cut down to a skeleton crew to "fulfil the company's obligations to its board and partners." The studio say they've had "a year marked by insurmountable challenges." Telltale haven't yet confirmed quite what will happen to their past, present, and future games, saying they'll talk about their portfolio "in the coming weeks", but I wouldn't expect much more from them. What a sorry mess.
]]>Update: Telltale have officially confirmed the bad news that they've closed most the studio and only 25 employees remain.
As reported by Gamasutra, it seems that prolific choose-your-own-adventure studio Telltale Games is shutting down. This is backed up by media posts from developers at and close to the studio, such as Outerloop's Chandana Ekanayake.
The Verge report that a skeleton crew of around 25 will remain at the studio, down from around 250. A source tells USGamer the upcoming The Wolf Among Us 2 and a Stranger Things adventure series have been cancelled. Telltale Games have released no official statement yet.
]]>Update: Well ho ho ho don't I look a fool. Telltale have since announced a new season of Wolfamongus, along with more Batman and The Walking Dead. But no mention of new Borderlands, sadly.
If you've been hoping to hear more from Telltale Games about new seasons of The Wolf Among Us and Tales from the Borderlands, don't hold your breath unless you're willing to pass out over and over for an indefinite -- and possibly endless -- time. After That There Internet You Get Nowadays became excited about a marketing hint internauts took to be about an impending Wolfamongus announcement, Telltale marketman Job Stauffer stepped in with a hose to cool everyone's jets. Nope, it sounds like Telltale won't release me of either any time soon (if they ever do?).
]]>Oh boy, have we got sales news for you, vast gaping maw of collective consumerism. Isn’t it a beautiful day for buying things? The Humbler Bundlers have put together a bunch of Telltale’s better games for $15. Yes, everyone has probably already got their critically acclaimed zombies ‘n’ conversation games based on the Walking Dead. But has everybody got Batman? Has everybody got Game of Thrones? Has everybody got…
*squints at notes*
“Bone: The Great Cow Race”?
]]>It seems unlikely and pretty silly that two developers would release the fifth and final chapters of their respective episodic adventure games on the exact same day, but what do you want them to do - jump in a time-travelling car and return back from the future with a copy of The Video Game Almanac 2015?
By which I mean I'm still determined to win Most Forced Back To The Future Reference today, and also that I didn't play Episode 5 of Gearbox's pretty fun Tales from the Borderland [official site] last night because I was instead playing the conclusion to Dontnod's wonderful Life Is Strange. But TFTB is now finished too.
]]>It seems RPS mostly ran tickety-boo while I was on holiday last week but - gasp! - what's this, an oversight? You guys! I can't believe you didn't mention that the final episode of Telltale's Tales from the Borderlands [official site] will be out next week, on October 20th. Tch. Clearly I should never go on holiday ever again.
I've more catching-up of my own to do, mind - I really enjoyed the first few episodes of Tales but I'm one behind. Here, come have a peek at episode 5.
]]>Gearbox Software's toon-styled bro-shooter Borderlands [official site] is getting the Hollywood treatment with a new movie based on the franchise, in some form or another anyway. The news comes from Variety, who write that Lionsgate is developing the flick with the help of producers Avi and Ari Arad, although details beyond that remain scant. So here's what we know so far:
]]>Tales from the Borderlands [official site] has a lot more heart than I'd expected, and a lot less Claptrap than I'd feared. It's a pretty nice series, I'm saying. The adventures of our merry band of treasure-hunting misfits and grifters will continue today, as Episode 4 is due in a few hours. That screenshot up top isn't too spoil-y - hey, it's a snazzy statue - but the trailer that follows is a little, so be warned if you want the antics and japes to come fresh.
]]>The third episode of Telltale's Tales From the Borderlands [official site] is now out, and would you believe the ragtag group of grifters are in trouble again? I don't know how much more I can say without spoiling things - I ummed and erred for a while over even the screenshot to use in the header image - but I can tell you it's out today, and that a trailer and a description follow below.
I can also say that I've been surprised by how much I've enjoyed Tales From the Borderlands so far, given how boring I find the Gearbox first-person shooters they're based on.
]]>The second episode of Tales From the Borderlands [official site] should be arriving sometime next week, so to get you in the mood Telltale have released a trailer. This is a clever idea and I'm sure other games developers are likely to follow suit.
Obligatory spoiler warning: if you've not yet played the first episode, it's probably best you don't watch this.
]]>Tales From The Borderlands Episode One is the funniest adventure game Telltale have released in years. Given that The Walking Dead and Wolf Among Us are the most recent offerings that might not seem like such a big deal. Throw in Back to the Future alongside those two and the average number of decent jokes actually goes down.
But Borderlands would stand out as a winner in any company and you don't need to know, or be amused by, Gearbox' games to enjoy it.
]]>I don't enjoy Borderlands. I find the core first-person shooting unsatisfying, and I don't enjoy how its action-RPG side augments that with boring incremental skills and randomised weapons.
I do, however, dig the idea of a weird west planet on the outskirts of known space filled with chancers, treasure-hunters, weirdos, and gangs of murderers. That's nice, that. And gosh oh golly, I have very much enjoyed watching the new trailer for Telltale's episodic adventure game series Tales from the Borderlands. It's got all the griftin', cheatin', sneakin', and rootin' tootin' robot shootin' I would want from a game set in that world. Come see!
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