Borderlands maker Gearbox says that its recent acquisition by Embracer Group allows it to take most risks.

That’s according to studio founder Randy Pitchford, who told GamesBeat that the company is now able to pursue more out-there ideas. The exec said before that Gearbox would have to convince a publisher or third-party to help out with its ideas.

“We have so many new IP concepts that are in our incubator, that are ready to explode,” Pitchford said.

“We could wait for the right publishing partner who’s willing to make a bet, rather than only take a risk on something they know Gearbox has already done before. Those publishers that have taken risks on us for what we want to see next have always been rewarded. But for some reason they can’t be comfortable with that kind of risk. Now we get to take that risk.

“We don’t have to burn the boats to do it. When Epic did their deal, they ended up selling Gears of War to Microsoft. They burned the boats to show they could do something you’d never expect from Epic before, and [gaming] got Fortnite out of that. We don’t have to do that. We can maximally deliver on the IP we have and pursue new IP as a consequence of this relationship. That’s incredibly exciting for me. I feel like we’re just getting started.”

Embracer announced earlier in the week that it was buying Gearbox in a deal worth $1.3 billion.



Posted: Feb 08, 2021 12:26 pm
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://www.vg247.com/2021/02/05/embracer-acquisition-gearbox-risks/