Gearbox dun fucked up ... Someone better call the Game Police.

I've fallen a bit behind on this blog, but with spring break coming up my classes are dropping some tests and homework. I've been wanting to talk about this game, but I was hoping for some things to blow over to get some real information. However not much more besides the initial "Who Dun It" articles that people have been talking about.

So in case you haven't heard, Aliens: Colonial Marines is possible to worst game to have the Gearbox name on it. (I can't say as much for SEGA, play some newer Sonic games and then you'll understand.) Basically SEGA funded quite a bit of Borderlands and Borderlands 2 with the understanding that Gearbox would work on this game. Then SEGA also gave them money for this game.

Next thing SEGA knows is that Gearbox funneled ALL of the money into the Borderlands series and Duke Nukem Forever, while none of it went into Aliens. Gearbox apparently handed the game design off to a small studio and never really touched it again besides for some pre-rendered scenes and areas that were to show off for E3. Gearbox says they can't be at fault because they handed it off to another studio and because the contract ended when they released the game, because that is apparently all the contract really said they had to do.

While this may or may not be fair to SEGA or anywhere close to ethically okay, Gearbox may not face legal repercussions. That fact that they completed the contract means SEGA can't sue them for the game itself. Maybe sales or something similar. The most prevalent idea at Sega is that they will be getting a portion of the sales from Borderlands and Borderlands 2 to make up for the lack of sales in Colonial Marines. 

I'm not sure how they can quantify the implied sales. Either way Gearbox has just gotten a bad reputation and other major companies are going to be more resistant to working with them. This could very well be the end of Gearbox, which could either kill the Borderlands series or some other group will pick it up. On the off chance they get back on their feet, I hope they like working alone.