We’ve talked MANY times before on this site about the various levels of “success” in the video game industry. However, when it comes to AAA titles, especially ones that are part of a premier franchise, the biggest “endgame” will always be about the number of units it sells. For Borderlands 4, Gearbox Software had a lot to prove, and its sales would dictate how well they had done in earning back the gamers’ trust after the debacle that was the last entry. It hasn’t even been a week since its launch, but we do have numbers to share, and they are mostly positive.
According to Alinea Analytics, Borderlands 4 has sold over a million copies on Steam within its first few days, and between its releases on other consoles, another million have been sold. It should also be noted that the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the game hasn’t come out yet, so sales of that will obviously be tacked on later.
Why does this matter overall? First, it shows that despite certain setbacks with their old publisher, Gearbox Software still knows how to make fun games. It also highlights how gamers were willing to give them a “second chance” because they either liked what they saw or felt that being under Take-Two Interactive would be a better “fit” for them, and thus, the quality of the past would return.
Obviously, this is just the first milestone. What happens next might be the most important thing, and we’re pretty sure you all know exactly what we’re talking about. Yeah, the PC optimization issues. While a million units may have been sold over PC, that doesn’t mean that everyone is happy with the results of the Steam version. In fact, currently, the game has a “mixed” rating due to the various optimization issues that have taken place. Just as important is that Gearbox Software has been making fixes…but Randy Pitchford has also been lashing out at gamers who are “complaining” about the lack of good optimization. He even told them to “build their own engine that’s better and sell it to us,” or that if they don’t like the performance, “get a refund.” That’s not exactly the “right way” to handle things, and most people, outside of Randy, know that.
As such, it’ll be interesting to see how the game’s sales progress going forward, and whether the refunds will strike back at the potential profits that Gearbox is hoping to get.
