Borderlands boss told game would fail during production. #Borderlands #Gaming #BBCNews

Key Concepts:

• Borderlands 1: The first game in the Borderlands series.
• Industry Prediction: The game industry's expectation of Borderlands 1's failure.
• Risk-Taking: The decision to proceed with Borderlands 1 despite negative predictions.

Main Argument:

The speaker emphasizes the unexpected success of Borderlands 1, highlighting that its potential failure was widely predicted by the game industry. Despite these predictions, the development team decided to take a risk and pursue their vision.

Specific Details:

• The speaker states that Borderlands 1 "shouldn't be as successful as it is," suggesting its success defied expectations.
• The game was expected to be a "super super niche thing," indicating a belief that it would only appeal to a very small audience.
• "The whole world predicted that it was going to fail when we were doing Borderlands 1," emphasizing the widespread negative outlook.
• The speaker acknowledges a personal element of doubt ("A part of me kind of believed it"), but highlights the team's determination to proceed ("We have something to say here and we've got something to do").
• The decision to "put it on the line and go for it" underscores the risk and commitment involved.

Notable Quotes:

• "It shouldn't be as successful as it is."
• "The whole world predicted that it was going to fail when we were doing Borderlands 1."
• "We have something to say here and we've got something to do and we're just going to put it on the line and go for it."

Synthesis/Conclusion:

The speaker reflects on the surprising success of Borderlands 1, contrasting it with the widespread industry belief that the game would fail. The team's decision to ignore these predictions and take a risk ultimately led to the game's success, highlighting the importance of pursuing a vision despite external doubts.