‘Borderlands 2’ Handsome Jack Trailer, Mechromancer Details, & ‘Girlfriend’ Controversy
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With just over a month until launch, 2K has been ramping up marketing for Borderlands 2 , including a new trailer and a more specific release date for the Mechromancer DLC.
including a new trailer and a more specific release date for the Mechromancer DLC. Oh, and in related news, people are upset about the inclusion of a “girlfriend mode.”
Titled “Come and Get Me”, the latest trailer forthrusts the spotlight onto main antagonist Handsome Jack. Much like pastbaddies, Handsome Jack doesn’t quite care for vault hunters; however, this trailer suggests Jack will be a more compelling villain than the cardboard characters in the original game.
If that trailer wasn’t enough to interest you, lets us remind you that those who pre-order Borderlands 2 will be granted access to the Premiere Club, enabling the Mechromancer DLCat launch. We reported earlier that the DLC will take between 60-90 days to reach regular consumersbut a 2K Games rep has now clarified the release date to VG247, narrowing the window to 60 days – which suggests a November launch.
Unfortunately, it’s not all good news for the team at Gearbox Software, as the studio has recently been called out for making reference to a “girlfriend mode.” Borderlands 2 lead designer John Hemingway, revealed that the studio is working on a “BFF skill tree,” which will make the game easier for players unaccustomed to first person shooters.
However, after referring to it as “girlfriend mode”, some gamers are upset by Hemingway’s terminology – because it suggests “girls can’t play video games.” Gearbox co-founder, Randy Pitchford, took to Twitter to defend Hemingway, stating that “ Borderlands 2 does NOT have a girlfriend mode,” and that “there is no universe where Hemingway is a sexist.”
You can read Hemingway’s description of the BFF skill tree below:
“The design team was looking at the concept art and thought, you know what, this is actually the cutest character we’ve ever had. I want to make, for the lack of a better term, the girlfriend skill tree. This is, I love Borderlands and I want to share it with someone, but they suck at first-person shooters. Can we make a skill tree that actually allows them to understand the game and to play the game? That’s what our attempt with the Best Friends Forever skill tree is.”
While it may have been a poor choice of words, it’s definitely a stretch to think that Hemingway was being dismissive of all girl-gamers. The BFF skill tree is meant to help out coop partners who just aren’t as experienced with shooter titles. No doubt, there are plenty of girlfriends who can rack up killstreaks better than boys in the online arena and pigeonholing everyone into “girlfriend mode” was an error of judgment but, for the time being, we’re going to take Pitchford at his word and chalk this one up to foot-in-mouth disease.
Borderlands 2 releases September 18th, 2012 for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.
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Source: Eurogamer& VG247