Borderlands shortages reported, Gearbox responds

by Richard Mitchell on Oct 21st 2009 2:44PM

It looks like Borderlands, well-received by critics, is having trouble getting received at all by some potential purchasers, with retail shortages being reported in the US. Canada is also dealing with supply issues, possibly as the result of the game's $40 price tag in the region.

Gearbox's Steve Gibson has contacted Joystiq regarding the matter, noting that the shortage is mostly limited to the Xbox 360 version, particularly on the east coast. Gibson states that Gearbox is "working with production and distribution at ramping up to catch up with demand," adding that fresh copies should hit "as early as Thursday or Friday."

Meanwhile, the PS3 version has run into supply problems on the west coast, but Gibson says these "are mostly regional and can be addressed by reallocation." Gibson notes that this should happen "quickly."

So, how about it? Have you had trouble snagging a copy of Borderlands?

Were you able to find a copy of Borderlands?
Yup, no problems here.	3311 (35.6%)
Nope, I can't find it anywhere!	1363 (14.7%)
Huh? Oh, I hadn't looked.	4626 (49.7%)

[Thanks, Nick W.]

Tags: 2k-games, borderlands, distribution, gearbox, Microsoft, shortage, Take-Two, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (124)

no.. and this game is amazing. Check your local toys r us. I went to 2 around me, and they had tons. I feel like this is a spot often overlooked by gamers.

Hey, has anybody here mentioned that Steam never runs out of digital copies? I thought it'd be a welcome contribution.

Yeah and the screwed the online buyers. They backordered all online preorders and are shipping them Friday. I asked for a refund as my local TRU has it, but they said it won't go back to the gift card for 3-5 days.

Best Buy as well. They had a stack of 'em last night.

Whoa, Matt and dark_inchworm, get a room!

can you resell your versions that you bought on steam?

That'd be really nice, Space, but no, you can't resell or refund games. If you have more than one, you can gift, but that's the extent to which you "own" your digital copy. I love Steam, but if I don't like a game, or I've played the Eff out of it, let me gift it to someone else! I have friends that have never played HL2 for chirssake!

it really reminds me of diablo 2. with the online multiplayer and randomized loot. loot-whoring is back yall.

no worries I just ask because I buy and sell everything used online. most of the time I make $40-55 if the game is relatively new. If I was buying on steam I'd be broke and have access to a dozen games I'd never play anymore.

Has anyone mentioned that Steam doesn't work on consoles?

@Duke

That's like saying Wii games don't work on the PS3.

I was also able to find my copy at Toys R Us after being unsuccessful at Futureshop, Walmart and EB Games. Toys R Us had at least 8 copies on the shelves when I got there.

Ordered on Amazon, it was delivered to my doorstep yesterday morning at around 10am via UPS (in Philadelphia). The awesome part was, I used the free shipping option, and I still got it on its release date!

I paid $3.99 one day shipping, I'm surprised at this. If you preorder MW2 from Amazon you $15 store credit.

I'm waiting for PC version so I wouldn't be able to say.

Then there is no need to comment. Can not find.

No they was a reason I thought, this game came out same as Consoles and it didn't. Relax it isn't a dig at consoles. There isn't a option there for somebody looking forward to it that just hasn't found it for their format. Put away the gun, not attacking.

A well spoken and coherent rebuttal. Thanks. No, I was pointing out that this artivcle has to do with the CONSOLE versions of the game. It is great that you are buying it on pc (and I would love to have a great gaming rig) but you are simply off topic. I did not view your initial comment as a dig at consoles, just unnecessary. I still love you though.

No problems here, but Steam rarely has supply issues...

I got mine on steam for $33.75, so I'm okay waiting another week. I love steam 4-packs.

I didn't have a problem getting my copy since I pre-ordered but a friend of mine who didn't had to drive all over to find a copy. Southeast Michigan here.

I didn't realize the game was out yet. Ok back to CoD and ODST.

Back to missing one of the best games of the year? Have fun. :D

I think you should re-consider kind sir... did you know that you can Tea Bag enemies in Borderlands?

Isn't that the Halo selling point these days?

Tea Bagging guys in Halo was only fun in Halo 1 imo, where the visual action was as fast as you clicked the stick in.

Now it's all slow and silly looking.

I am waiting for the PC version to play on my rig which is also connected to my HDTV and surround sound so I don't care. There are no shortages on Steam. It looks like I may get my copy the same time as the console only owners anyways.

GameFly.....will have tomorrow...

Send it back soon would ya? It is next on my list but with supplies at "Low" probably won't get it until sometime next year.

I'm going to beat it and send it back....if I really like the multiplayer tho I will end up getting it again and then keeping it....

I don't think you will ever "beat it", it is a grind and level up type game.

Very addicting so far.

Bought it and played for about four hours; up to level 12 and barely scratched the surface. Found a rocket launcher that I cannot even equip until level 25.

damn....if its that much like an RPG I may not even have time to really play it...Forza3, and Ratchet & Clank come out next week

i went to the gamestop @ herald square last night to pick it up. they had a bunch behind the counter but told me they had to check since those were "preorders only" 5 minutes later they told me they could sell me one and only had extras for 5 more walk-ins. i don't chalk this up to shortage so much as the pricks at gamestop scamming the customer though.

on a different note, i ended up playing this game with my roommate til 2:30 in the morning. the split-screen coop is so much fun.

As someone who used to work for GameStop I can tell you that this is a standard practice, we were not allowed to say we were sold out if we still had the preordered copies, that we were supposed to sell those to customers cause "not everyone picks up their game at launch, no denying a sale." I didn't do this cause I hate this idea, also they sold my preordered copy of BlazBlue LE cause I was on vacation.

Yeah, when I worked at EB, we would wait a few days after the game was released (for a game we were selling out of) and call then and call the people to see if they were planning on picking it up and to remind them it was in. And see if we could see a few of the games and get some of the preorders out of the store.

I would never do that for a limited version unless it had been a long ass time though.

Though I've seen a lot of people that would have the game preordered the game and never pick the damn thing up. Or even cancel the preorder. $5, $10, hell even $50 given freely to EB/Gamestop.

herald sq is where i go too. never really had an issue there. but i do over hear people get the "these are for pre-orders only" talks.

^ This.

wtf. that was meant to be @ ACE T'Ken.... stupid comment system :|

What is more frustrating is when you pre-order the game at...cough cough...Gamestop because they offer up a bonus in-game weapon pack for EVERYONE who pre-orders, and then come launch day they give the usual "We were shorted" lame ass excuse. It's their way of selling more copies of a game, promising you something to pre-order from them, and then they say they were shorted when it comes to getting the code to unlock said weapon pack. Gamestop needs to be called out on this, since they have been pulling this crap for a while now on various games. People who pre-order it should receive the bonus item, and Corporate office always wants to point the finger at others rather than themselves.

My local Gamestop received zero pre-order bonuses. Every copy was the "regular" version. Needless to say, I didn't buy from them.

From the Borderlands website:

http://gbxforums.gearboxsoftware.com/showthread.php?t=76890

Just have your receipt and call em up! They will email you a code "while supplies last."

Thanks for the number, I ended up contacting the via email and they asked for the required info regarding my pre-order, verified it, and then emailed me the code. :)

Shouldn't it be "Nope, no problems here." and "Yup, I can't find it anywhere!"? Hmm...

Uh, no.

Look above the box.

"Were you able to find a copy of Borderlands?"

Yup, no problems here.
Nope, I can't find it anywhere!
Huh? Oh, I hadn't looked.

It looks pretty good to me, eh?

Bah, I'm stupid. I read "Have you had trouble snagging a copy of Borderlands?" and somehow missed the actual question for the poll. You guys are right.

The independant game store near me has a tonne. Weirdly though both the Future Shop and Best Buy were mysteriously sold out by noon yesterday. It was the same when they had the Batman $40 deal. It's not really a sale if you're not selling the thing.

BB, Futureshop and GameStop (downtown Toronto) were sold out of the 360 version by Tuesday after work.

I noticed some PS3 versions in the BB and Gamestop then, and Gamestop still had PS3 copies Wednesday afternoon.

They expect more 360 copies in Thursday.

I found a copy, but not without some hassle. I'm in Canada and I wanted to get it for the deal, and so did many other people. But when I went to the store they hadn't got their shipment yet.
I had to go there three times in total before I finally got it, and they were almost sold out by that point.

I have a friend that has been looking like mad for a copy of it and it's sold out everywhere. I have no idea whats going on.

The only store in my town that had the game for the deal price is WalMart, and when I called them, they said it wasn't on sale, only the 360 version was... So my friend bought it at FutureShop in another city and sent it on the bus to me, and I got it the same day.

Today, I call WalMart and ask again for a friend of mine, and magically it's on sale, but they don't have any in stock...

I was hoping to get it for 39.99, but all stores that were charging that sold out really fucking fast.

no problem finding it for 69.99.. :(

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Borderlands shortages reported, Gearbox responds

Reader Comments (124)

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