Gearbox: Borderlands fastest-selling new IP of 2009
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Nov 17th 2009 at 1:30PM } 
Going by not entirely public NPD sales figures (in North America), Gearbox has determined that Borderlands had the most launch-week sales of any new IP in 2009. The only other title that could contest that would be Prototype, which enjoyed greater sales on the Xbox 360 platform (but just by 1,900 units) than did Borderlands when comparing the two games' respective launch months (419.9k vs. 418k units). However, Prototype, which released June 9, was available at retail for 11 more days during its launch month than was Borderlands (October 20). While we don't know total sales of either title during their launch months (both were released on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC), it's reasonable to assume that Borderlands is the fast-selling new IP (during a launch week), if not the best-selling one in combined platform sales for a launch month in 2009.
So, congratulations! But watch out for Dragon Age: Origins -- we hear it's fast, too.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
crackp1pe @ Nov 17th 2009 1:35PM
I wonder if Randy's buddy Gabe will reconsider delivering quality PS3 versions of Valve's titles after seeing these numbers. Ignoring the huge PS3 install base just gets stupider and stupider every day, I'd happily buy L4D2 if I could play it on my platform of choice...
copa @ Nov 17th 2009 2:03PM
Uh, Borderlands sold terrible on PS3. The XBox 360 version outseld the PS3 SKU by 4 to 1.
tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 17th 2009 2:10PM
"The XBox 360 version outseld the PS3 SKU by 4 to 1."
That sounds like every multiplatform game :P
I kid, to an extent. It's usually closer to 2-1. Looking forward to seeing how much more MW2 did on 360 though.
roger @ Nov 17th 2009 2:15PM
@copa, its "outsold" not "outseld". Either way I love Borderlands and enjoy it so much I can't wait for the DLC to come out even if it is next week.
GiggMan @ Nov 17th 2009 2:25PM
"Uh, Borderlands sold terrible on PS3. The XBox 360 version outseld the PS3 SKU by 4 to 1."
The game came out in October, what do you expect. The 360 didn't have an exclusive game drop so everyone had to flock to borderlands and brutal legend that month. PS3 owners were playing and I'm assuming enjoying Uncharted 2.
Jack Tretton @ Nov 17th 2009 2:32PM
"PS3 owners were playing and I'm assuming enjoying Uncharted 2."
Are PS3-only owners too poor to buy two games at once? Or buy one and rent another?
There's ~8-9 million PS3 owners in the U.S.; to date Uncharted 2's domestic sales are, I think, shy of one million. You do the math.
GiggMan @ Nov 17th 2009 3:38PM
Jack it's not about being poor or broke it's the simple fact that Borderlands and or any other game will always be available. There was no need to get it right away, day one.
Plus I'm RICH BITCH!
CaramelZappa @ Nov 17th 2009 10:43PM
I'd much rather Gabe stick to the platforms he's good at developing for, so he can make his games as good as they can possibly be instead of wasting resources that could have been making the game better on learning a new architecture. Asking Valve to make a game for the PS3 is like asking Naughty Dog to make a game for the 360. It'd probably be good, but not nearly as good as it would have been if they were working on the platform they work best with.
hdcase @ Nov 17th 2009 1:36PM
Good it deserves it. Awesome game all around.
XBL: xGeneral DEATHx PSN: Deeth82 [Planeteer | Power of General Hostility and Angst] @ Nov 17th 2009 2:05PM
Agreed, Sir. +1
Space @ Nov 17th 2009 2:10PM
one of the best games of the year. 4-player co-op with level 50 players is amazing.
Anthony M. @ Nov 17th 2009 3:14PM
I've personally stopped playing it till they patch some of the issues.
Skills being deleted, terrible framerate with blood on the screen, weapon proficiencies being deleted, items being deleted, down to entire save corruption.
When they fix all that I'll play long enough to get my last 2 achievements.
Trey @ Nov 17th 2009 3:30PM
Every time I see Lilith's tatted and pixelated cleavage, I have the sudden urge to jump back into the world of Pandora.
Slust @ Nov 17th 2009 4:25PM
A good thing the patch came out last night then, huh?
Courtney @ Nov 17th 2009 1:38PM
Good for them! It's the best new IP for me this year (though I imagine I will be playing Dragon Age before the end of the year). Sure as hell the best new MP game.
Oh, and Joystiq, autoplaying video ads are annoying. Please don't have them.
mywhitenoise @ Nov 17th 2009 1:41PM
What ads?
Are you still using Internet Explorer or something?
Courtney @ Nov 17th 2009 2:10PM
Nope, Firefox since the day it was release however many years ago. I just choose not to run an adblocker. The vast majority of the sites I visit on a daily basis are ad supported, and so I don't block their ads.
Ryan @ Nov 17th 2009 2:25PM
Then that's your fault.
Why cant YOU manually create a filter then?
D-5 @ Nov 17th 2009 2:32PM
Much easier to complain than do.
zero2dash @ Nov 17th 2009 1:38PM
Agreed.
Mordecai + Bloodwing = massive amounts of FUN
A sniper rifle with explosive rounds? Uhh uhh where do I sign up???! =D
J [Planeteer | Power of Being a Douche and Accepting It] @ Nov 17th 2009 2:08PM
I can't put down my Hunter Shotgun (w/ sniper scope and exploding rounds.)
Boom! heh heh heh
CynicalStrike @ Nov 17th 2009 8:15PM
I normally don't bother with glitches, but spamming bloodwings is so much fun; just aim at the ground and tap LB as fast as you can. In seconds you'll have an entire swarm of bloodwings flying around you :D.
Kleptomaniac @ Nov 17th 2009 1:38PM
I still don't understand how prototype sold as much as it did. I didn't bother playing it, but it got average reviews and looked like shit. The only draw to the game was blow stuff up and be really overpowered.
The Pirate @ Nov 17th 2009 1:48PM
Actually its insanely fun. It got great reviews (unless 8 and 9/10 is crap now-a-days). Its one of my fave games of this year.
Temidien @ Nov 17th 2009 2:00PM
It's always curious how people who haven't tried something and instead rely on the opinions of others feel the need to comment as well.
roger @ Nov 17th 2009 2:22PM
Prototype was crap, well at least if you made the mistake of playing inFamous first which is what I did. I'm pretty sure I'd have a higher opinion if I'd done it the other way around, but in the end inFamous was a much better game.
The Pirate @ Nov 17th 2009 2:28PM
Ive played infamous first, and yes while Infamous was better, prototype was still amazingly fun and an easy 9/10 for me.
roger @ Nov 17th 2009 2:53PM
@ The Pirate: So by your reasoning then inFamous is a 10 since its better than Prototype which you gave a 9. Prototype is a mediocre game that at the most should get a 7 simply because infamous was a good game, but I don't see that getting a 9.
The Pirate @ Nov 17th 2009 2:57PM
How was Prototype mediocre?
roger @ Nov 17th 2009 3:24PM
@Pirate Uncharted 2=10, MW2 & Batman:AA =9, inFamous & ODST =8
There's no way Prototype is up to the level of any of these games as they had better polish, stories, controls etc. That is why it is a 7 in the range of a mediocre game, busting up tanks and helicopters doesn't make a game good.
brian @ Nov 17th 2009 1:56PM
I stopped playing it for a while, i started mass effect and thats taken up most of my time lately.
i need to start it up again.
8-bit.artist @ Nov 17th 2009 1:40PM
does batman arkham asylum not count because it has batman in it?
Mogster @ Nov 17th 2009 1:45PM
Well a well-established modern day icon doesn't exactly scream 'new intellectual property' does it?
jondastunna84 @ Nov 17th 2009 1:42PM
wack ass game fast selling or not IMO
Temidien @ Nov 17th 2009 2:02PM
I read your comment no fewer than three times trying to understand. I still can't tell if you mean "wack" to be positive or negative.
Bubbameister33 (Confused by Fanboyism) @ Nov 17th 2009 4:56PM
When did "wack" become a positive term? I need to go outside.
Access Granted [No one can stop Mr. Domino!] @ Nov 17th 2009 1:43PM
This is awesome news!!! I just can't wait for Zombie Island!!! =)
Samuel Vimes @ Nov 17th 2009 1:48PM
This game was fun until the second play through.
PedoJokerBear [Planeteer | Power of Gall Bladder] @ Nov 17th 2009 5:37PM
then it became AWESOME.
Samuel Vimes @ Nov 17th 2009 5:43PM
To each their own.
gu3st @ Nov 17th 2009 2:53PM
It's pretty wicked game. Even if I stopped playing it, I'd support it by buying DLC and copies for friends. Was the most enjoyable game I've played in a long while.
The Swedish Chief @ Nov 17th 2009 1:52PM
What about Brutal Legend?
Zoot Suit Jedi @ Nov 17th 2009 1:57PM
Based solely on the title of this article, I don't believe that Brutal Legend was the fastest selling new IP of 2009.
coffins outside the door @ Nov 17th 2009 1:58PM
I don't think it sold very well.
brian @ Nov 17th 2009 1:58PM
it only sold around 220k copies.
from what i've read it was overhyped.
Temidien @ Nov 17th 2009 2:04PM
Great game that unfortunately didn't get a great following. The lack of inviting multiplayer doesn't help its cause...
tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 17th 2009 2:08PM
In America, the 360 version of Borderlands alone doubled the total sales of Brutal Legend between ps3/360. It's also a FAAAAAAAAAAAAAR better game than Brutal Legend.
roger @ Nov 17th 2009 2:25PM
Bought Brutal Legend when Best Buy had the buy two get one free, kept Brutal Legend sealed and exchanged it today for AC2. Boderlands was the first of the 3 picked up that day and can't wait to play the zombie dlc the game is really fun to play.
LegendaryRedass @ Nov 17th 2009 3:01PM
They shoulda nipped that rts talk in the bud real quick once it started going around. I think that hurt it. I think Schaffer is the one that got it started too. It's not even an rts for real.
Dreaded Fear @ Nov 17th 2009 3:35PM
Brutal Legend was alright. It was obvious that the game was hyped to oblivion for no other reason than Tim Shafer. People were in such denial afterwards when they found out the gameplay sucked, but the story and characters were alright... just like any Tim Shafer game.