The video game industry has made the jump to $80, first with Nintendo and Mario Kart World, then with Microsoft and its price hike announcement that will kick in this holiday season. Could Borderlands 4 follow suit?
Publisher 2K Games and parent company Take-Two have so-far remained vague on whether they will go to $80, and Randy Pitchford has insisted the decision is out of his control. But, responding to one concerned fan on social media, Pitchford set the cat among the pigeons by saying that if you’re a “real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen.”
Here’s the exchange:
“Randy, this game better not be 80 dollars. Don’t take that risk, a lot of gamers aren’t gonna pay 80 dollars and feed this notion of constant increase of the price tag. You are the CEO, you have some say with the price when it comes to your publisher.”
And here’s Randy Pitchford’s response:
“A) Not my call. B) If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen. My local game store had Starflight for Sega Genesis for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach and I found a way to make it happen.”
As you’d expect, Pitchford’s comment has sparked a vociferous response.
I got the first 2 free with GwG (RIP) and the 3rd for $12 on sale.
Guess I‘m not a real fan.
Good job Nintendo, you opened the $80 floodgate
If they still like the series past the second, then its lack of taste tax.
The writing is so cringe that even thinking about it is annoying me and I haven’t played a BL game in over a decade
My local game store had Starflight for Sega Genesis for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach and I found a way to make it happen.
What is 80$ in 1991 worth today? calculateme says 190$ adjusted for inflation (in 2025).
What about the minimum wage? dol.gov says $4.25, or $10.08 adjusted for inflation. Since 2009 it’s $7.25.
7.25/10.08 = 0,72 or 10.08/7.25 = ~1,40
80/60 = 1.33
So we have a decrease in minimum wage by 30%, but an increase of product price by 30%.
Is this correct? Does that make it 60% more expensive than his personal analogy from 1991?
Man, the two-sided percent reference point is confusing.
I guess a better way to compare this, is the time you needed to work for the product.
So in 1991: 80 $ / 4.25 $/h = 18.82 h
In 2025: 80 $ / 7.25 $/h = 11.03 h.
Don’t forget that today, people have less spare money due to skyrocketing housing costs and various other fixed expenses…
Greedflation on necessities like food, utilities, housing etc etc.
Careful what you wish for, Randy. 🏴☠️
Have to wait a year or so for Denuvo to be removed.
Just putting this out there: wouldn’t a multiplayer-focused game like Borderlands be relatively shielded from the lads out on the high seas? Sure fitgirl could hook you up for a single-player campaign, but who tf wants to play Borderlands solo?
I’ve only ever played borderlands solo…
you have a mental fortitude i cannot imagine. getting all those sewer-tier jokes pure, uncut, while holding down L2+R2 for 30 hours…I thought they banned that sort of thing in the Geneva Conventions
Imagine playing Borderlands with a controller…
Ah, you’ve played endgame Salvador I see
Uh why the fuck would I want to play with other people?
My local game store had Starflight for Sega Genesis for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach and I found a way to make it happen.
The classic CEO fanfic… They also learn everything they need to be a successful businessman by selling lemonade in a stall
You just ask for 🏴☠️ at this point.
I mean, he seems out of touch, sure, but what’s the fanfic?
His father worked for the U.S. Intelligence as an engineer, I really doubt he had any financial problem that the “I found a way to make it happen.” is anything different them “I asked for daddy’s money”
TBH this sounds like more of a fanfic to me. Or haterfic I guess.
Cause shit was a lot easier with disposable income in 1991. Source: Had more disposable income with a “regular job” in 1991.
Is there anything to back that up?
With inflation, that would be pushing $160…
From what I found, the minimum wage in California (where Pismo Beach is) in 1991 was $4.25/hour. If he worked 20 hours a week, that’s $340/month before taxes. He almost certainly would’ve been a student at the time since he would’ve been 20 that year. I don’t know what funding he would’ve had, but it honestly sounds doable for 1991
And today they’d be making $1320/month before taxes. Shouldn’t it be easier to afford that $80 purchase now than it was then?
Not to mention Randy didn’t have the same alternative high quality games to buy for way less than $80 back then. The price of top games was the price, now there is so much good stuff for less. Why should we pay $80 for yet another borderlands?
Borderlands 3 felt like getting mugged by Randy Pitchford for 20 hours. I’m not a real fan.
I’ve only ever bought the first one, got the rest for free. I generally like the gun play idea but my interest always fizzles out due to the ‘humor’ and getting caught in a too high level well… Level and deciding to give up.
Yanno, I have always loved borderlands, but randy pitchford is an absolute fucking tool.
I even bought one of the diamond editions that came with a physical damn loot crate and tons of goodies with BL3, so it’s not like I’m not a fan. But still, how fucking stupid do you have to be to say it like this? What a stupid jackass.
guess i’m not a real fan then. will wait for it to be 70% off and be a real fan for less. thanks!
100% off :)
🏴☠️ it is then.
Exactly, you will find a way to make it happen
Fuck off Randy, you creepy, pedo fucking hack.
We’ll just wait for your dumb ass to leave another flash drive in another bathroom you’re getting a BJ from one of your marks in, again.
And hey Randy, if you can get all the media headlines to include the word ‘exonerated’ in the headlines which describe your completely confidential settlement reached outside of a courtroom, I can make shit up too.
Fuck this fucking hack.
Hope y’all enjoy the video game crash of 2026
I’ve never even paid full price for a game since it went to $70.
Same here. I refuse to do it. Even for a game I’ve been really eagerly anticipating. I’ll wait a few months for even a small sale now. Usually a good amount of bugs have been patched out by then anyway.
Whatever. I’ll do what any good PC gamer does and buy if it goes on sale for a 90% discount in a decade. Or I just won’t buy it because I’ll be too busy repairing my shanty/house boat. We’ll see how things shake out
Fuck Randy Pitchford.
