Take-Two CEO Says Borderlands Movie ‘Disappointing’ But Helped Sell Games

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I must say that the Borderlands movie debacle left me utterly baffled. Having grown up with the franchise since its inception, it’s disheartening to see such a beloved series tarnished by a cinematic disaster. However, I can’t help but admit that Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick’s words have given me a glimmer of hope. The unexpected boost in sales for the Borderlands catalog, despite the movie’s abysmal reviews, is a testament to the power of gaming and its resilience against Hollywood’s best (or worst) attempts.

By now, we’ve all either heard about or seen the film known as Borderlands, which has been labeled an atrocity by many. Despite receiving poor reviews from both critics and viewers, with ratings mostly in the single digits, there seems to be a silver lining. Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick claims that the live-action movie didn’t harm the video game franchise but surprisingly helped it quite a bit instead.

Speaking to IGN, Zelnick said:

It’s clear the movie was underwhelming, but surprisingly, it managed to sell well in its catalog. This suggests that perhaps it didn’t do any harm at all, and may have even given a slight boost. This incident underscores a point I’ve made often: the challenge of transferring intellectual property to another format can be quite daunting.

In essence, when Zelnick uses the term “catalog,” he’s referring to the series of video games under the same franchise, including titles like Borderlands 2, Tales From the Borderlands, and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. The excitement generated by the movie release and people attending cinemas led to a substantial increase in game sales. Instead of rewatching the disappointing film again, many opted to immerse themselves further in the game world.

Hey there, fellow gamer! If you’ve found yourself drawn to the pixelated world after watching the movie, let me be your guide. Kick off your gaming journey with Borderlands 2; it’s widely acclaimed as one of the franchise’s finest masterpieces. While I enjoyed the gameplay in Borderlands 3, I must admit that its writing and dialogue had me squirming in my seat a bit too often for comfort. So grab your virtual arsenal, let’s dive in, and explore Pandora together!

In addition to talking about Borderlands, Take-Two also shared some news about the progress of Grand Theft Auto 6. They confirmed that it’s still set to release in Fall 2025.

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