Randy Pitchford interview (cont’d)

FiringSquad: What is your opinion on the upcoming next-generation consoles (PS3 and Revolution) and how they compare to the already released Xbox 360?

Randy Pitchford: The 360 is a really exciting machine for us. I encourage any serious gamer to get one as soon as they can manage. I love mine with many of the titles that have already launched and I know there are some really amazing, truly next-gen games that won't be far off. I can personally vouch for the next-gen quality of Brothers in Arms 3, for example.

The PS3 is very promising - I am very optimistic about it and the Sony platform is going to be an increasingly important platform.

The Revolution is exciting - I am so thankful and impressed with Nintendo. I don't believe I will ever stop being a fan of theirs.

FiringSquad: What other challenges does the video and PC game industry have to deal with in the next few years?

Randy Pitchford: The PC game business needs to start taking accessibility and usability seriously. All of the inexpensive crapware is killing the PC game business. For a new PC gamer, the choices suck. They come in with something low cost which means it is either old or poor quality and in both cases, they either have a hard time getting going or are not very gratified by their experience when they do get going.

I could complaint about piracy, but that's an obvious problem that everyone is thinking about. I could also complain about the prevalence of cynicism and elitism amongst the hardcore PC gamers, but I'm one of them and am arguably part of the problem :)

No... Let's get rid of the shovelware at retail and we'll be really better off.

Also - Ask me this question again in about eight months - seriously... There is something I can't talk about yet.

FiringSquad: Finally is there anything else you wish to say about Gearbox Software and its plans for the future?

Randy Pitchford: If you're interested in learning more about what is going on at Gearbox and seeing some next-gen assets before anyone else in the world sees them, check out our website (www.gearboxsoftware com) and register on our forums. We're a game developer, so there's no charge or trick - we just want to talk about our games with people who care. It won't be too long before there is going to be some crazy stuff that will be shared there first. Don't say I didn't warn you...

On behalf of FiringSquad, we’d like to thank Randy for answering our questions in this interview, and look forward to checking out the latest creations from the Gearbox team in the near future!