For those who probably don’t have a few grey hairs yet, the original Borderlands started life looking eerily similar to every other aesthetically muted mid-2000s shooter. When it was initially revealed in 2007, it was more Mad Max than Mad Moxxi, following the vogue set by the likes of Gears of War and Halo. However, the devs at Gearbox Software knew this wouldn’t be enough to set it apart. In a fresh interview with podcaster David Senra, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick regales the eleventh-hour pitch that changed the series’ trajectory, and the call he had to make knowing how much time and money – a whopping $50 million – it would take.

 Borderlands originally looked similar to other big 2000s shooters, until Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick was pitched a dramatic switch-up.  PCGamesN