Randy Pitchford

Randy is one of three owners and founders of Gearbox software and under his guidance as President and CEO, Gearbox has grown from an idea into a leading independent game development studio with titles that have sold over 20 million units worldwide earning over $500 million.

 

In 2000, Randy accepted the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences award for Best PC Action Game of the Year for Half-Life: Opposing Force (1999, PC), for which he served as Executive Producer and Director.  With Gearbox, Randy also directed, produced and/or was executive producer for Half-Life: Blue Shift (2000, PC), Half-Life (2001, PS2), Counter-Strike: Condition Zero (2004, PC), 007 James Bond: Nightfire (2002, PC), Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 (2002, PC), Samba de Amigo (2008, Wii) and Halo: Combat Evolved (2003, PC).

 

In 2005, Randy served as Co-Director and Executive Producer of Gearbox's original franchise 'Brothers in Arms'. In March of 2005, Gearbox launched the franchise with publisher Ubisoft Entertainment on three platforms to achieve record sales, critical acclaim and numerous industry awards and accolades making it the best selling and highest rated WW2 action game ever released on the Xbox video game system.  Since its launch, the Brothers in Arms series has released ten different games across all major console and mobile platforms generating over $250m in gross revenue.  The most recent release in the series, Brothers in Arms Hell’s Highway, was a 12^th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards nominee for Outstanding Achievement in Original Story.

 

In 2009, Borderlands, the fastest selling new video game brand of the year was launched with Randy as Executive Producer.  Released on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Windows PC last October, Borderlands quickly earned universal critical acclaim and record-setting sales. Featuring seamless single player and cooperative game play, Borderlands, as Randy put it, "is the first, great Shooter-Looter."  Borderlands has been nominated for and has won multiple Game of the Year awards throughout the industry including nominations in two categories in the 13^th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.

 

Before becoming a full-time video game developer, Randy was a professional magician in Hollywood occasionally performing at the famous Magic Castle between classes at UCLA.   Under the handle “DuvalMagic” Randy is also is a feverishly dedicated gamer who has earned a competitive reputation since the days of Doom to the end-game raids of World of Warcraft and his Gamer Score on Xbox Live exceeds 80,000 points.