Editing Gearbox Software (section)

===Formation and initial growth (1999–2008)===
[[File:Gearbox Software logo (1999).jpg|thumb|left|The primary of two variations of Gearbox Software's original logo created by Brian Martel, Stephen Bahl and Landon Montgomery. The "gearbox" text was produced using Martel's old typewriter because Martel felt that only it had the [[font]] with an ideal lower-case "g".<ref name="GameSpy">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespy.com/articles/697/697083p6.html |title=GameSpy Retro: Developer Origins, Page 6 of 19 |first=John |last=Keefer |date=March 31, 2006 |website=[[GameSpy]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609133126/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/697/697083p6.html |archive-date=June 9, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>]]
Gearbox Software was founded on February 16, 1999, by [[Randy Pitchford]], Brian Martel, Stephen Bahl, Landon Montgomery and Rob Heironimus, five developers formerly of Rebel Boat Rocker.<ref name="GameSpy" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/gearboxofficial/status/170187694733922304 |title=Gearbox Official on Twitter: "It's our birthday! Gearbox Software was founded thirteen years ago on February 16, 1999." |author=Gearbox Software |date=February 16, 2012 |website=[[Twitter]] |access-date=May 11, 2019 |archive-date=November 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104020059/https://twitter.com/gearboxofficial/status/170187694733922304 |url-status=live }}</ref> Before Rebel Boat Rocker, Pitchford and Martel previously worked together at [[3D Realms]], and Montgomery previously worked at [[Bethesda Softworks]]. By 2000, the company employed 15 people.<ref>{{cite web|first=Joseph|last=Gelmis|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94258396/newsday/|title=New Life For Half-Life|newspaper=[[Newsday]]|page=127|date=April 12, 2000|accessdate=February 5, 2022|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|archive-date=November 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104020053/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/94258396/newsday/|url-status=live}}</ref>

They started with developing expansions to [[Valve Corporation|Valve]]'s ''[[Half-Life (video game)|Half-Life]]''. Porting ''Half-Life'' to console platforms (each with new game content) followed, building the company's experience in console game-making, in addition to enhancing and building upon the successful ''[[Counter-Strike]]'' branch of the ''Half-Life'' franchise. Prior to ''[[Half-Life 2]]'', they had developed or helped develop every ''Half-Life'' expansion game or port, including ''[[Half-Life: Opposing Force|Opposing Force]]'', ''[[Half-Life: Blue Shift|Blue Shift]]'', ''[[Counter-Strike: Condition Zero]]'', ''Half-Life'' for the Sony [[PlayStation 2]] (including ''[[Half-Life: Decay]]''), and ''Half-Life'' for the Sega [[Dreamcast]] (including ''Blue Shift''). Branching out to other publishers, they pursued additional [[Porting|port]] work, each game being released with additional content, but this time from console to PC. These projects included their first non-first-person shooter, ''[[Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3]]'', and ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', forging new publisher relationships with [[Activision]] and [[Microsoft Game Studios]] respectively. Additional new development, in the form of a PC game in the [[James Bond]] franchise (''[[James Bond 007: Nightfire]]'') for [[Electronic Arts]], also occurred during the company's initial 5-year period.

In 2005, they launched an original property of their creation, ''[[Brothers in Arms (series)|Brothers in Arms]]'', with the release of ''[[Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30]]'' on the [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]], [[Personal computer|PC]] and PlayStation 2. Later that year a sequel, ''[[Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood]]'', was launched. In 2008, ''[[Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway]]'' was released.

2007 brought announcements of new projects based on licensed film intellectual properties, including the crime drama ''[[Heat (1995 film)|Heat]]''<ref>{{cite web |last=Thorsen |first=Tor |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-06-gearbox-turning-up-iheat-i-on-next-gen-consoles/1100-6150948/ |title=E3 06: Gearbox turning up ''Heat'' on next-gen consoles |website=[[GameSpot]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |date=August 2, 2009 |access-date=October 22, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608003119/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-06-gearbox-turning-up-iheat-i-on-next-gen-consoles/1100-6150948/ |archive-date=June 8, 2015}}</ref> and the science-fiction classic ''[[Alien (franchise)|Aliens]]''.<ref name="gibiz aliens">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sega-and-twentieth-century-fox-licensing-merchandising-to-bring-alien-franchise-to-next-gen-systems |title=SEGA And Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising To Bring Alien Franchise To Next-Gen Systems |website=gamesindustry.biz |date=December 11, 2006 |access-date=October 22, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161023062136/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/sega-and-twentieth-century-fox-licensing-merchandising-to-bring-alien-franchise-to-next-gen-systems |archive-date=October 23, 2016}}</ref> In the September 2007 issue of [[Game Informer]], Pitchford stated that development on the ''Heat'' game had not yet begun, as the planned development partner for the project had gone under.<ref>{{cite web |last=Robinson |first=Andy |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/what-happened-to-gearboxs-heat/ |title=What Happened To Gearbox Software's Heat? |website=[[GamesRadar]] |publisher=[[Future plc|Future]] |date=August 17, 2007 |access-date=October 22, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022225418/http://www.gamesradar.com/what-happened-to-gearboxs-heat/ |archive-date=October 22, 2016}}</ref><ref name="kotaku blands announce">{{cite web |url=http://www.kotaku.com.au/2007/08/2k_runs_for_the_borderlands/ |title=2K Runs For The Borderlands |website=[[Kotaku]] |publisher=[[Univision Communications]] |date=August 17, 2007 |access-date=October 31, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022222707/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2007/08/2k_runs_for_the_borderlands/ |archive-date=October 22, 2016}}</ref> This was followed by an announcement by [[Sega]] that they would be helming a new version of rhythm game ''[[Samba de Amigo]]'' for the [[Wii]], a departure from their signature first-person shooter titles.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gonintendo.com/?p=25760 |title=Samba De Amigo Announcement |publisher=[[Nintendo Power]] |date=September 23, 2007 |access-date=October 22, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828130326/http://gonintendo.com/?p=25760 |archive-date=August 28, 2016}}</ref>