Gearbox Software

Background
Gearbox Software, LLC is an American video game development company based in Frisco, Texas. It was established in 1999 by developers from companies such as 3D Realms and Bethesda Softworks, with one of the founders, Randy Pitchford, as CEO. The company initially created expansions for the Valve game Half-Life, then ported that game and others to console platforms. In 2005, Gearbox launched its first independent set of games, Brothers in Arms, on console and mobile devices. It became their flagship franchise and spun off a comic book series, television documentary, books, and action figures. Their second original game series Borderlands was released in 2009, and by 2015 had sold over 26 million copies. The company also owns the intellectual property of Duke Nukem and Homeworld.

1st Logo (November 19, 1999–2003)


Logo: In a letterbox format, designs of a gear, along with several details in it as well are seen. These violently shake and flicker away from the screen. Among these is a background with white splotches and broken spots. In the middle is a black box with a close-up of a rusty gear. Above it is "gearbox" in a messy typewriter font and "software" in a plain font expanding the bottom of the box. Throughout most of the logo, it appears in mostly close ups, with occasional splotches and gear blueprints, with boxes having the company name in it. Near the end, the logo then gets fully revealed with it shaking harder and harder, all before cutting to black.

Technique: The logo flickering and shaking.

Music/Sounds: Harsh working sounds, starting with two dull hammering sounds, then four repeating hammering bangs joined with gearbox noise, then repeated gearbox working without hammers.

Availability: Rare. Appeared on two add-ons for Half-Life, Blue Shift and Opposing Force. Also appears in a demo for the PC version of 007: Nightfire, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and Halo ports for Windows. This was not seen on the PS2 version of Half-Life, which instead used a still logo alongside the Valve and Sierra logos. This doesn't appear on the Steam version of Half-Life: Blue Shift.

2nd Logo (November 28, 2002)


Logo: On a black background, a holographic cube outline with gears floating among the inside zooms out, being produced with an unknown machine next to a compartment with portraits, a pistol, and secret files. After the camera pans up, James Bond reaches over the top and closes the suitcase, revealing the Gearbox logo (sans the actual logo) embedded on it. The suitcase slides away, forming the text in white and producing energy gears raining around the screen.

Technique: The animation in the logo.

Music/Sounds: An action soundtrack inspired by 007 movies.

Availability: Seen on the PC version of 007: Nightfire.

3rd Logo (March 1, 2005–2008)


Logo: On a black background, several gears turn and rotate. After a bit, the Gearbox text zooms out as a cut-out on a black square. It takes up the whole screen and shines into a white color.

Technique: The working gears, the logo zooming and shining.

Music/Sounds: The cog wheels whirling.

Availability: Seen on Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 and its sequels subtitled Earned in Blood and D-Day (exclusive title for PSP). Appeared on the early trailers for Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway.

4th Logo (September 23, 2008–October 11, 2011)


Logo: On a black background, the same text from before, but much cleaner and in, zooms up in 3D as two 7-teethed gears rotate at an angle. The name then flashes and starts to move to the bottom, as the gears position at a way where a box with a gear tooth on the bottom right of the box locks into place. Everything comes into position as "software" rises up from the bottom and the logo shines.

Variant: A still version with a glow behind is seen on Alien Infestation.

Technique: The gears rotating, the logo forming.

Music/Sounds: A brief gearbox cog sound with two clangs.

Availability: Seen on Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway and Samba de Amigo (2008). The still logo appeared on Alien Infestation for NDS.

5th Logo (October 20, 2009–March 27, 2015)


Logo: On a black background, the Gearbox logo plasters itself and splatters white paint all over the screen. This is followed by the text, which doesn't produce paint, and large splatters of reddish-orange blood. As it positions itself in the center of the screen, it then clears away everything except for the logo, which quickly eases into the screen.

Technique: The plastering, the blood.

Music/Sounds: Clangs and splashing, followed by the death scream of Borderlands character Roland.

Availability: Appears on the Borderlands series. No logo appears on Duke Nukem Forever, as there popped up the logo for Gearbox' absorbed fellow party, Triptych Games.

Legacy: The blood may disturb a few.

6th Logo (February 11, 2013)


Logo: On a black background, several pieces of code zoom out and form the Gearbox logo in. After a bit, it shortens out.

Technique: The logo forming.

Music/Sounds: A descending string note.

Availability: Seen only on Aliens: Colonial Marines.

7th Logo (September 13, 2019–)
Logo: On a black background, we see the Gearbox logo in white. Then, the gears spin and the logo, excluding the text, zooms in to the center of the screen. The gears then settle to their usual positions, and the logo fades out.

Technique: The gears spinning and the zooming.

Music/Sounds: Starts off with the sound effects corresponding to the gears spinning, followed by a kid saying "GEARBOX!" in an evil/excited fashion. After that, a short guitar riff is heard.

Music/Sounds Trivia: The theme was composed by Stephen Arnold Music, who is well-known as the maker of news music packages for local television stations.
 * According to their website, SAM wanted the theme to "fun and engaging" and found that the finished product "speaks to the gaming masses."

Availability: Seen on Borderlands 3 and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands.