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3D Realms NOT Closed, Hope To Hold Onto Duke Nukem

If you thought the saga of Duke Nukem Forever had ended with 3D Realms' closing, think again. It seems we need to set the facts straight, and one major clarification is that the studio isn't actually closed.

As Kotaku reports, 3D Realms has responded to Take-Two's demands and lawsuit, saying they've spent $2.5 million in funding, which is a good deal less than the $12 million Take-Two claimed in the suit. Furthermore, the studio confirmed that although the Duke Nukem Forever team had been laid off, 3D Realms was still in operation and they wish to "co-create" titles based on the legendary FPS character. You can view the full statement released by 3D Realms boss George Broussard at the previous link, but here's an important snippet:

"Despite rumors and statements to the contrary, 3D Realms (3DR) has not closed and is not closing. 3DR retains ownership of the Duke Nukem franchise. Due to lack of funding, however, we are saddened to confirm that we let the Duke Nukem Forever (DNF) development team go on May 6th, while we regroup as a company. While 3DR is a much smaller studio now, we will continue to operate as a company and continue to license and co-create games based upon the Duke Nukem franchise."

Okay, that's a little clearer. But we imagine this tug-of-war between 3D Realms and Take-Two has only just begun, and there's no knowing when we might actually see the next Duke Nukem game. At this point, it must be relatively easy to assign blame on all sides, as DNF was a project that was supposedly in the works for over a decade (or, as recent evidence indicates, perhaps only around 3 years). Either way, it'll be interesting to see what happens; we'll keep you updated.

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OPHIDIAN
OPHIDIAN
14 years ago

I was completely unaware of this, why were T2 suing them in the first place?

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

T2 lent them $12 million to make the game.

Hexen
Hexen
14 years ago

It's like watching a video game soap opera which nobody likes.They should just release the game how it is now even if it's half done and just move on to something else (with Duke) so every one can stop bashing them.

Alienange
Alienange
14 years ago

This is ridiculous.

Kangasfwa
Kangasfwa
14 years ago

T2 should just buy the Duke Nukem IP and have the laid off staff finish the game while 3d Realms hangs its head in shame.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

much agreed.

King James
King James
14 years ago

But I thought they already paid for it. Why buy something u already funded?

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

They paid for the game to be made, not for the rights to the character and such.

WorldEndsWithMe
WorldEndsWithMe
14 years ago

The question is, does anyone want Duke back? I'm not bashing him, Duke3D was one of my favorite PC games but can Duke really compete with what's out there today? KZ2? Resistance 2? They would really have to kick it up a notch or fifty.

King James
King James
14 years ago

good pt

CH1N00K
CH1N00K
14 years ago

If they polish up what I saw in the leaked "trailer" video, Duke Nukem has a chance to be a great shooter, It kind of looked like a first person God of War. From what I saw they could definitely go toe to toe with the others, (with a little more work) but when it's a game that has been hyped up for the last 12 years?

No matter how you look at it, no game will ever be that good…after that long of time, this game needs to be the end all be all of all video games..and you're not going to do that with a game called Duke Nukem… A remake of Doom? maybe, but Duke Nukem has always been about scattered T&A and cheezy one liners.. makes it a little harder to achieve blockbuster status with that.

Geobaldi
Geobaldi
14 years ago

"A remake of Doom? maybe"

DOOM was remade. That's what DOOM 3 was. DOOM 4, well that might do it. Have to wait until more info is released.

Personally I'd love to see Duke back he was, and always will be, a gaming icon. And if anybody can bring new life back to the shooting genre it's him. And Serious Sam lol.

AntDC
AntDC
14 years ago

"…and there's no knowing when we might actually see the next Duke Nukem game."

LOL you're not kidding.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

It is alive……

Can't we just put this thing out of it's misery already?

Oyashiro
Oyashiro
14 years ago

Why can't this just die and go away, Its starting to get annoying. At first it was like "Awww Man", Then it went to "Lol, this S$&% is pretty funny"… But now… Screw this, I have some gasoline, anybody got some matches?

Lotusflow3r
Lotusflow3r
14 years ago

that's a shame.

such a terrible development history will probably make this game never live up anyway.

As much as i want to see him back, i just fear the worst now.

TheHighlander
TheHighlander
14 years ago

You know, I though about this a bit, and I think it's time for everyone to let this thing die.

A decade and a half ago there was this quirky, fun shooter called Duke Nukem 3D. For more than a decade now the team behind the game has been promising DNF and telling us how great it would be, only it never has been. Duke 3D was a niche title at best, and a dozen years of nostalgia is not a solid basis for developing a new game.

Any Duke Nukem Forever game that ever crawls from this wreckage will have to live up to a dozen years of hype and nostalgia. It doesn't have a hope in hell of doing that, no game does.

It's time for everyone to let go of this. Perhaps at some time in the future the character can return, but this iteration needs to die. The joke needs to die.

I honestly wouldn't buy DNF if it shipped tomorrow, or a year from now. No matter howmany times Duke utters that cheesy phrase – "Come get some…." I won't. The thing is I loved Duke Nukem 3D, but after so long and so many false dawns I couldn't care less for it now. And I bet I'm far from alone. Hell, just look at some of the above comments, it's clear I'm not alone.

Is it a shame? Of course it is. But after so long, it should be clear to everyone that it's time to stop chasing this particular white rabbit and get on with something more productive.


Last edited by TheHighlander on 5/19/2009 10:14:02 AM

CaptRon
CaptRon
14 years ago

All I want is Duke Nukem Forever. I've been waiting patiently for years and still let down. the trailer video i saw was excellent. If you ask me it looked like it had a lot of original ideas and would have kicked a lot of games this generations' ass. I hope it does come out. Duke Forever!

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
14 years ago

Time for all these companies to stop pussyfooting around!

Even Larry the Cable Guy says… "Get 'im Done"

Geobaldi
Geobaldi
14 years ago

It's Git-r-done, but point taken lol

BikerSaint
BikerSaint
14 years ago

Yup, I know that and as far as I rememmber, Duke Nuken was a "GUY" so "er' didn't work,

So I wrote it just the way "I" meant it to read, a play on words…duh!!

I'm sure even Stevie Wonder could see that!

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