By Jim Rossignol on August 11th, 2010 at 9:57 am.
Intriguing rumours are circulating thanks to the big K: Gearbox are said to be finishing off Duke Nukem Forever. It’s even claimed that a playable demo of the game will appear later this year. Take 2, George Broussard, and Gearbox have all declined to comment, but Gearbox’s Randy Pitchford has offered some hope by saying that he might be able to reveal more about the situation at PAX in September. Interesting times.
11/08/2010 at 10:00 duncanthrax says:
“in September”
Hahaha. Good thing they didn’t say which year.
11/08/2010 at 10:01 Schaulustiger says:
And it will then have gazillions of weapons, the Dukester can level up and spend points in a dumb skill-tree and everything will have thick, black outlines because it looks so BAD-ASS!
No Gearbox, please don’t do it. If Borderlands is any indicator for the kind of “humor” they embrace, i’d rather want the Duke to remain dead.
11/08/2010 at 10:04 Spatula says:
This is the joke that keeps giving.
Why the dickens did they think picking the title up would be a good idea? The level of vitriol that’s going to be levelled at them if the game is anything but perfect is insane. They may as well make a game based on Jesus slaying polar bears.
11/08/2010 at 10:10 DigitalSignalX says:
I imagine it will be sort of like Doom3. A nice trip down memory lane in terms of playable nostalgia with a couple of good moments, but generally blah and soon forgotten but for the years of hype.
11/08/2010 at 10:21 Spatula says:
That’s my take to. It’ll be a ‘cash-in’ game based around the borderlands tech. So corridor-y with repetative game-play elements.
Shame. Duke was actually good fun.
11/08/2010 at 10:32 kikito says:
Two words: Anthony Burch
11/08/2010 at 11:59 TotalBiscuit says:
Gamer vitriol has managed to influence precisely jack-squat in recent memory so I doubt they’re particularly worried about what angry people type on the internet.
11/08/2010 at 12:04 Spatula says:
jack squat? like real names on blizzard net?
11/08/2010 at 17:51 Vodkarn says:
“That’s my take to.”
Actually, it’s 2K Gearbox.
HIYOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
12/08/2010 at 09:09 jeremypeel says:
Actually, I think you’ll find it’s spelt 2K-
…
Don’t you hate it when someone makes the same joke a day late? Goddamnit.
11/08/2010 at 10:09 Gabriel Knewell says:
Yes, but will it be powered by Gamespy?
11/08/2010 at 10:39 TRS-80 says:
It’s only appropriate for a game from the ’90s to be powered by ’90s technology.
11/08/2010 at 10:10 Dood says:
I think picking up the developement of DNF is the gaming industry equivalent to robbing aztec gold. You’ll get cursed by ancient gods and all kinds of terrible things are going to happen. Well basically just a whole lot of money going down the drain and no progress happening at all, but you know what I mean.
11/08/2010 at 10:10 MrCraigL says:
When will it ennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd?!
11/08/2010 at 10:12 coldwave says:
Ley Duke die already.
11/08/2010 at 10:12 Navagon says:
Poor Gearbox. :(
11/08/2010 at 10:16 Irish Al says:
@DigitalSignalX
Totally agree. Bang it out at mid-price on Steam and they’ll coin it in.
11/08/2010 at 10:21 alinkdeejay says:
We can laugh all we want but we’re all curious to check it out for ourselves as well. I think it will sell reasonably well.
11/08/2010 at 10:33 jsdn says:
Curiosity does not equal sale. It’s just free marketing.
11/08/2010 at 10:27 rocketman71 says:
But, but.. will it surpass Quake 2?. Georgie said so!!!
11/08/2010 at 10:29 bildo says:
I don’t give a shit if the game is good or not. I just want to use classic lines like, “You’re an inspiration for birth control” again. I’m still waiting patiently. In the mean time, listen to Jon St. John be Duke for a laugh.
11/08/2010 at 19:51 Raum says:
http://www.3drealms.com/duke3d/outtakes.html
11/08/2010 at 20:53 Lukasz says:
@the outtakes.
Mr. La Forge make it so
Mr. Data suck my *beep*
funniest shit i heard in a while
11/08/2010 at 10:30 derella says:
Do people actually want DNF?
11/08/2010 at 11:03 Michael says:
Hell yeah!
11/08/2010 at 11:23 qrter says:
No, just Michael.
11/08/2010 at 11:24 qrter says:
The people don’t want DNF, only Michael wants it, I mean.
Whether the people want Michael – I couldn’t possibly comment.
11/08/2010 at 11:42 dux says:
I used to want it, but not any more. Michael, on the other hand…
11/08/2010 at 12:13 Michael says:
What’s the worst that could happen? (famous last words, I know…) If it’s shit (or just entirely average, like the last Wolfenstein) then I just ignore it, if it’s good, it’s another Duke Nukem game. So I can only win or be indifferent. I’ve given up writing myself into a nerd rage over some game remake (oh and I enjoyed Borderlands, apart from the ending (what ending?))
11/08/2010 at 15:03 bildo says:
of course! i don’t understand why everyone is so against it. big deal, its been an eternity in the making, doesn’t mean it won’t be fun.
11/08/2010 at 17:11 IncredibleBulk92 says:
Oh my God. I’ve never realised before.
DNF = Did Not Finish
Maybe this was the plan all along? That would explain how there was only 5 minutes of gameplay from 10+ years of “work”
11/08/2010 at 10:32 robrob says:
And with strange aeons even death may die.
11/08/2010 at 10:35 Internetguy says:
Oh Duke… we still love you even though John St. John made you out of plagiarized movie dialogue
11/08/2010 at 10:50 magaruis says:
Well played gearbox , well played.
Heres to another 12 years.
Lets be honest , the game is going get hyped , its going to suck and people are going to buy it. (me included.)
11/08/2010 at 10:55 CMaster says:
Why do people even still care?
12/08/2010 at 02:38 mlaskus says:
Probably because Duke is the best character in any game ever. ;)
11/08/2010 at 10:59 Rich says:
It’ll be weird if it’s actually released. It’s been a myth within gaming for so long, it’ll be like Jesus actually turning up at the end of the year: “Apocalypse time. What, you thought I was kidding?”
11/08/2010 at 11:32 YogSo says:
I’s funny that you say this, because I’m pretty sure the release of Duke Nukem Forever would be the first Sign of the impending Apocalypse…
11/08/2010 at 15:01 El Stevo says:
I predict it will finally be released on 21 December 2012
11/08/2010 at 11:05 Michael says:
Btw., were they planning to use the Megadeth version of the duke theme in the game? Cause that one truly rocks.
11/08/2010 at 19:53 Raum says:
Oh, man. I hope so. It would be such a shame not to.
11/08/2010 at 11:07 enVy says:
What was the great thing on Duke Nukem? Guns, Boobs, Pigs, a motherf…ing bad ass and some really cool new graphical things.
Break it down for today:
(ESRB or FSK PoV)
Guns? – Ok we dont like them but ok.
Boobs? – OMFG they got Boobs in their game, BAN IT BAN IT.
Duke himself? – OMFG he said “Eat shit and die” BAN IT BAN IT.
Pigs? – Are those Enemies Cops who look like Pigs? OMFG BAN IT BAN IT.
Graphic? – Ok.
Sad but true.
Im would love to see Duke back on my Screen but im sure he will never be the one again that i love in my childhood.
11/08/2010 at 21:59 BAReFOOt says:
Yeah, and the fact that it’s about shooting and killing and murder and destruction and hate? Huh, we Americans haven’t even noticed that one. We thought it was just awww-right, as long as you call it “freedom fighting” and “holy war”, to do mass murder all around the world. Ok, of course that rule only counts for “red-blooded Americans”.
You know what I call this reality distortion? A mental illness of a nation. It needs to be healed, by killing the cancer in it with fire or nuking it from orbit! But my personal favorite would be, to put all the crazy people from the US and Iran in one country, and all the good people from both countries in the other. An then just let nature solve it herself! :D
11/08/2010 at 11:11 Ybfelix says:
I think the long develop time somehow helps the marketing.. originally it’s just of relevance to certain fans, sort like Sonic games but minor. Now the brand is in the recognition of everyone who has passing interesting of gaming industry.
11/08/2010 at 11:12 Lambchops says:
Done when it’s done.
11/08/2010 at 11:25 Xercies says:
Duke Nukem Forevers development puts the Valve Time of Ep3 in perspective…
11/08/2010 at 11:24 Nallen says:
Honestly, who gives a shit about Duke anymore?
11/08/2010 at 14:50 Urthman says:
I honestly don’t understand this question/attitude.
If Gearbox makes a fun Duke game, is it somehow going to be less fun because there’s been a long time since the last one?
11/08/2010 at 15:10 Nallen says:
No, not at all, just like if it’s a fun DX/Fallout/XCom/Synd game it doesn’t matter it’s using an old name. But they don’t seem to be making their own vision of Duke or reviving along dead and beloved franchise – just picking up someone else’s terrible legacy.
If they have the skill to make a funny, racy, technologically progressive FPS game they should do it on their own, not using a name that’s been an industry joke and public vapourware since 1997.
11/08/2010 at 16:40 Urthman says:
On the contrary, if Gearbox has the ability to make a funny, racy, technologically progressive FPS, they’d be fools not to jump at the chance to attach it to an IP like Duke Nukem.
Making a great game? That might bring them success if the stars line up right.
Making Duke Nukem Forever? Almost guaranteed to make a profit even if it sucks.
Making Duke Nukem Forever and it’s actually great? They’d be heroes. They’d make Blizzard-scale money.
11/08/2010 at 11:28 spyglass says:
Id laugh harder if it turned out to be crap.
11/08/2010 at 11:31 Dave says:
Isn’t “DNF” used in racing sports when a driver didn’t make it until the end of the race?
11/08/2010 at 12:58 Navagon says:
Did Not Finish. Yeah, that’s been one of a great many running jokes with this title for like a decade now.
11/08/2010 at 11:48 coldwave says:
CHAIN REACTION
CRITICAL MASS
PROVING GROUNDS
11/08/2010 at 11:55 DidFinish says:
Quite frankly, it says a lot about a game when even it’s haters can’t get over the fact that people still anxiously carry a true love for the ripyourheadoffandsh*tdownyourneck Meister and constantly profess their secret alien killer love by stating that they are SO over it and totally NOT going to like, play or buy it.
N****z best be finishin’ mah Duke!
Also, given everything that’s now known and disclosed about the game’s progress, they shouldn’t be able to botch too much of it, what with the engine, most art, weapons etc already “locked down”.
Unless of course they wanna pull a Broussard and start from scrap now that totally awesome new $randomengine is out.
Oh sh…
Sudden onset of unjustified UT3 pop-in texture nightmare angst.
11/08/2010 at 12:22 Matt says:
Pop-in? More like poppin’ fresh!
11/08/2010 at 12:02 Samattack says:
Always bet on Duke
11/08/2010 at 12:04 Daniel Rivas says:
Really, it’s a good job Gearbox have such a reputation for finishing their games on time.
11/08/2010 at 12:19 RakeShark says:
As much as I’d like to hop on the “LET DUKE DIE!” bandwagon without prompt…
I think the tiny, dim, flickering hope of the 3DRealms production of DNF was that it was becoming one of the most meticulously detailed FPS ever made. Go look around on youtube for trailer and tech demo footage. True that DNF was always playing catch-up with technology, one of the things that kept many people interested was the sheer amount of creative action sequences. From speedboat fights to aliens climbing over rooftops and dropping down on top of you, it seemed to be on hell of a thrill ride.
If this latest rumor turns out to be true? Well, kiss the anal attention to detail goodbye. I don’t really have faith that Gearbox would be able to follow that same path, and instead opt to produce a functional but unfulfilling product. Yeah, a lot of peoples’ expectations of DNF scale towards the messiah or cure for cancer. However, that’s the albatross of the franchise while it continues to not go quietly into the night. It’ll be a Duke Nukem game, but not the one we’ve been waiting for.
11/08/2010 at 12:20 blah says:
Didn’t Jace Hall visit Gearbox and 3D Realms for the same episode (years ago now)… hmm indeed. I’d rather have Aliens: Colonial Marines first though.
11/08/2010 at 12:40 Adamos says:
Balls of steel
I dont care if it took 12 years and still not finished i dont care if it will take 20 years
I want my Duke god damn it
11/08/2010 at 12:41 Azazel says:
It’s the gift that keeps giving agaaaain!
11/08/2010 at 13:18 Alan Twelve says:
YogSo:
Nah, that would be the second sign, and Guns ‘n’ Roses already released Chinese Democracy…
11/08/2010 at 13:18 Alan Twelve says:
Gah! Reply failure….
11/08/2010 at 13:46 YogSo says:
Oh shi- Repent! Repent! The end is nigh! Repent! Repent! We’re all gonna die!
11/08/2010 at 13:37 Angus says:
Guys, Gearbox has made more games than fucking Borderlands. Just because Borderlands has cell-shaded graphics doesn’t mean their future products will. Fucking hell.
(Mainly aimed at the people up top)
11/08/2010 at 14:28 Eric says:
God, we will never be free of this fucking game.
Duke was never a good enough idea to be worth all this bullshit. He was barely a good enough idea to be worth Duke3D.
11/08/2010 at 14:55 Chaz says:
I’d much rather they got themselves round to making Aliens: Colonial Marines than finishing off some one else’s left overs.
11/08/2010 at 15:05 unaco says:
I’m not buying this (the whole “we’re going to finish DNF” thing – I probably won’t buy the unfinished DNF product either). I said it a few years ago, and I’ll say it now… They can’t make a new Duke Nukem game, until such time as there is a new ‘Evil Dead’ movie, from which they can steal Duke’s one liners.
11/08/2010 at 15:10 Kano71 says:
Yeah, for all we know, Ep3 will be out this summer! It’s the end of the world!!!
11/08/2010 at 15:49 Chris says:
Please just leave it dead…
11/08/2010 at 16:01 EBass says:
I love this so much
11/08/2010 at 17:19 Gunnar says:
they should just let it die with some dignity. The expectations are so high by now that the game can’t live up to them, no matter what…
11/08/2010 at 17:25 Arathain says:
They could never live up to expectations. I think that caused a lot of the development problems. I think if we’re willing to forget the stupid hype and accept a game that is merely pretty good then we can be happy.
Unless it turns out it really is bad. That would be a sad end indeed.
11/08/2010 at 21:50 BAReFOOt says:
That’s his point! No matter how good it will become, we’ll always think it’s very bad, because we’re expecting so much.
They would have to rename it, and make clear that it’s another game. Even if it’s not!
11/08/2010 at 17:23 Arathain says:
When 3D Reams finally quit on DNF I read in the big post-mortem that the game was in a perpetual state of ‘almost done’ (barring the restarts on a new engine), and that Broussard had severe difficulties with perfectionism, and could never let himself release it. If I remember right the game, when terminated, was in a pretty good state. Perhaps all Gearbox will have to do is touch things up a bit, give it a final polish, and we’ll get something very like what 3D Realms intended.
Would that be so bad?
11/08/2010 at 19:32 Kadayi says:
I think that people would lap this up simply out of morbid curiosity now regardless of how mediocre it might actually turn out to be. Personally I’m hoping for a happy ending to the whole DNF saga.
11/08/2010 at 20:41 Pedro Brazilliano says:
Never bet on Duke
11/08/2010 at 21:48 BAReFOOt says:
Yeah, riiiight…! Sure. Or couuuurse.
If it comes out, I’ll eat my hat, clothes, shoes and dog, and will live on a diet of my car and my house from then on! ;)
11/08/2010 at 23:25 The Right To Arm Bears says:
I heard Tupac is on the development team?
12/08/2010 at 08:05 Tetragrammaton says:
Makes sense, it could be digital night-soil and they’d still make a packet.
12/08/2010 at 10:50 neofit says:
Wow, a Duke Nukem with chapter saves, infinite respawn even ontop of the player, a crappy console interface and ugly hand-drawn low resolution comic book style textures? ;) Nevermind, I’ll wait for Grimoire instead.