This Is The End: 3D Realms Closure Confirmed

Just a quick follow-up to last night's nega-gossip that the Duke Nukem developer had gone the way of all flesh.... 3D Realms staffer Joe Siegler popped up on the official forums with a terse confirmation: "It's not a marketing thing. It's true. I have nothing further to say at this time." Aw. Good luck to all who once sailed in the good ship 3DR.

However, the Duke Nukem Forever saga may not yet be over after all. While its long-suffering de facto publisher 2K Games has confirmed they're no longer funding the game's development, they also pointed out that they still retain publishing rights to it. So it's possible they'll either snuffle up 3DR's work in progress, or, depending on what the contract with 3DR allows, simply hand the license to one of their internal studios instead. Maybe even to an externally contracted studio, but surely no-one with any choice in the matter would want to jump into 3DR's grave so.

Of course, it's also more than likely that 3DR's biggest wigs will set up shop under a new banner, or be snaffled up by other developers, as with Bill Roper and Cryptic after the sinking of Flagship. It's highly unlikely we've heard the last of George Broussard and Scott Miller, after all...