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- mickronson
- Rep: 118
Re: Duke Nukem Forever, not
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8037688.stm
Veteran games developer 3D Realms has closed down because of a lack of funds.
Founded in 1987, the firm popularised the concept of shareware gaming and published the seminal Duke Nukem and Wolfenstein 3D first-person shooters.
The company was working on a follow-up title, Duke Nukem Forever, which after being in development for 12 years has become the object of industry derision.
Publisher Take-Two says it will no longer fund development of the game but retains rights to the title.
"We can confirm that our relationship with 3D Realms for Duke Nukem Forever was a publishing arrangement, which did not include ongoing funds for development of the title," said Take-Two's Alan Lewis in a statement.
There has been no official comment from 3D Realms, other than a forum posting from the company's webmaster, Joe Siegler, who said: "It's not a marketing thing. It's true. I have nothing further to say at this time."
Other companies with links to 3D Realms or the Duke Nukem series were quick to distance themselves.
Duke Nukem Forever was the most aptly named title in the history of games
Guardian games writer Steve Boxer
In a posting on Twitter, Apogee Software said it was "officially not affected by the situation at 3DRealms".
"Development of the Duke Nukem Trilogy is continuing as planned and further announcements about upcoming games will be made in the near future," the statement added.
Guardian newspaper games writer Steve Boxer said it was astonishing 3D Realms had not finished the game after more than a decade of development.
"It would have been nice to see another Duke Nukem game, but given they had more than 12 years it's just incompetence of the highest order.
"3D Realms made some great games in the past, but they got overtaken by the 21st Century.
"Sadly, Duke Nukem Forever was the most aptly named title in the history of games. Now, it's just Duke Nukem Never."
- mickronson
- Rep: 118
Re: Duke Nukem Forever, not
I've said for years that this game would never be released, and that we wouldn't even get a demo to test it out. The bullshit surrounding this game put Chinese Democracy to shame.
The game can never come out because the industry evolves too quickly. They started on this game in the PS/N64 days. Had there truly ever been a desire to release it, they would have started over and finished it within 3 to 4 years, the typical life of a new console.
When Sega Dreamcast launched, they should have made some deal with them to release it on that console, which had superior graphics over the others out at the time.
Re: Duke Nukem Forever, not
Take-Two Sues Duke Nukem Forever Devs Over Failure To Deliver
By Michael McWhertor, 7:20 PM on Thu May 14 2009, 35,355 views
The 12-year-long development soap opera that was Duke Nukem Forever ended on a disappointing note. More disappointing for publisher Take-Two Interactive, which invested over $12 million in the game. Understandably, Take-Two is suing 3D Realms.
Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. filed a breach of contract suit against Apogee Software Ltd. this week in a Manhattan Court over the developer's "continually delayed" Duke Nukem sequel. Details of the suit were not disclosed in a report by Bloomberg, nor has the New York County Civil Court provided specifics about the damages Take-Two is seeking.
(For the record, the legal name of 3D Realms is Apogee Software Ltd., the party being sued. It is a separate entity from Apogee Software LLC, developers of the still alive Duke Nukem Trilogy.)
According to the complaint, "Apogee repeatedly assured Take-Two and the video-gaming community that it was diligently working toward competing development of the PC Version of the Duke Nukem Forever."
Those assurances have yet to result in a working, shippable product. Instead, 3D Realms was shut down and many former Duke Nukem Forever staffers are looking for work.
After repeated promises that "industry joke" Duke Nukem Forever was finally "on the right track" and rumored to have been released year in and year out, Take-Two went far enough to offer cash incentives to 3D Realms to have the game finished at various points. Looks like the developer is completely out of cash now. And may owe more than it expected.
Re: Duke Nukem Forever, not
3D Realms Not Closing
Duke developer accuses Take-Two of 'bully tactics' on $20 million game.
by Ryan Geddes
May 18, 2009 - Apparently, the reports of Duke's death are greatly exaggerated. According to a news release sent to IGN today by 3D Realms co-founder George Broussard, his company has not closed and still owns the Duke Nukem franchise. So what does that mean for the future of 3DR and the long-awaited Duke Nukem Forever? We'll explain.
This story really begins on May 6, when rumors surfaced that 3D Realms, the developer behind Duke Nukem and Max Payne, would close its doors for good, leaving the future of Duke Nukem Forever uncertain and gamers scratching their heads over the quiet decline of one of PC gaming's most famous developers.
Gamers mourned, reactions were penned and affected publishers issued reaction statements to the press. One such publisher was Take-Two, which had a deal with 3D Realms to publish Duke Nukem Forever. On the day the 3DR closure rumor broke, Take-Two told IGN:
"It is the Company's policy to not comment on its contractual relationships, nor do we comment on rumors and speculation. That said, we can confirm that our relationship with 3D Realms for Duke Nukem Forever was a publishing arrangement, which did not include ongoing funds for development of the title. In addition, Take-Two continues to retain the publishing rights to Duke Nukem Forever."
The company stopped short of confirming that the Duke Nukem developer had closed, and attempts to contact 3D Realms were unsuccessful.
Then, late last week, Take-Two filed a lawsuit against 3D Realms accusing 3D Realms of dragging its feet on the Duke Nukem Forever project, which began in 1997 and has not materialized since.
"[3D Realms parent company] Apogee continually delayed the completion date for the Duke Nukem Forever," Take-Two said in the complaint. "Apogee repeatedly assured Take-Two and the video-gaming community that it was diligently working toward competing development of the PC Version of the Duke Nukem Forever."
The lawsuit went on to accuse 3DR of breaching their publishing agreement for the title and said Take-Two spent $12 million on publishing rights for a game that never came together.
But 3D Realms tells a different story, saying Take-Two paid that money to former DNF publisher Infogrames/GT Interactive; that 3DR never saw a dime from that transaction; and that it's sunk more than $20 million of its own development dollars into the project. And while Broussard confirms that Take-Two holds the publishing rights to Duke Nukem Forever, he says 3DR "retains certain rights to sell the game directly to the public."
Sound messy? Apparently it is. Broussard says negotiations between the two companies fell apart on May 4 after Take-Two changed the terms of the agreement, forcing 3D Realms to fire the Duke Nukem Forever team and retrench.
"Despite rumors and statements to the contrary, 3D Realms 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 development team go on May 6th, while we regroup as a company." Broussard writes. "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."
In the meantime, his company is fighting the Take-Two lawsuit. Last week the court denied Take-Two's request for a temporary restraining order against 3D Realms. According to Broussard, Take-Two's approach in the negotiations amounted to a "bully tactic" to attempt to gain control of the Duke Nukem franchise in a "fire sale."
"We will vigorously defend ourselves against this publisher," Broussard said.
A Take-Two spokesman told IGN today that the company has no futher comment on the matter.
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/984/984168p1.html
Re: Duke Nukem Forever, not
DNF is the alternate history of Chinese Democracy down to a T.
Ask yourself, was the CD release nothing different than a BestBuy token? There was no release, essentially. Merckuriadis was too damn right to say you could just walk into a record store and find it there. Only difference was you couldn't find it at Tower's.
Like CD, the DNF gameplay samples show a variety of self-indulgent 'cool features', resultant most likely from too much time to spend. Game engine changes and constant modification left some departments with downtime, or, alternatively the opportunity to have a piss take on their earlier designs - simply to have fun with the fact that they'd done it once or twice before, anyway. Recording things for the umpteenth time isn't all that different.
Both had their share of frontman/CEO vs. label/publisher. George Broussard is viewed as the public head of the 3D Realms' inablity to deliver the game. He was always the one to say, 'when it's done.' Axl did indeed say something similar with the throaway 'if you're waiting... don't.'
CD was a fine mess of an album, with excessive aural brilliance layered on top itself. The underlying drum and bass tracks were solid as hell, though, which made it somewhat less insane in all its unabashed glory. There was a method to the madness, anyway.
DNF would've probably been the same. 3D Realms would've likely taken the corporate bullet by releasing it (sacrificing their independence), but their last hurrah would've well stood aside CD as one of the last manic ideas of excessive artists consuming corporate resources - at least in the form of shareholder value.
Re: Duke Nukem Forever, not
Not that "Half Life 2" was the greatest game ever made, but it does make that look like a "Playstation" game.
