3D Realms to close - Duke Nukem Forever finally canceled?

[CoinReturn]

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/58519


Update: Apogee Software and Deep Silver have issued a statement to Shacknews, confirming that there is a "situation at 3D Realms" but stressing they are not affected.

"Deep Silver and Apogee Software are not affected by the situation at 3D Realms," a representative for the companies has told us. "Development on the Duke Nukem Trilogy is continuing as planned."

In development at Frontline Studios, the Duke Nukem Trilogy represents three new Nintendo DS and PSP titles, with the first, Critical Mass, hitting in September. The trilogy is separate from Duke Nukem Forever, which was in the works at 3D Realms proper.

Original story: A very reliable source close to Duke Nukem Forever developer 3D Realms today confirmed to Shacknews that the development studio has been shut down.

The closure came about as a result of funding issues, our source explained, with the shut down said to affect both 3D Realms and the recently resurrected Apogee. Employees of both entities have already been let go.

Phone calls and e-mails to various 3D Realms veterans have thus far gone unanswered, with 3D Realms publishing partner Take-Two and Apogee partner Deep Silver likewise unavailable for comment.

[Danny]

i STILL dont get the deal with duke nukem, WHAT IS THE DEAAAAL!!!11!!!OENONE!!

[capncnut]

i STILL dont get the deal with duke nukem, WHAT IS THE DEAAAAL!!!11!!!OENONE!!
Neither do I personally.

I think a similar announcement will be made with Alan Wake come next year. That game is seriously close to 'taking the piss' time length.

[MinionZombie]

Neither do I personally.

I think a similar announcement will be made with Alan Wake come next year. That game is seriously close to 'taking the piss' time length.
I fucking hope not, I've had that bitch on pre-order since mid-to-late 2007 ffs.

If I had to choose a game out of DNF and AW to get shafted, I'd pick DNF - but I'd rather see neither get shafted.

After 10 or more years you'd have thought they'd be all about getting DNF out there, because that's a suicidally ridiculous amount of time to waste on something you're not going to publish.

And yeah - if Alan Wake gets canned, that'd be another dose of utter retardation...but hopefully not...but hurry up and finish the fucking game, sheesh!

[Danny]

well they did take a break on alan wake and just got back to it so im hopeful, plus they announced max payne 3 so i dont think wakes that far off.

[Neil]

Unbelievable! I thought we had news just recently that DNF was getting near completion?

[krakenslayer]

Unbelievable! I thought we had news just recently that DNF was getting near completion?

I'd guess if it WAS near completion it will get picked up in the resulting fire sale and be released by someone else. 3D Realms had such high expectations to live up to, they were going to spend forever (heh) tweaking and trying to perfect it. The fact that they're going out of business might actually be good for the game's chances of getting released.

[MinionZombie]

I'd guess if it WAS near completion it will get picked up in the resulting fire sale and be released by someone else. 3D Realms had such high expectations to live up to, they were going to spend forever (heh) tweaking and trying to perfect it. The fact that they're going out of business might actually be good for the game's chances of getting released.
Interesting point.

Hellsing - I believe that the chaps behind Max Payne 1 & 2 and Alan Wake are not involved with Max Payne 3, which was done with another studio - hence why it's been getting worked on for a while now, methinks it was already part way done when they announced it - that was the impression I got anyway.

They'd be 'Petarded' not to release DNF with it apparently so close to finishing, but they'd have to make sure that it at least gets finished to a good standard.

[EvilNed]

I'd guess if it WAS near completion it will get picked up in the resulting fire sale and be released by someone else. 3D Realms had such high expectations to live up to, they were going to spend forever (heh) tweaking and trying to perfect it. The fact that they're going out of business might actually be good for the game's chances of getting released.

My first thought exactly. Take 2 will keep the rights to distribute it and just give it to another, smaller, studio which they can force to release the game within a year.

[Tricky]

It doesnt suprise me,they havent exactly put many great titles out since 2001,cant expect to keep going when they probably have very little income these days!I cant say im that bothered about duke anyway,i loved the first game but i was in my early teens then & my gaming tastes & expectations were different.Todays target gaming age group have probably never even heard of duke nukem!

As long as OFP2 comes out in the next couple of months & is awesome then im happy :cool:

[MinionZombie]

It doesnt suprise me,they havent exactly put many great titles out since 2001,cant expect to keep going when they probably have very little income these days!I cant say im that bothered about duke anyway,i loved the first game but i was in my early teens then & my gaming tastes & expectations were different.Todays target gaming age group have probably never even heard of duke nukem!

As long as OFP2 comes out in the next couple of months & is awesome then im happy :cool:
By first game, you must mean Duke Nukem 3D?

If so, that's not actually the first game, there was a couple of side scrollers before it, but those were made by Appogee (or however you spell their name) - and it seems they're working on the "Duke Nukem Trilogy" - so I assume that's a third side scroller to go with the first two (which who knows, might be getting a make-over) for hand helds.

DN3D was in the same franchise, but not done by the same people...so I've read on teh intarwebz anyway...I would Wiki it, but I can't be arsed as I've got two new box sets sat in front of me that I'm cooing over. :lol:

[Tricky]

By first game, you must mean Duke Nukem 3D?

If so, that's not actually the first game, there was a couple of side scrollers before it, but those were made by Appogee (or however you spell their name) - and it seems they're working on the "Duke Nukem Trilogy" - so I assume that's a third side scroller to go with the first two (which who knows, might be getting a make-over) for hand helds.

DN3D was in the same franchise, but not done by the same people...so I've read on teh intarwebz anyway...I would Wiki it, but I can't be arsed as I've got two new box sets sat in front of me that I'm cooing over. :lol:


Yeah i was meaning Duke 3D,ive never played or seen any of the games before it,and i only briefly played the side scrolling one that was floating around 5 or 6 years back before deciding it was dogturd!Duke 3D was a great game & i enjoyed it as a teenager because of all the risque content & film references,as well as it was an awesome shooter for the time,but as an adult that doesnt really appeal to me now & its all been done before so ive never been all that excited about this new game

[capncnut]

Looks like it's all over. The art director of DNF has posted the following on his blog:


2 years, 9 months, Now it's over. It was fun while it lasted. I worked with an extraordinary bunch of artists, designers, and programmers. You will all be missed. I know we will cross paths again.

Click (http://talkinrealatyou.blogspot.com/2009/05/end-is-beginning.html) and scroll down for unreleased DNF images.

[Neil]

Looks like it's all over. The art director of DNF has posted the following on his blog:



Click (http://talkinrealatyou.blogspot.com/2009/05/end-is-beginning.html) and scroll down for unreleased DNF images.

If the game is in any sort of fit state, I'd imagine some other studio would want to pick it up... If there's fundamental problems with it, then it'll stay buried...

[MinionZombie]

If the game is in any sort of fit state, I'd imagine some other studio would want to pick it up... If there's fundamental problems with it, then it'll stay buried...
Aye.

Methinks there'll be a pick up at some point to whip this out onto the market. It'll never be 100%, nor was it ever going to be when it was supposed to come out in 1998.

3D Realms have really shown themselves to be incompetent with this farce.

[Neil]

So it may not be dead (point 17 below):-

1. George and Scott own equal parts of 3D Realms.
2. DNF taking forever to make costs tons of money.
3. Scott who is arguably the smarter businessman gets tired of this over time and doesn't want to dump his money into it anymore.
4. Scott looks to other things like Radar Group and newly launched Apogee Software LLC and leaves 3D Realms in Georges hands.
5. Scott is still technically a manager at 3D Realms but is effectively done with 3D Realms at that point.
6. Scott is now free to run companies as he sees fit without dealing with a 50% partner.
7. A year or so later George wasn't able to handle it, especially with lack of Scott's personal and financial cooperation.
8. Eventually funds begin to run low.
9. Since Scott is out, and so is money, George drives out to California to show Take 2 the game in an attempt to wow them into funding development to finish DNF.
10. Vague references were made to Take 2 possibly having (verbally) promising money, but didn't deliver.
11. When George requested the $5 million from Take 2 so DNF development could be funded.
12. Take 2 counter-offered with giving 3D Realms $30 million instead.... *IF*3D Realms sells all rights to the Duke IP. (currently Take2's only has publishing rights)
13. George\They refuse this and keep the Duke IP, instead shutting down the company and going on life support.
14. The purpose of not selling the IP is because the Duke IP still has the potential to make money, and it is their trademark. It would be like iD selling the Doom IP.
15. George is said to have previously went to iD Software and Epic in an attempt to make a deal with funding for them, but is turned down.
16. ..was also said to still have plans to contact other companies to make similar requests.
17. A company in a better position to spend $5 million, such as EA or Microsoft are seen as the most likely candidates for possibly investing in saving DNF.

[CoinReturn]

Duke Nukem Forever gameplay video, looks like fun:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/316675.html?playlist=featured

[MinionZombie]

Duke Nukem Forever gameplay video, looks like fun:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/316675.html?playlist=featured
I'd play it.

Hopefully someone will come along with the cash to finish it off and then release it, they've spent all this time and money it'd be daft not to put the last little drops in to finish it off.

[Neil]

I'd play it.

Hopefully someone will come along with the cash to finish it off and then release it, they've spent all this time and money it'd be daft not to put the last little drops in to finish it off.

Seems to be a lot of stuff being shown that's test/proto-type footage... for a game that's near completion?

[MinionZombie]

Seems to be a lot of stuff being shown that's test/proto-type footage... for a game that's near completion?
Probably other reasons to explain the selection of clips we saw in that video. I thought it was a selection of work from one particular guy, or something?

Anyway, I'm confused, must be that Gin from last night ... anyway, this game should be finished and released. It won't be awesome, perhaps not even great, but "good fun" most likely.

They could even make use of the hugely long development time to construct the marketting.