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Take-Two Issues Statement On 3D Realms

Duke Nukem Forever publisher weighs in on all this "3D Realms is closed" hubbub.

We just received this statement from Take-Two Interactive regarding today's talk that 3D Realms has shut its doors.
"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."  - Alan Lewis, Vice President of Corporate Communications & Public Affairs for Take-Two.
Not exactly the big CASE CLOSED confirmation or denial that everyone was probably hoping to see, but restating that Take-Two wasn't providing steady funding to that project is perhaps a little telling. If I remember correctly, the publisher did, at various points, put money into the project, but as its development cycle spun out of control, it became more of a "hey, look, call us when it's finished" kind of relationship.

At one point, Take-Two was even offering 3D Realms a $500k bonus if it shipped the game before the end of '06.
Jeff Gerstmann on Google+

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jeff

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Edited By jeff
We just received this statement from Take-Two Interactive regarding today's talk that 3D Realms has shut its doors.
"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."  - Alan Lewis, Vice President of Corporate Communications & Public Affairs for Take-Two.
Not exactly the big CASE CLOSED confirmation or denial that everyone was probably hoping to see, but restating that Take-Two wasn't providing steady funding to that project is perhaps a little telling. If I remember correctly, the publisher did, at various points, put money into the project, but as its development cycle spun out of control, it became more of a "hey, look, call us when it's finished" kind of relationship.

At one point, Take-Two was even offering 3D Realms a $500k bonus if it shipped the game before the end of '06.
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Slunks

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Edited By Slunks

And so it continues.

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BigBoss1911

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Edited By BigBoss1911

Im guessing there will be an official statement by tommarow.

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chililili

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Edited By chililili

Well duke nukem is dead at last

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Hamz

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Edited By Hamz

Just let the game die now, for all that is holy in the world just let it die. If someone somehow manages to release that game now after all this drama and time, it just won't be worth it anymore. It just won't be.

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Sneakybadger

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Edited By Sneakybadger
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Six

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Edited By Six

more hype for when they actually release this game... Q4 2047...  50th anniversary of when they started working on it

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AndrewB

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Edited By AndrewB

Here we go with another game developer tale of woe and drama. Things aren't looking good, but what do you expect when you have the single longest time in development game title under your reputation?

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supersatanic

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Edited By supersatanic

It still pretty much says "3D Realms is fucked,but since we own the publishing rights, we can make another game out of this.". The funny thing is that George broussard will get away with this, he'll say something like "We were about to make the most awesome game ever, but recession hit and our studio dissolved and blah blah blah."

Think about this: George broussard gets away.

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Afroman269

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Edited By Afroman269

I wish I was offered 500k for finishing a game by a certain time.

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Lestater

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Edited By Lestater

I don't even care about Duke Nukem, I feel so left out.

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NickNorman

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Edited By NickNorman

@Sneakybadger

I still remember that Hotspot. One of Jeff's many great rants. ;P

As much as I'd love to see another Duke Nukem, twelve years is just a little too long to wait. I'd still like to see it come out, but at this point, how rehashed and pieced together is it?

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Smersh

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Edited By Smersh

From what I saw of the game on the Jase Hall show it looked pretty developed.
Release it as episodic content and I'd snap it up.
Long live the Duke!

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Pibo47

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Edited By Pibo47

NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WANT DUKE!!!!! WAAAAAAAAAA

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DoctorTran

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Edited By DoctorTran

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if 3DR sinks but the project gets handed off, and then subsequently released... Which would kind of be funny.

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warp

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Edited By warp
DoctorTran said:
"I honestly wouldn't be surprised if 3DR sinks but the project gets handed off, and then subsequently released... Which would kind of be funny."

Coming soon from Bethesda...
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momentarylogic

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Edited By momentarylogic

I smell a movie deal in the works... too bad it will be entitled Duke Nukem Forever and have a lengthy production schedule which will mouse trap its fans into following it for more than 10 years.

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JJOR64

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Edited By JJOR64

This game is never coming out.

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BigBoss1911

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Edited By BigBoss1911

LOl check out this
http://duke.a-13.net/

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Spoonman

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Edited By Spoonman

Hookers - 200 bucks a day
Blow -  200 bucks a day
WOW subscriptions - 13 bucks a month

spending all of your development money  for 10 years without actually making  a game = priceless

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MrKlorox

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Edited By MrKlorox

A new, actually modern, Duke 3D will still eventually come out. Duke is too infamous to truly forget. And quite honestly, I'm a bit relieved the project is now out of the hands of 3D Realms (they have longer development cycles than GSC Games) so the game might actually come out after being remade yet again. Those enemy pics looked nothing like how Duke Nukem enemies should look.

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Win

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Edited By Win

12 years in the making. This game better come out soon!

Right Guys?! Guys?!  Where are you guys going? HEY COME BACK HERE!

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godzilla_sushi

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Edited By godzilla_sushi

Telling indeed. Kind of obvious when rumors come out and the publisher doesn't outright defend the developer with business PR, even going so far as to say they weren't funding any development on the game.

Guess it's back to playing all my games that have come out in the past 5 years.....

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creamclouds

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Edited By creamclouds

Duke Nukem takes forever, Alan Never Wakes. What;s next?!?

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Budster

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Edited By Budster
DoctorTran said:
"I honestly wouldn't be surprised if 3DR sinks but the project gets handed off, and then subsequently released... Which would kind of be funny."

Coming soon from Bethesda...


Don't ever say that !!!!
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mathewballard

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Edited By mathewballard

If I die and Duke Nukem Forever still hasn't become a real retail game then I will be able to die laughing.

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broqz

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Edited By broqz

listening to that you tube video of an old "other" video game based website podcast was nice.  good one sneaky badger.
but i do gotta comment on the picture.  jeff.  a hoodie and a sport coat?  were you trying to look like j. allard or what?

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rottendevice

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Edited By rottendevice

I would like to read an interview of a former 3D Realms employee in which he / she discusses what actually went on during the development of Duke Nukem Forever. 

I have a feeling there are some stories just itching to be told here.

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lordofultima

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Edited By lordofultima

Duke Nukem Forever the documentary! Forget the damn game, this would sell hotcakes!

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Deusoma

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Edited By Deusoma

Yeah I remember that. I officially went from "Boy, I sure hope they publish Duke Nukem Forever" to "I don't believe it will ever actually happen but it would be neat if it did" after they passed up five hundred thousand dollars in 06.

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JoshLarson

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Edited By JoshLarson

Well the Duke Nukem 3D money had to run out eventually. Unless Broussard and company made out like bandits and are sitting pretty good right now without doing any work in years. Could it have all been smoke and mirrors in an attempt to con some naive investors into funding a game that they had absolutely no intention of ever releasing? Guess we'll never know.

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inkeiren

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Edited By inkeiren

When I say this news my vocabulary decreased to that of a 10 year old's.

"WHYY!? COME ON! NO WAY!"

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Edited By AndrewB
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Sticky_Pennies

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Edited By Sticky_Pennies

It's been confirmed. The 3D Realms webmaster, Joe Siegler, posted, "It's not a marketing thing. It's true. I have nothing further to say at this time."

The forum post link might not work, so I linked to the ShackNews article, which links to the forum post.

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MrKlorox

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Edited By MrKlorox

@AndrewB: Nukem won't die. If a parody of Duke got his own game (Matt Hazard) there is no way the original won't be resurrected some time.

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Unholyburger

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Edited By Unholyburger

I... I always bet on Duke ;_;

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TwoOneFive

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Edited By TwoOneFive

what the hell. something tells me these guys have been sitting around for the last decade or so smoking weed and eating munchies laughing about the fact that people are still waiting for a Nuke-em sequel. 

i hope it never comes out though, it would ruin the fun in this. 
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FinalDasa

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Edited By FinalDasa  Moderator

i would love to see a timeline of what happened since 1997 until now in the development of Duke Nukem Forever

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artofwar420

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Edited By artofwar420

Just release whatever you got. Let's see Duke Nukem Forever in whatever state it's in, I don't care. I just want this game to freaking come out so we can move on to speculating when Half Life 3 (not episode 3) will come out.

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papercut

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Edited By papercut

DUKE NUKEM FOREVER, MORE LIKE DUKE NUKEM NEVER!

AM I RIGHT? AM I RIGHT?

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TheFrostedGamer

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Edited By TheFrostedGamer

as far as 3D Realms closing, who cares. Seriously. Aren't we all tired of the "website full of duke-related images and forum full of idiots professing their love for pig cops, but yet all they've released in centuries has been Prey which sucked" that 3D Realms has facilitated for years now.

as far as Duke Forever goes, let someone competent develop it, release it with some compelling online coop or show me the door

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Drebin_893

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Edited By Drebin_893

I remember when Jeff got fired from Gamespot a caller called in saying:

"Oh, and for the record, Jeff Gerstmann got released before Duke Nukem Forever."
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xymox

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Edited By xymox
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vidiot

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Edited By vidiot

No. No. No. Let it die. Let IT DIE.

Duke was a product of the 90's, HE IS NOT RELEVANT AS A GAME CHARACTER OR A MARKETABLE PROPERTY ANYMORE. Even if this game is released, (IT WONT BE.) it will bland and generic by today's standards. Pig Cops and boobs are not edgy material that are going to push your game ahead of every alien killing mediocre shooter on the market. 


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MeierTheRed

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Edited By MeierTheRed
lordofultima said:
"Duke Nukem Forever the documentary! Forget the damn game, this would sell hotcakes!"
I would watch it
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Castro

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Edited By Castro

I hope that someone else purchases the rights to Duke Nukem and releases Duke Nukem 5. It would be kinda like the Leisure Suit Larry games where there never was a fourth one. The haters will be happy that Duke Nukem Forever never came out and all the Duke Nukem fans can get their fix. I'm in the latter camp and I'm kinda upset about this whole turn of events.

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singular

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Edited By singular

After this long time the game can't possibly be anything else than a complete dissapointment.