Well folks, did anyone see this coming?! Everyone's favorite babe loving, vulgar-muscle head Duke Nukem is FINALLY making his return early next year in Duke Nukem Forever. No I mean it, the game is actually being developed as we speak!
The Duke Nukem Tragedy
The soap opera of Duke Nukem Forever is one of the most infamous and disappointing stories in the history of video games. It all started way back on April 28th, 1997 when 3D Realms announced it was being developed for the PC as the next chapter in the Duke series. It was originally planned to use the Quake II 3D engine. A few months later some clips of the game were shown at E3 and everyone thought it would be released as planned in mid 1998.
In June 1998 (around the intended release date) 3D Realms announced to the media that they were switching 3D engines to Epic's new Unreal Engine. Even people who are casual gamers know that to completely switch engines when making a game means going back to the drawing board and starting over. However, the designers now planned for Duke to kick-ass in 1999. Well with a similar story to 1998, 1999 came and 3D said they were working with an updated version of the Unreal Engine. Were they actually working on the game this whole time? Or did they simply feed fans and the media what they wanted to hear because of all the pressure on them to put a game out? Either way, the new millennium came and went and the summer of 2001 was now their date for DNF to hit stores. Finally Duke is back right!? Wrong again friends.
It's 2001, we have all survived Y2K and 3D Realms releases a 2 and a half minute trailer of Duke Nukem Forever at E3 giving everyone clear hope and proof that the game does exist. We find out much later though that the entire trailer was all cinematic. At the time Duke fans were psyched to know that 3D Realms had some work to show us. Here comes 2002 and some genius (sarcasm) decides that 3D Realms would make their own engine instead of using the ones they already started on. Ok so lets get this straight, since 1997 3D Realms switched between 4 engines, managed to have one phony trailer and pissed off everyone in the industry. Great job guys, how will the next few years fare?
Well you don't need Mrs. Cleo to predict this one. 03 & 04 passed and 3D Realms still promised released by the end of 04 and even in the beginning of 2005. There was even a rumor that the game made a 5th engine change to Quake III's new processor. Really this shouldn't have been a surprise. 3D was clearly under poor management (Take Two, 3D Realms publishing CEO George Broussard). HOW HE STILL HAD A JOB IS STILL A MYSTERY TO ME. This whole escapade was just teasing us. It's like a drop-dead gorgeous woman lying naked on a bed saying look, don't touch. Come on people give us a freaking' game already! If anything stop pissing on us and calling it rain. Just admit you guys are screwed and aren't working on anything.
In the next few years DNF news was nothing but rumors and tid-bits. Until 2007 came around and we got, wait for it...a teaser trailer! How thoughtful, NOT. Same story here (again) no game was made. After some bogus interviews about why 3D Realms wasn't able to put the game together, 2009 brought the end. In May of that year, 3D Realms was downsized for financial reasons causing the development team to disperse. Adding insult to injury, Take-Two Interactive (which owned the rights to the game) filled a lawsuit against 3D Realms for not finishing the game. The case was settled a year later in May 2010.
First Good News In Years
Could it be? Could we finally get some good news about Duke Nukem Forver?! Yes gamers we do! On September 3rd 2010 after nearly 13 years of lies and waiting, Duke Nukem Forver was officially reported being published by 2k Games and in development by Gearbox Software. WOW, miracles really do come true and we finally can get excited for Duke to make his return.
First Actual Gameplay
A few months ago PAX 2010 had the first Duke Nukem Demo. Duke still looks to be the same, smoking a cigar, smacking on bubble gum, getting oral sex from two girls, and of course cussing like a sailor. DNF is a first person shooter and is what everyone would expect from a Duke Nukem type game. You're fighting aliens, shooting off limbs and watching blood splatter all over the place. Duke has two guns at a time, and can even preform hand-to-hand combat moves. The demo even included a driving level that placed Duke in jeep swerving down a canyon as alien crafts chased him the whole way.
What To Expect
From the demo you can tell DNF has huge potential for laughs and good old fashion alien ass kicking. But don't expect this game to be a joke at all. Gearbox Software (Borderlands) are intent on giving Duke the return he deserves. It should have somewhat of a good plot and like I mentioned tons of laughs from Duke. But it's in-your-face FPS gameplay is what will make Duke an amazing game (also just the title Duke Nukem is a cash-cow itself). Duke in retrospect probably won't be considered "revolutionary" in the gaming world, but it should be filled with so much heart-pounding action that fans and new players will "geek out" more times than once.
Release Date Info
Recently Duke Nukem Forever's official website put up links to pre-order Duke on Amazon and Gamestop. The sites say the game will be out on February. 1, 2011. The date falls on a Tuesday which is the typical date for entertainment media to be released. Sometimes publishers send retailers a "placeholder" date just as a rough estimate of when it will actually come out. What's interesting though is Gears of War 3 was pushed back this past week to the end of 2011. Why? Maybe Epic Games doesn't want to compete with DNF, and they know the game will for sure be out in early 2011 when Gears 3 was set to be released. Either way, it does make you wonder why Gears would all of a sudden be moved just after the placeholder date for Duke was announced.
Public Demo Announced
This past Tuesday Gearbox announced that a Duke Nukem Forever demo certificate will be made available for everyone...The only catch is it comes with the Game of the Year edition of Borderlands. Along with 4 DLC Borderlands content, gamers get the "Duke Nukem Forever First Access Club." The demo won't be up and running imminently but those who spend $60 bucks will get to play it. It's genius marketing for Gearbox to put this combo together. I never planned on buying Borderlands, but now that the GOY edition comes with a Duke demo I will definitely pick up a copy.
So the tragedy turns to triumph for our beloved hero Duke Nukem. Now all that's left to do is for us gamers to impatiently wait for his return once again. Although this time, he's back for sure!
Questions? Comments? Let me know on twitter
or e-mail me at Keith33morris@aol.com
-KM
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