3D Realms NOT Closed, Hope To Hold Onto Duke Nukem

Duke Nukem Forever

If you thought the saga of Duke Nukem Forever had ended with 3D Realms' closing, think again. It seems we need to set the facts straight, and one major clarification is that the studio isn't actually closed.

As Kotaku reports, 3D Realms has responded to Take-Two's demands and lawsuit, saying they've spent $2.5 million in funding, which is a good deal less than the $12 million Take-Two claimed in the suit. Furthermore, the studio confirmed that although the Duke Nukem Forever team had been laid off, 3D Realms was still in operation and they wish to "co-create" titles based on the legendary FPS character. You can view the full statement released by 3D Realms boss George Broussard at the previous link, but here's an important snippet:

"Despite rumors and statements to the contrary, 3D Realms (3DR) 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 (DNF) development team go on May 6th, while we regroup as a company. 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."

Okay, that's a little clearer. But we imagine this tug-of-war between 3D Realms and Take-Two has only just begun, and there's no knowing when we might actually see the next Duke Nukem game. At this point, it must be relatively easy to assign blame on all sides, as DNF was a project that was supposedly in the works for over a decade (or, as recent evidence indicates, perhaps only around 3 years). Either way, it'll be interesting to see what happens; we'll keep you updated.

5/18/2009 Ben Dutka

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