The Duke Nukem franchise was big in the 90s, but it’s mainly known for the epic delays of Duke Nukem Forever. It’d been delayed so long that 3D Realms had closed down and Borderlands developer Gearbox ended up acquiring the property. The release of Forever in 2011 went about as well as one could expect, which is to say, people’s perceptions on it ranged from “well, that was a bit disappointing” to “what the hell did I just pay for?!”. Now, Gearbox wants to make another one, but this time with some assistance.
While speaking at the Develop conference in Brighton, UK, Gearbox president Randy Pitchford said that a studio was looking for a partner to help with development. Considering that the last time they worked with another developer, it led to the mess that was Aliens: Colonial Marines and co-developer TimeGate Studios shutting down, you’d think they wouldn’t want to do that again. And yet, Pitchford’s game for it:
“I did not acquire the franchise merely so people could experience Duke Nukem Forever. That was, sort of, the toll to pay to give Duke Nukem a chance at a future. So yes. In fact, we’ve done some concept development. The challenge is that Gearbox is very busy. A faster way would be if the correct developer would become interested, and we’d work with them.”
Despite the underwhelming response to Forever, Pitchford still thinks there’s demand for a new title for the series:
“I think that’s it’s a challenging problem, but there’s no doubt that, when it does happen, the entire industry will turn its head. Getting attention in this industry is one of the hardest things to do.”
If Gearbox released a new Duke Nukem, would you buy it? Who do you think should help Gearbox develop it? Do you even really trust Gearbox at this point? Let us know in the comments below.
