3D Realms Shuts Down, Doomguy Gets Revenge

After being horribly dismembered back in 1996, the Doomguy has finally taken his sweet vengeance. Duke Nukem 3D creator 3D Realms is apparently closing its doors, according to a report on Shacknews. You may also know know 3D Realms by its alter ego, "Apogee," which published some old game or another, I forget.

So, they finally found the perfect pretext not to release Duke Nukem Fornever.

What! No! This can't happen.. DNF isn't out yet!

Funny, I was just about to apply there.

Heh.

Whoa... I should have seen this coming. Figures that after 12 years of development, they just ran out of money.

Strange as it sounds, Duke Nukem 3D was my childhood game. In fact, I've still got the original v1.3d disc (with Duke 1/2 included,) along with the discs from Sybex's official strategy and mapping guides, two huge Duke map compilation discs, and Duke It Out in DC. Eventually, I migrated to Quake and Quakeworld, but never will I forget the days I spent playing Duke and its Atomic Edition back when they were both new. Hell, I went back to the Apogee / 3D Realms community for a few years before I ended up migrating over to this one due to a variety of factors (DNF-related weariness among them.)

Rest in peace, guys. May you go down in history as one of the pioneers of shareware gaming... hopefully.

Apogee/3DRealms games were most of my favorites as a kid...Commander Keen, Wolfenstein 3D, and of course Duke Nukem. It's too bad they're going down, but I guess promising to release a game and not doing so after 12 years has its bad effects.

Well, it looks like all the jokes about DNF have finally come true. Funny, in a sad way.

It's sadder that this is what they will be known by, rather than being the pioneers of shareware gaming. And I just bought both Blakestone games from GOG on monday!

Edit: Since Take2 has publishing rights to DNF, I wouldn't be surprised if they swooped in and bought the rights to DNF entirely and then handed it over to Rockstar to finish.

Snarboo said:

Edit: Since Take2 has publishing rights to DNF, I wouldn't be surprised if they swooped in and bought the rights to DNF entirely and then handed it over to Rockstar to finish.

Oh that'd be great...Grand Theft Nukem...

Snarboo said:

Edit: Since Take2 has publishing rights to DNF, I wouldn't be surprised if they swooped in and bought the rights to DNF entirely and then handed it over to Rockstar to finish.

And I bet it would be done in like, six months. Then at least we'd have some kind of game. It's nice to see that the Duke games coming out on handheld consoles won't be affected either. But yeah, fuck 3drealms, I'm sure Broussard ran it into the ground. How long did they expect to go on?

Use3D said:

And I bet it would be done in like, six months. Then at least we'd have some kind of game.

I generally agree. Even if it's terrible, I just want to see DNF in some form at this point rather than have all that development wasted.

Well this definitely caught me off guard. I guess it shouldn't have though.

No one new. not even Joe. This is SAD :(


At least we know what that tweet george sent.. really meant. "No."



No.


No more.

Yeah, everone on the forums is playing Broussard. They said "there's only so mane barbeques and free XBLA codes you can give out".


I hope the team sticks together as another company and makes DNF a reality.


EDIT: if not, There's always this!

Damn, I was actually hoping it would be finished eventually, too.

/pours a 40 for the old awesome game company.

I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell ya.

I still believe that Scott will not let Duke die. He *could* pull a Tom Hall and let he+ the disgruntled members that toiled under King George's rule of Taco Bell and strippers ..... FINISH DUKE.






:(

It would be the right thing to do. I mean, No Duke Nukem? that's friggin' unconstitutional.

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

Jesus that's depressing, despite how you look at it.......

I hope for the best with what's left, if anything is left to be dealt with in the end......RIP 3D-Realms

Steeveeo said:

Oh that'd be great...Grand Theft Nukem...

Let's hope not, for all thats holy.

*pulls out Duke 3D in honor*

Ahh hahahhaahaaaaa!!





:(

Pretty apathetic about this really. A little surprised this didn't happen some time ago.

Captain Red said:

Ahh hahahhaahaaaaa!!





:(

heh

All those vaporware award well deserved.

Hahaha, this is brilliant. Admit it, we'd all have been slightly disappointed if Duke Nukem Forever had actually ever been released. This way it's legacy as the greatest piece of vaporware in history (after Mordeth Ep 2, of course) will remain forever unspoiled.

Worst sarcasm news, ever.

Sorry, but I'm serious. :(

It would appear that the Apogee part of the company is unaffected:

http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6209271.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;1

I guess they wouldn't like to quit supporting the older games, at least.

There's something with the news item, as it's not showing up front.

Haha awsome Duke Nukem is dead *celebrates*

I knew that DNF was a hoax (marketing scam) all along.

I'm glad to see that sexist asshole is dead.

Not to mention I found a shocking insight about the story of DNF...

http://gamingisstupid.com/2009/05/06/the-chair-story-revival/

Nightmare Doom said:

I knew that DNF was a hoax (marketing scam) all along.

I'm glad to see that sexist asshole is dead.

Not to mention I found a shocking insight about the story of DNF...

http://gamingisstupid.com/2009/05/06/the-chair-story-revival/

That story is fiction, and was written a long time ago by an ex employee of 3DR. Really believable fiction, but fiction nonetheless.

Edit: http://duke.a-13.net/

http://e1m2.net/hth/test/rip_duck.gif

I guess now not only Doomguy killed Duke out of Revenge, Duke's wretched soul is now suffering eternally under the hands of no other than Caleb from Blood in the Dark Carnival level by mocking Duke's objection of women (and avenging them at the same time) by shaking his now dismembered corpse/tormented soul impaled on a fishook chain...

I guess we just organized a great story idea here...

RIP Apogee, you will be missed.