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Sinatar · Dec 22, 2009

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/12/fail_duke_nukem/all/1

A good article covering the epic disaster known as Duke Nukem Forever.

Not quoting, not bolding, you don't want to read it then piss off.

Night_Trekker · Dec 22, 2009

I'll never let go

EDIT: This is the sort of article I've been waiting for since the announcement. Thanks for the link.

Combichristoffersen · Dec 22, 2009

I'm still betting on Duke

Raide · Dec 22, 2009

Success did not kill Duke Nukem, not releasing the game for years and years did.

ThatObviousUser · Dec 22, 2009

Will Duke Nukem Forever ever come out?

...well?

A Black Falcon · Dec 22, 2009

Night_Trekker said:
I'll never let go

EDIT: This is the sort of article I've been waiting for since the announcement. Thanks for the link.

Indeed, same here... and it's a pretty good article too. I still believe as well...

evlcookie · Dec 22, 2009

I had no idea 3D realms had that much money, that they were paying for the entire game themselves. That's so rare these days and yet it killed the project at the same time.

Interesting idea that take-two are after an IP grab. What could they do with the game and would they even bother?

Maybe one day we will get to see the footage that was shown in every version of the game that blew people away. I would love to see what it was that set it apart from anything that was out.

Great read

A Black Falcon · Dec 22, 2009

evlcookie said:
I had no idea 3D realms had that much money, that they were paying for the entire game themselves. That's so rare these days and yet it killed the project at the same time.

Interesting idea that take-two are after an IP grab. What could they do with the game and would they even bother?

Maybe one day we will get to see the footage that was shown in every version of the game that blew people away. I would love to see what it was that set it apart from anything that was out.

Great read

Take Two didn't and doesn't want the game, they wanted to kill it. They just want the IP. They want to take that IP and have other developers make games based on the license, because as the article says the name is still worth a lot...

There's evidence behind this, there is some evidence I think that even before this whole thing happened earlier this year that resulted in 3DRealms firing the team Take Two was already working on their project of finding another developer to make a Duke Nukem game... it would likely not be as good, but it'd be on a much more reliable schedule and owning the name they could make lots more games with the name of course, making even more money.

Acosta · Dec 22, 2009

Sinatar said:
Not quoting, not bolding, you don't want to read it then piss off.

Amen, and the feature is genuinely awesome, very good journalist work with a proper investigation and lot of sources who help to form the puzzle. Go and give the hits to Wired, they deserved it.

AniHawk · Dec 22, 2009

I've never played a Duke Nukem game, but that was heartbreaking to read.

Great article. It's too bad most of the industry is shrouded in secrecy. I find this stuff really interesting.

Leonsito · Dec 22, 2009

I hate reading all the previews and hands-on of the people that got to play it, they all agreed that it was something amazing in 1998 or in 2001, above all the competition...

I think that been so free on development it's what killed it, if they had an external publisher pushing them to finish it we would have played the game years ago.

I still Believe.

darkwings · Dec 22, 2009

Raide said:
Success did not kill Duke Nukem, not releasing the game for years and years did.

pretty obvious

Pikelet · Dec 22, 2009

Wow, that article makes Broussard out to be a bit of a egotistic moron. Fantastic read though, very interesting

Night_Trekker · Dec 22, 2009

Reading this is just soul-crushing. We all knew, after the announcement, what basic sort of things had to have been going on to keep the project going this long, but actually getting confirmation on a few details... and even after that, I still can't completely wrap my head around the entire thing.

I sort of sympathize with Broussard, amazingly. I'm a terrible procrastinator and perfectionist, and I've always imagined I would end up in the same sort of situation were I somehow in control of the self-funded development of a massive game like DNF. I assume after you've missed several release dates, a sort of general dread sets in that, over time, dissipates and leaves you in a comfortable and familiar--but dangerously costly--rut. "Yes, haha. We're a big industry joke. But the game will be done eventually." With no accountability to anyone else, it makes sense in a way that it went on as long as it did.

But that said, I don't think I would have been able to employ people and basically waste their talents and their lives for as long as he did. I know that at some point the entire process was so far gone that Broussard probably felt powerless to stop the slow-motion collision himself, but ultimately it's indefensible.

Thanks, George, for killing Duke.

Combichristoffersen · Dec 22, 2009

Pikelet said:
Wow, that article makes Broussard out to be a bit of a egotistic moron. Fantastic read though, very interesting

I don't think it made him look like an egotist, but he definitely did come off as an extreme perfectionist, kind of like Kazunori Yamauchi. The difference is, Yamauchi has the financial backing of the Sony conglomerate, while Broussard had to rely on 3D Realms' own finances.

bistromathics · Dec 22, 2009

good article, and nothing flashing on the page. deserves the clicks

Grayman · Dec 22, 2009

That was a good read.

I wonder if the self funded AAA independent days of 3dr, id, epic, valve(later on) will ever be duplicated, probably not.

Pikelet · Dec 22, 2009

I don't think it made him look like an egotist, but he definitely did come off as an extreme perfectionist, kind of like Kazunori Yamauchi. The difference is, Yamauchi has the financial backing of the Sony conglomerate, while Broussard had to rely on 3D Realms' own finances.

While i agree with the second point, i still think it sounds like he had some sort of ego because he refused to follow the standard 'big team with milestones and general progress tracking' procedures like everyone else and instead did it his own way; taking control of the entire project and changing it on his whim.

Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew · Dec 22, 2009

Brilliant article!~

Combichristoffersen · Dec 22, 2009

Pikelet said:
While i agree with the second point, i still think it sounds like he had some sort of ego because he refused to follow the standard 'big team with milestones and general progress tracking' procedures like everyone else and instead did it his own way; taking control of the entire project and changing it on his whim.

I don't know if it was as much refusing to follow the 'standard' of having a large team with milestones as just being stuck in the early 90s mindset of thinking a small to medium team is more than enough to make a game, and when Broussard finally realized things didn't work that way anymore, the DNF project had probably gotten to the point where he felt he didn't really have the amount of control required to fix the problems. Either way, it was a sad day when 3DR announced the dev team was laid off

I still believe in you, Duke. I'll always believe in you. We're BFF, you and I

shuri · Dec 22, 2009

Imagine when his kids are going to be old enough to realise that their father FLUSHED AWAY 20 millions for a SINGLE VIDEO GAME THAT NEVER CAME OUT.

oh god.

wormstrangler · Dec 22, 2009

Certainly a good read.

I still believe that DNF will eventually make it out in a modified form of its current version.

BlazeHedgehog · Dec 22, 2009

Raide said:
Success did not kill Duke Nukem, not releasing the game for years and years did.

But it's cause and effect - the success of Duke Nukem 3D is what lead to not releasing Duke Nukem Forever. DN3D was like climbing to the peak of Mt. Everest - for DNF, they would have to build a shuttle that would take them to the moon.

Like the article said,

Mike Wilson, a former games marketer with id Software and 15-year veteran of the industry, suspects that Broussard was paralyzed by the massive success of Duke Nukem 3D. When Duke came out, they were kings of the world for a minute, Wilson says. And how often does that happen? How often does someone have the best thing in their field, absolutely? They basically got frozen in that moment.

They were at the top of their game, and Broussard kept trying to elevate it even further. That's what lead to all the delays, and eventually, the end (or "indefinite postponement") of the project.

Leonsito · Dec 22, 2009

After thinking a bit more about this, it's a shame that the episodic model hasn't appeared years ago, I think that it would suit the development rate of DNF pretty good, as they stated a lot of times that they had a lot of things, like they were tech demos, but not put together.

Maybe they could have polished those little parts they have to be standalone, shortening the development for each episode, and they could keep improving/changing the engine for future episodes.

-COOLIO- · Dec 22, 2009

shuri said:
Imagine when his kids are going to be old enough to realise that their father FLUSHED AWAY 20 millions for a SINGLE VIDEO GAME THAT NEVER CAME OUT.

oh god.

:lol

gerg · Dec 22, 2009

Leonsito said:
After thinking a bit more about this, it's a shame that the episodic model hasn't appeared years ago, I think that it would suit the development rate of DNF pretty good, as they stated a lot of times that they had a lot of things, like they were tech demos, but not put together.

Maybe they could have polished those little parts they have to be standalone, shortening the development for each episode, and they could keep improving/changing the engine for future episodes.

While an episodic model might have given 3D Realms more options to toy with, having read the article I don't think the problem was that they didn't have enough chances to release the game. If what the article says is true, then there was at least one time at which the game could have been feasibly completed within a year or two; the problem was that, in that time, some new technology would show itself and invariably Broussard would want to use it, thus delaying the game's completion even more.

PantherLotus · Dec 22, 2009

I'm actually rooting for Take Two here. I'll never forget my first experimental foray into PC gaming with Wolfenstein, but honestly, Duke Nukem 3D was like having sex after only masturbating for several years. Man what a shame.

In retrospect, Broussard could have pioneered episodic gaming and just launched one level at a time every year or so. That would have made so much money and satisfied his need for constant upgrades as well.

edit: I see I'm several posts late wondering about episodic gaming. heh.

Truant · Dec 22, 2009

The GiantBomb joke about how the final game had Duke travelling through various stages of the development was awesome. Like, emulated UE1 levels, Q2 engine levels.

rvy · Dec 22, 2009

Never forget.

Leonsito · Dec 22, 2009

PantherLotus said:
In retrospect, Broussard could have pioneered episodic gaming and just launched one level at a time every year or so. That would have made so much money and satisfied his need for constant upgrades as well.

Yeah, Miller pioneered the shareware model, it would have been amazing if they did the same with episodic content, they could have released a new chapter every 6 months turning all those "tech demos" into short stories about Duke.

Noogy · Dec 22, 2009

Great read, and it's a bit humbling to realize I've followed along all this time, only to get 12 years older myself. And I was one of those fans who would salivate whenever a new teaser was released.

It's a shame that tech became such a crutch (and continues to be). The original Duke, as outdated as it looks now, is still one of my favorite games to just have fun with. As bad as everything looks, I'm still holding out for my copy of DNF.

Nakasan · Dec 22, 2009

AniHawks spot on with the Heartbreaking comment. A real shame that guy who would push back didn't come on board earlier.

I agree that TakeTwo are likely to be after an IP grab. Slightly synical maybe, but then who wouldn't in that position? Who knows, maybe someone in TakeTwo loves Duke and is trying to save him?

krioto · Dec 22, 2009

Very interesting article - it reads like a 'how to fuck up a game' chronicle.

I feel sorry for the Duke Nukem creators - it must be crushing to see all your work stacked on the shelf.

Stop It · Dec 22, 2009

Night_Trekker said:
Reading this is just soul-crushing. We all knew, after the announcement, what basic sort of things had to have been going on to keep the project going this long, but actually getting confirmation on a few details... and even after that, I still can't completely wrap my head around the entire thing.

I sort of sympathize with Broussard, amazingly. I'm a terrible procrastinator and perfectionist, and I've always imagined I would end up in the same sort of situation were I somehow in control of the self-funded development of a massive game like DNF. I assume after you've missed several release dates, a sort of general dread sets in that, over time, dissipates and leaves you in a comfortable and familiar--but dangerously costly--rut. "Yes, haha. We're a big industry joke. But the game will be done eventually." With no accountability to anyone else, it makes sense in a way that it went on as long as it did.

But that said, I don't think I would have been able to employ people and basically waste their talents and their lives for as long as he did. I know that at some point the entire process was so far gone that Broussard probably felt powerless to stop the slow-motion collision himself, but ultimately it's indefensible.

Thanks, George, for killing Duke.

I have no sympathy for Broussard, and I wouldn't call his actions perfectionism either. All he ever did was look at other game being developed around him and in obvious fits of jealousy, demanded that DNF have it. Instead of letting his team actually get on with making a game, he wanted to make sure everything he seen was "better" than the competition, all the while ignoring the need to actually have a game to base these constant "innovations" on.

I know I have been a fierce critic of 3DR in the past, most of my ire was directed squarely at Broussard, after reading that article, I know that the blame for the entire debacle lies squarely at his arrogant feet. I will miss the Duke (As I'm ure we'll never see a game that'll match Duke3D ever again, even with an IP grab by T2) but I will not miss the mis-management, arrogance and sheer lunacy exhibited by Broussard, ever.

Great article.

viewtifulsub · Dec 22, 2009

evlcookie said:
Interesting idea that take-two are after an IP grab. What could they do with the game and would they even bother?

Im pondering if the Duke franchise is even worth reviving for profits in this new gaming generation.
A lot has has changed since 1996, and a new generation of gamers are the target market now than gamers in their 20's+ who experienced Duke Nukem 3D.

Zaptruder · Dec 22, 2009

Combichristoffersen said:
I don't think it made him look like an egotist, but he definitely did come off as an extreme perfectionist, kind of like Kazunori Yamauchi. The difference is, Yamauchi has the financial backing of the Sony conglomerate, while Broussard had to rely on 3D Realms' own finances.

That and Kaz is smart enough to realise that he needs to drip feed the fans even if he wants to perfect the titles.

Prologue itself has made enough to recoup the costs of development for GT5 in its entirety.

Tim the Wiz · Dec 22, 2009

That was sad to read, but a great article nonetheless. There can never be enough investigative journalism.

KareBear · Dec 22, 2009

A Black Falcon said:
Take Two didn't and doesn't want the game, they wanted to kill it. They just want the IP. They want to take that IP and have other developers make games based on the license, because as the article says the name is still worth a lot...

There's evidence behind this, there is some evidence I think that even before this whole thing happened earlier this year that resulted in 3DRealms firing the team Take Two was already working on their project of finding another developer to make a Duke Nukem game... it would likely not be as good, but it'd be on a much more reliable schedule and owning the name they could make lots more games with the name of course, making even more money.

Take Two wants the game to make a 360 port.They say it in the court documents.

Zaptruder · Dec 22, 2009

You know who should buy Duke? Zenimax. Hand it off to iD. Great irony.

Of course it's far more likely to go to some developer licensing the rage technology, and even that is only slim in chance.

Psychotext · Dec 22, 2009

That was a thoroughly depressing read... both from the point of view of a business owner and a gamer.

iratA · Dec 22, 2009

Tim the Wiz said:
That was sad to read, but a great article nonetheless. There can never be enough investigative journalism.

Yeah I agree it is a rather sad read. I feel sorry for all involved and hope these people can move on with their lives in meaningful ways. I followed the progress of DNF on and off over the years, yet I some how just knew this game would never see the light of day.

Amalthea · Dec 22, 2009

Wasn't Duke Nukem Advance originally called "DN Forever and a Day"? :lol

LCfiner · Dec 22, 2009

Combichristoffersen said:
I don't think it made him look like an egotist, but he definitely did come off as an extreme perfectionist, kind of like Kazunori Yamauchi. The difference is, Yamauchi has the financial backing of the Sony conglomerate, while Broussard had to rely on 3D Realms' own finances.

actually, I think the article makes a good case that Broussard's problem was that he was self-financed. That he had TOO MUCH money

If he had to borrow money from a publisher, he might not have been so quick to change content so many times and create the delays. Sometimes, constraints can be good.

Article was a good read but it didn't have too much new information for those who had been following the saga for a while.

Timo · Dec 22, 2009

Whyyyy don't they just release all of the bits as a whole? Take everything made and release it on a disk. Pretty it up a bit for a month or two and ship that shit out. People would buy it at least for a budget price, if anything just to see what the fuck they made. Or make it available for DD. Any money going towards what was made is good money.

I'll be damned if it wouldn't be interesting either.

AgentOtaku · Dec 22, 2009

Thanks for posting this!

Reading it at work now as Wired is thankfully not blocked

BeeDog · Dec 22, 2009

Interesting article, but it doesn't really alleviate the pain that the cancellation caused. I really wanted to play Forever

, fucking grew up with Duke 3D.

Kintaro · Dec 22, 2009

Learning to Let Go is something that both the industry and gamers should learn. Everything would be much better off for it.

Neuromancer · Dec 22, 2009

TwIsTeD · Dec 22, 2009

Funny how I was just talking to a client of mine about specialization and this just shows that Broussard didnt have a clue about how much development had changed in the mid 90's on and lost not only financially but his reputation as well

heartbreaking really is the word for this, using build I designed my 1st levels ever for a videogame and hell i was still in middle school and I remember the PC Gamer cover with DNF in i think 1999 and how hyped my buddies and I were for it, shit 10 years later and I still want to play it

someone leak the damn work (j/k but seriously TT needs to grab the IP and do something with it)

sparky2112 · Dec 22, 2009

Ha! Got this issue last night and dropped EVERYTHING, sat down, and read it. Good stuff. Soul-crushing...

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