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{{Short description|2011 video game}}
{{Infobox VG
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}}
|title = Duke Nukem Forever
{{Infobox video game
|image = ]
| title = Duke Nukem Forever
|developer = ] (1997–2009?)
| image = DukeNukemForever.jpg
|publisher = ]
| caption = North American cover art
|engine = ] (heavily-modified)<ref></ref>
| developer = ]{{efn|Additional development by ], ] and Triptych Games}}

| publisher = ]{{efn|Published to Mac by ]}}
<!-- THINK BEFORE YOU EDIT. If you intend on changing the "released" line in the infobox to "Cancelled" or "Never", you need to actually point to a press release or similar that states this fact. Despite 3DRealms' current status, Take-Two Interactive still owns publishing rights to DNF.-->
| director = {{plainlist|
|released = Formerly "When it's done"<ref name="wid" /> (])
*Bryan Ekman

*]}}
<!-- ######### -->
| producer = {{plainlist|
|genre = ]
*Mike Wardwell
|modes = ], ]
*Geoff Gordon
|platforms = ]<ref name="3drealms">http://www.3drealms.com/games.html</ref>
*Matthew Newman
|media =
*Brian Hook}}
|requirements =
| writer = {{plainlist|
|input = ] and ], ]
*Valeta Wensloff
|ratings =
*Kristen Haglund
*David Riegel}}
| composer = Eric Von Rothkirch
| genre = ]
| modes = ], ]
| series = '']''
| engine = ] (heavily modified as "Duke Engine")<ref>{{cite web |title=Spiele mit Unreal Engine - Von 1998 bis heute |url=https://www.gamestar.de/galerien/spiele_mit_unreal_engine,98204.html |website=www.gamestar.de |language=de-DE}}</ref>
| platforms = {{unbulleted list|]|]|]|]}}
| released = {{ubl|'''Windows''', '''PS3''', '''Xbox 360'''{{vgrelease|EU/AU|June 10, 2011<ref name="Eurogamer_releasedate"/>|NA|June 14, 2011<ref name="Eurogamer_releasedate"/>}}|'''Mac OS X'''{{vgrelease|WW|August 18, 2011}}<!-- Please do not update the date without referencing a reliable source; retailers do not count. -->}}
}} }}
'''''Duke Nukem Forever''''' ('''''DNF''''') is a ] ] which was in development from 1997 to 2009 by ]. The publishing rights for the game still remain owned by ], although the future of the game remains unknown.


'''''Duke Nukem Forever''''' is a 2011 ] game developed by ] and published by ] for ], ], ] and ].<ref name="gamein100903"/><ref name="dnpressrelease"/> It is the fourth main installment in the '']'' series and the sequel to '']'' (1996). Players control ] as he comes out of retirement to battle an alien invasion. Like its predecessor, ''Duke Nukem Forever'' features pop culture references, ], and adult content.
It was to follow '']'' as the next game in ]' '']'' series and is to be directed by one of the creators of the original ''Duke Nukem'' game, ]. After setting and pushing back several release dates, since 2001 they said it would be released "when it's done".<ref name="wid">"". 3D Realms. Retrieved March 31, 2008.</ref>


''Duke Nukem Forever'' began development under ] and underwent a ] that lasted 14 years. Announced in 1997 following the critical and commercial success of ''Duke Nukem&nbsp;3D'', it was ], which was attributed to ] changes, understaffing, and a lack of a development plan. After 3D Realms downsized in 2009, ''Duke Nukem Forever'' was finished by Triptych Games, Gearbox Software, and ]. It holds the ] for the longest development for a video game.<!--ABOUT GUINNESS: This is not the same Guinness world record as the one held by Clockwork Aquario, which was not in continuous development. As of September 2024, Guinness has not updated its record — so DNF still holds the Guinness world record, despite other games exceeding this period-->
The game was being touted for its "unprecedented interactivity", aiming to "push the limits of gaming and establish new standards in interactivity, variety, and pure fun."<ref>Take-Two Interactive, Publisher . Take-Two Games.</ref> Duke Nukem Forever instead became infamous for its ] and is often declared either "the longest game ever in production or an elaborate in-joke at the expense of the industry".<ref name="delarc">Walbank, Mark. "". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved November 28, 2008.</ref> DNF was officially first announced in April 1997, and promotional information for the game was released in one form or another in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2007, and 2008. Due to this, the game had been subject to intense speculation and has won several ] awards.


''Duke Nukem Forever'' was released on June 14, 2011, and received mostly negative reviews. Critics found the design dated, identified performance problems and found its humor misogynistic and crass. It did not meet sales expectations but was deemed profitable by ], the owner of 2K Games. An additional episode, ''The Doctor Who Cloned Me'', was released as ] later in the year. Early versions of ''Duke Nukem Forever'' were leaked in 2022.
With the subsequent shutting down of 3D Realms in May 2009, production on ''Duke Nukem Forever'' has been halted. Although Take-Two still owns the publishing rights to the game, they do not have an agreement with 3D Realms to provide funding for the game's continued development.<ref name="shacknewscancelled">"http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/58519". Shack News. Retrieved May 06, 2009.</ref> A lawsuit has been filed by Take-Two Interactive against 3D Realms over their failure to finish development of the game.<ref name="Take-Two Sues Duke Nukem Forever Devs Over Failure To Deliver">"http://kotaku.com/5255220/take+two-sues-duke-nukem-forever-devs-over-failure-to-deliver". Kotaku. Retrieved May 14, 2009.</ref>


== Plot == ==Gameplay==
''Duke Nukem Forever'' is a ] that combines combat, exploration and puzzle-solving.<ref name="Plunkett-2011" /> The game also switches to a ] when in vehicle use. Players control ], a 1980s-style action hero, as he battles alien invaders<ref name="IGN" /> through three main locations: Las Vegas, a highway and ].<ref name="Plunkett-2011" /> Some areas feature ], ] and driving sequences;<ref name="Plunkett-2011" /> in one sequence, Duke is shrunk to a miniature size and drives a toy car.<ref name="IGN" /> Minigames include ], ] and ].<ref name="IGN" />
The plot of ''Duke Nukem Forever'' is presented through newly released footage and screenshots. Key developer Glen Burke has played a key role following the franchise from the first title. 3D Realms released trailers at the 1998 and 2001 ] conventions and screenshots between those years. However, as ''DNF'' has gone through extensive changes since its last trailer, the plot was not known in its entirety.


''Forever'' is slower than previous ''Duke Nukem'' games. As in the '']'' series, players can only carry two weapons at a time, and Duke's ] regenerates automatically.<ref name="Plunkett-2011" /><ref name="IGN" /> The weapons include a shotgun, trip mines, a ] (which shrinks enemies so Duke can stomp on them) and a freeze ray (which freezes enemies so Duke can shatter them).<ref name="IGN" /> Like ''], Forever'' includes pop culture references, ] and adult content, such as strip clubs and the ability to urinate.<ref name="Plunkett-2011" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=McDougall |first=Jaz |date=2010-10-05 |title=''Duke Nukem Forever'' includes real-time peeing |language=en |work=] |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/duke-nukem-forever-includes-real-time-peeing/ |access-date=2022-05-31 |archive-date=May 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531165946/https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/duke-nukem-forever-includes-real-time-peeing/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In the ] mode, players compete in games such as ], ] and ].<ref name="Plunkett-2011" /><ref name="IGN" />
The status of several secondary characters also remains unclear. The 2001 trailer shows an alien invasion in ]. It features Duke fighting with several weapons. Duke fights the aliens in many areas: a mine, some rural areas, the streets of ], on water, and indoor areas.<ref name="second">IGN Staff. . IGN. June 1, 2001. Accessed January 27, 2007.</ref>


==Plot==
{{As of|2003}}, the 3D Realms website states that "the screenshots and videos that were there have been removed as they no longer represent the game's current look and feel."<ref name="wid" />
Twelve years after he saved the Earth from an alien invasion, Duke Nukem has become a celebrity multimillionaire. After playing a game based on '']'', he arrives on the set of a talk show for an interview. On his way to the show, Duke witnesses a news broadcast announcing that aliens have returned. Unlike previous encounters, the aliens initially appear peaceful and at first, seem to pose no harm to the humans of Earth.


Duke's talk show appearance is canceled to allow television stations to cover the alien invasion, and Duke retires to the "Duke Cave", his home. There, he receives a call from the president and General Graves of the Earth Defense Force (EDF). The president orders Duke not to harm the invaders and adds that he is in diplomatic talks with the alien overlord.
In 2008, Miller confirmed that the plot involves a ] Duke, who owns a ] known as "The Lady Killer," which comes under attack from ].<ref name="new plot">Webster, Stephen C. "". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved November 28, 2008.</ref>


When Duke is attacked by hostile aliens, Duke is forced to disobey the president's orders and fight his way through the alien hordes. While fighting through his casino, Duke witnesses the aliens abducting women, including his two pop-star girlfriends. Graves tells Duke that the women are being held in the Duke Dome and that the aliens have a vendetta to settle with Duke. He also warns Duke that the aliens are using ] to power a wormhole so more aliens can come through. Duke travels to the Duke Dome, using a wrecking ball to damage the building to gain access. Inside, he finds swarms of Octabrains and the missing women, who have been impregnated with alien spawn. Duke's girlfriends die after bearing alien babies, infuriating Duke. Duke finds the Alien Queen in control of the Duke Dome and kills her, but is wounded in the process and blacks out.
== Development history ==
]
''Duke Nukem Forever'' was officially announced on April 28, 1997 along with the purchase of a license to use the ]<ref name="seven">Broussard, George. . Planet Duke. April 28, 1997.</ref><ref>. Planet Duke. Last updated January 8, 2005.</ref> and the intention of releasing the game no later than mid-1998.<ref> 3D Realms through archive.org. Retrieved May 10, 2007.</ref> Original prototype work on the game had begun as early as January. In August and September, the first screenshots of ''DNF'' were released in '']''. In its November issue, Scott Miller restated that the intended release date was 1998. However, 3D Realms did not get the Quake II engine code until November 1997, and the earlier screenshots were simply mock-ups with the Quake engine that the team had made in their spare time.<ref>. Eurogamer. May 30, 2003.</ref> 3D Realms unveiled the first video footage of ''DNF'' using the ] at the 1998 E3 conference.<ref>. Kotaku. March 22, 2006.</ref>


After regaining consciousness, Duke fights Pigcops and aliens through the Duke Burger. He travels to the Hoover Dam in his ]. After battling through the dam, he finds his old friend Dylan, mortally wounded. Dylan tells Duke that the reborn Cycloid Emperor is at the dam and that the only way to shut down the portal is to completely destroy it. Before dying, he gives Duke his demolition charges and wishes him luck. Duke places the explosives and destroys the dam, but the currents nearly drown him.
=== Change to Unreal engine ===
In June 1998, the 3D Realms team switched to ]'s ].<ref name="unreal">. 3D Realms. June 15, 1998.</ref> Fans were concerned because switching game engines requires more development time and further delays the release of the game. Broussard said that the transition from the Quake to the Unreal engine would take from "a month to 6 weeks" and that the game would not be significantly delayed. He also reassured gamers that the items unveiled in the May 1998 E3 demo would carry over on the Epic engine. He also said that ''DNF'' would be released in 1999.<ref name="unreal" />


Duke is revived by an EDF soldier and awakens to find the portal gone. The president, who was also at the dam, rages at Duke for ruining his plans to work with the Cycloid Emperor. The president was actually intending to have the aliens kill Duke so he could control the Earth with Cycloid Emperor. He has ordered a nuclear strike at the site of the dam to wipe out the remaining aliens, intending to leave Duke there to die. The Cycloid Emperor emerges and kills the president and his security detail; he intended to kill the president after the deal. Duke kills the Cycloid Emperor and is rescued by Graves as the nuclear bomb explodes. In a press conference, Duke announces his intent to run for ].
In 1999, 3D Realms announced that they had upgraded to the newer version of the Unreal Engine. They released a second batch of screenshots on November 1 that showcased ''Duke Nukem Forever'' on the Unreal engine for the first time.<ref></ref> In December, 3D Realms released a Christmas card that suggested that ''DNF'' would be released in 2000.<ref>. 3D Realms. Retrieved August 7, 2006.</ref>


===''The Doctor Who Cloned Me''===
In early December 2000, publisher ] announced that they had acquired the publishing rights for ''DNF''.<ref>. 3D Realms. December 4, 2000.</ref> Shortly afterwards, 3D Realms released another Christmas card that suggested that ''DNF'' would be released in 2001.<ref>. 3D Realms. Retrieved August 7, 2006.</ref>
In the ] ''The Doctor Who Cloned Me'', Duke wakes up after the nuclear explosion and finds himself trapped in a strange laboratory while video recordings of himself declaring his bid for Presidency play on monitors. After escaping, Duke discovers that not only are the aliens continuing their invasion, but his old nemesis Dr. Proton (the antagonist of the original '']'' game) has returned and is building an army of robotic Duke clones to fight the aliens and conquer Earth himself.


Duke infiltrates Proton's laboratory in Area 51 by posing as one of the clones. Eventually, Proton spots him and attacks Duke but he escapes and is reunited with Dylan (revealed as still alive). With Dylan's help, Duke locates and kills Dr. Proton. General Graves then communicates with Duke to inform him that the aliens are being bred by an Alien Empress that is nesting on the moon. After finding a teleporter leading up to the moon, Duke commandeers a moon rover and destroys the Alien Empress, saving Earth and its women once again.
At the May 2001 E3, 3D Realms released a second video that showed a couple of minutes of in-game footage,<ref name="second" /> which notably showed the player moving in a what appears to be Las Vegas and a certain level of interactivity (the player buys a sandwich from a vending machine and pushing the keypads). In August, Gathering of Developers shut down its offices and ] took over the publishing rights for ''DNF''.<ref name="noohfive">Thorsen, Tor. . December 18, 2003. GameSpot. Retrieved January 31, 2007.</ref>


==Development==
In 2002, after hiring several new programmers, the team completely rewrote the renderer and other game engine modules, beginning work on a new generation of game content. Broussard estimated that around 95% of the previous ] work was scrapped in the process. He also later stated that they were never less than two years away from shipping with the UT based version of the game. The engine, which now contains parts of an early version of ] (the team branched off from the engine in 2001) supports such features as ], ] and ] based lighting.<ref>. Voodoo Extreme. April 13, 2004.</ref><ref>. Duke4.de. January 14, 2004.</ref>
{{main|Development of Duke Nukem Forever}}


=== Announcement ===
Broussard has stated several times that the only parts of the Unreal engine that are still part of their code base are ], the networking code, and the ]. Everything else (except the current ]) has been written from scratch by 3D Realms. The principal technical reason given by Broussard for the extensive delays was the unstable tech base. Once it was stabilized, 3D Realms expanded their team considerably, from 22 to 31 members.{{Fact|date=April 2008}}
In 1996, 3D Realms released '']''. Set apart from other first-person shooter games by its adult humor and interactive world, it received acclaim and sold around 3.5 million copies.<ref name="Thompson-2009">{{Cite magazine |last=Thompson |first=Clive |date=1 December 2009 |title=Learn to let go: how success killed Duke Nukem |url=https://www.wired.com/2009/12/fail-duke-nukem/ |access-date=2022-02-26 |magazine=] |language=en-US |volume=18 |issue=1 |issn=1059-1028}}</ref> The 3D Realms co-founder ] announced the sequel, ''Duke Nukem Forever'', on April 27, 1997,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Liang |first=Lu-Hai |date=2022-08-09 |title=Duke Nukem Forever Had More Advanced Graphics Until It Launched, Modders Discover |url=https://www.thegamer.com/duke-nukem-forever-once-had-more-advanced-graphics/ |access-date=2022-08-15 |website=TheGamer |language=en-US |archive-date=August 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815203114/https://www.thegamer.com/duke-nukem-forever-once-had-more-advanced-graphics/ |url-status=live }}</ref> which he expected to be released by Christmas 1998. It was widely anticipated.<ref name="Thompson-2009" /> The 3D Realms co-founder ] said the ''Duke Nukem'' franchise would last for decades across many iterations, like '']'' or '']''.<ref name="Thompson-2009" /> Broussard and Miller funded ''Duke Nukem Forever'' using the profits from ''Duke Nukem 3D'' and other games. They gave the marketing and publishing rights to ], taking only a $400,000 advance.<ref name="Thompson-2009" /> 3D Realms also began developing a 2D version of ''Duke Nukem'' ''Forever,'' which was canceled due to the rising popularity of 3D games.<ref name="atdec27">{{cite web |author=Cunningham |first=Andrew |date=December 27, 2022 |title=Leaker posts an early, canceled 2D version of the infamous ''Duke Nukem Forever'' |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/12/leaker-posts-an-early-canceled-2d-version-of-the-infamous-duke-nukem-forever/ |accessdate=December 27, 2022 |work=] |archive-date=December 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227183119/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/12/leaker-posts-an-early-canceled-2d-version-of-the-infamous-duke-nukem-forever/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


=== Physics engine switch === === Engine changes and delays ===
Rather than create a new ], 3D Realms began development using ]'s ].<ref name="Thompson-2009" /> They demonstrated the first ''Duke Nukem Forever'' trailer at the ] convention in May 1998. Critics were impressed by its cinematic presentation and action scenes, with combat on a moving truck.<ref name="Thompson-2009" /> According to staff, Broussard became obsessed with incorporating new technology and features from competing games and could not bear for ''Duke Nukem Forever'' to be perceived as outdated.<ref name="Thompson-2009" /> Weeks after E3, he announced that 3D Realms had switched to ], a new engine with better rendering capabilities for large spaces, requiring a reboot of the project.<ref name="Thompson-2009" /> In 1999, they switched engines again, to a newer version of Unreal Engine.<ref name="Thompson-2009" />
On September 14, 2004, 3D Realms announced that they had replaced the ] physics engine with one designed by ]. Several sites have speculated that ''Duke Nukem Forever'' will be using the latest generation of this technology, which was designed for next-gen consoles.<ref>. Gameindustry.biz. September 3, 2005.</ref>
<!-- which gen is "next-gen"? -->


By 2000, ''Duke Nukem Forever'' was still far from complete. A developer who joined that year described it as a series of chaotic ], and the staff felt that Broussard had no fixed idea of what the final game would be.<ref name="Thompson-2009" /> As the success of ''Duke Nukem 3D'' meant that 3D Realms did not require external funding, they lacked deadlines or financial pressure that could have driven the project. Broussard became defiant in response to questions from fans and journalists, saying it would be released "when it's done".<ref name="Thompson-2009" /> In December 2000, the rights to publish ''Duke Nukem Forever'' were purchased by ], which hoped to release it the following year.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2000-12-06 |title=Duke Nukem Eventually |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/12/06/duke-nukem-eventually |access-date=2022-06-12 |website=] |language=en |archive-date=June 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220612110332/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/12/06/duke-nukem-eventually |url-status=live }}</ref> By 2001, ''Duke Nukem Forever'' was being cited as a high-profile case of ], and '']'' gave it the "vaporware of the year" award.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kohler |first=Chris |date=4 June 2011 |title=Duke Nukem ends 12-year reign as vaporware king |language=en-US |magazine=] |url=https://www.wired.com/2011/06/duke-nukem-vaporware/ |access-date=2022-02-27 |issn=1059-1028}}</ref>
=== Conflict with Take-Two ===
On May 20, 2003, Jeffrey Lapin, then ] of Take Two, told reporters that the game would not be out by the end of 2003.<ref>Varanini, Giancarlo. . GameSpot. May 29, 2003.</ref> In response, George Broussard commented on ], saying that "Take Two needs to ] ]."<ref>Morris, Chris. . CNN Money. June 11, 2003.</ref> Later in the year, on December 18, 2003, Jeffrey Lapin said that 3D Realms had told him that ''Duke Nukem Forever'' was expected to be finished by the end of 2004, or the beginning of 2005.<ref name="noohfive" />


At E3 2001, 3D Realms released another trailer, the first public view of ''Duke Nukem Forever'' in three years. It received a positive response, and the team was elated, feeling that they were ahead of their competitors. However, Broussard still failed to present a vision for a final product. One employee felt that Miller and Broussard were developing "with a 1995 mentality", with a team much smaller than other major games of the time. By 2003, only 18 people were working on ''Duke Nukem Forever'' full time.<ref name="Thompson-2009" /> In a 2006 presentation, Broussard told a journalist the team had "fucked up" and had restarted development.<ref name="Thompson-2009" /> By August 2006, around half the team had left, frustrated by the lack of progress.<ref name="Thompson-2009" />
On September 9, 2004, ] reported that ''Duke Nukem Forever'' had switched to the '']'' engine.<ref name="doom">Thorsen, Tor. . GameSpot. September 10, 2004.</ref> Many gaming news sites mailed George Broussard, asking him to confirm or deny the rumor. After receiving no answer from him, they published the rumor as fact, ending the article with "Attempts to contact 3D Realms for comment were unsuccessful as of press time." Later that day, George Broussard explicitly denied the rumor and explained that he was not able to answer the emails because he was working elsewhere in the building.<ref name="doom" />


According to Miller, the Canadian studio ] was willing to take over the project in 2004, but the proposal was rejected by others at 3D Realms. Miller later described this as a "fatal suicide shot".<ref name="Wilde-2022">{{Cite news |author1=Wilde |first=Tyler |date=2022-05-11 |title=Former 3D Realms owners clash over Duke Nukem Forever blame |language=en |work=PC Gamer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/former-3d-realms-owners-blame-each-other-for-losing-duke-nukem-forever/ |access-date=2022-05-12 |archive-date=May 11, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511163144/https://www.pcgamer.com/former-3d-realms-owners-blame-each-other-for-losing-duke-nukem-forever/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2007, 3D Realms hired Raphael van Lierop as the new creative director. He was impressed by the game and felt it could be finished within a year, but Broussard disagreed.<ref name="Thompson-2009" /> 3D Realms hired aggressively to expand the team to about 35 people. Brian Hook, the new creative lead, became the first employee to push back against Broussard.<ref name="Thompson-2009" />
On March 20, 2007, ] explained in an interview with YouGamers that they were still using the Unreal Engine, albeit a heavily modified version at this point.<ref name="yougamers"> </ref>


=== 2005–2007 === === Layoffs and Gearbox takeover ===
In 2009, with 3D Realms having exhausted its capital, Miller and Broussard asked Take-Two for $6 million to finish the game.<ref name="Thompson-2009" /> After no agreement was reached, Broussard and Miller laid off the team and ceased development.<ref name="Thompson-2009" /> A small team of ex-employees, which later became Triptych Games, continued development from their homes.<ref>{{cite web|last=e |title=Show 373: Another one without Major Nelson |url=http://majornelson.com/2010/10/12/show-373-another-one-without-major-nelson/ |work=Major Nelson Podcast |access-date=January 11, 2013 |date=October 12, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116171916/http://majornelson.com/2010/10/12/show-373-another-one-without-major-nelson/ |archive-date=January 16, 2013 }}</ref>
Rumors in April 2005 suggested that the game would appear at 2005 ], along with 3D Realms' previously canceled '']''. While ''Prey'' did make an appearance, the rumors of ''Duke Nukem Forever''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s appearance turned out to be false.<ref>McNamara, Tom. . ]. May 19, 2005.</ref>


In September 2010, ] announced that it had bought the ''Duke Nukem'' intellectual property from 3D Realms and would continue development of ''Duke Nukem Forever.''<ref name="GameSpot-2010">{{Cite web |date=7 September 2010 |title=Gearbox acquires ''Duke Nukem'' IP |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gearbox-acquires-duke-nukem-ip/1100-6275307/ |access-date=2022-02-26 |website=] |language=en-US |archive-date=February 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220205115531/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gearbox-acquires-duke-nukem-ip/1100-6275307/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Gearbox team included several members of the 3D Realms team, but not Broussard.<ref name="GameSpot-2010" /> On May 24, 2011, Gearbox announced that ''Duke Nukem Forever'' had "]" after 15 years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Purchese |first=Robert |date=2011-05-24 |title=''Duke Nukem Forever'' goes gold |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-05-24-duke-nukem-forever-goes-gold |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=] |language=en |archive-date=February 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227125831/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-05-24-duke-nukem-forever-goes-gold |url-status=live }}</ref> It holds the ] for the longest development for a video game, at 14 years and 44 days,<ref>{{cite web |title=Longest development period for a videogame |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-protracted-game-development |access-date=5 May 2018 |website=] |date=June 10, 2011 |archive-date=May 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180506041248/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-protracted-game-development |url-status=live }}</ref> <!--ABOUT GUINNESS: This is not the same Guinness world record as the one held by Clockwork Aquario, which was not in continuous development. As of September 2024, Guinness has not updated its record — so DNF still holds the Guinness world record, despite other games exceeding this period-->though this period was exceeded in 2022 by '']'' and in 2024 by ''Kien''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wolens |first=Joshua |date=2022-10-03 |title=''Beyond Good and Evil 2'' has broken ''Duke Nukem Forever'''s record for longest game development time |language=en |work=] |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/beyond-good-and-evil-2-has-broken-duke-nukem-forevers-record-for-longest-game-development-time/ |access-date=2022-10-04 |archive-date=October 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004183755/https://www.pcgamer.com/beyond-good-and-evil-2-has-broken-duke-nukem-forevers-record-for-longest-game-development-time/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hernandez |first=Patricia |date=2024-07-04 |title=Kien, the most-delayed video game in history, released after 22 years |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/article/2024/jul/04/kein-the-most-delayed-video-game-in-history-released-after-22-years |access-date=2024-09-09 |work=] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
In February 2006, Broussard gave an interview and updated the status on ''DNF''. He reported that everything was together and in full production, and that the guns, creatures, and everything else had been finished. Broussard said that the development team was tweaking and polishing the game and putting it all together.<ref>. January 31, 2006. 1UP.com. Retrieved August 7, 2006.</ref>


In 2022, Miller released a blog post on the Apogee website about 3D Realms' failure to complete ''Duke Nukem Forever''. He attributed it to understaffing, repeated engine changes and a lack of planning.<ref name="Wilde-2022" /> On ], Broussard responded that Miller's claims were "nonsense", described him as manipulative and narcissistic, and accused him of blaming others. He blamed Miller for the loss of 3D Realms and the ''Duke Nukem'' intellectual property.<ref name="Wilde-2022" />
In April 2006, Broussard demonstrated samples of the game, including an early level, a vehicle sequence, and a few test rooms.<ref>Carless, Simon. . Gamesutra. April 12, 2006</ref> One notable<ref>Siegler, Joe . 3D Realms. March 29, 2006.</ref> demonstration, according to the May 2006 issue<ref>Yatta . Duke4.net. March 30, 2006.</ref> of ] featured the interactive use of an ] computer to send actual e-mails.<ref>. Computer Games Magazine, May 2006.</ref>


==Marketing and release==
On March 21, 2006, 3D Realms CEO Scott Miller talked of a sequel by stating, "of course as soon as Duke is done we'll begin a new one."<ref></ref>
The ''Duke Nukem Forever'' launch trailer was released on June 2, 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zimmerman |first=Conrad |date=2011-06-02 |title=Against all odds, ''Duke Nukem Forever'' has a launch trailer |url=https://www.destructoid.com/against-all-odds-duke-nukem-forever-has-a-launch-trailer/ |access-date=2022-02-26 |website=] |language=en-CA |archive-date=February 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226154818/https://www.destructoid.com/against-all-odds-duke-nukem-forever-has-a-launch-trailer/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A playable demo was released on June 3, 2011.<ref>{{cite web |author=Chris |first=Pereira |title=Duke Nukem Forever Demo Coming on June 3 |url=http://www.1up.com/news/duke-nukem-forever-demo-coming-june-3 |publisher=1up.com |access-date=May 17, 2011 |archive-date=October 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020060141/http://www.1up.com/news/duke-nukem-forever-demo-coming-june-3 |url-status=dead }}</ref> ''Duke Nukem Forever'' was released in a special "Balls of Steel" edition, with items including a five-inch bust of Duke Nukem, a 100-page artbook, a comic, stickers and poker chips.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107714-2K-Announces-Duke-Nukem-Forever-Balls-of-Steel-Edition |title=2K Announces Duke Nukem Forever Balls of Steel Edition |author=Andy Chalk |date=February 12, 2011 |publisher=The Escapist |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110214084437/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107714-2K-Announces-Duke-Nukem-Forever-Balls-of-Steel-Edition |archive-date=February 14, 2011 }}</ref> Themes and avatars were also sold for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.2kgames.com/blog/deck-out-your-360-and-ps3-with-duke-nukem-forever-goodness |title=Deck out your 360 and PS3 with Duke Nukem Forever Goodness |author=Elizabeth Tobey |publisher=2K Games |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309012343/http://www.2kgames.com/blog/deck-out-your-360-and-ps3-with-duke-nukem-forever-goodness |archive-date=March 9, 2012 }}</ref>


2K Games launched a website titled "Boob Tube" to promote the game. On May 19, 2011, a ] was released on the website, ''Duke Nudem,'' whereby players shoot targets against a woman. If successful, her clothing is removed until she is topless.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5803009/shoot-targets-to-get-duke-nukem-girls-topless |title=Shoot Targets to Get Duke Nukem Girls Topless |publisher=Kotaku |date=May 18, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519232938/http://kotaku.com/5803009/shoot-targets-to-get-duke-nukem-girls-topless |archive-date=May 19, 2011 }}</ref> 2K released a ''Duke Nukem Forever'' ] for ], including a number of Duke Nukem's phrases.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5806336/duke-nukem-had-eggs-for-breakfast-your-mom-had-sausage |title=Duke Nukem Had Eggs For Breakfast, Your Mom Had Sausage |publisher=Kotaku |first=Brian |last=Crecente |date=May 27, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805083338/http://kotaku.com/5806336/duke-nukem-had-eggs-for-breakfast-your-mom-had-sausage |archive-date=August 5, 2011 }}</ref> ''Duke Nukem Forever'' was made available a day early on June 9 from all retailers after the ] was broken.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kotaku.com.au/2011/06/duke-nukem-forever-breaks-street-date/ |title=Duke Nukem Forever Breaks Street Date |publisher=Kotaku |date=June 9, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612112957/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2011/06/duke-nukem-forever-breaks-street-date/ |archive-date=June 12, 2011 }}</ref> It was released in Japan on March 29, 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |title=13年+α! 『デューク ニューケム フォーエバー』が3月29日に発売延期 |url=https://www.famitsu.com/news/201202/15010015.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150105224132/http://www.famitsu.com/news/201202/15010015.html |archivedate=January 5, 2015 |website=ファミ通.com}}</ref>
In June, in a filing with the ], Take-Two revealed that they had renegotiated the deal and will receive $4.25 million instead of $6 million upon the release of the game.<ref>. Quarterly report ending April 30, 2006. Retrieved August 7, 2006.</ref> The filing also revealed that Take-Two was offering a $500,000 bonus if ''DNF'' was commercially released by December 31, 2006.<ref>Thorsen, Tor. . June 9, 2006. GameSpot.</ref> However, Broussard denied the rumors that ''DNF'' would be released, saying that 3D Realms never cared for or asked for the bonus. He stated that he would "never ship a game early."<ref>Thorson, Tor. . June 13, 2006. GameSpot.</ref>


==Downloadable content==
On August 30, 2006, ] reported that several key employees had left 3D Realms.<ref>Remo, Chris. . Shacknews. August 30, 2006.</ref> They speculated that the departures would lead to further delays for ''DNF''. However, 3D Realms strongly denied these claims, stating that the employees had left over a number of months and that the game was still moving ahead.<ref>Thorson, Tor. . GameSpot. August 31, 2006.</ref>


=== 2007–2009 === ===''Duke's Big Package''===
In North America, the video game retailer ] promised exclusive in-game content for customers pre-ordering ''Duke Nukem Forever''. The exclusive content, known as "Duke's Big Package", allowed the player from the start of the game to access "Big Heads", the "Ego Boost", and custom in-game T-shirts. A code printed on the final receipt could, at the time of release, be activated over Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and Steam.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamestop.com/gs/ravecode/pdf/dukepc.pdf |title=Dukes Big Package |publisher=GameStop |date=June 14, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110626013113/http://www.gamestop.com/gs/ravecode/pdf/dukepc.pdf |archive-date=June 26, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamestop.com/gs/ravecode/ |title=Code Redemption Instructions |publisher=GameStop |date=June 14, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610064827/http://www.gamestop.com/gs/ravecode/ |archive-date=June 10, 2011 }}</ref>
]
On January 25, 2007 and May 22, 2007, George Broussard posted two ] job ads with small (200x125 ]) screenshots of Duke Nukem holding two guns and an enemy (mutated pig). Broussard later confirmed that these were real in-game screenshots.<ref>{{cite web|author=Sinclair, Brendan|url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6164892.html|title="Duke Nukem Forever resurfaces"|publisher=]|accessdate=2007-01-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Broussard, George|url=http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showthread.php?t=26857l|title=" Programmer ad"|publisher=]|accessdate=2007-05-22}}</ref>


===''Hail to the Icons Parody Pack''===
In July 2007, ] released two new, low-res screenshots, one of which appears to be a previously unseen shot of an in-game level, the other being the front shot of Duke seen in the first 2007 screen, but from a slightly different angle.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showthread.php?t=27262|title=New DNF Screenshot in Game Informer|accessdate=2007-07-14}}</ref>
''Duke Nukem Forever: Hail to the Icons Parody Pack'' contains three new game modes, and four new multiplayer maps, each with new weapons. It is available on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, and Steam. It was released on October 11, 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5848663/oh-good-the-duke-nukem-forever-dlc-is-here/ |title=Oh Good, the Duke Nukem Forever DLC is Here |author=Mike Fahey |publisher=] |date=October 11, 2011 |access-date=March 23, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323134520/http://kotaku.com/5848663/oh-good-the-duke-nukem-forever-dlc-is-here/ |archive-date=March 23, 2014 }}</ref>


===''The Doctor Who Cloned Me''===
A new video was released<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showthread.php?t=29639|title=New DNF Trailer. Official Forums|accessdate=2007-12-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/50457|title=New DNF Trailer. Shacknews|accessdate=2007-12-18}}</ref> on December 19, 2007 claimed to be made by employees of 3D Realms during their spare time to show at the annual Christmas party.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showthread.php?t=29639|title=Teaser Video Coming 3D Realms forums|accessdate=2007-12-19}}</ref> The announcement had also confirmed earlier speculation that composer ] ('']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'') had joined the team. ] made clear that the video was a ], rather than a ]. He noted that all other media related to Duke Nukem Forever was no longer relevant, including the trailer released in 2001, and that a brand-new trailer would be released in the coming months. Broussard also confirmed that the video was shot real-time from the game, with the exception of some introduction and ending shots.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showthread.php?t=29639&page=8#316|title=New DNF Trailer. Official Forums|accessdate=2007-12-19}}</ref> No such trailer has yet been released.
A new single-player campaign, ''The Doctor Who Cloned Me'', was released on December 13, 2011.<ref name="Charles Onyett-2011" /> It sees the return of Duke's nemesis from the original ''Duke Nukem'' game, Dr. Proton,<ref>{{cite web|last=Rossignol |first=Jim |title=Also: Dukem Nukem DLC On Tuesday |website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun |date=December 10, 2011 |url=http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/12/10/also-dukem-nukem-dlc-on-tuesday/ |access-date=December 14, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107054027/http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/12/10/also-dukem-nukem-dlc-on-tuesday/ |archive-date=January 7, 2012 }}</ref> and adds new weapons, enemies, bosses and multiplayer maps.<ref name="Charles Onyett-2011">{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/12/09/duke-nukem-forever-single-player-dlc-incoming |title=Duke Nukem Forever Single-Player DLC Incoming |author=Charles Onyett |publisher=] |date=December 9, 2011 |access-date=March 23, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323134433/http://www.ign.com/articles/2011/12/09/duke-nukem-forever-single-player-dlc-incoming |archive-date=March 23, 2014 }}</ref> It holds a score of 52/100 on ] for PC<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/duke-nukem-forever-the-doctor-who-cloned-me/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=Duke Nukem Forever: The Doctor Who Cloned Me PC on Metacritic |publisher=] |access-date=March 23, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008142336/http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/duke-nukem-forever-the-doctor-who-cloned-me |archive-date=October 8, 2017 }}</ref> and 58/100 for Xbox 360.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/duke-nukem-forever-the-doctor-who-cloned-me/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |title=Duke Nukem Forever: The Doctor Who Cloned Me for Xbox 360 on Metacritic |publisher=] |access-date=March 23, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203205229/http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/duke-nukem-forever-the-doctor-who-cloned-me |archive-date=December 3, 2017 }}</ref> '']'' rated it a 1.5/5,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/the-doctor-who-cloned-me/1215076p1.html |title=DNF: The Doctor Who Cloned Me Review |author=Dan Stapleton |publisher=] |date=December 18, 2011 |access-date=March 23, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323134615/http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/the-doctor-who-cloned-me/1215076p1.html |archive-date=March 23, 2014 }}</ref> ] rated it 4/10<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oxmonline.com/duke-nukem-forever-doctor-who-cloned-me-review |title=Duke Nukem Forever: The Doctor Who Cloned Me review |author=Ryan Mccaffrey |publisher=] |date=January 3, 2012 |access-date=March 23, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323121309/http://www.oxmonline.com/duke-nukem-forever-doctor-who-cloned-me-review |archive-date=March 23, 2014 }}</ref> and '']'' rated it 5/10, writing: "Duke's trying his best, but there's still too much of the past hanging around and holding him back."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-12-20-duke-nukem-forever-the-doctor-who-cloned-me-review |title=Duke Nukem Forever: The Doctor Who Cloned Me Review |author=Christian Donlan |publisher=] |date=December 20, 2011 |access-date=March 23, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323121802/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-12-20-duke-nukem-forever-the-doctor-who-cloned-me-review |archive-date=March 23, 2014 }}</ref>


==Reception==
3D Realms has made it clear there is no set release date for the game and any shops claiming to have "insider" information are lying.<ref name="wid"/>


===Critical reception===
Miller "confirmed" a 2008 release date in an email sent to the Dallas Business Journal on February 6, 2008, although this was reportedly "]", and as such, no official release date has yet been given to the public. Broussard later denounced the statement.<ref></ref> It was suggested that the developers were pushing for a late-2008 release, but it was also stated that they "would probably miss it by a few months," leading to speculation that a 2009 release date would be the most accurate presumption.<ref>{{cite web|author=Webster, Stephen C|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2008/02/04/daily17.html|title='Duke Nukem Forever' release possible in 2008, coming to home consoles|publisher=|accessdate=2008-11-29}}</ref> A small screenshot of an enemy character was displayed alongside one of Dallas Business Journal's articles on the game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.duke4.net/comment.php?comment.news.172|title=DNF Thumb Causes Sexplosion in Fans Worldwide|accessdate=2008-02-15}}</ref>
{{Video game reviews
| MC = (PC) 54/100<ref name="MCPC">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/duke-nukem-forever/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=Duke Nukem Forever for PC Reviews |publisher=] |access-date=May 19, 2022 |archive-date=June 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110618133913/http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/duke-nukem-forever |url-status=live }}</ref><br />(PS3) 51/100<ref name="MCPS3">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/duke-nukem-forever/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-3 |title=Duke Nukem Forever for PlayStation 3 Reviews |publisher=] |access-date=June 20, 2011 |archive-date=June 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617083630/http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/duke-nukem-forever |url-status=live }}</ref><br />(X360) 49/100<ref name="MCX360">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/duke-nukem-forever/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |title=Duke Nukem Forever for Xbox 360 Reviews |publisher=] |access-date=June 20, 2011 |archive-date=June 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613143021/http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/duke-nukem-forever |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 1UP = F<ref name=1up-review>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/reviews/duke-nukem-forever-review |title=Duke Nukem Forever Review for PC, 360, PS3 from 1UP.com |work=] |date=June 14, 2011 |access-date=June 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203143744/http://www.1up.com/reviews/duke-nukem-forever-review |archive-date=February 3, 2012 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref>
| Destruct = 2/10<ref name=destructoidreview>{{cite news|url=http://www.destructoid.com/review-duke-nukem-forever-203658.phtml |title=Review: ''Duke Nukem Forever'' |author=] |newspaper=] |date=13 June 2011 |access-date=13 July 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709224343/http://www.destructoid.com/review-duke-nukem-forever-203658.phtml |archive-date=July 9, 2011 }}</ref>
| Edge = 3/10<ref name="edgereview">{{cite web|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/reviews/duke-nukem-forever-review |title=Duke Nukem Forever review – Edge Magazine |publisher=Next-gen.biz |access-date=July 13, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718021108/http://www.next-gen.biz/reviews/duke-nukem-forever-review |archive-date=July 18, 2011 }}</ref>
| EuroG = 3/10<ref name="EG">{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-06-12-duke-nukem-forever-review?page=3#justposted |title=Duke Nukem Forever |publisher=] |date=June 11, 2011 |access-date=June 11, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615041244/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-06-12-duke-nukem-forever-review?page=3 |archive-date=June 15, 2011 }}</ref>
| GI = 6.75/10<ref name="gameinformerreview">{{cite web|last=Reiner |first=Andrew |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/games/duke_nukem_forever/b/ps3/archive/2011/06/14/12-years-in-the-making.aspx |title=Duke Nukem Forever review: 12 Years In The Making.. |publisher=] |date=June 14, 2011 |access-date=June 17, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110618012315/http://www.gameinformer.com/games/duke_nukem_forever/b/ps3/archive/2011/06/14/12-years-in-the-making.aspx |archive-date=June 18, 2011 }}</ref>
| GamePro = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="gamepro">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/220392/review-duke-nukem-forever-360-ps3/ |title=Duke Nukem Forever Review from |publisher=GamePro |access-date=July 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111202203722/http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/220392/review-duke-nukem-forever-360-ps3/ |archive-date=December 2, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
| GameRev = D+<ref name=GRevolutionReview/>
| GSpot = (PC) 3.5/10<ref name="GSPC">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/duke-nukem-forever/index.html?tag=topten%3Ball%3B1 |title=Duke Nukem Forever (PC) reviews at |publisher=] |date=June 14, 2011 |access-date=June 14, 2011 |archive-date=February 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215083227/http://www.gamespot.com/duke-nukem-forever/platform/pc/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br />(X360) 3/10<ref name="GSX360">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/duke-nukem-forever/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-360 |title=Duke Nukem Forever (Xbox 360) reviews at |publisher=] |date=June 14, 2011 |access-date=June 14, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613143021/http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/duke-nukem-forever |archive-date=June 13, 2011 }}</ref>
| GSpy = {{rating|2.5|5}}<ref name=GSpyReview/>
| GRadar = 6/10<ref name="gamesradarreview">{{cite web |last=Reparez |first=Mikel |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox360/duke-nukem-forever/review/duke-nukem-forever-review/a-20110613195512526064/g-20100903112053378011 |title=Duke Nukem Forever review |publisher=] |date=June 14, 2011 |access-date=June 15, 2011 |archive-date=October 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014091043/http://www.gamesradar.com/duke-nukem-forever-review/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| GT = 5.4/10<ref name=GT-review>{{cite web|url=http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-hd-duke-nukem/716476 |title=Duke Nukem Forever Review HD |work=] |date=June 16, 2011 |access-date=June 16, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110618123430/http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-hd-duke-nukem/716476 |archive-date=June 18, 2011 }}</ref>
| IGN = 5.5/10<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/117/1175639p1.html |title=Duke Nukem Forever |publisher=IGN |date=June 11, 2011 |access-date=June 11, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615005045/http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/117/1175639p1.html |archive-date=June 15, 2011 }}</ref>
| Joystiq = {{rating|2|5}}<ref name="joystiq-nelson review">{{cite web|last=Nelson |first=Randy |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/10/duke-nukem-forever-review-fail-to-the-king-baby/ |title=Duke Nukem Forever review: Fail to the King, Baby |publisher=Joystiq |date=June 10, 2011 |access-date=June 10, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613012714/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/10/duke-nukem-forever-review-fail-to-the-king-baby/ |archive-date=June 13, 2011 }}</ref>
| PALGN = 5/10<ref name="PALGN">{{cite web|url=http://palgn.com.au/19171/duke-nukem-forever-review |title=Duke Nukem Forever |website=PALGN |date=June 11, 2011 |access-date=June 11, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612062441/http://palgn.com.au/19171/duke-nukem-forever-review/ |archive-date=June 12, 2011 |df=mdy }}</ref>
| PCGUS = 80/100<ref name="PCG">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/06/10/duke-nukem-forever-review/3/ |title=Duke Nukem Forever |magazine=] |date=June 11, 2011 |access-date=June 11, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613133009/http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/06/10/duke-nukem-forever-review/3 |archive-date=June 13, 2011 }}</ref>
| XPlay = {{Rating|1|5}}<ref name=xplay>{{cite web|url=http://www.g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/43893/duke-nukem-forever/review/ |title=''Duke Nukem Forever'' Review |author=Jason D'Aprile |publisher=] |date=21 June 2011 |access-date=20 May 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102061234/http://www.g4tv.com/games/xbox-360/43893/duke-nukem-forever/review/ |archive-date=January 2, 2015 }}</ref>
}}


On the review aggregation site ], ''Duke Nukem Forever'' has a range score between 49–54/100, indicating "mixed or average reviews" on the PC and PlayStation 3 versions and "generally negative reviews" on the Xbox 360 version.<ref name="MCPC"/><ref name="MCPS3"/><ref name="MCX360"/> Criticism focused on the long loading times, clunky controls, offensive humor and dated design. The critics Elton Jones of ],''<ref name="destructoidreview" />'' ] of ''Destructoid''<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160721145013/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID_X2tYMO40 |date=July 21, 2016 }}. YouTube (2012-06-26). Retrieved on 2013-07-31.</ref> and ], creator of '']'', named it among the worst games of the year.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405032631/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/5207-Top-5-of-2011 |date=April 5, 2015 }}. Escapistmagazine.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-31.</ref>
On June 5, 2008, in-game footage of the game was featured on the premiere episode of . Filmed entirely on hand-held cameras but not originally expected to be publicly released,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shacknews.com/laryn.x?id=17125966|title=New Duke Nukem Forever Footage Released|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> the video showed host ] playing through parts of a single level<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showpost.php?p=707889&postcount=791|title=The Jace Hall DNF Footage Thread|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> on a PC at 3D Realms' offices. The footage was confirmed to have been shot 6 months prior<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showpost.php?p=708402&postcount=1180|title=The Jace Hall DNF Footage Thread|accessdate=2008-06-05}}</ref> to the episode air date and according to Broussard, contained outdated particle and combat effects that had since been replaced.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showpost.php?p=708759&postcount=1361|title=The Jace Hall DNF Footage Thread|accessdate=2008-06-06}}</ref>


Many critics disliked the level design and shooting. Kevin VanOrd of '']'' felt that the "joy" of the ''Duke Nukem 3D'' combat had been "flattened", with "little sense of impact", and found the design tedious. He called ''Duke Nukem Forever'' a "bad, boring, bargain bin kind of game".<ref name="GSPC"/> '']'' wrote that the locations lacked the "exploration and excitement that made ''Duke 3D'' such a memorable experience", and that the levels were too linear, with "huge chunks of the game are spent simply walking from one fight to another through uninspired corridors".<ref name="EG"/> '']'' felt the shooting was "simple fun", but criticized the platforming sequences, which "make up an unnecessarily large percentage of the story mode".<ref name="IGN"/> '']'' concluded that the "world-record development time has produced an ugly, buggy shooter that veers back and forth between enjoyably average and outright boring, with occasional surges of greatness along the way".<ref name="gamesradarreview"/> '']'' felt that "unexpected moments ... are really the game's biggest strengths. But they're few and far between."<ref name="gamepro" />
Another job ad update for "Level Designers or Programmers" appeared on June 20, 2008 at ] featuring a ]-sized, in-game screenshot of Duke Nukem Forever. It depicted an updated model of Duke Nukem wielding a pistol and pipebomb in his hands, posed within a daylight outdoor environment. The job ad was later carried on the 3D Realms website.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.3drealms.com/news/2008/06/help_wanted.html|title=Help Wanted!|accessdate=2008-06-23}}</ref>


Many reviewers questioned the design choices in comparison to ''Duke Nukem 3D'', with '']'' writing: "Old-school shooters, and this is definitely trying to be one of those with its basic AI and lack of cover mechanics, always had two great things going for them: speed and a ridiculous arsenal of weapons... ''Forever'' eschews this in favour of a plodding pace and two guns."<ref name="Plunkett-2011">{{cite web |last=Plunkett |first=Luke |date=June 21, 2011 |title=Duke Nukem Forever: The Kotaku Review |url=http://kotaku.com/5813461/duke-nukem-forever-the-kotaku-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623063418/http://kotaku.com/5813461/duke-nukem-forever-the-kotaku-review |archive-date=June 23, 2011 |access-date=June 21, 2011 |website=] |publisher=}}</ref> '']'' agreed: "Having been almost cryo-frozen for more than a decade, then awoken and peppered with modern touches, ''Duke Nukem Forever'' feels so out of place."<ref>{{cite web|author=Duke Nukem Forever Review |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/8949-Duke-Nukem-Forever-Review.3 |title=The Escapist : Duke Nukem Forever Review |publisher=Escapistmagazine.com |date=June 13, 2011 |access-date=July 13, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704114709/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/8949-Duke-Nukem-Forever-Review.3 |archive-date=July 4, 2011 }}</ref>
Duke Nukem Forever was also absent from 2008's ]. Prior to the event, Scott Miller, the CEO of ], described E3 as "irrelevant."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/06/3d-realms-we-vi.html
|title=Duke Nukem Forever Devs: E3 is 'Irrelevant' |author=Earnest Cavalli |publisher='']'' |date=2008-06-30 |accessdate=2008-09-18}}</ref>


Another common criticism was with the game's lack of technical sophistication, including inconsistent graphics and unacceptably long loading times, which '']'' called "unholy";<ref name=GT-review/> Eric Neigher of '']'' found the console versions took up to 40 seconds to load a level.<ref name=GSpyReview/> Neigher also criticized the game's multiplayer mode as unplayable without serious ] spikes.<ref name=GSpyReview>{{cite web|url=http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/duke-nukem-forever/1176383p1.html |title=Say it ain't so, Duke. Say it ain't so. |author=Eric Neigher |publisher=] |date=14 June 2011 |access-date=19 May 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219100035/http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/duke-nukem-forever/1176383p1.html |archive-date=December 19, 2014 }}</ref> '']'' wrote that "the myriad technical shortcomings – particularly prevalent on the console ports – only get worse the further you progress into the campaign",<ref name="edgereview"/> a view echoed by '']'': "when they started on the design, that tech was already outdated".<ref name=GRevolutionReview>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/duke-nukem-forever |title=This took 14 years? Seriously? |author=KevinS |publisher=] |date=21 June 2011 |access-date=19 May 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924174839/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/duke-nukem-forever |archive-date=September 24, 2015 }}</ref> The PC version has since been patched to greatly decrease loading times and to add two optional inventory slots.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}
Two unlockable screenshots were included with the September 24, 2008 release of ] on the ]. Located in the game's art gallery upon earning all of Duke Nukem 3D's achievements, one ''DNF'' screenshot featured a first person view of Duke reloading his pistol, while facing an Octabrain, with another in the distance, in a Dam. The other screenshot depicted a frontal close-up of Duke in a ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/54940|title=New Duke Nukem Forever Screenshots Released|accessdate=2008-09-26}}</ref>


The use of the series' trademark humor received a mixed response. In one regard, some critics such as '']'' praised the voice work of ], who did an "excellent job as always with Duke's persona",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1922/Duke-Nukem-Forever/p1 |title=''Duke Nukem Forever'' Review (Xbox 360) |author=Sparky |publisher=] |date=17 June 2011 |access-date=30 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110620180948/http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1922/Duke-Nukem-Forever/p1 |archive-date=June 20, 2011 }}</ref> while others such as ]<ref name=machinima>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-oIUnSyYMM |title=''Duke Nukem Forever'' Review |author=Rob Smith |publisher=] |date=20 June 2011 |access-date=30 May 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316103135/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-oIUnSyYMM |archive-date=March 16, 2016 }}</ref> appreciated the comedic gameplay tips and pop culture references. However, the same critic also noted that "parts of the narrative and dialogue show clear evidence of the game's elongated development. Many pop culture references refer to media in the early 2000s, with one-liners co-opted from 'guy' movies like ''Old School'', ''Highlander'', and ''Commando'', which in itself could cause blank stares from most of the current potential audience."<ref name=machinima/> The Australian website ''PALGN'' felt the game was "saved only by its humor and nostalgic value".<ref name="PALGN" />
On December 18, 2008 a wallpaper image of several Duke Nukem Forever enemies was released by 3D Realms as a Christmas present to fans.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.3drealms.com/news/2008/12/merry_christmas_from_3dr.html|title=Merry Christmas from 3D Realms|accessdate=2008-12-18}}</ref> The picture, with lighting and models all from an in-game shot,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shacknews.com/laryn.x?id=18740262#itemanchor_18740262|title=Morning Discussion|accessdate=2008-12-18}}</ref> featured six different enemy creatures including two larger boss-like characters. Interactive details were revealed at this time in a comment by George Broussard, who stated that the depicted ''armor'' is bolted on enemy characters that wear it and could be blasted off with guns.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shacknews.com/laryn.x?id=18740469#itemanchor_18740469|title=Morning Discussion|accessdate=2008-12-18}}</ref> A similar but partial image was earlier revealed as a Christmas gift wrapping in a ] update by George Broussard, taken at 3D Realms' annual Christmas party gift exchange.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://twitpic.com/sp7x|title=Couple of interesting wrappings.|accessdate=2008-12-14}}</ref>


Several critics objected to the depiction of women; '']'' described it as "creepy" and hateful.<ref name="xplay" /> '']'' wrote that the multiplayer mode "Capture the Babe", which involves ] women, "really is as painful as it sounds".<ref name="joystiq-nelson review" /> The hive level, in which Duke encounters abducted women who have been forcibly impregnated with aliens, attracted particular criticism. The level and its inclusion of disembodied "wall boobs", which the player can slap, were listed in GamesRadar's "8 worst moments in ''Duke Nukem Forever''".<ref>{{cite web |last=Reparaz |first=Mikel |date=June 21, 2011 |title=The 8 worst moments in Duke Nukem Forever |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/the-8-worst-moments-in-duke-nukem-forever/?page=2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014091142/http://www.gamesradar.com/the-8-worst-moments-in-duke-nukem-forever/?page=2 |archive-date=October 14, 2012 |access-date=September 7, 2011}}</ref> Croshaw found that the level was "as jarring a shift of tone as you can get without splicing five minutes of '']'' into the middle of '']''".<ref>{{cite web |last=Croshaw |first=Ben |date=June 22, 2011 |title=Zero Punctuation: Duke Nukem Forever (for real this time) |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/3581-Duke-Nukem-Forever-for-real-this-time |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902045751/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/3581-Duke-Nukem-Forever-for-real-this-time |archive-date=September 2, 2011 |access-date=September 6, 2011 |work=The Escapist |format=Video}}</ref> ''Destructoid'' wrote: "Duke does not come across as cool, witty or likeable in the least. He comes across as a vile, callous, thoroughly detestable psychopath ... According to Gearbox, seeing women tortured was funny enough."<ref name="destructoidreview" /> '']'' UK thought that the humor was not "so much offensive or misogynistic as just suffering from an adolescent fixation with boobs and crowbarred-in innuendo".{{Cn|date=June 2022}} The ] of the Year Wiki named ''Duke Nukem Forever'' one of the worst games of 2012.{{efn|''Duke Nukem Forever'' released in 2012 in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Surprise: Japan doesn't like Duke Nukem Forever either – Destructoid |url=https://www.destructoid.com/surprise-japan-doesnt-like-duke-nukem-forever-either/ |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=Destructoid |date=April 11, 2013 |language=en-us |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510064404/https://www.destructoid.com/surprise-japan-doesnt-like-duke-nukem-forever-either/ |url-status=live }}</ref>}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Japanese Gamers' Worst Game of 2012 Is... |url=https://kotaku.com/heres-japanese-gamers-worst-game-of-2012-472389737 |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=Kotaku |date=April 11, 2013 |language=en-us |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510064404/https://kotaku.com/heres-japanese-gamers-worst-game-of-2012-472389737 |url-status=live }}</ref>
On January 12th, 2009 George Broussard posted on his Twitter account "Game developers often say 'Cutting is shipping'. We begin this year with a vengeance and a chainsaw."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://twitter.com/georgeb3dr/status/1113846468|title=Cutting is shipping 2009 comment|accessdate=2009-01-21}}</ref> This added speculation and a strengthened impression, particularly within the 3D Realms forums, that the game would be released in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pcgametech.wordpress.com/2009/01/13/duke-nukem-forever-shipping-in-2009/|title=Duke Nukem Forever shipping in 2009?|accessdate=]-]}}</ref> On ], ], he also posted a photo of a bug list.<ref>http://twitter.com/georgeb3dr/status/1200812416</ref>


Critics cited the long development time as a factor in the finished product. In a positive review '']'' noted that "years of anticipation will spoil ''Duke Nukem Forever'' for some", adding, "There’s no reinvention of the genre here, no real attempt at grandeur... Check unrealistic expectations at the door and forget the ancient, hyperbolic promises of self-deluded developers", and concluded, "Don’t expect a miracle. Duke is still the hero we love, but struggles to keep up with modern times."<ref name="PCG" /> '']'', while disappointed in the game, concluded: "I'm glad Gearbox stepped up and finished this game, but after hearing about it for 12 years, I have no desire to relive any of it again. I’m now satisfied in my knowledge of what ''Duke Nukem Forever'' is and ready to never talk about it again. Welcome back, Duke. I hope your next game (which is teased after the credits) goes off without a hitch."<ref name="gameinformerreview"/> '']'' concluded that for those "part of that faction that finds yourself so fascinated by this whole project that you need to know how it ends, I recommend you play ''Duke Nukem Forever'' for yourself. But I'd practically insist that you do so on the PC and try to wait for a sale. If you're not willing to play a sloppy, cobbled together first-person shooter just because it has some kind of weird historical meaning, though, just forget this ever happened and move on."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.giantbomb.com/duke-nukem-forever/61-20721/reviews |title=Review: Duke Nukem Forever |date=June 14, 2011 |publisher=GiantBomb |access-date=December 12, 2011 |archive-date=December 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111219172326/http://www.giantbomb.com/duke-nukem-forever/61-20721/reviews/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Jake Denton of '']'' wrote that parts of the game were fun to play and listed it as one of the "5 most underrated games of 2011", while admitting the game's overall faulty structure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/329718/features/5-most-underrated-games-of-2011/?page=4 |title=5 most underrated games of 2011: Hidden gems from the last year... |last=Denton |first=Jake |date=December 16, 2011 |access-date=March 16, 2012 |publisher=] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225212918/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/329718/features/5-most-underrated-games-of-2011/?page=4 |archive-date=February 25, 2012 }}</ref> Joseph Milne of ''FPSguru.com'' featured the game on his list of "Top 5 underrated games" at number 4 on the list.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205050754/http://www.fpsguru.com/article/77 |date=December 5, 2013 }}. Fpsguru.com (2011-08-11). Retrieved on 2013-07-31.</ref>
=== 3D Realms possible shutdown (May 2009) ===<!-- If changing this header, please also update the Subsection Wikilink in the "Release" section of the infobox. -->
{{outdated}}
3D Realms ''DNF'' staff were released on May 6, 2009 due to lack of funding, but 3D Realms will still operate as a smaller company.<ref>http://forums.3drealms.com/vb/showthread.php?t=35716</ref><ref name="official_release">{{cite web | url = http://kotaku.com/5259942/3d-realms-were-not-closing-spent-20-million-on-duke-nukem-forever | title = 3D Realms: We're Not Closing, Spent $20 Million On Duke Nukem Forever | first = Stephen | last = Totilo | date = 2009-05-18 | accessdate = 2009-05-18 | publisher = ]}}</ref> Development on ''DNF'' halted, and its fate is unknown. Publisher Take-Two Interactive, in response, stated that they still hold the publishing rights for ''Duke Nukem Forever'', but they were not funding the game.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8037688.stm</ref>


===Sales===
On May 7 and May 8, 2009, unreleased screenshots, concept art and pictures of models from the game were posted by former employees on: http://talkinrealatyou.blogspot.com/ and http://www.squidcakes.blogspot.com/. On May 9, 2009, an unofficial Duke Nukem Forever gameplay video was leaked by a user of the Duke4.net forums. According to the user, the video was to serve as a demo reel for animator Bryan Brewer (who had been working on the game with 3D Realms), and Brewer had been waiting for approval from George Broussard, former co-owner of 3D Realms, at the time of the leak.<ref>http://www.duke4.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=814</ref>
According to research firm NPD, ''Duke Nukem Forever'' sold 376,300 units in its first month, not including digital copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/118/1182168p1.html |title=Duke Nukem Forever Sales Results |date=July 14, 2011 |work=] |access-date=September 7, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916101150/http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/118/1182168p1.html |archive-date=September 16, 2011 }}</ref> ], the parent company of ], revealed in July 2011 that the game sales were half of their initial expectations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/35674/Take_Two_Estimates_Lowered_After_Disappointing_Duke_Sales.php |title=Take Two Estimates Lowered After Disappointing Duke Sales |publisher=] |date=July 5, 2011 |access-date=July 10, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708115325/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/35674/Take_Two_Estimates_Lowered_After_Disappointing_Duke_Sales.php |archive-date=July 8, 2011 }}</ref> However, in an earnings call on August 8, 2011, Take-Two said that ''Duke Nukem Forever'' would prove profitable.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.psu.com/Duke-Nukem-profitable,-LA-Noire-ships-4-million-says-Take-Two--a012495-p0.php |title=Duke Nukem profitable, L.A. Noire ships 4 million says Take-Two |publisher=] |date=August 9, 2011 |access-date=August 10, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909013421/http://www.psu.com/Duke-Nukem-profitable%2C-LA-Noire-ships-4-million-says-Take-Two--a012495-p0.php |archive-date=September 9, 2011 }}</ref>


== Legacy ==
Since then, ] and ] journalists began speculating that the news of 3D Realms's apparent closure may actually be an elaborate viral marketing stunt.<ref>http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/695479/Is-The-Duke-Nukem-Forever-Cancellation-A-Huge-Publicity-Stunt.html</ref><ref>http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/47009/Saved-Duke-Nukem-Dot-Com</ref> However, the real status of the company and the layoffs were confirmed by 3D Realms in a statement released on May 18, 2009.<ref name="official_release"></ref>
'']'' included ''Duke Nukem Forever'' in its 2016 list of the worst games ever, calling it "an example of what happens when the hype is far greater than the quality of the game".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-05-19 |title=8 of the Worst Games of All Time |url=https://www.escapistmagazine.com/8-of-the-worst-games-of-all-time/ |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=The Escapist |language=en-US |archive-date=May 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521094005/https://www.escapistmagazine.com/8-of-the-worst-games-of-all-time/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2021, '']'' wrote that reactions had "ranged from negative to 'I guess it could have been worse,'" and that much of the failure was down to its imitation of the first-person shooter games and that it lacked "self-awareness".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-10 |title=Duke Nukem Forever proves the worst part of Duke Nukem is Duke Nukem |url=https://www.destructoid.com/duke-nukem-forever-proves-the-worst-part-of-duke-nukem/ |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=Destructoid |language=en-CA |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510064405/https://www.destructoid.com/duke-nukem-forever-proves-the-worst-part-of-duke-nukem/ |url-status=live }}</ref> '']'' attributed the negative reaction to the long development, and that the series' humor had become less acceptable.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-09-29 |title=Why Duke Nukem Didn't Reboot Successfully |url=https://screenrant.com/duke-nukem-forever-reboot-problems-bad-remake-series/ |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=ScreenRant |language=en-US |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510064404/https://screenrant.com/duke-nukem-forever-reboot-problems-bad-remake-series/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


=== Leaks ===
On 14 May, 2009, Take-Two filed a lawsuit against 3D Realms &ndash; known by its legal name in the case, Apogee Software Ltd &ndash; over their failure to complete ''Duke Nukem Forever'', citing that they paid $12 million to ] in ] to acquire the publishing rights.<ref name="Take-Two Sues Duke Nukem Forever Devs Over Failure To Deliver">"http://kotaku.com/5255220/take+two-sues-duke-nukem-forever-devs-over-failure-to-deliver". Kotaku. Retrieved May 14, 2009.</ref> 3D Realms argues, however, that they never received that money, as it was a direct agreement between Infogrames and Take-Two. <ref name="3D Realms' Miller responds to Take-Two Nukem Suit".>"http://kotaku.com/5257517/3d-realms-miller-responds-to-take+two-nukem-suit". Kotaku. Retrieved May 16, 2009.</ref> The lawsuit seems to be over a contractual breach, but not regarding the $12 million mentioned above.<ref name="lawsuit">{{cite web | url = http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/58642 | title = Take-Two Sues 3D Realms for Failing to Deliver Duke Nukem Forever (Updated) | first = Nick | last = Breckon | date = 2009-05-14 | accessdate = 2009-05-16 | publisher = ]}}</ref> Take-Two has asked for a restraining order and a preliminary injunction, to make 3D Realms keep the ''Duke Nukem Forever'' assets intact during proceedings. <ref name="lawsuit2">{{cite web | url = http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/58651 | title = Take-Two v. 3D Realms Court Documents Materialize, 3DR's Scott Miller Responds | first = Nick | last = Breckon | date = 2009-05-15 | accessdate = 2009-05-16 | publisher = ]}}</ref>
On May 9, 2022, an unfinished version of ''Duke Nukem Forever'' from 2001, including the level editor and the full source code, leaked online.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zak |first=Robert |date=2022-05-09 |title=The leaked 2001 build of Duke Nukem Forever is actually real |language=en |work=PC Gamer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-leaked-2001-build-of-duke-nukem-forever-is-actually-real/ |access-date=2022-05-10 |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510064405/https://www.pcgamer.com/the-leaked-2001-build-of-duke-nukem-forever-is-actually-real/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Broussard confirmed its authenticity on ], stating that he did not know who had leaked it and that "there is no real game to play".<ref>{{Cite tweet |last=Broussard |first=George |title=Yes, the leak looks real. No, I'm not really interested in talking about it or retreading a painful past. You should heavily temper expectations. There is no real game to play. Just a smattering of barely populated test levels. I have no knowledge who leaked this.|user=georgebsocial|number=1523602422437842944 |access-date=July 17, 2022|date=May 9, 2022}}</ref> Miller, in a post on the ] website, wrote that "anyone expecting much of a playable game will be disappointed".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Scott |date=2022-05-10 |title=The Truth About Duke Nukem Forever |url=https://www.apogeeent.com/devblog/dnf-truth |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220511053544/https://www.apogeeent.com/devblog/dnf-truth |archive-date=2022-05-11 |access-date=2022-05-11 |website=Apogee Entertainment |language=en-US}}</ref> The leak includes a version of ''Duke Nukem 3D''{{'s}} first level that ends with a sequence taken from the television series '']''.<ref name="Machkovech-2022" />


Covering the leak for '']'', Sam Machkovech found that the gunfights were "surprisingly solid", with "punchy sound design and powerful weapons", and resembled the '']'' series. He wrote that the large environments, such as casinos, were built to a realistic scale and "play out like a confused team coming to grips with brand-new engine technology, simply building out larger-than-usual levels without yet getting to the crucial stages of balancing".<ref name="Machkovech-2022">{{Cite web |last=Machkovech |first=Sam |date=2022-05-12 |title=We have played the lost Duke Nukem Forever build from 2001 |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/05/we-have-played-the-lost-duke-nukem-forever-build-from-2001/ |access-date=June 19, 2022 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us |archive-date=June 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610171459/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2022/05/we-have-played-the-lost-duke-nukem-forever-build-from-2001/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
3DRealms is not shutdown by the news sources from the inside. Company released pressrelease stating what will happen now onwards. Developers where laid off because they didn't have money to pay them since Take-Two apparently betrayed the 3DRealms. <ref>http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23681</ref>


A fan ], the ''Duke Nukem Forever Restoration Project'', aims to update the leak to a more complete state.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heaton |first=Andrew |date=2022-09-01 |title=First Trailers For Duke Nukem Forever 2001 Restoration Project Drop |url=https://gamerant.com/duke-nukem-forever-2001-restoration-project-trailer/ |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=Game Rant |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Patrick Perrault |date=June 6, 2022 |title=Duke Nukem Forever 2001 Restoration Mod Project Announced |url=https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/duke-nukem-forever-2001-restoration-mod-project-announced |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220625013822/https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/duke-nukem-forever-2001-restoration-mod-project-announced |archive-date=June 25, 2022 |accessdate=June 20, 2022 |work=TechRaptor}}</ref> The first was released in December 2022.<ref>{{cite web |author=Andrew Heaton |date=December 22, 2022 |title=Duke Nukem Forever 2001 Fan Restoration Project Is Out Now |url=https://gamerant.com/duke-nukem-forever-2001-restoration-project-release/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102192429/https://gamerant.com/duke-nukem-forever-2001-restoration-project-release/ |archive-date=January 2, 2023 |accessdate=August 25, 2023 |work=]}}</ref> A version of the canceled 2D version of ''Duke Nukem Forever'' from 1996 leaked that month.<ref name="atdec27" />
== Press coverage ==
<!-- This section should only list items in which DNF is the PRIMARY SUBJECT of the item - such as an award, or a specific page, not just a running joke or parody -->
'']'' has awarded ''Duke Nukem Forever'' its ] Awards several times. It placed second in June 2000 and topped the list in 2001 and 2002.<ref name="whenever">Kahney, Leander. . December 27, 2000. Wired News.</ref><ref>Manjoo, Farhad. . January 7, 2002. Wired News.</ref><ref name="ifever">Vaporware Team. . ''Wired News''. January 3, 2003.</ref> Wired created the Vaporware Lifetime Achievement Award exclusively for ''DNF'' and awarded it in 2003. George Broussard accepted the award, simply stating, "We're undeniably late and we know it."<ref>Vaporware Team Null. . Wired News. January 20, 2004.</ref> In 2004, the game did not make the top 10; ''Wired'' editors said that they had given ''DNF'' the Lifetime Achievement Award to get it off of the list.<ref name="neverever"> Vaporware Team. . January 7, 2005. Wired News.</ref> However, upon readers' demands, ''Wired'' changed its mind, and ''DNF'' won first place in 2005, 2006 and 2007.<ref>Kahney, Leander. . Wired News. February 6, 2006.</ref><ref>Calore, Michael. . Wired News. December 27, 2006.</ref><ref>Calore, Michael. . Wired News. December 20, 2007.</ref> In 2008, Wired staff officially considered removing DNF from their annual list, citing that "even the best jokes get old eventually", only to reconsider upon viewing the handheld camera footage of the game in The Jace Hall Show, awarding the game with first place once again.<ref>Wired Staff. . Wired News. December 29, 2008.</ref>


==Notes==
''Duke Nukem Forever'' has drawn a number of jokes related to its development timeline. The video gaming media and public in general have routinely suggested several names in place of ''Forever'', calling it "Never", "(Taking) Forever", "Whenever", "ForNever", "Neverever", and "If Ever". Many fans have noted that the game's initials also stand for ].<ref>http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=mozclient&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&q=%22Duke+Nukem+Forever%22+%22Did+Not+Finish%22</ref>
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}}


==References==
When the ] editors compiled a list of the "Top 25 Dumbest Moments in Gaming History" in June 2003, ''Duke Nukem Forever'' placed #18.<ref>. Top 25 Dumbest Moments in Gaming History. GameSpy. June 10, 2003.</ref> ] critic ] has noted that perhaps a decade of anticipation might raise the bar for the game to unreachable levels, saying, "I just hope that 3D Realms understands that if this game doesn't turn out to be history's greatest contribution to human culture and the cure for at least one type of cancer, I and every other reviewer on earth are going to saw its bollocks off."<ref>http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/26-Yahtzee-Goes-to-GDC</ref>
{{Reflist|refs=

<!-- <ref name="shack100903">{{cite web | url=http://www.shacknews.com/chatty?id=23904881#item_23904881 | title=Duke Nukem Forever Hands-on Preview (comment from George Broussard) | date=September 3, 2010 |first1=George |last1=Broussard| author-link1=George Broussard |first2=Allen H., III |last2=Blum | quote=Triptych Games which continued the game for us through all of 2009 and into 2010 with Gearbox. Triptych is made up of 9 3DR employees who refused to let the game go and we found a way through the legal maze to keep them working on the game and to keep the game alive. They have been the development force for the last year that's made the game possible. What you see coming from PAX right now is what we originally made at 3DR with polish and additional work by Triptych and assistance from Gearbox |access-date=February 11, 2011}}</ref> -->
], host of '']'', featured ''Duke Nukem Forever'' in the show's premiere episode on June 4, 2008 and described his hands-on play experience with the game as "perfect", ending the segment with "I saw it. They have been working. It's not a myth. You're going to be pleased." Hall also jokingly asked Broussard and Miller in the interview segment "with the most love anyone could possibly : what the fuck is taking so long?", to which Broussard joked, "There's of course been the hookers and the cocaine, there's been a lot of mistakes, and a lot of lessons we had to learn, and most of all there's been a lot of ]."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jacehallshow.com|title=The Jace Hall Show|accessdate=2008-06-04}}</ref> In a subsequent interview with ] on June 5, 2008, Jason Hall described the game as "amazing" with the summation, "This might be the only game in history worth waiting 12 years for, perhaps longer.... It was good."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3168117|title=Jason Hall Discusses His New Online Show|accessdate=May 7, 2009}}</ref>
<ref name="gamein100903">{{cite web|last=Cork |first=Jeff |url=http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/09/03/duke-nukem-forever-hitting-in-2011.aspx |title=Duke Nukem Forever hitting in 2011 |quote=We now know that Gearbox started working on the game year ago |publisher=Gameinformer.com |date=September 3, 2010 |access-date=February 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909104949/http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/09/03/duke-nukem-forever-hitting-in-2011.aspx |archive-date=September 9, 2010 }}</ref>

<!-- <ref name="ausgam110218">{{cite web|url=http://www.ausgamers.com/features/read/2972677 |title=Duke Nukem Forever Interview with Gearbox Software |publisher=AusGamers.com |access-date=February 18, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101021043925/http://www.ausgamers.com/features/read/2972677 |archive-date=October 21, 2010 }}</ref> -->
== Parody references ==
<ref name="dnpressrelease">{{cite web|url=http://www.dukenukem.com |title=Press Release: Duke Nukem Forever Set to Kick Ass and Chew Bubblegum |publisher=DukeNukem.com |date=January 21, 2011 |access-date=February 18, 2011 |quote=2K Games and Gearbox Software announced today what will be a landmark date in gaming history... |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070127063243/http://www.dukenukem.com/ |archive-date=January 27, 2007 }}</ref>
The game has been extensively made fun of in various media, competing videogames not being an exception. Arcade shooter '']'' made numerous references to the game: this is because ''Serious Sam: First Encounter'' and ''Second Encounter'' and ''Serious Sam II'' were all started and finished during part of the development period of ''Duke Nukem Forever''. The developers were well aware of this, making game characters in ''Serious Sam II'' talk constantly about some "blondie guy" who never arrived, which is why Sam has to save the world instead. In addition, every time the word "forever" is spoken in the game, it's fully capitalised in the subtitles.
<!--<ref name="gamesradar">{{Cite web |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/games-that-changed-dramatically-after-their-e3-demo/ |title=Games that changed dramatically after their E3 demo |last=Roberts |first=David |date=June 10, 2016 |website=] |access-date=July 13, 2017}}</ref>-->

<!--
On one of the marshland maps, there is also a secret location where Duke's skeleton can be found hanging from a dead tree, with a rocket placed in his rear and equipment for Sam to collect. When the player discovers this location, Sam exclaims that the dead hero must've been hanging there "...FOREVER."
<ref name="take2110218">{{cite web|author=TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE |url=http://classification.gov.au/www/cob/find.nsf/d853f429dd038ae1ca25759b0003557c/5aed2ea32b6af758ca2578300057efbb?OpenDocument |title=Classification Database – Duke Nukem Forever (MA 15+) |publisher=Classification.gov.au |access-date=February 18, 2011}}</ref>-->

<ref name="Eurogamer_releasedate">{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-03-24-gearbox-delays-duke-nukem-forever |title=Gearbox delays Duke Nukem Forever |author=Robert Purchese |date=March 24, 2011 |publisher=Eurogamer |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110326050205/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-03-24-gearbox-delays-duke-nukem-forever |archive-date=March 26, 2011 }}</ref>
Developer ] also maintain the website "Serious Sam Forever" with nothing but an undefined shot of the hero and a trailer movie accessible, to further parody ].<ref>http://www.serioussamforever.com/</ref>
<!--

<ref name="sysreq110503">{{cite web |url=http://www.newgamenetwork.com/news/2645/duke-nukem-forever-pc-system-requirements-posted/ |title=Duke Nukem Forever PC system requirements posted |publisher=] |date=May 3, 2011 |access-date=May 3, 2011 }}</ref>-->
The game is also referenced during the ending to ]'s ], when a character demands an obscene story be censored to avoid a game delay, asking, "You don't want this to be No More Heroes Forever, do you?"
}}

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}


==External links==
* {{Official website}}
* at ] website
* {{IMDb title|363582}}
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130202459/http://www.mobygames.com/game/duke-nukem-forever |date=January 30, 2018 }} at ]


{{Duke Nukem series}} {{Duke Nukem series}}
{{3D Realms Games}}
{{Gearbox Software}}
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Latest revision as of 18:41, 6 December 2024

2011 video game

2011 video game
Duke Nukem Forever
North American cover art
Developer(s)Gearbox Software
Publisher(s)2K
Director(s)
Producer(s)
  • Mike Wardwell
  • Geoff Gordon
  • Matthew Newman
  • Brian Hook
Writer(s)
  • Valeta Wensloff
  • Kristen Haglund
  • David Riegel
Composer(s)Eric Von Rothkirch
SeriesDuke Nukem
EngineUnreal Engine (heavily modified as "Duke Engine")
Platform(s)
Release
  • Windows, PS3, Xbox 360
    • EU/AU: June 10, 2011
    • NA: June 14, 2011
  • Mac OS X
    • WW: August 18, 2011
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Duke Nukem Forever is a 2011 first-person shooter game developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K for Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Mac OS X. It is the fourth main installment in the Duke Nukem series and the sequel to Duke Nukem 3D (1996). Players control Duke Nukem as he comes out of retirement to battle an alien invasion. Like its predecessor, Duke Nukem Forever features pop culture references, toilet humor, and adult content.

Duke Nukem Forever began development under 3D Realms and underwent a severely protracted development that lasted 14 years. Announced in 1997 following the critical and commercial success of Duke Nukem 3D, it was delayed several times, which was attributed to engine changes, understaffing, and a lack of a development plan. After 3D Realms downsized in 2009, Duke Nukem Forever was finished by Triptych Games, Gearbox Software, and Piranha Games. It holds the Guinness world record for the longest development for a video game.

Duke Nukem Forever was released on June 14, 2011, and received mostly negative reviews. Critics found the design dated, identified performance problems and found its humor misogynistic and crass. It did not meet sales expectations but was deemed profitable by Take-Two Interactive, the owner of 2K Games. An additional episode, The Doctor Who Cloned Me, was released as downloadable content later in the year. Early versions of Duke Nukem Forever were leaked in 2022.

Gameplay

Duke Nukem Forever is a first-person shooter that combines combat, exploration and puzzle-solving. The game also switches to a third-person view when in vehicle use. Players control Duke Nukem, a 1980s-style action hero, as he battles alien invaders through three main locations: Las Vegas, a highway and Hoover Dam. Some areas feature boss fights, fetch quests and driving sequences; in one sequence, Duke is shrunk to a miniature size and drives a toy car. Minigames include air hockey, whack-a-mole and pinball.

Forever is slower than previous Duke Nukem games. As in the Halo series, players can only carry two weapons at a time, and Duke's health regenerates automatically. The weapons include a shotgun, trip mines, a shrink ray (which shrinks enemies so Duke can stomp on them) and a freeze ray (which freezes enemies so Duke can shatter them). Like Duke Nukem 3D, Forever includes pop culture references, toilet humor and adult content, such as strip clubs and the ability to urinate. In the multiplayer mode, players compete in games such as deathmatch, capture the flag and king of the hill.

Plot

Twelve years after he saved the Earth from an alien invasion, Duke Nukem has become a celebrity multimillionaire. After playing a game based on Duke Nukem 3D, he arrives on the set of a talk show for an interview. On his way to the show, Duke witnesses a news broadcast announcing that aliens have returned. Unlike previous encounters, the aliens initially appear peaceful and at first, seem to pose no harm to the humans of Earth.

Duke's talk show appearance is canceled to allow television stations to cover the alien invasion, and Duke retires to the "Duke Cave", his home. There, he receives a call from the president and General Graves of the Earth Defense Force (EDF). The president orders Duke not to harm the invaders and adds that he is in diplomatic talks with the alien overlord.

When Duke is attacked by hostile aliens, Duke is forced to disobey the president's orders and fight his way through the alien hordes. While fighting through his casino, Duke witnesses the aliens abducting women, including his two pop-star girlfriends. Graves tells Duke that the women are being held in the Duke Dome and that the aliens have a vendetta to settle with Duke. He also warns Duke that the aliens are using Hoover Dam to power a wormhole so more aliens can come through. Duke travels to the Duke Dome, using a wrecking ball to damage the building to gain access. Inside, he finds swarms of Octabrains and the missing women, who have been impregnated with alien spawn. Duke's girlfriends die after bearing alien babies, infuriating Duke. Duke finds the Alien Queen in control of the Duke Dome and kills her, but is wounded in the process and blacks out.

After regaining consciousness, Duke fights Pigcops and aliens through the Duke Burger. He travels to the Hoover Dam in his monster truck. After battling through the dam, he finds his old friend Dylan, mortally wounded. Dylan tells Duke that the reborn Cycloid Emperor is at the dam and that the only way to shut down the portal is to completely destroy it. Before dying, he gives Duke his demolition charges and wishes him luck. Duke places the explosives and destroys the dam, but the currents nearly drown him.

Duke is revived by an EDF soldier and awakens to find the portal gone. The president, who was also at the dam, rages at Duke for ruining his plans to work with the Cycloid Emperor. The president was actually intending to have the aliens kill Duke so he could control the Earth with Cycloid Emperor. He has ordered a nuclear strike at the site of the dam to wipe out the remaining aliens, intending to leave Duke there to die. The Cycloid Emperor emerges and kills the president and his security detail; he intended to kill the president after the deal. Duke kills the Cycloid Emperor and is rescued by Graves as the nuclear bomb explodes. In a press conference, Duke announces his intent to run for President of the United States.

The Doctor Who Cloned Me

In the downloadable content The Doctor Who Cloned Me, Duke wakes up after the nuclear explosion and finds himself trapped in a strange laboratory while video recordings of himself declaring his bid for Presidency play on monitors. After escaping, Duke discovers that not only are the aliens continuing their invasion, but his old nemesis Dr. Proton (the antagonist of the original Duke Nukem game) has returned and is building an army of robotic Duke clones to fight the aliens and conquer Earth himself.

Duke infiltrates Proton's laboratory in Area 51 by posing as one of the clones. Eventually, Proton spots him and attacks Duke but he escapes and is reunited with Dylan (revealed as still alive). With Dylan's help, Duke locates and kills Dr. Proton. General Graves then communicates with Duke to inform him that the aliens are being bred by an Alien Empress that is nesting on the moon. After finding a teleporter leading up to the moon, Duke commandeers a moon rover and destroys the Alien Empress, saving Earth and its women once again.

Development

Main article: Development of Duke Nukem Forever

Announcement

In 1996, 3D Realms released Duke Nukem 3D. Set apart from other first-person shooter games by its adult humor and interactive world, it received acclaim and sold around 3.5 million copies. The 3D Realms co-founder George Broussard announced the sequel, Duke Nukem Forever, on April 27, 1997, which he expected to be released by Christmas 1998. It was widely anticipated. The 3D Realms co-founder Scott Miller said the Duke Nukem franchise would last for decades across many iterations, like James Bond or Mario. Broussard and Miller funded Duke Nukem Forever using the profits from Duke Nukem 3D and other games. They gave the marketing and publishing rights to GT Interactive, taking only a $400,000 advance. 3D Realms also began developing a 2D version of Duke Nukem Forever, which was canceled due to the rising popularity of 3D games.

Engine changes and delays

Rather than create a new game engine, 3D Realms began development using id Software's Quake II engine. They demonstrated the first Duke Nukem Forever trailer at the E3 convention in May 1998. Critics were impressed by its cinematic presentation and action scenes, with combat on a moving truck. According to staff, Broussard became obsessed with incorporating new technology and features from competing games and could not bear for Duke Nukem Forever to be perceived as outdated. Weeks after E3, he announced that 3D Realms had switched to Unreal Engine, a new engine with better rendering capabilities for large spaces, requiring a reboot of the project. In 1999, they switched engines again, to a newer version of Unreal Engine.

By 2000, Duke Nukem Forever was still far from complete. A developer who joined that year described it as a series of chaotic tech demos, and the staff felt that Broussard had no fixed idea of what the final game would be. As the success of Duke Nukem 3D meant that 3D Realms did not require external funding, they lacked deadlines or financial pressure that could have driven the project. Broussard became defiant in response to questions from fans and journalists, saying it would be released "when it's done". In December 2000, the rights to publish Duke Nukem Forever were purchased by Take-Two Interactive, which hoped to release it the following year. By 2001, Duke Nukem Forever was being cited as a high-profile case of vaporware, and Wired gave it the "vaporware of the year" award.

At E3 2001, 3D Realms released another trailer, the first public view of Duke Nukem Forever in three years. It received a positive response, and the team was elated, feeling that they were ahead of their competitors. However, Broussard still failed to present a vision for a final product. One employee felt that Miller and Broussard were developing "with a 1995 mentality", with a team much smaller than other major games of the time. By 2003, only 18 people were working on Duke Nukem Forever full time. In a 2006 presentation, Broussard told a journalist the team had "fucked up" and had restarted development. By August 2006, around half the team had left, frustrated by the lack of progress.

According to Miller, the Canadian studio Digital Extremes was willing to take over the project in 2004, but the proposal was rejected by others at 3D Realms. Miller later described this as a "fatal suicide shot". In 2007, 3D Realms hired Raphael van Lierop as the new creative director. He was impressed by the game and felt it could be finished within a year, but Broussard disagreed. 3D Realms hired aggressively to expand the team to about 35 people. Brian Hook, the new creative lead, became the first employee to push back against Broussard.

Layoffs and Gearbox takeover

In 2009, with 3D Realms having exhausted its capital, Miller and Broussard asked Take-Two for $6 million to finish the game. After no agreement was reached, Broussard and Miller laid off the team and ceased development. A small team of ex-employees, which later became Triptych Games, continued development from their homes.

In September 2010, Gearbox Software announced that it had bought the Duke Nukem intellectual property from 3D Realms and would continue development of Duke Nukem Forever. The Gearbox team included several members of the 3D Realms team, but not Broussard. On May 24, 2011, Gearbox announced that Duke Nukem Forever had "gone gold" after 15 years. It holds the Guinness world record for the longest development for a video game, at 14 years and 44 days, though this period was exceeded in 2022 by Beyond Good and Evil 2 and in 2024 by Kien.

In 2022, Miller released a blog post on the Apogee website about 3D Realms' failure to complete Duke Nukem Forever. He attributed it to understaffing, repeated engine changes and a lack of planning. On Twitter, Broussard responded that Miller's claims were "nonsense", described him as manipulative and narcissistic, and accused him of blaming others. He blamed Miller for the loss of 3D Realms and the Duke Nukem intellectual property.

Marketing and release

The Duke Nukem Forever launch trailer was released on June 2, 2011. A playable demo was released on June 3, 2011. Duke Nukem Forever was released in a special "Balls of Steel" edition, with items including a five-inch bust of Duke Nukem, a 100-page artbook, a comic, stickers and poker chips. Themes and avatars were also sold for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

2K Games launched a website titled "Boob Tube" to promote the game. On May 19, 2011, a Flash game was released on the website, Duke Nudem, whereby players shoot targets against a woman. If successful, her clothing is removed until she is topless. 2K released a Duke Nukem Forever soundboard for iOS, including a number of Duke Nukem's phrases. Duke Nukem Forever was made available a day early on June 9 from all retailers after the street date was broken. It was released in Japan on March 29, 2012.

Downloadable content

Duke's Big Package

In North America, the video game retailer GameStop promised exclusive in-game content for customers pre-ordering Duke Nukem Forever. The exclusive content, known as "Duke's Big Package", allowed the player from the start of the game to access "Big Heads", the "Ego Boost", and custom in-game T-shirts. A code printed on the final receipt could, at the time of release, be activated over Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and Steam.

Hail to the Icons Parody Pack

Duke Nukem Forever: Hail to the Icons Parody Pack contains three new game modes, and four new multiplayer maps, each with new weapons. It is available on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, and Steam. It was released on October 11, 2011.

The Doctor Who Cloned Me

A new single-player campaign, The Doctor Who Cloned Me, was released on December 13, 2011. It sees the return of Duke's nemesis from the original Duke Nukem game, Dr. Proton, and adds new weapons, enemies, bosses and multiplayer maps. It holds a score of 52/100 on Metacritic for PC and 58/100 for Xbox 360. GameSpy rated it a 1.5/5, OXM rated it 4/10 and Eurogamer rated it 5/10, writing: "Duke's trying his best, but there's still too much of the past hanging around and holding him back."

Reception

Critical reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic(PC) 54/100
(PS3) 51/100
(X360) 49/100
Review scores
PublicationScore
1Up.comF
Destructoid2/10
Edge3/10
Eurogamer3/10
Game Informer6.75/10
GamePro
GameRevolutionD+
GameSpot(PC) 3.5/10
(X360) 3/10
GameSpy
GamesRadar+6/10
GameTrailers5.4/10
IGN5.5/10
Joystiq
PALGN5/10
PC Gamer (US)80/100
X-Play

On the review aggregation site Metacritic, Duke Nukem Forever has a range score between 49–54/100, indicating "mixed or average reviews" on the PC and PlayStation 3 versions and "generally negative reviews" on the Xbox 360 version. Criticism focused on the long loading times, clunky controls, offensive humor and dated design. The critics Elton Jones of Complex, James Stephanie Sterling of Destructoid and Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw, creator of Zero Punctuation, named it among the worst games of the year.

Many critics disliked the level design and shooting. Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot felt that the "joy" of the Duke Nukem 3D combat had been "flattened", with "little sense of impact", and found the design tedious. He called Duke Nukem Forever a "bad, boring, bargain bin kind of game". Eurogamer wrote that the locations lacked the "exploration and excitement that made Duke 3D such a memorable experience", and that the levels were too linear, with "huge chunks of the game are spent simply walking from one fight to another through uninspired corridors". IGN felt the shooting was "simple fun", but criticized the platforming sequences, which "make up an unnecessarily large percentage of the story mode". GamesRadar concluded that the "world-record development time has produced an ugly, buggy shooter that veers back and forth between enjoyably average and outright boring, with occasional surges of greatness along the way". GamePro felt that "unexpected moments ... are really the game's biggest strengths. But they're few and far between."

Many reviewers questioned the design choices in comparison to Duke Nukem 3D, with Kotaku writing: "Old-school shooters, and this is definitely trying to be one of those with its basic AI and lack of cover mechanics, always had two great things going for them: speed and a ridiculous arsenal of weapons... Forever eschews this in favour of a plodding pace and two guns." The Escapist agreed: "Having been almost cryo-frozen for more than a decade, then awoken and peppered with modern touches, Duke Nukem Forever feels so out of place."

Another common criticism was with the game's lack of technical sophistication, including inconsistent graphics and unacceptably long loading times, which GameTrailers called "unholy"; Eric Neigher of GameSpy found the console versions took up to 40 seconds to load a level. Neigher also criticized the game's multiplayer mode as unplayable without serious lag spikes. Edge wrote that "the myriad technical shortcomings – particularly prevalent on the console ports – only get worse the further you progress into the campaign", a view echoed by Game Revolution: "when they started on the design, that tech was already outdated". The PC version has since been patched to greatly decrease loading times and to add two optional inventory slots.

The use of the series' trademark humor received a mixed response. In one regard, some critics such as Team Xbox praised the voice work of Jon St. John, who did an "excellent job as always with Duke's persona", while others such as Machinima.com appreciated the comedic gameplay tips and pop culture references. However, the same critic also noted that "parts of the narrative and dialogue show clear evidence of the game's elongated development. Many pop culture references refer to media in the early 2000s, with one-liners co-opted from 'guy' movies like Old School, Highlander, and Commando, which in itself could cause blank stares from most of the current potential audience." The Australian website PALGN felt the game was "saved only by its humor and nostalgic value".

Several critics objected to the depiction of women; X-Play described it as "creepy" and hateful. Joystiq wrote that the multiplayer mode "Capture the Babe", which involves spanking women, "really is as painful as it sounds". The hive level, in which Duke encounters abducted women who have been forcibly impregnated with aliens, attracted particular criticism. The level and its inclusion of disembodied "wall boobs", which the player can slap, were listed in GamesRadar's "8 worst moments in Duke Nukem Forever". Croshaw found that the level was "as jarring a shift of tone as you can get without splicing five minutes of The Human Centipede into the middle of Mallrats". Destructoid wrote: "Duke does not come across as cool, witty or likeable in the least. He comes across as a vile, callous, thoroughly detestable psychopath ... According to Gearbox, seeing women tortured was funny enough." Official Xbox Magazine UK thought that the humor was not "so much offensive or misogynistic as just suffering from an adolescent fixation with boobs and crowbarred-in innuendo". The Kusoge of the Year Wiki named Duke Nukem Forever one of the worst games of 2012.

Critics cited the long development time as a factor in the finished product. In a positive review PC Gamer noted that "years of anticipation will spoil Duke Nukem Forever for some", adding, "There’s no reinvention of the genre here, no real attempt at grandeur... Check unrealistic expectations at the door and forget the ancient, hyperbolic promises of self-deluded developers", and concluded, "Don’t expect a miracle. Duke is still the hero we love, but struggles to keep up with modern times." Game Informer, while disappointed in the game, concluded: "I'm glad Gearbox stepped up and finished this game, but after hearing about it for 12 years, I have no desire to relive any of it again. I’m now satisfied in my knowledge of what Duke Nukem Forever is and ready to never talk about it again. Welcome back, Duke. I hope your next game (which is teased after the credits) goes off without a hitch." Giant Bomb concluded that for those "part of that faction that finds yourself so fascinated by this whole project that you need to know how it ends, I recommend you play Duke Nukem Forever for yourself. But I'd practically insist that you do so on the PC and try to wait for a sale. If you're not willing to play a sloppy, cobbled together first-person shooter just because it has some kind of weird historical meaning, though, just forget this ever happened and move on." Jake Denton of Computer and Video Games wrote that parts of the game were fun to play and listed it as one of the "5 most underrated games of 2011", while admitting the game's overall faulty structure. Joseph Milne of FPSguru.com featured the game on his list of "Top 5 underrated games" at number 4 on the list.

Sales

According to research firm NPD, Duke Nukem Forever sold 376,300 units in its first month, not including digital copies. Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of 2K Games, revealed in July 2011 that the game sales were half of their initial expectations. However, in an earnings call on August 8, 2011, Take-Two said that Duke Nukem Forever would prove profitable.

Legacy

The Escapist included Duke Nukem Forever in its 2016 list of the worst games ever, calling it "an example of what happens when the hype is far greater than the quality of the game". In 2021, Destructoid wrote that reactions had "ranged from negative to 'I guess it could have been worse,'" and that much of the failure was down to its imitation of the first-person shooter games and that it lacked "self-awareness". Screen Rant attributed the negative reaction to the long development, and that the series' humor had become less acceptable.

Leaks

On May 9, 2022, an unfinished version of Duke Nukem Forever from 2001, including the level editor and the full source code, leaked online. Broussard confirmed its authenticity on Twitter, stating that he did not know who had leaked it and that "there is no real game to play". Miller, in a post on the Apogee website, wrote that "anyone expecting much of a playable game will be disappointed". The leak includes a version of Duke Nukem 3D's first level that ends with a sequence taken from the television series Twin Peaks.

Covering the leak for Ars Technica, Sam Machkovech found that the gunfights were "surprisingly solid", with "punchy sound design and powerful weapons", and resembled the Soldier of Fortune series. He wrote that the large environments, such as casinos, were built to a realistic scale and "play out like a confused team coming to grips with brand-new engine technology, simply building out larger-than-usual levels without yet getting to the crucial stages of balancing".

A fan mod, the Duke Nukem Forever Restoration Project, aims to update the leak to a more complete state. The first was released in December 2022. A version of the canceled 2D version of Duke Nukem Forever from 1996 leaked that month.

Notes

  1. Additional development by 3D Realms, Piranha Games and Triptych Games
  2. Published to Mac by Aspyr
  3. Duke Nukem Forever released in 2012 in Japan.

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