Gather ’round, children, for the story of Duke Nukem Forever, and how video games have changed and matured over the last decade and a half or so.
Back in early days of computer gaming, when everything came on floppy disks approximately the size of a small dinner plate, a company named Apogee Software created a game named Duke Nukem, a sidescrolling shooter that became a runaway hit. Duke appeared in a number of episodes and became one of Apogees’s biggest franchises.
Several years later, Apogee’s successor, 3D Realms, created Duke Nukem 3D, which still stands as one of the most revolutionary titles of the era. The titular character, Duke Nukem, was a steroid infused, misogynistic, catchphrase spouting, completely inappropriate caricature of the “space marine” archetype that continues in gaming to this day. More importantly though, from a technical perspective Duke Nukem 3D is seed from which most of the features gamers consider standard in modern first person shooters sprung. The level design, story, and especially Duke’s ability to interact with his environment have all been hallmarks of that genre of video games ever since.
In 1997, 3D Realms announced Duke Nukem Forever, the sequel to Duke Nukem 3D.
Duke Nukem Forever promised to reshape the gaming landscape. When the initial teasers were shown at the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) that year, Duke Nukem Forever was so far ahead of the competition in every conceivable way that the game was almost assured of being a smash hit and profoundly changing the world of video games yet again.
When pressed for a release date, 3D Realms representatives responded with the now legendary reply, “When it’s done.” Unfortunately for 3D Realms, “When it’s done.” would turn out to be 14 years and one studio bankruptcy later.
In the video game industry, most studios are not able to absorb the development costs of a top tier title. 3D Realms was flush with cash following Duke Nukem 3D, and was in the enviable position not needing funding to make Duke Nukem Forever. What resulted was a 14 year odyssey that ultimately bankrupted the studio, and resulted in the franchise being taken over by Gearbox, a company founded by ex-3D Realms developers, who had long since jumped ship and managed to release a fairly large quantity of games in the same amount of time that 3D Realms hadn’t even managed to finish one.
In video game parlance, the term “vaporware” is used to describe software or hardware that is discussed or shown off, but is never put in the hands of consumers. Duke Nukem Forever appeared or topped Wired.com’s annual Vaporware Of The Year list an untouchable 12 times. It’s the equivalent to winning 80 games in an NBA season, going 19-0 in the NFL, or winning 120 games in Major League Baseball. It just doesn’t happen. Its status was so legendary, that Wired even gave Duke Nukem Forever the first and only Vaporware Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. Despite the best efforts of the editorial staff, it continued appearing on the list in one form or another all the way through 2010’s list, the last before it’s eventual release several weeks ago.
When it was finally released, 14 years after it’s first announcement, Duke Nukem Forever had so many things working against it it was almost a guaranteed failure. The world, not just in terms of video games, but society at large, had changed drastically since Duke’s last go-around in 1997. Duke, frankly, was a dinosaur in the Ice Age; a relic of a bygone era, unable to adapt.
I’ve played Duke Nukem Forever, and I was less than impressed. Sure, you can take a piss, slap around some boobs on a wall, and punch an alien in the junk, but there’s no real character development or coherent storyline. The graphics are middling at best and the physics and AI are only so-so.
In the years since Duke Nukem Forever’s first introduction in 1997, gaming has changed. Players expect some combination of coherent storyline, well developed main character, stunning graphics, accurate physics, and good AI, and Duke just doesn’t have any of those. When compared against modern top tier franchises like Mass Effect, Assassin’s Creed, Gears of War, Halo, Crysis, etc. Duke Nukem Forever looks dated and shallow.
In the interim between Duke’s inception in 1997 and it’s release in 2011, we’ve seen a profound transition of the video games industry from adolescence to adulthood. Duke’s brand of humor doesn’t really fly with an audience that’s becoming older and more mature. It’s not just kids, teenagers, and college kids anymore. Actual adults, with real jobs and real responsibilities, play these games, and demand more for their hard earned entertainment dollars. Duke just doesn’t provide that.
My sincere hope is that Gearbox,who now own the rights to Duke Nukem, reboots the franchise for the modern era. I think a great plot for a sequel would be that Duke gets frozen, aliens take over Earth because Duke is frozen, everyone hates Duke because he didn’t stop them, Duke gets unfrozen, and has to both redeem himself in the eyes of the public who hold him responsible for the invasion while defeating the aliens. Oh yeah, and there will be strippers.
