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The Tragic Story of the Ironically Named 'Duke Nukem Forever'

by Terrence O'Brien on December 24, 2009 at 09:01 AM

Wired Reveals The Tragedy Behind 'Duke Nukem Forever'You might have missed the collapse of gaming company 3D Realms this past May. In fact, you may be sitting there, scratching your head, going, "3D who?" And we can't blame you. In the years since it released the landmark 'Duke Nukem 3D,' the company has been best known for failing to release the follow-up 'Duke Nukem Forever.'

'Duke Nukem Forever' has landed itself on Wired's annual Vaporware anti-list almost every year since 2000. In 2003, the magazine even bestowed upon it a lifetime achievement award for continually failing to ship. But 2008 will be the game's last appearance on the list, as the company behind its continuous development, reboot, and redevelopment cycle finally closed up shop. As a companion piece to its annual Vaporware list, Wired has published a lengthy exposé of the story behind the the greatest game that never was.

Wired gets the inside scoop on 3D Realms co-owner George Broussard -- whose wild ambition, destructive self-reliance, and obsession with being on the cutting edge ultimately doomed what project leader Brian Hook called "a fractured and demoralized project that lacked direction, milestones, or cohesion." Broussard was not completely oblivious, however. As he told journalist Tom Chick in 2006, "We f****d up... Basically, we threw everything out and started again."

It's a fascinating, tragic story, and one which you should definitely click through (here!) and read. And if you've forgotten what all the hype is about, you can still download the shareware version for the PC, or drop $0.99 to get it on the iPhone. Hail to the king, baby! [From: Wired]

Tags: 3D Realms, 3dRealms, Duke Nukem, Duke Nukem 3D, Duke Nukem Forever, DukeNukem, DukeNukem3d, DukeNukemForever, first person shooter, FirstPersonShooter, fps, gaming, george broussard, GeorgeBroussard, top

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