Gearbox CEO, Randy Pitchford, has revealed information on a possible new Duke Nukem title. Speaking at Develop: Brighton, Pitchford discussed the future of the series, stating “I did not acquire the franchise merely so we could all experience Duke Nukem Forever. That was the toll to pay to give Duke a chance. That said, I liked that game,” he said. “I got to see it from a slightly different perspective and it was marvelous to me.
Pitchford went on to discuss the realities of making a new game and possible partnerships, stating, “We’ve done some concept development [for a new game] and I think the challenges are there. Gearbox is very busy. I think the faster way is that a correct developer can become interested and we can work with them. I think it’s a challenging problem. But, I’ll tell you one thing. When it does happen, there’s no doubt that the whole industry will turn its head and look.
“Getting attention is one of the hardest things to do. In fact, that’s probably the biggest challenge that [Duke Nukem] Forever had. For 10 years, these guys promised that it was going to be the greatest game ever right? It was legendary in its vapourware status. So it has this particular pole of attention that makes it probably three or four times more famous than Borderlands as a franchise. Not necessarily from a gamer’s [perspective] that are really clued in to what’s going on in game development in the industry, but certainly among the greater whole community.”
Duke Nukem Forever was released in 2011, and if you have any knowledge of the game, you will remember how much of a let down it was. The game received mostly mediocre to awful reviews, and after Gearbox’s latest licensed disaster with Aliens: Colonial Marines, it’s maybe not the best time to re-introduce Duke back into the gaming industry. If anything, maybe loaning the licence to someone more capable would be a better idea, an example being Flying Wild Hog (Shadow Warrior 2013).
Are you a fan of Duke Nukem? Let us know what you think about the possibility of a sequel in the comments.
