So it’s over for 3D Realms. The BBC is reporting that the company has shut down, and Joe Siegler has confirmed it on the 3D forums.
According to the report, lack of funding caused the closure. Take-Two has the publishing rights for the game, but did no funding. I suppose 3DR had problems finding money to finish a product they’d been working on for twelve years.
The forums are still up at the moment, although it’s not possible to reach the 3DR website itself. Also, there are reports that some of the developers are calling themselves “former emplyees” on their websites.
No doubt more information will be forthcoming. Naturally, what most want to know is: who actually owns the Duke Nukem IP, and will some other studio finish it up? For that matter, is the game even worth putting out after all this time?
There is a list somewhere I remember seeing that listed many of the things that have happened since DNF was announced. 50+ Mario games have came out in the same time frame. I have to think that it was poor management that caused their downfall, not to be able to get a finished product out the door in nearly 15 years.
Now it’s the ultimate vaporware.
The list was on this page, partway down:
http://duke.a-13.net/
Well, Scorpia, that’s what happens when you make Duke Nukem (wait) Forever.
“50+ Mario games have came out in the same time frame.”
What more comment on the state of the gaming industry does one need than this? Fifty Mario games. Shakes head, goes to yell at kids on his lawn…
Verbose, “state of the gaming industry does one need than this?”
How about these news BITES:
As Empire Interactive closes its doors, Deal Or No Deal publisher Zoo Games has picked up the rights to Empire’s catalog of video games, including FlatOut and Big Mutha Truckers.
THQ CEO Brian Farrell says he’s seeing a little bit of “softness” in the current Wii market due to its sustained price point — but that it’s the PS3 who should more urgently reduce prices later this year. [1]
Reports of a 75 percent headcount reduction at Microsoft-owned in-game ad firm Massive are “wildly inaccurate,” says a representative, who pegs the actual reduction at 28 percent. [1]
What do you think, Scorpia?
I heard once that creative people need boundaries and I think that applies here.
Seems when you are trying to create something within a constraint (time, money, man power, etc.) you tend to solve any problems through other more creative means rather than spraying them down with a money hose. Hollywood could learn a few lessons from this too.
I don’t know what the scope of DNF was to take such a long time but I think that they could have made a very decent sequel a couple of years after the original and by this time the series could have run itself into the ground.
This is why I like those “create a game in seven days” things. It forces you to be focused and agile and get the basics down. I think DNF died from lack of focus which was caused by lack of boundaries so the development went everywhere and got nowhere.
last I had heard of DN or a DN game was back in 1992 or early 93. You mean the comapny was still in business.
well i guess that was an incorrect phrase to use since they were putting anything out. like going to work and getting paid just to hang out and play around with video game/gaming.
gosh where i sign up for a 12 year gig like that? coyette got openings like that?
Seems like the Scorion’s Lair is now vacant. Does anyone want to move in it now that Scoria got rid of her bats?
Maybe 3D Realms should have added something like the following to DNF:
The Six Most Bizarre Game Mods
6. Basic Instinct (The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion)
A very simple mod: adds a spell you can cast on any female, she will then get naked and find a bed, then pleasure herself. Enjoy
5. Bill Cosby Smoker Sound Pack (Left 4 Dead)
4. Mario Kart Map (Team Fortress 2)
3. Obscenely Difficult Hacked Levels (Super Mario Bros.)
2. Macho Man Randy Savage Horde Sound Pack (Left 4 Dead)
1. Cat Life (Half-Life)
This is Half-Life, but played from the point of view of a cat. I… I don’t even know what else to say. That premise is a better joke than I can write. I reluctantly cede victory to you, Cat-Life designer. According to the rules of Internet comedy, everything I own is now yours. Please take care of my dogs.
Scorpia, this is what happen since DNF was announced:
Black Isle was formed, released seven titles and was shut down.
Wizards of the Coast has printed six Core Sets, 30 Expansion Sets of Magic: The Gathering. If someone bought one of every single card printed since DNF was announced, they would have a collection of approximately 101,742 cards.
While DNF has been in production, Blizzard Entertainment, another studio famous for delays, has released four full games(Starcraft, Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, and World of Warcraft), with expansions for all of them.
Bioware released Neverwinter Nights with two expansions, Star Wars: Nights of the Old Republic, and Jade Empire. All games are deep, lengthy RPGs that demand multiple playthroughs.
All three Star Wars prequels.
The entire Lord of the Rings trilogy, with extended editions.
Every Pixar movie aside from Toy Story.
Three (possibly four) James Bond films.
Every movie, animation, and video game from The Matrix series.
Every Marvel comics movie released.
Each predictable twist ending of every movie by M. Night Shyamalan.
In the same vein, the DVD format was finalzed and the DVD forum agreed on the HD-DVD format.
(Note: the one for Marvel Comics is not quite true. There was a series of TV Marvel Comics movies back in the ’70s dealing with Spider-Man and its short TV series, Hulk and its TV series, Captain America, and Dr. Strange.)
Come to think of it, there was another group of Marvel films that were released to the theaters back around 1990 that delt with characters like the Punisher, Howard the Duck, and the Fantastic Four. Although the earlier FF movie was made and completed, it was never released to the public. And this early Punisher movie was bad. Just like this Howard the Duck movie.
I am currently in a 12+ year gig on a project. Of course, most of us are volunteers and the game engine has changed a few times. But we will be entering open beta one of these… ¦Þ
Dolnor, not quite the same as being on a professional project ;) But hey, I bet it keeps you out of the pool halls!
former DNF employee to new employeer task leader:
fDNF, “you want this when?”
“no no that will never, do.”
“come back in say a decade, and I’ll have a draft outline of the project ready to review.”
For those who are interested, some of the art for DNF (or DNN) is now up on the net. The Art Director and concept artist started blogs with some of the pics. They are also looking for work.
Isaac (art director) Tramell’s site:
Talkin’ Real At Ya’
Layne (condept artist) Johnson’s site:
Squidcakes
Well, Scorpia, I hate to tell Srs. Tramell and Johnson, but the outlook of finding a job in the gaming industry is rather bleek right now.
8450 game industry professionals — 75% from North America — have lost their jobs since July 2008, says analyst Wanda Meloni, who finds a silver lining in what she calls the “Gaming Renaissance Movement.”
Yeah Presto, I saw that. It’s gonna be tough for those guys and a lot of others.
By the way, Shacknew reports that Take Two has the rights to the Duke Nukem title. What, if anything, they’ll do with it remains to be seen.
3D Realms Says Goodbye
Scorpia, another reason why Srs. T and J will have problems with job hunting is the inability to complete a game.
If you were an employer and you ask them what was the last game they worked, and they replied DNF. What would you think?
DNF was a game worked on for 12 years and NEVER released. I wouldn’t have too much faith in these two to their jobs.
I have to disagree Presto. From the looks of their portfolios on the links Scorpia posted they are talented artists. I worked for a company once that was bought out and closed up shop. There were a lot of talented people there that were able to find other jobs. The fate of their previous company was no more a fault of theirs than it was for Tramell and Johnson with 3D Realms. It doesn’t matter how much talent you have, inept management and lack of focus can kill any project.
By that token, should none of the people working at Chrysler’s assembly line be able to get jobs working a similar position at Toyota? They had no effect on the high level decisions that management made to create the situation that Chrysler is in.