Take-Two Sues 3D Realms Over Duke Nukem Fail

By Marcus Yam
published

T2 sues 3D Realms.

Disappointed in the closing of 3D Realms, potentially signaling Duke Nukem Never?

So is Take-Two Interactive, and perhaps more disappointed than anyone else after paying $12 million for the publishing rights to see nothing.

Take-Two is now taking its discontent to court and has sued Apogee Software Ltd.’s 3D Realms.

“Apogee continually delayed the completion date for the Duke Nukem Forever,” Take-Two said in the complaint, according to Bloomberg. “Apogee repeatedly assured Take-Two and the video-gaming community that it was diligently working toward competing development of the PC Version of the Duke Nukem Forever.”

The future of Duke Nukem Forever is still uncertain. “Leaks” of assets and gameplay videos show that there is some sort of product floating around amidst the 12 year development, but who knows if we’ll ever see it.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
40 Comments Comment from the forums
  • reasonablevoice
    "Who knows if we'll ever see it" Wow. Just wow. At this point, do we still need to repeat the line that has been tied to this game since I was in HS? Will we ever see it? No. Even if someone else picks up the rights, it wouldn't be the same game we've been mocking for 12 years. Duke Nukem forever is dead.
    Reply
  • Mitrovarr
    Probably what Take-Two is going for here is ownership of whatever game content was already created as well as possession of the name and previous IP, since 3d Realms obviously has no money left to pay out a lawsuit. Presumably they'd hand it over to another developer so that it might actually be created someday or perhaps simply sell it if they're taken too big a loss on this already to invest more.
    Reply
  • Tindytim
    “Apogee continually delayed the completion date for the Duke Nukem Forever,” Take-Two said in the complaint, according to Bloomberg. “Apogee repeatedly assured Take-Two and the video-gaming community that it was diligently working toward competing development of the PC Version of the Duke Nukem Forever.”

    Take-Two must have some real clever lawyers. I mean, use what they've been saying for many years before Take-Two gave them money, as an argument as to way they've taken a relatively shorter period of time to do what they've be supposedly doing for over a decade.
    Reply
  • norbs
    the fact that it was called duke nukem FOREVER tipped me off a while ago.
    Reply
  • vladtepes
    Hey Valve!! nice opportunity here!! If I had the money.......
    Reply
  • mrubermonkey
    The game has been one big joke perpetrated by 3D Realms on the gaming community. The joke itself is in the name of the game obviously with "Forever" in the title. In fact, I believe it has been a form of mockery. This should turn into a class action lawsuit by the entire gaming community on 3D Realms or whoever owns it. Consider how much time people have wasted checking the 3D Realms website in anticipation of that game, which was promised to the community but never made. How do you remedy something like that even through the legal system? This would be a different case had they continued work on the title and eventually made good on their promise, but sometimes "When it's done" just is not good enough.
    Reply
  • jkflipflop98
    Valve could do the game justice. However, we would have to wait an additional 12 years for it to come out.
    Reply
  • randomizer
    jkflipflop98Valve could do the game justice. However, we would have to wait an additional 12 years for it to come out.And then another 5 years for the SDK... if they even decide to make one.
    Reply
  • IronRyan21
    I hope Take-Two is not suing for money, LOL , didnt 3d realms go under for lack of moola?
    Reply
  • apache_lives
    I JUST WANT THE FRIGGIN GAME!
    Reply