For those still holding your breath for DNF, ye of great faith, it looks like the game might still see the light of day. It turns out that 3D Realms was simply trying too hard to beat some really impressive games. It might seem a tad bit strange at first, given that Duke 3D relied more on a sense of humor than anything technically impressive. However, times have changed and look at the incredible changes the whole genre has undergone since then. Games like Half-Life, Prey, CS, Battlefield 1942, Call of Duty, and the list just goes on and on. Even games that have impressive graphics but basic game play, such as Doom 3, don't always get good reviews these days.
"It would be rash of YouGamers to miss a great opportunity to ask Scott some questions about Duke Nukem Forever - perhaps the most famous game that's not available...yet! The first thought we had though was 'why?' It's been nearly 5 years since the last Duke game on a PC was released and although it was critically accepted, it was perhaps not the Duke game many fans were expecting; is it not a case that Duke's time is now long gone?
Scott: First, we fully admit we're screwed up the development of DNF, and it's now an industry joke. I laugh (and cry) when I think about it, too. Our fault is that we set the bar too high, and we tried too hard to make the game to beat all games. In the last 18 months we've taken a much more realistic look at the project, we've hired a truckload of experienced help, and I personally believe we are now on the right track...finally.
As for the question of Duke's lasting appeal, I believe strongly that it doesn't matter at all. DNF will succeed or fail not because of the Duke brand, but solely based on whether the game is great, or not. The original Duke Nukem 3D didn't have a large fan following, and yet it succeeded. DNF will have to stand on its own just the same."
If and when DNF ever does see the light of day, John Romero will probably be happy that nobody can cite his long-delayed Daikatana as the longest delayed first person shooter.
