3D Realms: 2K had another Duke game

By Robert Purchese Published 23 June, 2009

Made by well-known dev for mid-2010.

Apogee Software (parent of 3D Realms) has revealed that Take-Two (under label 2K Games) was working on a separate Duke Nukem game called Duke Begins.

The project was to be finished by mid-2010 and worked on by a "well-known developer", according to paperwork on Voodoo Extreme, but work was suspended in April 2009.

Take-Two, 3D Realms alleges, did this to restrict the developer's income. With no money from game sales, 3D Realms would be unable to pay back the USD 2.5m advance from October 2007, when the Duke Begins agreement was penned. This, 3D Realms explains, would allow Take-Two to swoop in and acquire the Duke Nukem rights at a fraction of their worth.

The paperwork goes on to reveal that over USD 20m of 3D Realms' money was poured into the development of Duke Nukem Forever, which ground to a halt in May. Halo 3 only cost USD 30m, says VE - and that was funded by the publisher.

3D Realms claims development of Duke Nukem Forever is ongoing, despite all but the top brass being laid-off on 6th May.

Take-Two reckons this is because 3D Realms has an offshore bank account with "substantial funds" in - an allegation 3D Realms' Scott Miller dismissed as "knee-deep in BS".

Take-Two is suing 3D Realms for USD 12m for not completing Duke Nukem Forever. A full trial is expected within a year from now.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (17) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Gnort #1 3 years ago

    Is the Duke Nukem IP really worth going to all that trouble for?

  • the_dudefather #2 3 years ago

    'heheh, what a mess'

  • tubaros #3 3 years ago

    I agree - it would be nice to see the game though, but there are far more deserving games out there that should be getting the exposure..

  • neorapsta #4 3 years ago

    Well it goes two ways, they can get it and then make money for themselves by knocking out crappy duke titles, or they can just do an X-Com and just sit on the IP so that nobody else can. The games industry is pretty much schoolyard politics.

  • kangarootoo #5 3 years ago

    Perhaps Take Two invested a SECOND Duke Nukem game so that eventually at some point in the next hundred years they would be able to release a Duke Nukem game.... just a thought.

  • anomagnus #6 3 years ago

    Its pretty hard to take 3D realms at face value

    So many years work, and they produced nothing.

    Even if all their bs on both sides were true, everyone involved is guilty of the most unbelievable incompetence.

  • kestral #7 3 years ago

    Loving the shop.to DNF game preorder humor too.
    Edited by 1 at 23/06/09 @ 09:53

  • Markusdragon #8 3 years ago

    3DR, you went bankrupt because you spent over a decade not making your flagship title and ran out of money; deal with it!
    Take 2; you lost your money because you were silly enough to sign on to publish a long-running industry joke; deal with it!
    Edited by 1 at 23/06/09 @ 10:10

  • the_dudefather #9 3 years ago

    @antialias64x

    The duke knight?

  • Triggerhappytel #10 3 years ago

    "The paperwork goes on to reveal that over USD 20m of 3D Realms' money was poured into the development of Duke Nukem Forever, which ground to a halt in May. Halo 3 only cost USD 30m, says VE - and that was funded by the publisher."

    That's because Microsoft owned Bungie and the licence, whereas T2 did not own 3D or Duke Nukem.

    Anyway, I agree that this has gone on far too long, and no-one really cares any more. Just bin the franchise, accept the loss and move on. Even if it did ever come out, DNF has been such an industry joke that it would never make its money back now.

  • space_ace #11 3 years ago

    hehe, and you thought dnf news would end :) no, they are forever

  • Tomo #12 3 years ago

    Still... a... glimmer...

  • Eldritch #13 3 years ago

    Could the "well-known dev" please join in on the fun and start spilling the beans?

  • davisorle #14 3 years ago

    Sab but truth, after all this desperate crap shown and proved to us with the whole new DN title even the ppl that are feeling hate for all the delay and bs thrown to them will most likely end up going to buy it and will hit high score in sales unless total crap as a game one way or the other ( probably including me ). oO Im just done bothering. Last time i check article about them unless its actual material of the tittle or something..

  • Fat_Pigeon #15 3 years ago

    I smell a conspiracy theory could this be the greatest marketing campaign the world has ever seen lawsuits = sales FACT

  • Freek #16 3 years ago

    The most interesting thing isn't the lawsuit, it's this: "3D Realms claims development of Duke Nukem Forever is ongoing".
    Almost all the staff has been fired, publisher stopped funding the project and yet even despite all that, they still claim the game is being made.
    It'll never end!

  • SimonM7 #17 3 years ago

    This soap needs a theme song. :)