SEATTLE — 2K Games and developer Gearbox made a surprise reveal at the PAX PRIME 2010 in Seattle when they showed the game for the first time. PAX Prime 2010, also known as the Penny Arcade Expo, is an annual public show centered around video games. Many of the top video game companies are on hand to show off their latest products, some for the first time like Duke Nukem Forever. Duke Nukem Forever’s reveal quickly became the biggest story at PAX because of its long history of false starts and its surprise appearance and announcement at PAX that caught even the game media by surprise.
The game has had a “coming soon” status almost forever as delays and developer problems have plagued the project since the sequel was first announced in 1997 as a follow on to the wildly successful Duke Nukem 3D game. The original studio, 3D Realms, went bankrupt in 2009 and at PAX, it was revealed that Borderlands’ developer Gearbox had been brought in to resurrect the project and deliver the game that the public got to finally try out at PAX.
Duke Nukem’s previous false starts had been a running joke in the games industry and its appearance at PAX was a complete surprise, so much so that most attendees thought it was a joke. The line at the 2K Games and Gearbox booth went around the booth and them some as show goers waited more than an hour to check out the much anticipated game. Behind closed doors, guarded by multiple security guards, Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox Software, gave an enthusiastic introduction of the game and showed off the new trailer for the game. Gamers were then let into a room where they could try out Duke Nukem Forever hands on for the first time.
“It’s been a long time coming but it’s finally here. We’re showing it. We’re making it playable,” said Brian Martel, EVP and Chief Creative Officer of Gearbox Software.”We just surprised everybody because whenever you mention Duke Nukem, it’s been a long storied history. We didn’t want it to be a joke.”
Duke Nukem is known for its over the top lead character and hero, a misogynistic, man’s man who throws off one liners as he kills his enemies. With lots of nudity, swearing and comic banter, the first game became a fan favorite with a massive cult following in the 1990s. Almost a decade and a half later, its successor is finally almost here. Duke Nukem Forever is slated to ship sometime in 2011 for the Xbox 360, PS3 Playstation and Windows PCs.
Check out our exclusive interview with Gearbox Chief Creative Officer Brain Martel below as he talks candidly about Duke Nukem Forever at PAX PRIME 2010:
Gearbox, the studio behind the development of Duke Nukem Forever, has announced plans to release a demo of the long-awaited video game.
