Duke Nukem Forever delayed until June

Life

Fans of the Duke Nukem franchise have been told they will have to wait a little longer for their hero to return.

The Internet failed to reel with surprise at the news that the eternally in-development Duke Nukem Forever has been delayed again. This time, it absolutely positively definitely will be coming out on June 14, with international versions releasing a few days earlier on 10 June Probably.

It’s the video here, though, that has led some people to question whether or not Gearbox might have been planning this all along. Gamer Randy Pitchford’s exuberance at the fact Duke is finally seeing a release followed by his disappointment and frustration at the sudden postponing of the release date is very amusing, sure. But it also mirrors the feelings that gamers have been having for many years now. Excitement at the release of a new screenshot, gameplay movie or details, followed by the now-inevitable and familiar crushing disappointment at yet another delay. It’s plausible to suggest that Gearbox is capitalizing on these feelings with a video that essentially says “yes, we know how you feel, and we feel it too.”

Reaction to the video has been mostly positive across social media this morning, with many appreciating Gearbox’s honest dealing with the situation in good humor. But given that many critics are questioning Duke’s relevance to gaming in 2011, another delay for the game has proven to be both unsurprising and a relative non-issue for many people. Gamasutra’s Leigh Alexander, for example, quipped on Twitter this morning that she “would really like to meet the people who are for reals super-excited about Duke Nukem,” and that she “cannot believe anyone cares” – a sentiment echoed by many others who posted responses.

But there is still a market, of course, otherwise the game would have been canned outright long ago. Whether it’s fans of Duke the character, fans of FPS titles, those who are nostalgic for the ‘good old days’ of gaming or people who are just curious to see exactly whether a game that has been some 15 years in development will actually be any good – the game will likely sell, if only as a relic of what happens when ‘development hell’ spirals out of control to a spectacular degree.

Watch out for Duke Nukem Forever on 14 June, 2011. Maybe.

Read More: Gamer