Gearbox Might Outsource a New Duke Nukem Game

Randy Pitchford, the present of Gearbox Software has revealed his plans to outsource a brand new Duke Nukem title. The studio became the rights holder in 2010 and released Duke Nukem Forever after 15 years in development. Unfortunately, the final product was extremely generic and far too linear. While it was playable, fans of the series were expecting a lot more and something which resembled the game’s classical roots.

During a Q&A session at Develop conference in Brighton, Pitchford publicly revealed his thoughts on the series’ future direction:

“I certainly hope so. I didn’t acquire the franchise merely to make sure that we all experience Duke Nukem Forever.”

“We’ve done some concept development, and I think the challenge is, Gearbox is very busy. I think a faster way would be if the correct developer could become interested and we can work with them.

“I think it’s a challenging problem, but I’ll tell you one thing – when it does happen, there’s no doubt that the entire industry will turn its head and look.

“Getting attention is one of the hardest things to do. In fact, that’s probably the biggest challenge that Forever had. For 10 years, those guys promised it was going to be the greatest game ever made. It was legendary in its vapourware status.”

Alan Blum, who I worked with when I joined 3D realms back in the Duke Nukem 3D era is one of the greatest designers I’ve ever known – and I’ve worked at a lot of brilliant designers, both at Gearbox and a lot of incredible studios. He worked on that game for 15 years and some of his stuff was genius.

Pitchford declared his fondness for Duke Nukem Forever but also acknowledged this could have been down to a skewed, insider perception. I personally know quite a few people who enjoy it as a shooter, but not as a piece of Duke Nukem history. Gearbox outsourcing the next game seems like a sensible strategic move and ensures it doesn’t become rushed due to a lack of time. I’m fairly confident there are a number of experienced, reputable developers who would relish bringing this iconic franchise back to life.

What are you favourite memories of the Duke Nukem series?

Thank you Digitalspy for providing us with this information.