Duke Nukem Forever looked like it was dead and buried, taking an estimated $20m of development money with it, but we should have guessed the Duke wouldn’t go down without a fight. Developer 3D Realms has struck out against the recent Take-Two lawsuit, calling it a “bully tactic”, and has promised to defend itself and the rights to the Duke Nukem franchise.
For over a decade, Duke Nukem Forever has become something of a running joke in the games industry, due to the extremely protracted development cycle. It all came to a head a fortnight ago when 3D Realms reportedly closed its doors. A week later, publisher Take-Two filed a lawsuit against 3D Realms, claiming breach of contract and seeking to reclaim $12m, which it invested back in 2000.
Now there’s a new twist in the tale: 3D Realms has released a statement casting doubt on that $12m figure, stating that it was “not a party to that transaction”. Instead, it says, it has invested $20m of its own money in the development of Duke Nukem Forever, and that Take-Two’s funding amounts to a single payment made in July last year, “at which time [Take-Two] paid $2.5m in connection with another agreement for an unannounced game.”
3D Realms eventually got into financial difficulties and was faced with the prospect of closing up shop due to a lack of funding. Its statement goes on to say that the GTA publisher offered a “last minute deal”, but it was forced to refuse that offer as it contained “no upfront money, no guarantee minimum payment, and no guarantee to complete the DNF game.”
Looks like the opposing parties are preparing to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And they’re all out of gum.
(via Shacknews)
