Duke Nukem Forever to ship May 3
More than a decade late, Duke Nukem Forever will finally make its way to North America on May 3; it will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
Nearly 14 years since it was first announced, Duke Nukem Forever finally has a ship date that--at least most hope--2K Games will stick to.
The publisher announced today that its long-awaited title will be landing in North America on May 3. It will hit store shelves internationally on May 6. The game will be available on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
Duke Nukem Forever players will control the brash character as he attempts to save the world against "pig cops, alien shrink rays, and enormous alien bosses." Following in its tradition, Duke Nukem Forever will be aimed at adult audiences. According to 2K Games, the title will allow users to "read adult magazines [and] draw crude messages on whiteboards," among many other exploits. As one might expect, the game has a Mature rating.
The very fact that Duke Nukem Forever is even coming to store shelves anytime soon is something that many thought would never happen.
The title was first announced in April 1997 as a followup to the popular Duke Nukem 3D. The game was initially supposed to be released in 1998. However, that year, the game was delayed after its developer, 3D Realms, decided to switch from the Quake II game engine to the Unreal engine.
As the 1990s came to a close and a new millennium started without the release of Duke Nukem Forever in sight, many believed the title would never launch. However, every so often over the past 10 years, gamers heard some updates about the title, giving fans hope and critics even more opportunity to pan the game for its unprecedented delays.
Finally, last year, 2K Games announced that Duke Nukem Forever would be launching. The company said that Gearbox Software was developing the title, taking over from 3D Realms.
Now that a release date has been announced, the Duke Nukem Forever saga is seemingly coming to a close. And not even the game's developer can believe it.
"When I said goodbye to 3D Realms and the original Duke Nukem 3D team in 1997 and soon after founded Gearbox Software, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that a day like today would come," Gearbox Software President Randy Pitchford said in a statement. "Today I am proud, humbled and even astounded to announce that the day is coming at last for all gamers to be a part of video game history: Duke Nukem Forever will launch worldwide this May."
It's about time.