PAX 2010: Gearbox Displays Their Brass Balls for All to See

I was the only one to attend the Gearbox panel yesterday and I'm glad I did. While many are sure to assume that I went because they think I am excited about Duke Nukem, I actually wanted to attend in hopes of hearing any news regarding Borderlands 2 and their seemingly non-existent project, Aliens: Colonial Marines. Luckily, they mentioned Aliens and confirmed their devotion to the Borderlands property without openly discussing a sequel yet. But the real surprise of the panel came in the form of this:

Dallas, TX - September 5th, 2010 - Gearbox Software announced today that it has acquired the full intellectual property rights of the 'Duke Nukem' brand including Duke Nukem Forever and all future projects in a cooperative deal made with 3D Realms. Gearbox Software is an award-winning video game developer known for the creation of original mega-hit franchises, including Borderlands and Brothers in Arms, which have each earned critical acclaim and have been bought by millions of people worldwide.

Yes folks, not only is Gearbox taking the reigns on this hopelessly stubborn title (Duke Nukem Forever), they have in fact BOUGHT the IP. Gearbox has now taken full creative control over the Duke Nukem Brand.  Taking a chance like this on a brand that is barely relevant anymore is a bold move for Gearbox for a number of reasons but I think it definitely has some major implications about the future of the series:

• There was talk about 3D Realms shopping this project around to other studios and being turned down by the likes of Id software.  While this could have been for any number of reasons, it certainly implies that the current state of the project was below Id's quality standards.  For many who played the game on the show floor, including myself and colleagues, the game was underwhelming (to say the least) and in need of some major work.  However, Gearbox seems like the perfect fit for an IP like Duke.  Having attended the Gearbox panel two years in a row and seeing the massive personalities at work at this studio, I feel they are the IDEAL studio to update Duke and make him relevant again.

• With that said, I DON'T think Duke Nukem Forever will be that game.

• If you look at a game like Borderlands or watch the hilarious studio documentaries, it easy to see that the team has a fantastic and modern sense of humor.  While Duke has obviously not changed much in the past decade, it is time for the style of humor to be tweaked and modernized a bit.  While it may be far too late for a title like Duke Nukem Forever to be saved, the thought of completely Gearbox developed Duke Nukem game makes me giddy.

• Even if Duke Nukem Forever bombs financially, I doubt that the risk for Gearbox will be substantial given the limited involvement they will ultimately have with the project.

• In a conversation we were having last night, Joseph brought up a very interesting idea.  What if Gearbox bought the IP in order to take complete creative control and give this game  a massive visual and mechanic overhaul prior to release?  While I find this to be unlikely because of Randy Pitchford's insistence that this game is 3D Realms baby, it is certainly an interesting idea.

Despite how you may or may not feel about Duke Nukem Forever, Gearbox has once again whipped it out and presented their massive balls for all to see.  This is an incredibly risky decision for a game development studio to take but I wish them the best of luck with this endeavor.  With the success of Borderlands, they certainly have the credibility but I am worried that we won't witness the true outcome of this decision for several years to come.