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Gearbox co-founder Brian Martel recently talked to Eurogamer to both defend, and distance the company from Duke Nukem Forever. A game that though did fairly well commercially, was panned by critics from all sides.
Martel plays a delicate balancing act in both stating that reviewers were ultra harsh on DNF, but also tried to convey that not only was Gearbox just trying to adhere to the vision of 3D Realms, but...it was not even a Gearbox game at all!
"We wish the reviews were a little less caustic. We're not quite sure where some of the anger came from." he stated "There were things towards the high and things towards the low, but the middle just didn't get any traction. It's pretty obvious that people were using it in some ways to kind of use it as a soapbox or whatever."
I would say that perhaps Martel misses the point that 'caustic' reviews were only responses to what reviewers found to be an overly-caustic game. But in the same interview he seems to get it, while at the same time letting everyone know that it really wasn't Gearbox's fault.
"It is a caustic game in some ways, so maybe in some of that respect it could've been softened," he added. "But it's [3D Realms'] vision and people should understand that in a world where we embrace the creator's vision for something, we let that go. We let that be what it was supposed to be. And that is the team's vision.
"Is it a Gearbox game? No. When and if another Duke comes out it's going to be more consistent with what I think people would expect out of a Gearbox product. But this is the vision that 3D Realms had and that's awesome. It's just great that the world gets to see it."
So as you can see, it isn't even a Gearbox game! And if Gearbox had anything to do with it then it surely wouldn't have come out the way that it did.
But though I think that perhaps Gearbox learned a few lessons from the ordeal, perhaps even getting a better understanding of what satire should be, I almost would be happier if they would simply own up to the mistake, take full credit for the project work they released, and tell us that it would be better going from here on out. I think we can be sure that we haven't heard the last from Duke Nukem, and if Gearbox can take the reigns on the project, lessons learned, it still probably isn't too late for Duke to make that still-expected triumphant return.
You can read our review of Duke Nukem Forever here.
Comments
13 years ago
Aw, I was going to write a mock review from my "soapbox" thanking him for bestowing such a game on us based on some hilarious quotes in that article, like the ones you mention and:
"We've had this internal debate...would Half-Life today be reviewed as highly as it is, you know, even today? As a new IP coming out with the same sort of mechanics Half-Life had.
I think we all have a nostalgia and love for that particular brand. Obviously Gearbox got its start working on Opposing Force so we love Half-Life. But is the current gamer, would they have the same love for that? It'd be interesting. I think the same kind of thing happened with Duke."
"Gearbox made sure the world got to see what they made and I think everybody should really be thankful that it existed to some degree at all. Because it really would've just gone away."
Ridiculous stuff.
13 years ago
Ohh gearbox, why did you accept this project...
13 years ago
Well in a sense he's not wrong. I don't think Gearbox can take full credit at all, if they had revamped the whole game not according to what 3D Realms did they would have been chastised for that instead.
It was still mostly 3D Realms' project, Gearbox just did some things while Piranha made the multiplayer component I believe. Was DNF anywhere near the 14 year or so hype? No. Was it the worst game ever? No.
I am sure when Gearbox releases their own Duke game it will be more to everyone's tastes, and as Joseph said it can be Duke's real triumphant return.
13 years ago
Soap box is right, many many reviews I read were more about comparing it to the world rather than the merits of the game itself. Duke Nukem vs the World. But then I'm sure the scores would be lower if it was heh.
Kinda figured they wanted to toss out DNF to put it's name back in the market to follow up their own Gearbox made Duke Nukem, and wouldn't be surprised if he gets added to Borderlands 2 as DLC.
Now I just gotta see if Half Life 3 Forever will take as long as DNF...
13 years ago
That is kind of a dick move by Gearbox, they should stand by their games.
13 years ago
I'm really liking this new trend where game companies get off on being arrogant.
13 years ago
I don't see how he's being arrogant. When Gearbox got the game to start working on it, as they said it was already done. What they really had to do was port it to the console because a console port was flat out not being worked on at that point. They really pushed it out just so that Duke Nukem Forever could have finally come out, if they are gonna work on any other Duke Nukems they had to do it. Gearbox didn't really do anything wrong
13 years ago
3D Realms was constipated and took a decade long dump, Gearbox polished it a little and 2K Games served it on platter for us all to taste.
At the end of the day, did anyone really expect shit to be easy to swallow?
13 years ago
I find it very hard to believe he genuinely doesn't know why DNF got such "caustic" reviews.
Even a Triple A quality game would've had a few mumbling that it still wasn't worth a 15 year wait. When it was more like an F-grade, no wonder.
13 years ago
I think Gearbox should distance itself from Duke Nukem, forever.
13 years ago
i was very happy with the results of duke nuke forever. not the game, i dint play that shit. but a company i liked made a fair bit of cash from it without actualy doing much. good developers getting money is always good.
13 years ago
I'm glad Gearbox finished it and for the most part I agree with him. The main designs and pacing and everything were in well before Gearbox ever laid a hand on the game. All they did was finish what was designed and release it for 3D Realms. In that sense the backlash towards Gearbox is not deserved.
Perhaps the easiest way to distance themselves is to fully disclose what was and wasn't in place when they got it and go over everything they added or fixed to get it out. Hopefully something like that would show that the majority of the garbage was grandfathered in from 3D Realms