Duke Nukem Forever may have gotten some of the worst reviews for a major game released so far in 2011 but that won't stop further games based on the first person shooter franchise from being made. In a Forbes.com interview, Take Two Interactive's CEO Strauss Zelnick stated, " ... you will see future Duke IP coming from this company." Take Two is publishing Duke Nukem Forever via its 2K Games brand.
While the Forbes.com interviewer didn't seem to know this, the trademarks to Duke Nukem Forever and indeed the entire Duke Nukem franchise are now owned by Gearbox Software. Duke Nukem's previous owners were 3D Realms who developed most of the previously released PC games in the series and were the main developers of Duke Nukem Forever since it started 15 years ago. In 2009, thanks in part to a dispute with Take Two Interactive, 3D Realms laid off most of their internal development team. Gearbox Software then came in and secured the rights to finish development of the game and bought the rights to the Duke Nukem franchise from 3D Realms for an undisclosed amount
In another part of the same interview, Zelnick is asked if he was concerned about the adult content and humor in Duke Nukem Forever. He replied that as a company, Take Two takes game ratings and marketing guidelines seriously. However he added, "That said, when we put something out I stand behind it, and will not compromise. When you put all those things all together it’s difficult to be critical of the company. Because here in America, thank God, we have the ability to do what we want. What is there left to be said? I’m sorry if you don’t like it. Don’t consume it."
In related news, the demo for Duke Nukem Forever, previously released for people who pre-ordered the full game, is now available for anyone to download. It's now available for PC owners via Steam and also available for Xbox 360 owners as well.
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