Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2010/09/03/duke_nukem_forever/

It's alive! Duke Nukem Forever breaks out of vapour trail

Balls of steel, baby, balls of steel!

By Drew Cullen

Posted in Personal Tech, 3rd September 2010 21:46 GMT

Duke Nukem Forever is the video games world's equivalent of the flying car: mothballed in the garage.

Twelve years in the making, this infamous slice of vapourware is set to for release in 2011. Really.

Take-Two Interactive, the publisher, even issued a press release today announcing its impending release so it must be true. And attendees at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle this weekend can get to play with a finished, but "unpolished" version.

What will they see?

Pig cops, alien shrink rays and enormous alien bosses won't stop our hero from accomplishing his one and only goal: to save the world, save the babes and to be a bad-ass while doing it. The King of All Shooters is back with over-the-top weapons, massive aliens and unprecedented levels of interactivity. This game puts pedal to the metal and tongue firmly in cheek, among other places. Shoot hoops, lift weights, read adult magazines, draw crude messages on whiteboards or ogle one of the many beautiful women that populate Duke's life; that is if you can pull yourself away long enough from kicking ass and taking names. Duke Nukem was and will forever be immortalized in gaming history, and this is his legend.

Duke Nukem in foreground of night club. Two pole dancers in background

Last year, 3D Realms, the studio responsible for making this first person shooter fly, went bust after spending 10 years on the project. Gearbox took over and has licked Duke Nukem Forever into shape on PS3, XBox 360 and Window PC formats.

Gearbox is rather pleased with how it's doing. Say studio boss Randy Pitchford: "I am thrilled to be in a position with the trust, power and means to make it happen. Am I crazy? Balls of steel, baby, balls of steel!"