Duke Nukem’s not dead — yet.
Gearbox Software, home of the popular Borderlands action-RPG/first-person shooter franchise, is working on concepts for a follow-up to 2011’s Duke Nukem Forever. The studio bought the rights to the Duke Nukem franchise back in 2010 and then released Duke Nukem Forever — after 15 years of troubled development — to poor critical reception.
Speaking at the Develop conference in Brighton, U.K., Gearbox president Randy Pitchford said the studio is looking for a partner to help develop a new Duke Nukem, reports Eurogamer. It’s an interesting move given the disaster that was Aliens: Colonial Marines — a game that Gearbox worked on with the now-shuttered TimeGate Studios.
“I did not acquire the franchise merely so people could experience Duke Nukem Forever,” said Pitchford. “That was, sort of, the toll to pay to give Duke Nukem a chance at a future.
“So yes. In fact, we’ve done some concept development. The challenge is that Gearbox is very busy. A faster way would be if the correct developer would become interested, and we’d work with them.”
Pitchford thinks there’s still demand for the series despite the underwhelming response to Duke Nukem Forever.
“I think that’s it’s a challenging problem,” he said, “but there’s no doubt that, when it does happen, the entire industry will turn its head. Getting attention in this industry is one of the hardest things to do.”