Gamepro: 3D Realms website suddenly ironic following studio's closure
Why did 3D Realms close? Well, there are a few theories...
To some fans, 3D Realms' closure yesterday came as a surprise. After spending nearly 13 years planning and producing Duke Nukem Forever, the full-3D follow-up to 1996's seminal shooter Duke Nukem 3D, 3D Realms abruptly shut down.
The reason behind 3D Realms' closure isn't entirely clear, but it ultimately came down to funding. With the economy in tatters and investor capital scarce, 3D Realms simply ran out of cash to pay its employees. But why did 3D Realms really close down? Why did the studio and its quixotic co-founders George Broussard and Scott Miller spend 12 years creating endless revisions of a game that now may never be released?
One look at the 3D Realms website offers some compelling arguments. Certain passages -- most written some ten years ago -- take on a darkly ironic context in light of Duke Nukem Forever's epic dev cycle and 3D Realms' recent closure.