In what can only be called a clash between a pot and a kettle, Scott Miller, head of alleged Duke Nukem Forever developer 3D Realms, has said E3 is ‘irrelevant.'”
In an email to Next-Gen, Miller once again insisted that progress is being made on Duke Nukem Forever, saying, “Development is swimming along nicely. Seriously nicely.” Despite that, Miller made it quite clear the game wouldn’t be making an appearance at E3 this year, saying, “It’s just that we view E3 as irrelevant nowadays. In fact, I wasn’t even aware it was coming up.”
E3 is currently struggling to answer questions of its relevance from numerous quarters following its shift from a gaming extravaganza to a small, press-only event in 2007. The show was criticized by both gamers and journalists as a result, and attention moved from E3 to other, more consumer-friendly events such as the Penny Arcade Expo. The ESA, responsible for the show, has since seen several of its members leave the organization, and while nobody has said so officially, rumors persist that dissatisfaction with the direction of E3 is at least one of the factors behind questions over the leadership of current ESA President Michael Gallagher.
Miller may very well have a point, but the nuclear-tipped irony of his statement is impossible to ignore. Since announcing the game in April 1997, 3D Realms has released intermittent Duke Nukem Forever promotional materials over the years but otherwise has little to show for its efforts. The promised game has been anticipated and derided in equal measure, and become synonymous with ridiculously excessive development times and vaporware. Whether the game will ever actually be released, much less live up to the expectations created by a decade-plus development cycle, is anyone’s guess.
