In the memory of 3D Realms
Reading today's news about 3D Realms shutting down was like a strike of lightning into our hearts. We're losing one of the most notable developers in PC gaming history. But 3D Realms won't fade away, thanks to the great games that have given us so much pleasure in the past and will absolutely entertain a new generation of gamers. We asked a few GOG.com team members to share their feelings about the 3D Realms closure and about the company's games.
Tom "Vandal" Ohle: "It's not often that a news story takes me completely by surprise... but the unfortunate closure of 3D Realms was one of those situations. It seemed like a really bad, late April Fools' joke. With 3DR's demise, we've lost one of PC gaming's most cherished developers.
Sure, it would be easy to toss in some sort of joke about Duke Nukem Forever here, but I'd rather we focus on something positive... the core reason why DNF didn't get released. Ultimately, 3D Realms didn't want to release a game that didn't meet gamers' increasingly rising expectations. The development timeline got out of hand, but it seems that it was 3DR's unwavering desire to make gamers happy that caused its downfall.
I still remember playing Duke Nukem 3D in my early teens -- sure it was a mature game, but I've still turned out alright... It was an awesome experience, maybe the first real FPS I ever played, and was one of the first games that really got me to think about video games as a potential career.
Developing and producing games like Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior, Max Payne and Prey, 3D Realms created a legacy of great action titles that will live on long after the company itself. We're glad to be able to play some small
part in keeping that legacy alive, but I sure as hell would love to play DNF
at some point.
I wish everyone at 3D Realms all the best in the future."
Oleg "W0rma" Klapovsky: "I've got only good memories about 3DR. They opened a world of FPS for me. Duke Nukem 3D was the first FPS I was playing via modem with my friends. Great expirience! I was waiting for the DNF for all these years and it is a pity that now it seems like Duke Nukem 3D be the last masterpiece from 3DR I`ll be playing on my PC. "
Lukasz "Cook" Kukawski: "The announcement about closing down 3D Realms is not a present I was hoping for on my birthday. It is a great loss for every PC gamer, not only those who remember the golden years of the company when Duke Nukem was ruling the action genre as the King.
Duke Nukem 3D was the first FPS games I really enjoyed. Great gameplay combined with the humor and those pixeled babes ruled at that time. I remember the LAN parties with Duke 3D on had to end because of my parents yelling it's already 4 in the morning and I have to go to school in 3 hours. Those were the times...
Despite we'll never play Duke Nukem Forever, and I would love to play that, the people who delivered us, gamers, such gems like Duke Nukem 3D and Max Payne really deserve a place among the best developers in PC gaming history. Hail to the King. We will miss you."
Piotr "Firek" Sadzinski: "When I got an e-mail about this on my GOG mailbox I was all like "Wait, what? Where did that come from?". One day I'm happy we're re-releasing a part of 3DRealms' legacy, and a couple months later someone tells me they've gotta close up shop? Not cool...
I confess I haven't played all of their titles, but each one I had played was a true masterpiece in my eyes. The never-before-seen interactivity of Duke Nukem 3D blew my mind and I think that, if it hadn't been for Duke raising the bar so high, current games would be a lot more boring. Then Shadow Warrior arrived on my hard drive and gave me vehicles I could actually operate in an FPS game - things a modern FPS game pretty much MUST HAVE. Not to mention characters which actually had more personality than a box art image.
Even though modern games already have pretty much everything from breaking stuff to driving grav tanks, I'm sure Duke Nukem Forever would make them all seem plain, raising the bar once again, as should be expected from 3D Realms. Despite this sad news I still hope this day will eventually come."
Adam "Skreczi" Kreczmanski: "3d Realms was one of those companies that created today's image of the video games. How they handled Duke Nukem, how they always focused on gameplay in their products. For me the presentation and the whole concept of Duke Nukem character in DN3D will remain a masterpiece. I will always keep memories of that company in my heart. “Hail to the King babe!”
Magda "Coni" Oracz: "That's impossible! I was waiting for Duke Nukem Forever :("
May 07, 2009
