Just when I thought the vapor ware watch was over, Duke Nukem Forever is actually going to be released!

Announced Friday at PAX (Penny Arcade Expo), Duke Nukem Forever will be released in calendar year 2011 for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and the PC.

The game has been switched to game developer Gearbox, makers of the game Borderlands. The new Duke Nukem had been in development hell since first being announced in 1997, which for those bad at math was a long time ago. The original developer 3D Realms was sued over the LONG development period for the game, which never came out. Gearbox now flat out owns the Duke Nukem IP, so they are free to make lots of other Duke games, should Forever sell well.

This game has seriously been on the vapor ware list for years, making brief appearances at various E3s since the game was announced 13 years ago. I’m eager to see what the finally finished product will look like, but I’m not convinced that the game will be all that great. The first Duke game was unlike anything we had ever seen in video games. Hopefully Gearbox can find a way for this game to really stand out, besides the fact that no one ever thought it would see the light of day.

[Source: dukenukemforever.com]