Plano-based Gearbox Software may need to make some changes to its highly anticipated Duke Nukem Forever game, set to be released this spring. In development since 1997 (seriously!) the third offering in the iconic Duke Nukem series apparently gives players an opportunity to rack up points by slapping women in an element called “Capture the Babe.”
A report by former Dallasite Stephen C. Webster says anticipation over Duke’s return has reached a fever pitch among longtime gamers. “But how will those same gamers feel about glorifying domestic violence?” Webster wonders.
Gearbox Software acquired intellectual property rights to Duke Nukem last fall in a deal with Garland-based 3D Realms. Randy Pitchford, president of Gearbox Software, helped launch the Duke Nukem brand at 3D, before forming his own company.
Of course violence in video games is nothing new. But how much is too much? Webster quotes an interview with Pitchford in The Official XBox Magazine: “Our goal isn’t to shock people, but I think there’s some stuff that’s a bit uncomfortable. I mean, the alien’s plan is to capture our women and impregnate them to breed an alien army, so you can imagine some horrible [stuff] happens.”
8 comments
The feature allows you to spank characters, men or women. Yay, responsible journalism!
Hells yes!
slapping a womens ass in a humourous way is not violence against women. This doesnt glorifying domestic violence, lots of men already do this to their wives or girlfriends it nothing new. Plus you see this in movies and other media all the time.
The game hasn’t even been released yet. In fact very few details have been released about the game up to this point.
I agree with Terrible. May I suggest you spend less time writing and more time fact checking.
Here’s a suggestion – before you post, check with the developer or publisher directly. It might cut down on posts like this.
Webster, who has written about Duke Nukem for several years, quotes a report in The Official XBox Magazine: “There’s at least one clear point of controversy: In the online ‘Capture the Babes’ mode, if a ‘babe’ can’t take the stress and ‘freaks out’ while Duke saves her from alien rapists, he’ll have to ’slap’ some sense into her.”
SO many things wrong entirely.
1. NOWHERE IS IT MENTIONED THAT DUKE IS RATED M.
In case people think this is aimed at children, all the big box stores deny those under 17 from buying M rated.
If kids get it, then some parent was being a stupid parent and bought it.
2. Duke is a parody.
Do we make a giant fuss when Criminal Minds or American Idol show us disturbing images in seriousness? (And yes, at times American Idol is far more disturbing than Criminal Minds.)
3. Completely ignoring the long and annoying backstory that went into making Duke Nukem Forever (DNF).
For those who follow the game industry, DNF is the White Whale, The second-gunman and the magic bullet combined. Ms Christine Perez has pulled a Fox News, and took not even the best headlines out of this.
4. Why the flip, is this a leading article?
This is D Mag, I expect some journalism; not just a blithely posted link and a couple paragraphs that amount to BEING A TROLL. …….. goddangit I just took the troll bait.
Are you happy Ms Perez, your article got me to click on it. Now I’m part of the problem
TO Byte Me’s point, Christine, you should contact the game publisher for factual info.
In response to the violence against women in Duke Nukem, Change.org has started a petition to get Walmart to refuse to sell the game: http://www.change.org/petitions/babe-slapping-mode-tell-walmart-to-refuse-to-sell-sexist-duke-nukem-forever-video-game#?opt_new=f&opt_fb=t