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3D Realms

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"Apogee Software" redirects here. For the company founded in 2008, seeApogee Entertainment.

3D Realms Entertainment ApS
FormerlyApogee Software Productions
Apogee Software, Ltd.
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
Founded1987;37 years ago(1987)inGarland, Texas,US
FounderScott Miller
Headquarters
Aalborg
,
Denmark
Key people
  • Frederik Schreiber (CEO)
ProductsList of 3D Realms games
ParentSaber Interactive(2021–present)
Website3drealms

3D Realms Entertainment ApSis avideo game publisherbased inAalborg,Denmark.Scott Millerfounded the company in his parents' home inGarland, Texas,in 1987 asApogee Software Productionsto release his gameKingdom of Kroz.In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the company popularized a distribution model where each game consists of three episodes, with the first given away free assharewareand the other two available for purchase.Duke Nukemwas a major franchise created by Apogee to use this model, and Apogee publishedCommander KeenandWolfenstein 3Dthe same way.

Apogee began using the brand name 3D Realms for its 3D games in 1994, and in 1996 rebranded the company itself to 3D Realms to focus on traditionally-published 3D titles.Duke Nukem 3D(1996) was released under this name to great success. 3D Realms largely ceased its publishing and development operations afterwards to focus on two extensively delayed games:Prey(2006), which was under development until being taken over by another studio in 2001, andDuke Nukem Forever(2011), which remainedunder developmentuntil 2009. The "Apogee Software" name, library, and logo were licensed to Terry Nagy in 2008, who established Apogee Software LLC to develop and publish ports and spinoffs of Apogee titles.

In 2009, 3D Realms, citing financial issues, laid off its development team and the majority of its staff, effectively ceasing operations. In March 2014, the company was acquired by SDN Invest, a Danishholding companyand part-owner ofInterceptor Entertainment,and relaunched later that year as 3D Realms Entertainment ApS, headquartered in Denmark. 3D Realms Entertainment has since served as a games publisher. Miller remained an advisor for the company until 2021, when he and Nagy acquired the Apogee brand and relaunched Apogee Software LLC asApogee Entertainment,an independent games publisher. In August 2021, 3D Realms Entertainment was acquired byEmbracer GroupsubsidiarySaber Interactive,which was spun off from Embracer in March 2024.

History[edit]

Apogee Software[edit]

Background[edit]

In the early 1980s,Scott Milleroften spent time in thecomputer labof the high school he was attending, programmingtext adventureson the facility'sApple IIand getting to know fellow studentGeorge Broussard.[1]Following graduation, both of them took jobs at localamusement arcadeThe Twilight Zone, allowing Miller to attend college and increase his interest in video games at the same time.[1]Following hissophomore year,Miller dropped out of theUniversity of Dallasto focus entirely on video games, including participating in tournaments as well as programming his own games.[1]At that time, he found a special interest in theTurbo Pascalprogramming languageand its easy integration onIBM Personal Computers.[2]Miller subsequently figured that his knowledge on video games should earn him more money than he made at The Twilight Zone, wherefore he, with assistance by Broussard, wrote a manual-style book on "how to beat video games".[1]The book fell into obscurity due to an oversaturated market but landed Miller a job as a video game critic forThe Dallas Morning Newsand minor game-centric papers.[1]After four years of writing for the newspaper, he decided that he was capable of creating games that were better than those that he had to review and quit his job. Miller acquired a 16.5kmodem,which he installed in his parents' house inGarland, Texas,and started operating as a full-time independent game developer.[1]

The Apogee Model (1987–1996)[edit]

The Apogee Software logo

Most games developed by Miller at the time usedextended ASCIIcharacters as graphics.[1][3]The format appeared popular to him but ultimately proved unsuccessful when pitching them to publishers, adding to him not having a college degree or any professional experience in game development.[1]As such, he considered self-printing copies of his games, or distributing them freely throughbulletin board systems(BBS), where the boards' users make voluntary donations, a model known assharewaredistribution.[1]As the prior option seemed too expensive to Miller, he had to choose the latter, despite being urged not to by friends and colleagues.[1]Miller releasedBeyond the TitanicandSupernovaas shareware games in 1986 and 1987, respectively, but income was low, at roughlyUS$10,000donated in a year for both games combined.[1]Miller's next game,Kingdom of Kroz,was developed to include 60 levels, more than what he wanted to release to the public for no cost.[1]As such, he developed a new distribution model, dubbed the "Apogee model", in which only a fraction of the game would be made available to play for free on BBS, which, upon completion, would display Miller's mailing address to the player and ask them to contact him to buy the rest of the game.[1]He applied this model toKingdom of Krozby breaking it up into three parts, named episodes, and sharing the first one over BBS while retaining the other two for sale.[1][2]Released on November 26, 1987,Kingdom of Krozwas the first game to bear the name of Miller's one-man company, Apogee Software Productions.[2]The game proved successful, with checks sent to Miller amounting to roughlyUS$80,000–US$100,000and him receiving betweenUS$100andUS$500every single day.[2]Broussard later joined Apogee, merging his own, lesser-known game company Micro-FX into it.[4]

3D Realms (1996–2009)[edit]

In 1994, Apogee decided to launch different brand names for each genre of games they published; it created 3D Realms for3D games,publishingTerminal Velocityin 1995 and developing the 1996Duke Nukem 3Dunder the name, with the other titles released in those years still under Apogee.[5]In late 1996, however, Apogee renamed the company itself to 3D Realms to associate their brand with newer, 3D titles, and stopped using the Apogee brand name.[6]The last game to be published under the Apogee name wasStargunnerin 1996. Most of the proposed brands were never used, as 3D games likeDuke Nukembecame the company's focus. 3D Realms launched a brand for pinball games, Pinball Wizards, in February 1997, but only publishedBalls of Steel(1997) under the name.[5]Beginning in 1997 3D Realms shifted from episodic MS-DOS titles to non-episodic console and personal computer games. In the process it abandoned the shareware model in favor of a traditional publishing model; it also largely ceased its activities as a developer that same year, releasing onlyShadow Warrior(1997).[7]The sole exceptions werePrey(2006), which stayed in development until 2001 when it was transferred toHuman Head Studios,andDuke Nukem Forever(2011), which famously stayed in development at 3D Realms asvaporwareuntil 2009.[7][8]

The "Apogee Software" name, library, and logo were licensed to Terry Nagy in 2008, who formed Apogee Software, LLC as a separate company that would handle distribution, remakes, and other developments related to older Apogee games. 3D Realms retained the corporate name of Apogee Software, Ltd. Apogee Software, LLC was renamedApogee Entertainmentin 2021.[6]

Corporate restructuring, legal disputes (2009–2014)[edit]

AfterPreywas transferred away from 3D Realms in 2001, the only project under development at the company wasDuke Nukem Forever,originally announced in 1997. The release date of the game was "when it's done."[9]3D Realms continued some operations as a publisher as part of theGathering of Developerspublishing group, but otherwise served only as the publisher and licensee ofDuke Nukem-related spinoffs and mobile games for the next few years. On May 6, 2009, thedevelopment ofDuke Nukem Foreverwas halted, and major staff cuts were initiated with the entire development team and most other employees laid off.[10][11]According to Miller, the development was using up much of the company's funds as they struggled to bring in new 3D rendering technology for the game, leading to the decision to cut their staff and sell the company.[12]

On May 14, 2009,Take-Two,holders of the publishing rights ofDuke Nukem Forever,filed a breach of contract suit against 3D Realms over failing to deliver the game.[13]Take-Two Interactive asked for a restraining order and a preliminary injunction, to make 3D Realms keep theDuke Nukem Foreverassets intact during proceedings.[14][15]On May 18, 2009, 3D Realms key executives announced that "3D Realms has not closed and is not closing", but that due to lack of funds development operations were ceasing and the company would continue to "license and co-create games based upon theDuke Nukemfranchise. "They accused Take-Two of trying to acquire theDuke Nukemfranchise in a "fire sale".[11]

On September 3, 2010, Take-Two Interactive announced that development ofDuke Nukem Foreverhad been shifted over toGearbox Software,effectively ending 3D Realms' association with the game after 12 years of development. 3D Realms remained credited as a co-developer onDuke Nukem Forever,due to their involvement in developing most of the game. The rights and intellectual property were sold to Gearbox, however, who became the owners of theDuke Nukemfranchise.[16]

An external developer,Interceptor Entertainment,started work on a fan-project remake ofDuke Nukem 3Din 2010. They received a limited authorization from Gearbox to proceed with the game, which was namedDuke Nukem 3D: Reloaded.However, afterDuke Nukem Forever's release and negative reception in 2011,Duke Nukem 3D: Reloadedwas put on hold indefinitely.

In an interview conducted with Scott Miller in April 2011, Miller specified that 3D Realms was involved with several projects: "we have several projects underway, all fairly small—not any big console games. Once [Duke Nukem Forever] comes out we'll be definitely looking to invest into other projects, and maybe other up-n-coming [sic] teams who are blazing new trails on smaller platforms, like smart phones and XBLA. "[17]3D Realms did not publish any released titles over the next few years, however.

In June 2013, 3D Realms sued Gearbox for unpaid royalties as well as unpaid money for selling theDuke Nukemintellectual property.[18]The lawsuit was dropped in September 2013 with 3D Realms apologizing with an announcement that they had resolved any differences they had with Gearbox. In February 2014, Gearbox sued 3D Realms, Interceptor Entertainment and Apogee Software, LLC for developing a new game calledDuke Nukem: Mass Destruction.Gearbox stated that it was still the rights holder of theDuke Nukemfranchise, and permission had not been granted by them to develop the game. 3D Realms soon after released a statement admitting its wrongdoing.[19]The lawsuit was settled in August 2015, with Gearbox stressing that it was still the lawful owner of theDuke Nukemintellectual property.[20]

3D Realms Entertainment[edit]

Acquisition by SDN Invest and relaunch (2014–2021)[edit]

In March 2014, SDN Invest, the part-owner of Interceptor Entertainment, acquired 3D Realms for an undisclosed sum.[21]Mike Nielsen, the founder andchairmanof SDN Invest, became the newchief executive officerof 3D Realms,[22]headquartered inAalborg,Denmark and incorporated in 2015 as 3D Realms Entertainment ApS.[23][24]Miller remained with the company as a creative consultant,[25]while Apogee Software LLC retained the license to the Apogee brand and library.[26]

In May 2014, 3D Realms announced they were to publishBombshellby Interceptor Entertainment,[27]and in October 2014 the company returned to distributing its own titles with a digital anthology collection.[28][29]Bombshellwas released on January 29, 2016, as 3D Realms' first published title since 2005.

On February 28, 2018, 3D Realms announced the gameIon Maiden,a prequel toBombshell,developed by Voidpoint and usingKen Silverman'sBuild Engine.In May 2019, the company was hit with a $2 million trademark infringement lawsuit by heavy metal groupIron Maidenwho claimedIon Maidenwas "nearly identical to the Iron Maiden trademark in appearance, sound and overall commercial impression" and was "attempting to trade off on Iron Maiden's notoriety."[30]In July 2019, 3D Realms and Voidpoint changed the name ofIon MaidentoIon Furyto end to the lawsuit.Ion Furywas released on August 15, 2019. Since then, 3D Realms publishedGhostrunner(2020) and announced several projects which have been under development for multiple years without further notice.[31]

In April 2021, Miller and Nagy acquired the Apogee name from 3D Realms and relaunched Apogee Software LLC asApogee Entertainment.[32]In 2022, Miller stated in a blog post that he was now uninvolved with 3D Realms and that "[the company] no longer has any link to the past, other than in name only" because he was no longer there to help design and fund games.[33]

Acquisition by Embracer Group (2021–2023)[edit]

In August 2021,Embracer Groupannounced that they acquired the company throughSaber Interactive,which will be the parent company.[34]3D Realms publishedCulticon October 13 (2022).

In March 2023, 3D Realms announced that they hired Justin Burnham (formerly of Devolver Digital, Good Shepherd) to the position of CCO.[35]

Reboot (2023–present)[edit]

On September 30, 2023, 3D Realms held its 4th annual Realms Deep event modernizing the company's branding and announcing release dates for several previously-unreleased titles. Two days later on October 2, they publishedIon Fury:Aftershockin collaboration with developer Voidpoint.[36]

On October 24, 2023, 3D Realms publishedRipoutinto early-access in collaboration with developer Pet Project Games.[37]On November 16, 3D Realms published The Kindeman Remedy in collaboration with developer Troglobyte Games.[38]

On December 5, 2023, 3D Realms co-published (withInterplay) theSlipgate Ironworks-developedKingpin Reloaded.[39]In mid-December, "at least half" of 3D Realms andSlipgate Ironworkswas laid off as part of Embracer's restructuring.[40]Layoffs continued into January 2024.[41]

On January 24, 2024, 3D Realms co-published (withFulqrum Publishing) theSlipgate Ironworks-developedGravenout of early access.[42]On February 27, 3D Realms co-published (with Fulqrum Publishing) the Slipgate Ironworks and Killpixel Games-developedWRATH: Aeon of Ruinout of early access.[43]

In March 2024, Saber Interactive was sold to Beacon Interactive, a new company from Saber co-founder Matthew Karch. Many of Saber's studios, including 3D Realms, were included in the sale.[44]

Games[edit]

Main article:List of 3D Realms games

References[edit]

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  2. ^abcdEdwards, Benj (August 21, 2009)."20 Years Of Evolution: Scott Miller And 3D Realms, Page 4 of 10".Gamasutra.Archivedfrom the original on May 9, 2012.RetrievedMarch 5,2018.
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  44. ^McEvoy, Sophie (March 14, 2024)."Embracer sells Saber Interactive for $247m".GamesIndustry.biz.RetrievedMarch 14,2024.

External links[edit]

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