After months of waiting, gamers finally saw the latest game play footage from 3D Realms’ Duke Nukem Forever on the first episode of the Jace Hall Show last June 5. The footage was more than a bit overdue, as little has been heard on the game’s progress since a teaser trailer was shown in December last year, and the game itself has been in production for more than a decade.

George Broussard, director and curator of the Duke Nukem franchise, explained that the video was a shot taken from one of the levels inside the Hoover Dam. Broussard added that the game would also feature large outdoor spaces, and that the preview shows only a limited part of the game play.

“I wasn’t even sure they were going to show game footage as the original deal was to just film Jason playing the game, and a reaction. They cut in a few scenes here and there. Much, much more to see and come. There is still no specific release date for the game, which has been in production for about twelve years,” added Broussard.

Duke Nukem Forever was first announced in April 1997 and has been in development since then, although the release was planned for mid-1998. The protracted development was caused in part by two game engine changes, which required major internal rewrites, as well as poor overall direction and management. Trailers released in 2001 and 2003 were pulled out because the game environment had changed significantly.

The delay has made Duke Nukem Forever a popular reference to games and projects that are stuck in “development hell,” or are taking a long time to finish.

3D Realms has not announced an official release date, but a few supposedly off-the-record statements suggest the game may be released this year. It is also rumored that the game will be made available for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 game consoles, as well as the PC.

The video can be seen here in streaming 720p format. It also includes clips of Broussard talking about the video; game play footage begins at 4:18.