Now that Gran Turismo 5 has finally hit store shelves, the crown for the King of the Land of Interminable Development sits firmly atop the head of Duke Nukem Forever. This game represents a dream of gamers that dates back over thirteen years, one that has seemed at times to be tantalizingly close to reality, only to have one lawsuit or another stand in the way. Most people had assumed that the game was long dead, only to have it surprisingly show up in September at Gearbox's booth at PAX Prime. While the developer has claimed that it will be released at some point in the coming year, no firm date has been given. However it seems that the game may be here sooner than we had been expecting.

Online mega-retailer Amazon.com's listing for Duke Nukem Forever is now allowing customers to pre-order the game for PC, 360, or PS3 with a price of $59.99. It is also showing a release date of February 1, 2011, although chances are this date isn't set in stone. Hell, even Amazon's own language states, "Official pricing and release date have not been announced by the publisher. These are estimates only and subject to change."

Chances are the game won't be out by the first of February. I feel like if that was the case, Gearbox would have already announced that date. Still, it's clear to see that we're getting near the day when we'll all be able to see if thirteen years is enough time to produce a decent game.

[Via Ars Technica]