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Apogee opens online store, peddling its classics
Shareware pioneer Apogee Software has announced the launch of a new online store, offering a handful of Apogee's most well-known games, specifically Duke Nukem 3D, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project, Rise of the Triad and both Blake Stone titles, all of which can be had for $5.99 each. Savvy readers may recognize that the same lineup has been available via GoG.com for some time now. The Apogee store manages to offer a better deal though, thanks to its "Legacy Pack" which bundles all five games for $20. The bundle also includes the "Extreme Rise of the Triad" expansion and ... the Duke Nukem: Critical Mass soundtrack. Also, until June 20, the store is running a Father's Day promotion, offering the Legacy Pack for only $15. Just use the promo code "Father" during checkout. The current slate of available games is apparently just the beginning, as Apogee plans to revisit its beginnings as a digital distributor by "providing a platform for new developers to access a global market."
iPads were everywhere at Musikmesse 2011
If there's any one area of life that the iPad has had a huge impact on, it's the creation of music. Writing for The Mac Observer, blogger Jochen Wolters noted that iPads were everywhere at the world's largest trade show for musical instruments and audio recording technology -- Musikmesse 2011. This year's show was held April 6 - 9 in Frankfurt, Germany. Wolters noted that almost every developer of audio software and manufacturer of keyboards and mixers was demonstrating some way of using an iPad to perform or produce music. While I won't go into all of the many items that Wolters covered in his detailed article, there were a few products that deserve special mention here. The US$99 Apogee JAM is a deceptively simple-looking audio interface for connecting a bass or guitar to an iPad (it also works with the Mac, iPhone and iPod touch). It only works with GarageBand for iPad at this point, but Apogee is apparently working on supporting other iPad music apps. Our very own Brett Terpstra did a great writeup of the JAM back in March. Along the lines of the JAM is the Alesis iO Dock, a soon-to-be-released pro audio dock for iPad with XLR and 1/4-inch inputs, MIDI jacks, an assignable 1/4-inch footswitch input, and audio and video outputs. Synth software was everywhere at Musikmesse 2011 as well, with iPad apps from Reactable, Way Out Ware, Korg, and Spectrasonics catching Wolters' eye. MixVibes demoed an app that is used to remotely control its CROSS line of DJ software, while Akai had a four-octave keyboard with an iPad dock. An image of the SynthStation49 can be seen at the top of this post. You can get more details from Wolters' original post. Next year's Musikmesse is already scheduled for March 21-24, 2012. If your business is music and you want to make or produce it with the help of an iPad, you might want to make plans to attend the 2012 event.
Duke Nukem: Critical Mass trailer skips the PSP version for good reason
After a mysterious quiet period (which is totally uncharacteristic for a Duke Nukem game), Deep Silver and Apogee are planning to release Duke Nukem: Critical Mass for DS this week in Europe and next month in North America. You can see it in action in the trailer after the break, and, well ... it looks like a thoroughly humiliating experience, narrated by Jon St. John. Surprisingly, the press release accompanying the trailer says that the PSP version is coming out at the same time -- but Deep Silver informs us that it was actually canceled. So if you're in Europe and in line for Critical Mass on PSP ... go home.
Apogee rolls out Duet 2 pro audio interface for Macs
Recently drop $500 on an Apogee Duet audio interface for your Mac after pondering one for all these years? Then we're afraid we've got a bit of bad news for you, as the company has now finally rolled out a successor to the highly-desirable device. Apparently redesigned from the ground up, the new Duet 2 expectedly ditches FireWire in favor of USB, and packs some "completely redesigned" mic preamps and converters, along with two inputs and four outputs, a pair of configurable touch pads, and even an all new OLED display that replaces the basic LED meters on the original. Of course, the one thing that stays the same is the professional-level price -- look for this one to set you back $595 when it's available next month. [Thanks, Maxwell]
Apogee's Jam connects your guitar to your iPad
We've seen the iRig and the AmpKit, two interfaces for getting a line-in from your guitar or bass. Both come with effect racks and sound pretty darn good. But where do you go from there? How about a dock interface that records 44.1 kHz, 24-bit audio without line noise? Apogee's Jam guitar interface does just that, and it throws in hardware gain control and LED peak monitoring. It plugs into your Mac, too! I saw something similar at Macworld, though I don't think it was this particular model. I sat down and played an acoustic with pickups through my iPhone, though, and I was blown away by the clarity of the audio. The dock connector is, in my newly-formed opinion, the way to go. The problem at the time was that it didn't come with any effects, and the convenience of the AmpliTube and AmpKit setups was more convincing to my limited budget. However, with Apple's announcement of GarageBand on the iPad, the tables have turned. GarageBand's full set of effects, combined with a crisp guitar input, plus editing and multi-track capabilities (all with the polish of an Apple product) make this an amazing prospect. I'm sure I'll be picking one up, as they'll be retailing at US$99 and will be available later this month. See the Jam page at Apogee's site for more info. [via Gizmag]
Jam guitar input for Mac and iOS devices gets your axe into GarageBand
Hello Cleveland! Or, you know, wherever you are. Are you ready to rock? No? Oh, well, maybe just a little jam session, then? Apogee Electronics (no, not the company that brought you all those Duke Nukem releases back in the day) has announced the new Jam device, which enables a digital connection for electric and bass guitars into iOS 4.2.1 (and greater) devices or into any Core Audio compatible apps on Mac. You can record straight into GarageBand if you like and use the built-in control knob to adjust your levels. That connectivity won't come for free, naturally, with a $99 MSRP slapped on this one. It'll start rocking stores in March -- plenty enough time to find another new drummer. %Gallery-118299%
GOG discounts Apogee games this weekend
Hankerin' to clobber pig cops and jetpack-toting snake dudes, but just can't find that Duke Nukem 3D disc? Save yourself some time and snap up the Atomic Edition of Duke 3D for just $2.99 on GOG.com this weekend. If that weren't enough of a deal, GOG's offering its entire Apogee catalog for 50 percent off ($15) -- if you're just interested in a couple of games, a 20 percent discount still applies to individual titles. You might wanna hurry, though, as the discounts disappear on Monday, February 7 at 11:59PM EST. But then, we suppose you could just go back to looking for that disc, right?
Wolfenstein 3D loses two dimensions, becomes Wolfenstein 1D
Cheeky programmer/comedic mastermind Mike Lacher recently added a twist to an old classic by ... um, removing almost all of it. The game in question is Wolfenstein 3D, from which Lacher has stripped the height and depth, leaving only the meager remnants of a 1 pixel-tall line of width. The surprising part of this little project? It's still totally playable. Check out Lacher's minimalistic mod (appropriately titled Wolfenstein 1D) over on his website. We're sure there's probably a message about the lack of real depth in the storytelling of most first person shooters, though it was totally lost on us, because we were busy having such a good time shooting things.
Apogee and Take-Two settle Duke Nukem Forever lawsuit
After Duke Nukem Forever's lengthy (and often mocked) development ended without a retail product, developer Apogee and publisher Take-Two played the blame game in court. A lawsuit, and subsequent countersuit, held serious accusations against both: Take-Two demanded compensation for lost money loaned to the developer, while Apogee claimed pressure to sell the IP for "less than their true value." While details of the litigation aren't made clear in this court filing, it appears both companies have accepted a settlement, with all accusations "dismissed with prejudice" -- in other words, neither Take-Two nor Apogee will be able to bring this action to court again. According to the document, "each party is to bear its own portion of the costs of this litigation."
Apogee and Icarus Studios resurrect Sam Suede [update]
[iBase Entertainment] Apogee and Icarus Studios have announced a new "action comedy" game called Sam Suede in Undercover Exposure. No platforms were noted, but Icarus's past developments have all been PC-based (with the exception of Dexter on iPhone). In fact, nothing at all was said about the content of the game other than the title and a characterization as a "comedic twist on the action-adventure genre." If the title sounds familiar, you're probably an adventure game nerd. Leisure Suit Larry creator Al Lowe was working on a game with the exact same title, which was cancelled in 2006 when developer iBase Entertainment shut down. The fact that a new company has announced that it will complete the title should be encouraging to Lowe fans -- but the fact that the legendary Sierra game designer's name is mentioned nowhere in the announcement is probably not so encouraging. Update: Al Lowe told Big Download that "This is the first I've heard of it," wondering "who's going to finish the design and add the humor?"
iPhone Rise of the Triad getting free add-on
Apparently "early 2010" meant "right now," as it looks like Apogee's Wolfenstein pseudo-sequel Rise of the Triad is already available for the iPhone. To mark the release, Apogee has announced that developer Mobilia Interactive plans to deliver a free update to the game entitled Extreme Rise of the Triad. The update will include 40 new maps containing "deviously different tricks, traps and treachery not seen in the original Triad." Not bad, especially considering the update is free. Check out a new trailer above, which includes some snippets of both the game's God Mode and the far superior Dog Mode. Rise of the Triad ($4.99):
Kanex shows off HDMI to Mini DisplayPort adapter, your iMac celebrates
It ain't the first HDMI-to-Mini DisplayPort adapter that we've heard of, but there's nothing like a little competition in a market that Apple's own closed mindset helped create. Bitterness aside, we're pretty stoked to hear that Kanex -- the same company responsible for that oh-so-handy Mini DisplayPort Adapter for Mac mini -- has introduced its own solution for piping Blu-ray, Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 signals right onto that gorgeous 27-inch panel that resides in your iMac. Our BFFs over at TUAW stopped by the outfit's Macworld booth in order to give it a look, and they said that every pixel looked absolutely fantastic. Sadly, it looks as if you'll have to wait until April to drop your buck-fifty (not including cables), but hey, it's not like using that 13-inch CRT for a few more months will kill you. Or maybe it will, on second thought. Update: Apogee is Kanex's parent company. Apogee specializes in audio and video solutions, while the Kanex brand focuses on audio and video solutions for Macs.
Apogee's Rise of the Triad getting ludicrous on iPhone
Apogee -- it's not dead yet! -- has announced that its cult classic first-person shooter, Rise of the Triad, is on its way to the iPhone OS. The game is being ported to the platform by Mobilia Interactive, which has produced a number of previous iPhone titles as well. The port actually surfaced over the summer last year, though it's now clear that the company has been given Apogee's blessing to sell the app. The game will work on every iPhone OS platform, including the iPhone, iPod Touch and the iPad. Expect to see it hit the App Store in "early 2010." Check out a video of the game in action after the break. Tender viewers beware: The video contains ludicrous gibs.
Leaked Duke Nukem footage tugs at familiar heartstrings
They say time heals all wounds. Then why does it still hurt to think about Duke Nukem Forever? Even its apparent demise failed to bring closure to the big hole in our heart. And now this: new gameplay footage? The latest video remains to be found (resting -- in one piece -- after the break) seem unmistakably to be those of our beloved Duke. Maybe it's the familiar dark, underground environments we've gotten to know in other gameplay videos -- like the Jace Hall Show clip and that leaked animator's video -- that send chills down our spine. Or maybe it's just Duke himself, still out of bubble gum and still kicking ass. (Yeah, it's probably that.) Go on. Head past the break and weep. It's okay!
Duke Nukem fan film trailer to satisfy fans starved for Duke content
Okay, what are the odds this Duke Nukem fan film, by Finnish studio HMC, is actually going to be released? Sure, this movie may not actually be developed by 3D Realms -- but neither are those DS and PSP games, and those aren't out yet either. It seems that Duke Nukem may just be cursed. Which is a shame, because this trailer (after the break) is entertaining in the same way a real Duke game is. It's got a girl and a monster and a cigar-chomping jerk who shoots the monster whilst spouting one-liners. We hope this thing continues production -- and we hope the producers find a voice actor for the title character. [Thanks, Topi]
Blu-ray comes to the iMac... via an Apogee HDMI-to-Mini DisplayPort adapter
Although it's technically possible to use the gorgeous IPS display in the 27-inch iMac as a standalone monitor, the feature's been pretty limited in practice, since it only works with other DisplayPort devices like the unibody MacBooks. That's about to change thanks to Apogee, which just posted up a video demo of an as-yet-unnamed HDMI-to-DisplayPort adapter being used to play Xbox 360, PS3, and -- yes, it's true -- Blu-ray movies on Apple's latest all-in-one. Never thought you'd see the day, did you? Apogee hasn't disclosed pricing or availability yet, but we're told more info is coming soon --we'd guess sometime around CES. Video after the break.
Apogee debuts GiO USB guitar interface and controller for Macs
You're going to need to practice on a lot more than Rock Band or Guitar Hero to fully make use of this rig, but Mac users looking to go a step beyond basic GarageBand recording may want to consider Apogee's new GiO guitar interface and controller, which is fully compatible with GarageBand 09, as well as Logic Studio 9 and MainStage 2. Designed to more or less give you full hands-free recording, the device packs five Stompbox buttons that are dynamically color coded to match software effects, plus five Transport control buttons that are dynamically lit when engaged, not to mention all the ports you'd expect, including a 1/4" instrument input, a 1/4" MIDI Expression pedal input, a headphone jack, and that all-important USB port, which just so happens to also conveniently power the device. You're still going to have to make do with your current setup for a bit longer, however, as this one's only set to launch sometime in September for a fairly reasonable (as far as Apogee products go) $395.
Duke Begins developer revealed to be Gearbox Software
Shacknews reports that the developer of Duke Begins -- the Duke Nukem prequel project being developed not by 3D Realms, but rather by publisher Take-Two and a "well-known videogame developer" -- was, in fact, Gearbox Software. If that name sounds familiar that's because – like coffee shops and mysterious rashes – the Texas-based developer pops up all over the place, whether in reference to the long-overdue Aliens: Colonial Marines; the recently re-skinned Borderlands; or the oft-rumored Halo 4. As revealed by recent court documents, Gearbox was brought on to develop Duke Begins following a 2007 agreement between 3D Realms and Take-Two. In exchange for the rights to make another Duke game, 3D Realms received a cool $2.5 million advance to help fund the ongoing development of Duke Nukem Forever (and, in turn, extend the practice of wondering aloud, "How on Earth can 3D Realms afford to keep making this game?"). 3D Realms claims that the "halted" development of Duke Begins in April 2009 "materially harmed Apogee and/or will necessarily delay the commercial release of the Duke Begins game." They claimed that any such delay in release would "delay any royalty payments ... from sales of the Duke Begins game and prevent Apogee from being able to repay the [$2.5 million] advance when it becomes due in 2012." And now you begin to see where all this talk of lawsuits came from. We've put word into Gearbox and Take-Two and will let you know what we hear.
Court filing reveals 2K Games was developing 'Duke Begins'
Did you seriously think he'd just roll over and die? He's Duke Nukem, guys. We're pretty sure he can't be killed by conventional weapons (such as bankruptcy).This news came in response to last month's Take-Two court filing against Duke Nukem Forever developer Apogee Software, which attempted to recoup loans the publisher had distributed to Apogee -- loans which would have ostensibly been repaid by DNF royalties. Apogee's attorneys responded Friday with a shocking revelation -- in exchange for their support, Apogee gave Take-Two the rights to simultaneously develop another Duke Nukem game. Take-Two tasked 2K Games with said development under the working title Duke Begins.Apogee's defense states that 2K "halted or otherwise canceled all development work by the third-party game developer on the Duke Begins game in April 2009," an action Apogee sees as Take-Two's attempt at, "pressuring Apogee to sell the Duke Nukem franchise rights to Take-Two for less than their true value." With the cat officially out of the bag, we expect to hear more about the Duke's origin story (like, if it's still being developed) in the near future.[Update: Turns out that the mysterious third-party developer working on Duke Begins for Take-Two was none other than Gearbox Software.]
id Software rep 'saddened' by death of Duke Nukem Forever
If you think id Software would gloat openly about the cancellation of its one-time competitor, Duke Nukem Forever, you may be surprised to hear the reaction of Steve Nix, director of business development for id:"For me it was personally sad," he told Videogamer. "I know a lot of people at the studio were really surprised and saddened for sure." He went on to explain the historical connection between the two companies: "We had originally moved to Dallas because Apogee, who morphed into 3D Realms, was our original publisher. So id might not even be in Dallas and a lot of us wouldn't even be working in the games industry if it wasn't for Apogee and 3D Realms."Nix said that he "thought (the news of the cancellation) was a joke when I heard the other day." He also noted that id is currently hiring, and that "There are some really talented guys in (3D Realms) so it very well could happen that some of them end up at id." Overall, it's a pretty measured and sensitive response from the company who popularized "gibs."