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Video game characters need business cards too
Getting in touch with heroes can be difficult. Typically, they only bother to roll out of bed and show up when something goes really wrong.
Pitchford: Duke Nukem Forever demo an 'important thing to do'
So you weren't at PAX last weekend, and didn't play Duke Nukem Forever? Well, then you probably agree with Gearbox's Randy Pitchford when he says that a playable demo for the mythical title is probably "an important thing to do." That's not a confirmation but, now that the cat's out of the bag, the company will start investigating ways to effectively market the game. Putting a demo in the hands of a skeptical audience is a good start, if PAX is any indication. If you missed it, you might still think of Duke Nukem Forever as vaporware, and remain convinced that Gearbox told PAX attendees that "it would be really funny" if they all pretended the game was playable. Wouldn't it be nice to lay your extremely paranoid fears to rest?
'We bought Duke Nukem.' Franchise rights transferred from 3D Realms to Gearbox
Just two days after revealing its stewardship of the Duke Nukem Forever title at PAX, Gearbox Software just revealed that it has actually purchased the Duke Nukem brand. Gearbox president Randy Pitchford told an audience at PAX this afternoon that they're not just making sure Duke Nukem Forever makes it to store shelves, but they've actually purchased the entire Duke Nukem IP. "We actually bought the brand," Pitchford told fans. "We bought Duke Nukem." A press release timed to go out with the announcement has some more information. Here's the big picture quote: "Gearbox Software announced today that it has acquired the full intellectual property rights of the 'Duke Nukem' brand including Duke Nukem Forever and all future projects in a cooperative deal made with 3D Realms." Even more interesting: "The first product to be available under the Duke Nukem brand will be the long awaited Duke Nukem Forever." Naturally, if they're buying the brand you can imagine DNF won't be the last game to feature the Duke. Pitchford made a point to say that Alan Blum, the creator of the Duke Nukem franchise, is now with Gearbox. "He's on the 10th floor with his team," he said. He also wanted to explain that this franchise couldn't simply have been purchased by anyone. "I didn't buy it from [3D Realms]," Pitchford said. "They sold it to me." In the press release, 3D Realms' Scott Miller said, "Gearbox was handpicked as the new home for Duke Nukem because of their continued passion, commitment and long-time heritage with the brand and 3D Realms." So, Duke Begins then?
Gearbox Software promises to finish Duke Nukem Forever, for real
The game, the myth, the curse -- Duke Nukem Forever has brought companies to their knees and dashed the hopes of a generation of gamers, but it's refused to go away for well over a decade; we just couldn't let it. Now a new company has stepped up to the challenge -- Gearbox Software (of Borderlands fame) has announced that it plans to finish the game, and that 2K Games will release it sometime next year for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Will it actually happen? We can't say we'd bet on it, but we want to believe. Update: If you still need a bit more convincing, there's an actual press release after the break.
Duke Nukem Forever coming '2011' on Xbox 360, PS3 & PC, courtesy of Gearbox
It's finally, really, actually ... maybe going to happen at this point. The rumors are true: Gearbox Software and 2K Games have taken on the Herculean task of completing and releasing 3D Realms' unfinished Duke Nukem Forever. The project was officially unveiled today at PAX during a livestreamed presentation at the 2K Games booth and announced for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. "It's coming out in 2011," Gearbox president Randy Pitchford said during the presentation. (Of course, we're skeptical about any release date associated with this particular title.) Gearbox began finishing Duke Nukem Forever in late 2009, according to The Wall Street Journal. "Clearly the game hadn't been finished at 3D Realms but a lot of content had been created," Pitchford told WSJ. "We're in the polishing phase now. This is a game where we can not make a promise we can not fulfill," Pitchford added. "We need to get past the shock and awe, and then we can go to all the retailers and first parties and work out a launch plan." Duke Nukem Forever is a sequel to Duke Nukem 3D and will feature both a single-player campaign and multiplayer. "Aliens come and say they're going to be our friends, and Duke knows this isn't going to work out," Pitchford revealed of the plot. "Duke once again is in the pivotal spot and it's up to him to save the world." [Image credit: Kurt Miller]
Rumor: Duke Nukem Forever being completed by Gearbox
According to unnamed sources speaking with Kotaku and "claiming to have knowledge of the situation," development on Duke Nukem Forever is continuing -- until completion -- with Borderlands developer Gearbox Software. Stranger still, the sources also claim that a "playable demo" will be distributed at some point "later this year." While Take-Two confirmed that it retains the rights to DNF, it didn't offer any comment on the matter. Gearbox head Randy Pitchford couldn't say anything either, but did note that he might be able to "better clarify the situation" at this year's PAX Prime. Duke Nukem creator George Broussard declined to comment as well. Although this is most certainly a "rumor" for now, we'd still like to wish Gearbox the best of luck over the next 15 years.
Duke Nukem voice actor recorded for Valve's 'Defense of the Ancients'
We heard a while ago that Defense of the Ancients creator Icefrog had been hired by Valve to work on something that would make DotA fans excited, and now voiceover artist Jon St. John – better known as the voice of Duke Nukem – has tweeted that he visited Valve in Seattle to do some "recording for DotA." Interesting. There have been a few DotA-style games released already, including the popular League of Legends and Heroes of Newerth, but if Valve's collaboration with Icefrog is actually called Defense of the Ancients, it could be even closer to the classic game than any of the full-scale competitors. Of course, the original DotA was a WarCraft 3 mod based on an original StarCraft map, but with Valve on board, this would presumably be a standalone title with plenty of Icefrog insight. We've contacted Valve to see what's up and just how close that announcement might be, and we'll let you know if and when we hear back. [Thanks, Mark B.]
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project kicks XBLAss June 23
Duke Nukem is set to return (once again) to his 2D roots in Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project for Xbox Live Arcade ($10) on June 23. The game -- originally released on PC in 2002 -- sees Duke blasting aliens and saving babes in glorious 2.5D. See for yourself in the new screens and trailer ...
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project confirmed for XBLA
After being outed by a handful of ratings organizations, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project has finally been confirmed for release on Xbox Live Arcade. A listing for the game recently appeared on the official Xbox website, bringing with it no pricing or release date details -- though it does confirm that it falls under the "Action" genre. Oh, thank goodness. We were afraid it might have become a casual puzzler during its transition to consoles. We've contacted Microsoft to see if anyone can fill in the blanks in regards to the game's price and due date. We're betting it launches sometime in August, which would be appropriate, since we all know August is Stripper and Rocket Launcher Appreciation Month. [Via Shacknews]
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project gets some from the ESRB
It would appear the side-scrolling shoot-em-up PC Gamer called "a blast" back in 2002, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project, will eventually find its way onto Xbox Live Arcade. It's happening, right? Like, we've seen a couple ratings pop up for the game, so it's gotta be a done deal -- come on, will somebody just officially announce this already? The latest indication (and hopefully precursor to a real announcement) comes from the ESRB, which offers the listing you see above. Duke Nukem 3D creator 3D Realms, whose last project was Prey Invasion for the iPhone and iPod Touch back in June of 2009, is listed as the publisher on the potential XBLA title. We've sent in word to both 3D Realms and Microsoft for comment and will let you know what we hear back.
Duke Nukem Manhattan Project rated for Xbox 360 by OFLC
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project continues its silent march toward a possible Xbox Live Arcade release, with the title rated M by Australia's rating board for Xbox 360. The game was previously classified by Korea's Game Rating Board and has yet to be accompanied by an announcement by Microsoft. As in Korea, the Australian classification request was submitted by Microsoft. Take-Two Interactive, the go-to publisher for Duke Nukem-related info, tells Joystiq it is not "publishing this title and [doesn't] have any info." We've followed up with Microsoft for a nuke of knowledge on what their plans are. In the meantime, the PC version of the competent 2002 side-scroller can be found on GOG.com for $6.
The day Duke Nukem Forever was supposed to go gold
It's April Fools' Day, a day on which we take absolutely everything with a grain of salt. Imagine our surprise, then, when we learned that today, April 1, 2010, was the day that Duke Nukem Forever was supposed to go gold. In other words, the game would have been officially complete and ready for manufacturing. The news comes via former Take-Two producer Jason Bergman's Twitter account which he states today was the gold date according to 3D Realms' internal schedule. Variety followed up with Bergman and confirmed that, no, it's not a joke. Bergman adds that the date was "totally intentional," and that "it was going to be hilarious." Considering the long and storied (and long) development history of Duke Nukem Forever, we're inclined to agree. In fact, it's hard to imagine a more appropriate date for the game to reach the gold milestone. Alas, now that the game is kaput and its corpse trapped in legal limbo, Bergman's revelation is more than a little sad. If you've got any heart left, pour one more out for the Duke and dream of what might have been. Source - Variety Source - Twitter (@loonyboi)
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project rated in Korea
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project has been classified by the Korea's Game Rating Board, as spotted by GamerBytes. No platforms are listed, but it is being published by Microsoft Korea, leading to speculation that it may be published for Xbox Live Arcade. For PC players, the well-reviewed side-scroller from 2002 is available currently on GOG.com for $6. Check out the trailer after the break to get an idea of what this game looks like -- unless, of course, it receives a facelift for XBLA. [Via GamerBytes]
Xbox Live Deal of the Week: Duke Nukem 3D for $5
With a lengthy campaign, multiplayer mode and a new rewind feature, the XBLA iteration of Duke Nukem 3D is arguably the best installment in the franchise, and easily the most ... well, released. Fortunately, the pig-mutant massacring simulator is the current Xbox Live Deal of the Week, and has its price temporarily reduced from 800 ($10) to 400 ($5). We'd suggest checking the game out right now, as whatever player base it might still possess is probably going to get stolen away when that other revamped shooter comes out on XBLA next month.
3D Realms: XBLA Duke Nukem 3D only $5 next week
According to a recent tweet from 3D Realms' George Broussard, Duke Nukem 3D will be next week's Xbox Live Deal of the Week. Already pretty cheap at 800 ($10), Broussard says the game will be reduced to a mere 400 ($5). That's 39 levels, online multiplayer and the nifty rewind feature, which lets you rewind to a safe point in the level upon death,for just $5. Not bad. Oh, as an added bonus, if you can manage to snag all the Achievements, you can even unlock some images of the "upcoming" Duke Nukem Forever. That's pretty exciting, right?
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]
3D Realms teases 'numerous' upcoming Duke Nukem projects
The reports of Duke Nukem's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Though Forever has been jettisoned into the inky blackness of the vaporware realm, leading to a court struggle over the Nukem IP, 3D Realms CEO Scott Miller still sees a future for the foul-mouthed hero. "The next few years should see a strong resurgence in Duke," Miller mentioned in a recent interview with new gaming mag Gamesauce. "There are numerous other Duke games in various stages of development, several due out this year." Miller later added, "We are definitely looking to bring Duke into casual gaming spaces, plus there are other major Duke games in production." Wait, casual Duke games? Like ... FarmDuke? BeDuked Twist? Diner Duke? The possibilities are endless! (And horrifying.)
Wired examines the death of Duke Nukem Forever
Wired's piece on the events leading up to the end of Duke Nukem Forever's 12 year development cycle may not give the full story, thanks to the continuing legal issues between publisher Take-Two and developer 3D Realms, but it does a solid job of putting together the fragmented anecdotes of anonymous employees and people close to the events. The feature is a cautionary tale of ego, ambition and failure. DNF's drama is a yarn that publishers, developers and the press will turn to for years (decades?) to come as the quintessential example of game development gone terribly wrong, terribly publicly. Definitely check it out if you've never gone down the rabbit hole of Duke Nukem Forever's distracted development. [Thanks, Sean]
Street artists beef up billboards with Doom graphics
[Flickr user Mr. Talion] You know what? Driving around is boring. Luckily, some Germans are taking steps to amp up the experience by incorporating Doom graphics into billboard ads, effectively upping their cool factor exponentially. Check out this Flickr set and tell us these billboards are anything but completely awesome. We dare you! Hopefully, this is the beginning of a trend that will cross the oceans of the world and spread throughout every major city, causing us to actually care about these outdoor advertising eyesores. In the spirit of international sharing, we've got a couple ideas of our own you can check out past the break. [Via Animal New York and Nerdcore; thanks, Ryan]
