3d-realms posts

Are you ready to see actual gameplay footage from Duke Nukem Forever that doesn't come from a ShakyCam demo presentation? Then look no further than here, baby. Developer Gearbox Software and publisher 2K Games have finally released the first official trailer for the long awaited first person shooter since the game's original developer 3D Realms released a trailer for the game way back in 2001 - yep, that's 10 years ago.

Even though there are some "parts" of this trailer that are pixelated for your pleasure, we would still label this video as NSFW. But it's still pretty awesome. You can also check out the official PC box art to the game, featuring Duke enjoying the fact that he's Duke Nukem and you're not, after the jump. May 3, 2011 can't come soon enough for us.

Download the Duke Nukem Forever Reveal Trailer at Big Download

In just a few months, the game with perhaps the longest development time in history will finally be released. Game Informer has posted up word that Duke Nukem Forever will be released by developer Gearbox Software and publisher 2K Games on May 3 in North America. Europeans and the rest of the world will be able to get the game on May 6.

The first person shooter started development at 3D Realms way back in 1997 and was in continuous development at that developer until 2009 when a legal dispute between the developer and 2K Games caused 3D Realms to dismiss its internal development staff. The dispute was settled in 2010 and Gearbox Software got the rights to continue the game's development as well as the IP for the Duke Nukem franchise. But will the 14 year wait for this game be worth it?

Many people thought that Gearbox Software's follow-up to its acclaimed FPS-RPG hybrid game Borderlands would be a sequel. Some people thought that we would hear more about the long dormant Aliens Colonial Marines game. But no one expected that Gearbox would step up this past summer and announce plans to take over from 3D Realms to finish off the near-legendary game project Duke Nukem Forever.

Yet that's exactly what happened. Following internet rumors earlier this past summer, Gearbox revealed that it was the new developer behind the 13 + year old first person shooter at PAX last September. Gearbox also revealed that it owns the Duke Nukem franchise outright. While the team is still keeping a lot of things about its version of the game under wraps, Big Download got Gearbox's founder and head man Randy Pitchford to talk a little bit more about the game and other topics.

Duke Nukem Forever's revival in the hands of developer Gearbox Software was certainly welcome news when it was revealed at Penny Arcade Expo earlier this year. But how do Duke's creators at 3D Realms fell about their first person shooter franchise being take over by others? Maximum PC's web site has some of the first public statements from 3D Realms' president George Broussard about the transfer of the game to Gearbox.

When asked why Duke Nukem Forever took so long to make in the first place, Broussard denied the allegations made in a Wired magazine article that he was looking to make the game perfect. Instead he states, "It was just never ready. We had lots of development issues along the way." While he admits regret over not being able to finish the game he added, " .... at some point you get enough distance and perspective to let things go. It probably took about a year. I'm just glad we worked it all out." And will he be involved in making games ever again? He states, "To be honest I haven't thought much about it. I'm just enjoying the time off. I still play games and love making them."

The article also has chats with Gearbox's Brian Martel and Randy Pitchford (where he once again dodges questions about Gearbox's involvement in the mysterious Duke Begins game). It ends with some hands-on impressions of a small part of the game.

[Via VG247.com]

With Gearbox Software taking over the development of Duke Nukem Forever, some enterprising free game makers have been thinking about doing an UDK remake of the last game in the shooter series, Duke Nukem 3D, Now it looks like Gearbox, the new owners of the franchise, have given the team its official blessing.

The official Gearbox message boards is apparently the official location for this project which is being called Duke Nukem Next Gen. The team got a "personal non-commercial license" from Gearbox in order to work on the project. Of course now the team has to do the hard part; actually making it. You can check out a very early gameplay trailer after the jump:

This week Borderlands Game of the Year Edition ships to stores and as we reported last week people who buy this collection of Gearbox Software's first person shooter and all four DLC mini-expansions will also get first access to the long awaited free Duke Nukem Forever demo.

But if you want to play the demo but don't want to purchase the new Borderlands collection to get it (most likely because you already own the game and the four DLC packs), don't fret. According to what Gearbox's Steve Gibson told Digital Spy the Duke Nukem Forever demo "... is going to go out to everybody, yeah." He adds, "We want to - I don't want to spoil the surprise - but I think it's going to be fun and people are going to be surprised at what we put in there and what happens with it." The demo to the long, long, long awaited game should be released before the full game comes out sometime in 2011.

[Via Eurogamer]

Duke Nukem Forever is current set for release sometime in 2011 but could the long awaited first person shooter actually be released on April 1, 2011, otherwise known as April Fool's Day? Maybe. A now former producer at publisher 2K Games admitted some time ago that at one time the game was set to go gold on April 1, 2010 in order to make some fans think it was a joke.

With the game now in the hands of Gearbox Software, the idea of April 1, 2011 as a release date has been at least considered. GamerZines quotes Gearbox's Steve Gibson as saying, "It came up and we were like, 'man, that would be really neat'. But also, honestly, if you think about it, some customers would really believe it was a joke, and then what?"

Another thing that was considered was to announce Duke Nukem Forever's completion similar to how Apple announces the release of one of its new products. However there were concerns that retailers could leak the release date beforehand.

Duke Nukem Forever is taking, well, almost forever to complete but the game's new owners Gearbox Software have promised that the long awaited first person shooter is coming out sometime in 2011. But now word comes that a mod maker wants to remake the previous game in the series, Duke Nukem 3D, in Unreal Engine 3 which is the same engine that Duke Nukem Forever is using as its basis.

A post on Gearbox's Duke Nukem Forever message boards shows off some impressive looking level remake screenshots from the mod project (no gameplay yet). What's not clear is if Gearbox, the new owners of the Duke Nukem franchise, will allow this mod remake of Duke Nukem 3D to go forward.

[Via Destructoid]

Last weekend, some of the attendees who managed to wait through long lines at PAX Prime 2010 got a chance to play a small portion of Duke Nukem Forever for the first time in the game's 13+ development cycle. But will the rest of the general public get a chance to sample this long awaited shooter via a free demo?

VG247.com put that question to Gearbox Software's Randy Pitchford who stated, "I think that is an important thing to do ..." Now that the game is officially back in development, Pitchford said, " ... we can actually make those plans. No (sic) we can get with retailers and figure out the launch window, and figure out demo timing, and work with the first-parties on that." Indeed retailers have been kept in the dark that Duke Nukem Forever was back in development until the morning of the game's re-reveal this past Friday, Pitchford stated, "We weren't able to do that until this point, because if we did we risked damaging it even further."

While the official Duke Nukem Forever web site pretty much gave away this fact on Friday with its trademark fine print at the bottom, today Gearbox Software made it official. The developer formed by a number of ex-3D Realms employees announced in a press release and at its PAX Prime 2010 panel on Sunday night that it has now acquired the Duke Nukem franchise and IP from 3D Realms. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Naturally these rights include the revived Duke Nukem Forever first person shooter game which Gearbox is now in charge of completing after over 13 years in development. 3D Realms' co-founders Scott Miller and George Broussard have given their blessings for this deal with Broussard stating, "Gearbox was the only home appropriate for the Duke Nukem brand." The big question: with its most lucrative brand now sold off to Gearbox, what is the future going to be like for 3D Realms as a company?