Topic: Duke Nukem Forever: May 3rd!

[idolminds]

UPDATE: New trailer!



We'll know more by tonight. But Duke is back.

Guess we know more now

The game is currently expected to ship in 2010 although given it’s history Pitchford is understandably reluctant to be more specific. “We’re in the polishing phase now. This is a game where we can not make a promise we can not fulfill,” he says. “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.”

[K-man]

:yawn

This game is 10 years too late.  At least once it's out people will stop talking about it.  But seriously guys, these games weren't exactly top tier in their heyday, much less now.  I think it's pretty safe to say that we've all moved on from the type of humor displayed in these games.  Not to mention it's been done way better since.

[W7RE]

I think it's pretty safe to say that we've all moved on

I'm watching a stream of people playing in from 2K: http://www.ustream.tv/2kgameslive

I actually set my alarm and got up early for it.

[idolminds]

Im waiting for a downloadable trailer to hit the net.

I'd like to think I've moved on from that humor, but I'll still watch stupid 80s action hero movies. Duke fits right in.

[MysterD]

Yeah, I posted about it in the DNF thread yesterday about Broussard's tweet alluding that DNF is done in the opening post (like how my new style of updating is done)...

...But I forgot to bump the thread, like a goofball.

EDIT:
IGN -> Impressions from PAX on DNF.
G4TV -> Impressions from PAX on DNF.

[MysterD]

Kotaku -> DNF - Gameplay Footage Video.
Kotaku -> DNF - Gallery of screenshots and stuff from PAX 2010.

Awesome @ a single key just for "BEER"

[Quemaqua]

Fuck it, I'm into it.  I really dug all the footage they showed before after things supposedly shut down.

So... what happened?  Was that a hoax or something?  Did they manage to get funding from another publisher?

[W7RE]

Fuck it, I'm into it.  I really dug all the footage they showed before after things supposedly shut down.

So... what happened?  Was that a hoax or something?  Did they manage to get funding from another publisher?

I'm guessing 3DR won the court battle, or at least settled in a manner than allowed them to keep the rights to the IP. Randy Pitchford is apparently ex-3DR, as well as some other Gearbox employees, so they were the perfect match for someone to finish the game. (plus, you know, they've actually released a number of titles)

[MysterD]

GameSpot -> Impressions on the DNF found at PAX.

Destructoid -> Impressions and screens of DNF at PAX.

Do you know how you can tell that a game is going to be something special? When its demo ends with the main character getting his dick sucked by twins, then admits that his game better be good because it "took twelve fucking years" to make.

LMFAO!!! 

[sirean_syan]

Beer button? Cool. Twins and Fellatio? That might honestly be a bit much.

[MysterD]

Twins and Fellatio? That might honestly be a bit much.

Well, obviously not for Duke. 

[scottws]

Fuck it, I'm into it.  I really dug all the footage they showed before after things supposedly shut down.

I'm with Que on this.  I'm not necessarily excited about the game but I dug the original Duke 3D and thought the recent footage of Forever was pretty impressive.

[sirean_syan]

Best picture I've seen come out of the recent news.

[W7RE]

Even when 3D Realms was shut down and everyone thought DNF was dead, I wished it hadn't been. I wasn't lying to myself, making myself think it would come back, I just wished it would. I don't think I could have ever lost my interest in this game. No, I don't expect it to be amazing or blow everything else away, but it's drastically different in style from what we have these days, and there's a lot of nostalgia for me in Duke Nukem. The game could get terrible reviews and be universally hated, and I would still want to play it just to see how it turned out, especially after all these years.

[MysterD]

Even when 3D Realms was shut down and everyone thought DNF was dead, I wished it hadn't been. I wasn't lying to myself, making myself think it would come back, I just wished it would. I don't think I could have ever lost my interest in this game. No, I don't expect it to be amazing or blow everything else away, but it's drastically different in style from what we have these days, and there's a lot of nostalgia for me in Duke Nukem. The game could get terrible reviews and be universally hated, and I would still want to play it just to see how it turned out, especially after all these years.

I'm so glad Duke is still alive - I can't wait to see the day this drops. Like when Daikatana dropped - everybody's gonna be curious how Duke turned out. Except - yeah, I don't think Duke's gonna suck.

A lot of the comedy - whether ridiculous, silly, off-the-wall, witty, or just straight-up crudeness we knew from games back in the days - think like anything from any wacky adventure game from LucasArts in the 90's (Monkey Island series, Maniac Mansion series, Sam & Max, etc), Postal series, Fallout series (not including FO3), and Duke Nukem - were very abundant in gaming; especially in the 90's.

I don't know - but somewhere in along the line, the over-abundance of humor got lost and gaming got overly serious in the last decade, for the most part - especially true when gaming went fully 3D. It's a breath of fresh air to see Sam & Max return, GLADOS not shut-up in Portal, Psychonauts, Borderlands with its over-the-top humor, and probably other funny games that I can't think of at this moment in time come about. It's also cool to see crazy old-school style-shooters like Serious Sam series, Painkiller and the upcoming Bulletstorm come into the fold, as well - as these games don't really take themselves seriously. DNF is going to be welcome to join this club of games w/ its sense of humor and old-school style mentality.

Like you - I don't expect DNF to be the best game ever. After 12 years, it should be - but I don't think it's going to carry a fantastic story, character development, or really push the genre ahead in any new way. That's not what Duke is about. I do expect it to be a freakin' hella' fun-ass wild-as-sin ride, though.

After all these years, I booted-up some DN3D today in EDuke32 - that game still is accessible as hell and just a riot to play.

[W7RE]

After all these years, I booted-up some DN3D today in EDuke32 - that game still is accessible as hell and just a riot to play.

Yea, I was playing some Duke3D on XBLA last night. (Thanks George Broussard, for giving codes away on your twitter.) It's still a blast. The ONLY thing that bugs me about it is the odd way things look when you look up or down.

[Cobra951]

Oh, yeah.  Old raycaster.  Verticals are always, well, vertical, regardless of perspective on everything else.  Can't look too far up or down before things look really weird.

[idolminds]

Looks like Gearbox now totally owns the Duke franchise.

George Broussard mentions...

...and Triptych Games which continued the game for us through all of 2009 and into 2010 with Gearbox. Triptych is made up of 9 3DR employees who refused to let the game go and we found a way through the legal maze to keep them working on the game and to keep the game alive. They have been the development force for the last year that's made the game possible.

What you see coming from PAX right now is what we originally made at 3DR with polish and additional work by Triptych and assistance from Gearbox. http://www.triptychgames.com/

[Xessive]

That sounds pretty good actually. I get the feeling Gearbox can carry the classic shooter style into this generation and onward, as they demonstrated with Borderlands.

[MysterD]

From Tramell Issac's blog, who is an ex-3DR Employee.
He's currently an Art Director at Sony Online Entertainment, BTW.

Let me break this down for you. 85% of the work you see coming out of PAX is from our group at 3dr. 10% Triptych (the last 10% is the hardest ask any game developer) Which leaves 5% for the guys at Gearbox (with help from Triptych). To be perfectly honest, that Gearbox percentage could be plus or minus a few points. Bottomline, DNF was damn near completion if not completed when Gearbox got it (PC version). I'm not trying to discount anyones efforts as I have nothing to gain at this point. I just want to the truth out there in some form or fashion.

So heres the truth... Gearbox was handed a game that was pretty close to finish (pc version), polished it, ported it to the Ps3 and x360 then goes to PAX and says crap like that.

EDIT:
More stuff from Isaac's blog.

EDIT 2:
GameSetWatch -> Article on Pitchford talking about how Gearbox wound-up w/ Duke Nukem IP.

EDIT 3:
Duke's got a bad-ass pizza - this is from PAX.
I'm not a big fan of Papa John's, but that's a cool pizza...


EDIT 4 - 9/7/2010:
Destructoid -> Interview w/ Jon St. John (the voice of Duke Nukem).

[gpw11]

From Tramell Issac's blog, who is an ex-3DR Employee.
He's currently an Art Director at Sony Online Entertainment, BTW.

I don't really get what he's so bitter about and I'm kind of assuming he just read something the wrong way.

[Cobra951]

I don't know who's telling the truth.  Is the truth what Gearbox is saying, or was the game 95% complete before they got it (which is what he's saying)?  They are 2 very different stories.  I can see him being bitter if he lived his story.

[PyroMenace]

I don't really get what he's so bitter about and I'm kind of assuming he just read something the wrong way.

I dont get how he comes off like hes proud of finishing a game that took over a decade to make.

[idolminds]

Well people seem excited and they like the demo, if I had done all that work I wouldn't be happy about getting zero credit for it.

[PyroMenace]

I guess, but I wouldnt say 3DRealms is getting zero credit, I didnt see Pitchfords comments saying that.

[MysterD]

I guess, but I wouldnt say 3DRealms is getting zero credit, I didnt see Pitchfords comments saying that.

Destructoid -> Video interview w/ Randy Pitchford from PAX.
Pitchford definitely does mention Triptych working on the game and all, after 3DR shut-down.

More from Tramell Issac - his latest blog entry.

EDIT - 9-10-2010:
Shacknews -> Interview w/ Gearbox's Steve Gibson on DNF (who actually founded Shacknews, some time ago...)

[MysterD]

VG247 -> Gearbox is working w/ retailers to try to do something for those who have OLD pre-orders on DNF.

[W7RE]

Giant Bomb is doing their Thursday Night Throwdown, and they've got Michael Pachter, and they just had Jon St. John (voice of Duke Nukem) on the phone. not sure how much longer it's supposed to last.

http://www.giantbomb.com/chat/

EDIT: And now they're talking on the phone with George Broussard.

[idolminds]

TRAILER

Coming May 3rd in NA, May 6 in other places.

[iPPi]

Heh, no longer vaporware and it appears to be coming out on consoles as well.

[Pugnate]

[Quemaqua]

Haha, I'm still excited to see it come out, I don't care what anybody says.  That was an awesome trailer.

[MysterD]

That trailer is freakin' epic.
Looks awesome.

[ScaryTooth]

That trailer was pretty great. Made me laugh. I don't think it's going to be an awesome game or anything. Might be worth a play through. But I dunno. We'll see.

[W7RE]

Balls of Steel Edition announced

In addition to a copy of the legendary shooter, the Duke Nukem Forever Balls of Steel Edition includes:

Collectible bust of the greatest alien ass-kicker of all-time
Numbered, limited-edition certificate of authenticity
100-page hardcover book: The History, Legacy & Legend: Duke Nukem Forever Art from the Vault
Duke Nukem Forever postcard series
Duke Nukem Forever radioactive emblem sticker
Duke Nukem Forever collectible comic book
Duke Nukem Forever foldable paper craft
Duke Nukem Forever poker chips
Duke Nukem Forever mini-card deck
Duke Nukem Forever radioactive emblem dice

Priced at $99.99, the Duke Nukem Forever Balls of Steel Edition will be available exclusively through GameStop and Amazon in the United States. Quantities will be limited, so be sure to pre-order as soon as you can!

[TheOtherBelmont]

Oh hell yes, I will have to get that.  $99.99 is not a bad price for all of that stuff.

[MysterD]

That BOS Edition is awesome.

[MysterD]

Shacknews -> Interview w/ Steve Gibson on DNF.
IGN -> DNF preview.
Worthplaying -> DNF preview.

[Quemaqua]

I might have to call the expensive edition a belated birthday present to myself.  It may say something about my intelligence level, but I still love Duke.

[W7RE]

The day I posted this the BoS info, I preordered on Amazon. I just checked, and both the PC and Xbox versions of the Balls of Steel edition are listed as not available for PC and Xbox. They must have hit their limit on preorders for those platforms already.