duke-nukem posts (Subscribe to this feed)

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.

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?

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!

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]

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'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]

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]

Duke Nukem 3D has found another revenue stream, this time on the iPhone as the seminal FPS shoots onto the App Store for $2.99 -- as part of a "one day special launch sale." We're not sure what the normal price would be, but with Civilization Revolution launching yesterday at $4.99, Duke's adventure from 13 years ago had better not ask for much more.

AppGamer notes that initial feedback on the title has been positive, though there's no "lite" version to test out. The game has the "thumb-stick style controls," but also comes with "slider-style controls." If you've already played this on your morning commute, be sure to share your opinion in the comments below!

[Thanks, Chris]

A new development in the never-ending saga that is Duke Nukem Forever -- or, as we like to call it, Duke Nukem The Ever ... Living! -- has now revealed itself on Facebook. Specifically, Duke Nukem's Facebook page -- we totally friended him -- has been posting screenshots that appear to be from the ill-fated Duke Nukem Forever. As Big Download notes, the shots focus on one giant boss monster stalking what looks like Hoover Dam. We also get a nice render of one of the series floating squid-monster-things and another cybernetic monstrosity.

For its part, 3D Realms claims that work on Duke Nukem Forever continues, despite the ongoing legal battle surrounding it. For our part, we can only marvel that we're now seeing more of Duke Nukem Forever after its death than we ever saw during its development.

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.

That's right, everyone's favorite ass kicker and bubble gum enthusiast is making a new home on the iPhone, as IGN reports 3D Realms' superb FPS, Duke Nukem 3D, will be available on the iPhone App store soon. Ported by Machineworks Northwest, this direct PC port will feature the entire original game, so you'll be able to tip those working girls and relieve yourself in the game's many bathrooms soon enough.

After spending some time with a preview build, IGN had nothing but good things to say, especially about the improved graphics. IGN didn't knock the controls, either, and said there will be two options: tap-to-shoot and a classic scheme. There's no word on when the game will be available on the App store, but we'll be sure to let you know as soon as it is.

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.]

It may be a while until you get your grubby paws on Duke Nukem's latest adventure (if ever), but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to enjoy some irrelevant '90s humor from the silver-tongued action star.

Until the end of the day on June 1, Good Old Games is selling both Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition and Duke Nukem Manhattan Project for 25 percent off -- bundled for $8.98. If you've already purchased one of the discounted titles prior to this promotion, GOG is offering a discount on the second title ($1.50 off for $4.49). Time to kick ass, chew bubble gum and remember Duke had a pretty good history.

It's become clear as of late that Duke Nukem Forever has become a topic that we can't ignore. Today is no exception, with 3D Realms releasing its first public statement since the dissolving of the game's development team and saying that it's "not closed and is not closing." Though the developer admits Take-Two "retains publishing rights to the game [DNF]," it's positing an ability to "sell the game directly to the public."

Furthermore, the company is charging Take-Two with bully tactics for the way it has treated 3D Realms over the past year or so of negotiation. 3DR says Take-Two tried to force a "fire sale" out of the situation and due to this, 3DR left the table as of May 4. As the release pointedly notes, this was only two days before the news broke of the original events, and a flood of screenshots and video of the game was loosed on the public. Seems like we've got more litigation on our hands! Yeehaw!