All these leaked videos make the game look like a bad game from 2004... I'm not too torn up about DNF's death anymore. After that weight-lifting trailer in 08 I was hoping we'd see it someday, but it's just been too long.
By the way, guys, there are rumours that the folks that brought us 'Borderlands' - Gearbox - have picked up the rights and development of 'Duke Nukem Forever'. I wouldn't be getting excited at this moment in time, because this is still just a rumour. Anyway, here's some linkage. Let's see how this progresses; hopefully the rumours are true.
It's not that they picked up the rights, 3D Realms/ Apogee are out sourcing the development to them. Since they're both in the same city and GearBox has staff ready to use.
But, rumour right now.
It's a pretty strong rumour. Respected members of the 3DR and Duke communities say they have it on good authority that the rumour is valid and we'll be hearing DNF news at PAX in a couple days. This has been the first DNF rumour in years that actually seems to be holding water.
A fan created a blog called DukeWatch that posts all news related to DNF and the rumour.
While the link that MusicallyInspired posted is probably sufficient for all of the new information that emerges about the game, might I turn your attention to an article by Andy Chalk of Escapist Magazine.
According to Jon St Jons Twitter he said that the panel he'll be on at PAX has nothing to do with DNF but for all we know he could be lying to decieve us so it comes as a surprise.
Surprised no-one else has posted this. Duke Nukem Forever is still being worked on - by Gearbox. They've been working on it since 2009, and are aiming to have it out either by the end of the year or early next year.
Kotaku has the story, as does everyone else. Also, for bonus points, here it isin action.
According to playthroughs, the level of interactivity and gameplay feels like a Duke game. Gearbox was also started by ex-3DR employees and a lot of the laid off DNF team from 3DR now work at Gearbox. So it's all the same people. Release is in 2011 FOR SURE, says Gearbox president Randy Pitchford. And will be for XBox 360, PS3, and Windows PC.
After what is arguably the longest, most troubled development in the history of video games, Duke Nukem Forever is finally, really, truly here. It's not being shown secretly, behind-closed-doors at some industry event. Instead, it's at PAX, an event that is, more than any other in this industry, consumer facing, and that tangibility is a big part of Gearbox's reveal.
Wait, who? Gearbox Software, the Texas-based dev who's helping to bring 3D Realms' pre-Google (think about it!) labor of love to consoles, is behind this revival along with publisher 2K Games. "This is a game you can't make promises about," Gearbox prez Randy Pitchford told an audience of incredulous gamers this morning. "Haven't we not been teased enough? We don't want to tease. We just thought we'd bring it to PAX." And Gearbox didn't just bring a trailer – although it did bring one of those – but more importantly, there's about 15 minutes of playable game. Let that sink in for a while.
While we weren't able to grab video of the trailer – you'll have to settle for my account – Pitchford did say that people could take pics. Actually, he said, "You've got cameras. You've got cellphones with cameras on them. Take all the pictures you want [...] We'll even take the pictures for you." You know, when Duke Nukem Forever was first announced, I didn't have a cellphone yet ... and the idea of a cellphone with a camera on it? Madness.
Duke Nukem Forever (hands-on!)
Before the trailer began, Pitchford took another opportunity to assuage gamer's concerns. "It's coming in 2011. It's coming in 2011. It's absolutely going to come, and we will have it shipped. We brought you Borderlands last year. We know what we're doing. It's coming on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and Windows PC." And it's not just single-player; Pitchford says that DNF's "competitive multiplayer kicks ass; it's out of control."
And then, we went right into the trailer: The world repelled an alien invasion and a hero is revered. We see statues of Duke, the hero, the savior of Earth, "a man whose very presence sent aliens running back to their motherships." And then, like all alien invaders sent packing, they "came back angry." They tore the planet apart, but made one mistake: "They shouldn't have gone after our women," the narrator says.
"Dammit! Why do they always take the hot ones?"
It's the husky voice of the Duke, with the same prepubescent sense of humor. "Nothing gets between me and my babes!" he coos. As if on cue, the trailer cuts to scenes of (what else?) strippers! There's a handful of scripted attacks – a punch to the groin elicits a response from Duke. A frozen enemy gets kicked and elicits a "rest in pieces" response. A giant, really ugly, three-boobed alien elicits a particularly puerile response: "Hell, I'd still hit it." In other words, this is Duke Nukem, the same crass character that took the late-20th century gaming world by storm. In an era of epic storylines and earnest, touching stories about space marines, I haven't decided if Duke's personality is a refreshing, testosterone-infused breeze or an anachronistic relic, amusing in that "ironic" way. But there's time to make that decision later. For now, let's get to the hands-on.
The first level, titled "Duke Lives," begins with a urinal, pull Right Trigger to pee. After relieving yourself, you turn around and find yourself in a bathroom. Just like in Duke 3D, the interactive elements are novel. Look, there's Duke in a mirror. Look, you can pee. Leaving the bathroom, there's some soldiers gathered around a whiteboard with the words "cock block" scribbled over the image of a large alien. They're planning their attack, but that doesn't mean you can't pick up a marker and scribble on your own. The soldiers approve of your plan ... if only they'd followed that.
You make your way out of the room – it's a locker room in a football stadium – and you catch a glimpse of the level's boss, a giant cyclops, waiting for you in the field. He knocks you back, and Duke flies backwards. The parts we played never break that first-person experience. It's like Half-Life ... but with boobs. Your path blocked, you make your way through the stadium's tunnels until you find a weapon, the Devastator. Grab that, an elevator takes you to the field, and you start shooting him in his stupid alien face. The rain wets the screen, a jet drops ammo, and you simply avoid the enormous cyclops while pummeling him with rockets.
Once he's defeated -- which you do by running up to him, slamming on the A button and ripping some tubes out of his head – he drops to the ground and his eyeball falls out. But, in keeping with the whole "interactive environment" thing, you have an option: Kick a field goal. Press A and you do just that. "It's good!"
Then the screen pulls back, two women have their heads in Duke's lap and there's a ... maybe a slurping sound. One says, "Was that good, Duke?" The other says, "And how about the game?" Duke responds, "Yeah but after 12 fucking years it should be." Fin. That's the end of Level 1.
The next level is numbered 15 and titled "Highway Battle," and it's a driving level. It's pretty routine – RT to accelerate, A for turbo and B for a sharp turn. You drive along apocalyptic vistas, smashing into pig monsters, making some sweet jumps, until ... you run out of gas. From here on out, you're on foot. The pig monsters shoot you, you shoot them back. Here we get to switch weapons: There's a pistol, there's a shotgun, there's a railgun, there's the shrinkgun. In keeping with modern conventions, LT pulls your gun up, and RT fires. Unlike most modern games, you can shrink guys ... and then step on them. Winding your way through the level, you make your way to a mounted gattling gun, which you use to mow down some pigs and a flying ship. It's a heavily guided experience, make no mistake, but it's surprisingly polished.
And that's my personal takeaway: This game works. It may not be the best game ever -- who knows, I only played 15 minutes! -- but it's a game. And it works. And it doesn't look, at least graphically, like it began production in 1997. Thematically? Well, that's a different topic. And while the graphics aren't going to put Crysis 2 to shame, they're fine ... good even! The film grain effect does a nice job of improving the overall image quality.
For now, this is enough. It's more than enough. After 13 years in development, and then being pronounced dead, Gearbox has performed something of a miracle here. Pitchford and company didn't just raise the dead, but they did so without most of those pesky zombie side effects. Duke Nukem is here and he's alive.
Made by gearbox? Pah. They couldn't charm their way out of a paper bag, let alone capture the charm of Duke Nukem.
Irrelevant, I heard that alot of the original 3D Realms guys working on the game moved over to gearbox's office to work on it. The quality remains 3D Realms, mostly.
The game was made 90% by 3D Realms then Triptych Games finished off the rest of it (who were all ex-3DR employees from the layoff last year). Then the game was polished and ported to 360 and PS3 by Gearbox with help (again) from Triptych Games. A lot of ex 3DR employees also work at Gearbox now. But Gearbox didn't do basically anything to DNF. They're just getting it out the door.
Also, Gearbox was sold the Duke Nukem franchise rights.
Comments
This link above is not a RickRoll.
But, rumour right now.
3D realms have stopped working on it, but take two still own the lisence.
Aparently Gearbox have picked up development
A fan created a blog called DukeWatch that posts all news related to DNF and the rumour.
http://dukewatch.blogspot.com/
Heres 2Ks live stream, starts at 1pm EST, 10am PST and 6pm GMT
http://www.ustream.tv/2kgameslive
We can all see if DNF makes an appearance via this stream.
Thanks alot
Kotaku has the story, as does everyone else. Also, for bonus points, here it is in action.
http://dukenukemforever.com/
According to playthroughs, the level of interactivity and gameplay feels like a Duke game. Gearbox was also started by ex-3DR employees and a lot of the laid off DNF team from 3DR now work at Gearbox. So it's all the same people. Release is in 2011 FOR SURE, says Gearbox president Randy Pitchford. And will be for XBox 360, PS3, and Windows PC.
Here's an informative article:
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/03/duke-nukem-forever-preview/
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CANT WAIT!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N2tgvd3WJw&fmt
Coooooooooooooooool.
Agreed.
But what if it does...
Then the universe would explode with awesomeness.
Then it already has a review about how awesome it is.
I played the demo, and well...all I can say is it's Duke, and it was awesome, the hour and a half wait was well worth it.
Then people will begin to use question marks where appropriate.
Irrelevant, I heard that alot of the original 3D Realms guys working on the game moved over to gearbox's office to work on it. The quality remains 3D Realms, mostly.
They didn't scrap the game.
C'mon now, they force fed Claptrap right into our hearts!
(Seriously, I love Borderlands, but it was a little silly of them to assume that Claptrap would be a hit and throw fan service at us *cough*
Apparently most of the team that are working on it now were working on it during the 3D Realms production era.
Haha, I crack my self up.
But seriously, I think I will really believe it's out when I have it in my hands, and I have been owning it for a week.
Also, Gearbox was sold the Duke Nukem franchise rights.