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A Piece of Duke History
 Last week, when I was rummaging around in some old dusty files on my hard drive, I ran across some avi files that I thought might be interesting from a historical standpoint.
The video files were taken during production of Duke Nukem 3D, and were eventually used in the game themselves. These files are very short, and have no sound, but you can get a look at the "real life" versions of the $100 bill animation, as well as the shotgun. The hands in these video clips are Steve Hornback's, who was one of the principal artists on Duke Nukem 3D.
You can download these clips here (all three of them are zipped up into one archive), and they require the Real Player to view (the new G2 beta is recommended).
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Duke Action Figure News Coverage
 A non-profit group called "Lion and Lamb Project" have labelled the Duke Nukem Action Figure one of their "Dirty Dozen Toys to Avoid in 1998-1999". Lion & Lamb is a national grassroots initiative providing information about the effects of violent entertainment, toys and games on children's behavior. We work with parents, teachers, day care providers, social workers, psychologists, grandparents, and others--anyone interested in teaching the values of nonviolence to children. Here's what they have to say about the Duke Nukem Action Figure...
Description: A Duke Nukem action figure that comes complete with three machine guns and a bloodied knife. "Duke can hold ALL his weapons at one time!" the packaging notes, adding "Duke has 13 points of awesome alien butt-kicking articulation!"
Why we chose it: This action figure is marketed to young children but is based on an exceedingly violent video and computer game that is rated for players ages 17 and up. Three other game characters are marketed on the same box, including the OctaBrain who "splatters real well."
The group also issued a press release regarding their Dirty Dozen List, and there's a news story over on CNN's Web Site about this issue.
With all this in mind, if you'd like to read more about the Action Figure, you can do so on our Action Figures Page.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Time to Kill Scores 95% in PS Extreme
PS Extreme, one of the top Playstation specific magazines, gave Time to Kill a glowing review, with the reviewer saying the game is "...one of the best titles I've played all year."
A few more juicy quotes:
* "TTK plays like a testosterone-injected, bosom-deflated version of Tomb Raider, with the notable differences being the game environments, intense shooting action, and that Duke panache."
* "The game is graphically impressive, running in the Playstation's 512 x 240 [highest] resolution and the levels are large and detailed."
* "Gameplay is the thing in TTK and the game has more depth than any prior game sporting the 'Nukem' label."
* "The level design from beginning to end is tight, interesting and extremely detailed. The old west, for example, is made up of a "High Noon" style town and the caves, water ways and gold mines that lie beneath it." In the mines, there are a series of huge, electrically powered drills that are used to core and make tunnels."
* "TTK is an engrossing adventure that goes way beyond the previous limitations of first-person Duke games to establish a new benchmark...I highly recommend it to fans of adventure, Duke and Lara Croft."
In other Time to Kill news, GamePro's review of Duke Nukem: Time to Kill gives the game high marks, saying "...it's all about action, baby, and Duke won't let you down." The review raves: "Tons of bad-ass weapons and secrets, solid puzzle-solving adventure elements, and two-player split-screen deathmatches keep you deep in the game." Finally, GamePro writes, "The sound kicks as much ass as Duke himself, with scorching weapon effects and atmospheric tunes. The hilarious Duke-isms are icing on the cake, as he comments on everything from the local babes to South Park's Mr. Hanky!"
We've heard that TTK is selling fast and furious, and is one of the top Playstation games for Xmas. Don't miss out!
For more information on Duke Nukem: Time to Kill, check out our Product Catalog.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Corrinne Yu Press Release
As announced yesterday, 3D Realms has hired Corrinne Yu to head up development of technology here at 3D Realms. Released today is our official press release announcing Ms. Yu's hiring by us. Here are a couple of small tidbits from the full press release (which is no longer online):
* 3D Realms is starting a new technology development group that will focus solely on 3D engine development with the goal of providing this technology for internally developed games, and for licensing to interested third-party developers.
* Prey and Duke Nukem 5 (tentative title) will be the first games to use this technology.
Look for more info about Corrinne Yu on our site once she gets here and gets settled in.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Chris Hargrove on Voodoo 3
It's been a slow few news days, but today, we have this bit on the newly announced Voodoo 3 card from 3DFX. Billy over at Voodoo Extreme asked our own Chris Hargrove (programmer - Duke Nukem Forever) for his thoughts, and this is what Chris had to say...
The lack of 32 bit rendering isn't ultra-critical in terms of display output, at least to me (artists might disagree), but if that in turn eliminates possible support for stencil buffers, then yeah that would be a hit. As for the specs, it certainly doesn't look like a bad card; my primary concern is whether the drivers for D3D/OpenGL that they're using will actually _work_ as opposed to their current D3D/OpenGL drivers which are flaky and not the most robust in the world (compared to the TNT which has given us very few problems). If they do manage to get their drivers up to par though, then it sounds like it should be a competitive card, assuming the thing will actually run in a window for once. Now that also depends on when the Voodoo3 is slated to ship; if it's too far down the road (and/or if the card is still fullscreen only), then they're going to have problems.
The full article has comments from several other programmers in the industry, such as Tim Sweeney (Epic), Brian Goble (Monolith), Rick Johnson (Raven), John Carmack (id), as well as several others. If you'd like to read more about the Voodoo3 card, you can check out 3DFX's Voodoo 3 Press Release.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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New Member of the Realm
3D Realms has hired a new programmer to work here. It's someone that should be familiar to the 3D gaming scene. Her name is Corrinne Yu. Here's a news update from George Broussard's .plan file...
Exciting news! 3D graphics programming guru Corrinne Yu (Former Director of Technology at Ion Storm) will be joining us soon to lead up development on our new next generation graphics engine. Look for a press release on www.3drealms.com tomorrow some time. We are VERY excited about the future.
Look back here tomorrow for a full press release on this matter.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Paul Richards Interview
Gamers Dimension has a new interview with Duke Nukem Forever team member Paul Richards Online. It's a little on the short side, but it's still worth you checking out. Here's a snippet from it:
Q: What exactly do you do, I mean what is "Conceptual Art," (I know little about art)
A: "Conceptual art, pre-production design, or whatever you want to call it is the artwork that modelers, texture artists and mappers work off of when there's a specific look the game designer is shooting for. When there's sketches to refer to, it eliminates some of the guesswork that goes into creating a game on a visual level, and provides consistency to some degree."
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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3D Realms Makes Gamecenter's Top 10 List - 6 Times!
GameCenter has been around for two years and decided to rank their top ten feature stories of more than 2000 total. Six of those features included 3D Realms!
* Best Feature #9: Prey was one of the games ranked in a feature titled, "The Magnificent 7."
* Best Feature #8: Wolfenstein 3-D is ranked number three is a feature titled, "The Hall of Game Innovation."
* Best Feature #6: Duke Nukem 3D was matched against Quake in another major feature, with Duke winning in the areas of weapons, deathmatching and interface.
* Best Feature #4: The original Duke Nukem ranked number five in a feature titled, "The Top 10 Downloads of All Time."
* Best Feature #2: In a feature titled "Separated at Birth," Duke Nukem and Tom Jones are compared with shocking results. GameCenter rates this feature as maybe "the funniest story GameCenter has ever published."
* Best Feature #1: This probing feature on "Sex in Games" also references Duke Nukem a time or two!
This is a really fun set of stories, some of which you might have missed. You can also vote for your favorite feature. At the time of this writing the top four features leading the voting all include Apogee/3D Realms games.
--------
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Charlie Wiederhold Interviewed
 Charlie Wiederhold, the newest member of the Duke team, was interviewed recently by 3D Portal's Dukeworld. Charlie comes to 3D Realms from Ritual Software, having just finished up work on Sin. Charlie has been a member of the Duke community for some time now, and he brings his "fan perspective" on Duke to the Duke team.
If you'd like to hear what Charlie had to say to Dukeworld, make sure to check out the interview today. Here's a quote from it:
The chance to work on Duke Forever was simply too much to pass up. My parting with Ritual was very good and I have a lot of friends there. I stuck around to help finish Sin and everyone from both companies was very flexible with the situation. The last couple of months I had at Ritual were the best months of my time there.
BTW, Charlie, if it makes you feel any better... MONKEY!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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3D Portal's Dukeworld in Yahoo!
Brad Wernicke brings us the news of 3D Portal's Dukeworld being in the print magazine, "Yahoo Internet Life". This is what Brad had to say about it..
Just got the December issue of Yahoo Internet Life (a Ziff Davis publication) in the mail today. On page 54 in the gaming roundup section, they printed this little tidbit of info:
"The latest version of the 3-D series takes Duke to Las Vegas and the Nevada desert. And though we don't really want to know what Duke creator George Broussard meant when he described the game as "Duke Nukem 3D on Crack," we do know what happened to Hunter S. Thompson and Elvis visited this desert mecca."
At the end of the mini-article, they had a link to everyone's favorite Duke Nukem website, Dukeworld. Be sure to pick up the December issue of Yahoo Internet life, it has extensive coverage of Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troy, from Star Trek: TNG), and much more. :-)
(It's Troi, Brad :)
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Max Payne Update
Remedy Entertainment, the makers of Max Payne (and Death Rally) have updated their Max Payne Web Site. This update adds two new members to their development team. These two new members are Marty Howe & Jussi R�s�nen. Here's some information about the new members to the Max Payne team:
* Marty Howe - Joins Remedy as a level designer on the Max Payne Project from Australia.
* Jussi Rasanen - Joins Remedy for 3D engine research and development.
For all the lowdown on these two newest Remedy members, check out the Official Max Payne Web Site today!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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More Zero Hour
Following up on yesterday's Zero Hour preview, we got word (from Doug Howell) that there was a preview of Duke Nukem: Zero Hour published on videogames.com's site on Nov 2nd. Here's a bit of what they had to say from their full preview:
* Even if you've seen the movies Evil Dead 2 and They Live a hundred times and know all his lines backwards and forwards, there's still a certain irresistible charm to 3D Realms' trash-talking Schwarzeneggarian hero, Duke Nukem.
* On the graphical front, all the characters will be composed of polygonal models instead of the old Duke Nukem 3D sprites, and the game will feature colored fog, Gouraud shading, and all the other bells and whistles you've come to expect on the Nintendo 64 (possibly even boosted into high-res mode through the N64 RAM Pak).
* An intriguing package overall to be sure, made more so by the fact that the developers will hopefully have been able to learn from their previous efforts on the N64....
Make sure to check out this preview today, as it has a lot of screenshots (their page says there are 49 of them)!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Duke Nukem Zero Hour Preview!
There is a new preview online for the upcoming Nintendo 64 exclusive game, "Duke Nukem: Zero Hour". This is a totally original game for the N64 platform, both in content and graphics. It's not a port of a PC game, nor is it a port of the PSX title "Time to Kill". Duke Nukem: Zero Hour is a third person perspective Duke Nukem adventure game, exclusively for the N64. Zero Hour will not be ported to the PSX, the PC, or anything else.
IGN has got the preview for Zero Hour, and here's a little of what they had to say about it.
Traveling back through time has itsadvantages, especially if you happen to be a girl-saving tough-guy from the future. Here are just a few of the time-zones players can obliterate as Nukem:
* Post apocalyptic and present daystreets of New York City where he will fight throughout the cities streets, at and in the Statue of Liberty, and on destroyed highways throughout the metropolitan area.
* The Old West where he will face his adversaries in western towns, jails, on paddle steamers, in old western forts, and in mines.
* Victorian England in and about towns, in graveyards, on rivers, in airships, inside island castles and inside scientists labs.
* "Time zone" -- GT Interactive won't say what this is just, only that it's a "secret."
Thankfully, Zero Hour will feature a four-player split-screen deathmatch mode in which players can hunt one-another down. Details regarding the feature are still sketchy, but IGN64.com speculates that players will be able to control variations of the Nukem through a pre-set number of deathmatch-specific levels. In other words, a style very similar to Rare's Goldeneye.
Make sure to head over to the IGN preview of Duke Nukem: Zero Hour, and check it out today (it also has some screenshots, too). Thanks to Robert Leger for pointing this out to us.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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3D Realms Forum Software Upgraded
Today, we upgraded the software that we use on our Web Forums. Our Forums are a place where you can interact with some of us, as well as lots of other 3D Realms fans! This upgrade (UBB v5.10) is primarily a "background" thing (on the server side, the code is MUCH more efficient). However, there are some end user enhancements. They are:
1. The Initial Summary screen now shows the number of threads in addition to the total number of posts for any Topic.
2. The Topic is now also listed at the top of the msg list (when you're reading that topic), as opposed to just on the Web Browser title bar.
3. Probably the biggest new feature in this version is signatures. You can go into your user profile (link is at the top of just about every screen), and add one in. You're limited to only a small amount of characters, and you can't use images in there, but you can create a signature to use so you don't have to type it over and over again.
That's about it! If you notice any problems, please make sure to drop us a line about the forums. If you haven't checked out our forums yet, you should do so. Participation is free - check 'em out! We have topics about Shadow Warrior, Apogee classics, and of course, Duke Nukem. Some of the other topics available are for other companies games, as well as a hardware forum and MUCH MORE!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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SWAT Duke Action Figure
 The third (somewhat elusive) Duke Nukem "Duke" figure has been found for sale on the net. NOTE: That is no longer the case, as it's long out of print and discontinued.
This figure follows up the NightStrike Duke action figure, as well as the original Duke action figure. We have some pictures of these action figures online. Check out our Action Figures page for more information and pictures on the figures.
Please note that this item is not available from 3D Realms, this order is through an outside firm, and we have no control over pricing or delivery. The site is also a good place to order movie posters from if you're into that sort of thing. :) Here's a bit of what their web site has to say about the action figure.
Hail to the King, Baby--It's A Previews Exclusive! Everybody loves the Duke (and we ain't talking about John Wayne!), and now Previews has an exclusive Duke Nukem figure decked out as a member of a S.W.A.T. team! Yep, it's time to go on maneuvers with Duke in his new outfit, complete with black SWAT tank top, turned back black cap, and personal arsenal of death and destruction. Special Weapons and Tactics?! Dukes' a living weapon, baby!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Time to Kill is #1
Electronics Boutique has released its sales figures for the last week for cartridge game sales. In a spectacular showing, Duke Nukem: Time to Kill entered the chart at #1! Here's a listing of all the games in their chart:
1. Duke Nukem: Time to Kill (PSX)
2. Tenchu (PSX)
3. NFL Blitz (PSX)
4. NHL 99 (PSX)
5. Madden 99 (PSX)
6. Parasite Eve (PSX)
7. NFL Blitz (Nintendo 64)
8. Ninja (PSX)
9. Madden 99 (Nintendo 64)
10. Test Drive 5 (PSX)
In other Duke Nukem: Time to Kill News, there's a new review of the game online over at IGN. Here's some of what they had to say about it:
* Duke Nukem: Time to Kill is a real hybrid game, a meshing of Tomb Raider and Duke's finest qualities. It's not Tomb Raider, but it's no longer the fast-paced, whiz-bang, first-person shooter of old, either.
* And of course, let us not forget the babes, who are here in scantily clad fashion, doing things to poles you would be embarrassed to tell to your mother.
The review has several videos and still shots at the end of it, so make sure to head over to IGN and check out the review today!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Duke Nukem Time to Kill "Truly Excels"
GameCenter's review of Time to Kill says: "Without a doubt, Time to Kill is a great game for Duke fans. Finally, we have a Tomb Raider-esque game with balls."
Be sure to check out the Gamecenter review, which also made these great comments:
"This Duke game showcases excellent graphics, sound, and gameplay."
"While Duke is traveling thorough these different eras, his weapons change with the times as well: very cool."
"Gameplay is where Time to Kill truly excels."
"The game runs in 640 by 480 high-res mode, making the object details very sharp. The graphics engine also shows off dynamic lighting and shadows. The more powerful weapons, such as the rocket-propelled grenade and Holy Grenades, showcase cool explosion effects that reflect off walls and ceilings."
"...the temporal-travel aspect of the game is a brilliant twist that makes playing Duke Nukem: Time to Kill time well spent."
"It's nice to see a title give Lara a run for her money. And what makes Duke Nukem: Time to Kill that much better is the over-the-top personality of the main character, Duke Nukem."
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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3D Realms on World Charts!
 3D Realms has moved even higher on the World Charts listing published today. We're now listed at Number 4 on the chart, behind only Voodoo Extreme, Case's Ladder, & Betanews.com. We at 3D Realms want to thank you for your support, and we are glad that you've listed us so high on the charts! We hope that you continue to vote for us in the future, so that we may climb higher on the list still! You can vote for us by clicking on the "Internet Websites Top 100" graphic below.
In other World Charts news, the new game Duke Nukem: Time to Kill has placed much higher on the charts, too! It's come in at Number 14 on the Video Games Top 100 List (having moved up forty two spaces from last week's 56). Let's see if we can crack the Top 10 on next week's chart with this game, too! You can vote for Time to Kill with the "Internet Video Games Top 100" graphic below.
We really wish to thank our fans for placing us in the Top 5 Web Sites chart, it's great to see so many people out there supporting us.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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In a rather silly piece of news today, I received word that Illusion over at prey.net did an editorial piece entitled "Joe's other obsession" about my E3 Booth Babe Picture Archive. It's obvious he liked 
If you have children over the age of nine or 10--particularly boys--they are probably playing computer and video games that you aren't likely to see reviewed in the pages of Computers Made Easy. These games have titles like Redneck Rampage, Total Annihilation and Resident Evil. They feature scantily clad women, testosterone-crazed men and enough weaponry to obliterate a small country. And while they are billed as entertainment, these games have a far greater--and potentially more damaging--impact than the arcade games played by younger kids.