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Interview With Scott Miller
The folks over at gamesplayer.com have done an interview with Scott Miller, founder of Apogee Software. In this interview, Scott fields questions that were posed to him in response to a recent plan update he made. Here's a few of the questions:
Q: The tech (r)evolution will fade out at some time or other but when? In a couple years? This year? And what tech will we have seen before this happens? What do you whish would be done before we get there?
A: Well, I never gave VR goggles much of a chance, but other than that I do not see any technology that's currently in vogue that is doomed to fade away.
Q: Cool hardware won't do anyone any good unless quality software is written to make use of all the neat stuff provided by the hardware. How much do you think that engines make up for gameplay? That is, could a developer license a great engine and get gameplay "for free" or would it still take special coding to get there?
A: A game engine doesn't really contain gameplay, though it might limit gameplay possibilities.
You should check out the entire Q&A session, it's got some good insights into Scott's thoughts on where gaming is going.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Maximum Coverage for Max Payne
 Max Payne is packing heat with the press lately, with both Computer Gaming World (CGW) and PC Gamer showing Max Payne on their covers.
The big story is in CGW, where Max Payne is covered as part of a larger article about games coming from Gathering of Developers, a relatively new publisher based in Dallas, TX. Max gets a meaty 3-page spread with lots of insights and muzzle flash filled pictures.
Two juicy quotes from the article:
* "The designers have created realistic environments that are unmatched by anything we've seen."
* "If you've seen any John Woo movies, you already have a good idea of the kinds of moves Max is capable of performing."
Be sure to check out the June 1999 issue of CGW for the full scoop on Max Payne, as well as other games from Gathering of Developers.
This issue of Computer Gaming World will be distributed at May's E3 show. The cover that is shown here will be an exclusive cover produced solely for E3 and subscribers. The same magazine will be available on the news stands, but with a different cover.
Max Payne is also listed in PC Gamers' list of 100 games to look for in 1999. 100 games may sound like a lot, but keep in mind there are well over 1000 PC games released each year, so this list represents the top ten percent or better. Here's a quote: "The game's noirish feel and ultra-violent styling has generating a lot of early buzz -- and the gameplay looks set to back it up."
Also listed in the top 100 is Duke Nukem Forever, for which PC Gamer wrote: "For sheer fun and frolic, Duke Nukem 3D remains one of the greatest first-person shooters of all time. How can we not be excited about a sequel?"
Be sure to check out PC Gamer (June 1999 issue) for the complete list.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Remedy Entertainment News
 Remedy Entertainment (makers of Max Payne and Death Rally) have today unveiled a new look to their web site. With this new look comes the long awaited new logo (shown to your right). They have issued a press release regarding the new look; here's a snippet:
Alongside the development of Max Payne, Remedy's next game and highest priority, the company's graphic artists started brainstorming the new company look. "Coming up with a design that everyone could identify with certainly wasn't that easy; we tried out many different and interesting ideas over a long period of time, and finally came up with a combination that all of us love." said Kiia Kallio, the artist behind the logo.
If you'd like to read the full press release, you can check out the the local copy here, or you can visit Remedy's site to read all about it. In addition to the press release, they have several different versions of the logo available.
In addition to this, the Max Payne site has been updated with the new logo, and some other Max Payne Information including a new FAQ area. Make sure and check out all the latest over at the Max Payne site today!
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Duke Nukem: Zero Hour Insider Preview
Our own Keith Schuler today updated his .plan file with some information about Duke Nukem: Zero
Hour. He's been heavily involved with the final testing (no, it's not done yet despite what you might hear on some sitew), and had a lot to say about the game and what he's been playing. Take a look...
For the past couple of weeks I have spent much of my free time helping George to play, review, and suggest final design tweaks to Duke's latest foray on the N64, Duke Nukem: Zero Hour. What began many months ago as a port of the Playstation hit, Duke Nukem: Time To Kill, has evolved into an entirely unique game, unlike any other Duke Nukem game ever made. The guys at Eurocomm deserve a cheer and a pat on the back for all their hard work and single minded dedication. They have created what is, in my opinion, the best game for the Nintendo 64 since the release of Zelda 64. It will no doubt become one of the best 3rd person "run 'n' gun" games available for any system.
The game begins with Duke in the present day Earth Defense Force compound in New York City, receiving an urgent message on the video monitor. The message is from none other than himself, trapped somewhere in Earth's past. Aliens have travelled back in time to mess up key points in Earth's history. Duke went back in time to fight them, but along the way his time machine was destroyed, and unless the present day Duke travels through time and collects the pieces of the broken time machine, the future will forever be altered by the aliens' evil plot.
So begins Duke's greatest adventure yet. Before he is done he will visit many facinating places, including post-apocalyptic New York City, Fort Roswell (where Area 51 now stands), and a Waterworld-esque man made atoll. He will fly high on the Hindenburg and sink with the Titanic. He will meet interesting people, including General Custer and Jack The Ripper.
Not just another great game, Duke Nukem:Zero Hour is also a feat of technical wizardry for the Nintendo 64. The game resides on a 32Mb cartridge, the largest currently available, and I have no doubt they used every last bit of that memory. Here are some of the amazing things this game accomplishes:
* It has more speech than any other N64 title, and the most speech of any Duke Nukem game on any system. Duke has something different to say for every occasion throughout the gameplay and cinematics. The other characters have plenty to say as well.
* The areas Duke visits are truly vast, and thanks to ingenious programming by the folks at Eurocomm, you won't ever see a foggy clipping plane. These worlds just stretch out seemingly forever.
* The variety of levels is nothing short of incredible. You get to visit New York City in three different time periods, as well as the Old West, Victorian England, and an alien mothership. The adventure spans across eighteen levels, most of which are huge. They are all re-entrant, allowing you to go back and find those secrets you missed the first time through. Even the most skilled players will enjoy 20 hours of gameplay or more.
* The graphics are varied and beautiful. All of the time zones are littered with countless posters, signs, pictures, and decorations, full of both useful information and gags. The enemies also wear costumes appropriate to their respective time zones. If you have the RAM Expansion Pak for your N64, you can play the game with high-res textures, making it even more of a visual treat.
* The control scheme is brilliant. There was a slight learning curve, but once I grew used to the controls, I found I could move around, aim, and circle strafe with all the ease of a mouse.
* Multiplayer "Dukematch" is included for up to four players.
* Eurocomm has included support for the Rumble Pak and, as I stated above, the RAM Expansion Pak. You can save your game progress on the Memory Card that plugs into your controller.
Duke Nukem: Zero Hour should hit the shelves sometime during the next couple of months. I highly recommend it. Those of you starved for some Duke action should pick this title up and check it out. It's just the fix you need until Duke Nukem Forever ships.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Rumor Control on Duke Nukem Forever & Prey
Several rumours have popped up today in regards to Duke Nukem Forever & Prey. Here is some text taken from George Broussard's .plan file about these issues. Have a read...
I'll make this brief because we're busy working and don't have time for silly rumor distractions.
FACT: Duke Nukem Forever will NOT be shown at E3 in any capacity, by OUR choice. We have decided to stay focused and work through E3, and not let the distractions of a trade show dictate "when it's done". GT fully supports our decision and should be applauded for it. Duke Nukem: Zero Hour (N64) will be the Duke Nukem focus and man, let me tell you what, it rocks! We've been testing and tweaking it for 2 months and I see a million seller there.
FACT: GT has not "dropped, cancelled, pulled support, or poo-poo'ed" any part of Prey. They have always been supportive of our products.
FACT: Prey has had it's problems, but this is not news to anyone. We're designing a new engine (announced late last year when we hired Corrinne Yu). We parted ways with two key Prey developers last November (lead coder and project leader). These moves were made because we weren't happy with the tech in Prey. This is all old news. While new tech is being developed all content developers in the company are busy on Duke Nukem Forever. We didn't think this was such big news, but apparently we should have called 60 Minutes? ; )
NOTE TO OUR FANS: We'll update everyone on Prey when the time is right. But, if anyone is anticipating Prey anytime soon, you shouldn't be. We thought it was obvious that this game was a long way off, since we're creating a new engine. We probably should have been a little more clear about that and we apologize. Meanwhile, our sleeves are rolled up and we're all busy making one of the coolest games you've ever seen (DNF).
COMMUNITY NOTE: Seems to me that today's rumors were fairly inaccurate and something to take into account in the future. It'd sure be nice if "respectable" web sites would email us for clarification FIRST before posting wild claims from known rumor sites.
Jason "loonyboi" Bergman (http://www.loonygames.com)
Billy "wicked" Wilson (http://www.voodooextreme.com)
David Laprad (http://www.avault.com)
Jason Bates (http://pc.ign.com/)
Kudos to kick ass web guys above for emailing us about the facts BEFORE posting anything. Responsible journalism at it's finest.
We're going back to work now.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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A "Round" Interview with George Broussard
There's a new question and answer style interview with George Broussard out and about today. It's over at HardOCP, and it definitely sets a record for interviews. This sets the record for the highest percentage of "boob questions". Seriously, there is some decent game information in this interview, here's a sample:
Q:Will DNF also integrate Sven's technology into the Unreal engine, and what other groovin benefits have come to surface from that?
A: We have had Sven's MRG Level of Detail code in for 6 months. It saved us months of re-inventing the wheel and creating our own LOD system. The benefits come from dealing with less polygon's that you have too. And the perceived poly drops in the meshes is negligible. I think everyone agrees that framerate is more important than keeping a model at full poly count when it's 1 inch tall on the screen.
Q: There are quite a few 3D API�s out there, Direct3D, Glide, OpenGL, will DNF offer the same level of visual effects and performance with all these API�s or is the game optimized for a specific API? Or maybe you prefer software only?
A: Software only is dead now. We will support whatever Unreal ends up supporting. Right now Glide is the best API for Unreal. Clearly we want to support D3D as well, since it will reach every other card. OpenGL is fine, but considering the state of the drivers, I think D3D is a better way to go. The bottom line is that drivers SUCK for 3D cards now. People need to get their acts together and give developers a good, solid, supported API.
Q: Lastly, where do you hang on the weekends so I come try to scam a couple of frosty adult beverages off cuz I never see you at Hooters.
A: This last weekend a few of us scouted out local strip clubs like the Million Dollar Saloon, looking for models for the stippers But usually, we're here working 6-7 days a week.
There's some good stuff over at HardOCP - check it out!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Interview with Lee Jackson
On the heels of last week's EOG interview with Lee Jackson, comes this new one by the audio related site, Redchurch. This new interview (aptly titled 'Interview with Lee Jackson'') covers a lot of technical musical things relating to Lee and how he does music & SFX for us. Some of the items covered in this interview are:
* Lee's opinion on what is a challenging task for a music/SFX person
* How Lee got into the biz
* Lee's favorite tools and sound recording locations
* Some of Lee's favorite music scores from movies
Make sure and check out the full Q&A session to check out what Lee has to say!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Why Duke Nukem is so Great
In an article that mimics a book that Duke Nukem "wrote" some time ago, a new article is up on Gamesplayer entitled "Sacred Opinion". This article written by Andrew Adam talks about why he thinks Duke Nukem is so cool. Here's a little from his article...
1. Duke Nukem is set in the real world. While sometimes it's exceptionally nice to escape to somewhere different, there's nothing quite like taking some highly powered weapons down to the cinema like in Duke. I mean who hasn't fantasized about going completely Postal and destroying a whole supermarket to simply satisfy a few devilish desires!
2. Another stroke of genius was setting up cameras in various rooms. Go up to a terminal and you can sometimes find yourself watching one of your mates, running around in a room. So you instantly run to this room, creep up behind them and savagely blow their head off.
3. Lay a pipe bomb behind a door, run away and watch from a camera. Eventually your hapless opponent will walk near the target zone and you can detonate before they realize it's there.
Andrew has several other things to say about Duke Nukem 3D, so make sure to check 'em all out today!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Balls of Steel 1.2 Patches Released
Today, some patches to our Balls of Steel game has been released. This new version is v1.2, and is primarily a bug fix release (for video issues), but there are some game play issues as well. Here's a complete list of all the fixes/updates in v1.2.
* added DirectDraw support option for the display
* fix to Firestorm 3-ball totaling for undefused bombs
* change to double for scoring, rather than custom 64-bit ints
* updated magnetic lock parameters to prevent ball getting stuck
* fix to Firestorm Powerplant and Freeway ramp scoring awards
* super combo scoring cap introduced
* kickback cheat code on Mutation now properly opens kickback gate
* powerball mode now correctly resets gas cylinders on Duke Nukem
* ball blocker gate bug corrected
* ball dumping from cyclotron dish during Mutation 3-ball improved
* free 4-billion points in Duke Nukem video mode corrected
* high score sorting problem corrected
* crashing after final ball of Darkside 3-ball corrected
* parental lock extended to cover text of hurry-up message
* Firestorm outlanes no longer turn off novice ballsaver
* suppressed false display of combos values in Mutation
* fixed Barbarian element missions to ensure correct display on completion
* corrected bug in Duke Nukem multiball modes in conjunction with elevator
* removed references to World Scores, as they no longer track Balls of Steel scores
This list is for the registered version, obviously issues relating to the registered tables don't apply to shareware. As a convenience to our customers, these patches will update either v1.0 or v1.1 to the new v1.2! You can download these patches from our FTP area right away by visiting our Master download page. Please remember, if you have any problems attempting to apply these patches, you will need to remove your game (with the Add/Remove Programs icon in Windows), and then reinstall and reapply the patch. A full build of v1.2 shareware will be made available shortly.
If you've never tried Balls of Steel, than now's the time! Visit our Balls of Steel Pages Pages for more information about the #1 PC pinball game!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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3D Realms & 1999 E3
As has been reported in a few places recently, 3D Realms is not going to be attending E3 this year, nor will Duke Nukem Forever or Prey be shown on the show floor (or a back room, for that matter). It was decided that the time spent working on materials to show at E3 would be far better spent working on the game itself. There is always a period before a show such as E3 where development energy is spent in putting something together for the show - it's a lot more than just a day or two, and it was felt that this time would be better spent working on the actual game, than on short show piece that is generally not used again after the show itself.
Here's a summary of the coverage elsewhere. It all started with this tidbit from the current Gist List from Gameslice..
Take, for example, the fact that both Duke Nukem Forever and Prey from 3D Realms will be no where on the show floor. And they won't be in a back room or on videotape either. 3D Realms' made the decision to forgo the madness of E3 a few weeks ago. Although this news will surely cause speculation about the current status of these projects,it exemplifies the latest thinking on trade shows: Don't show something unless it's just about to ship.....
Chris Hargrove, one of Duke Nukem Forever's programmers, had this to say in a thread on our Web Forums...
The choice of our not going to E3 this year shouldn't be construed as some kind of measure of our progress, or anything of that sort. We just decided not long ago that we really didn't feel like dealing with the time and effort needed just for another "dog and pony show" demo. Despite its size and popularity, that's all E3 really is in the end. Right now our time is better spent working not towards a demo, but the final product.
We're determined not to fall victim to the hype machine until the time is right, unlike many others who have made that mistake and paid for it. The secrecy is deliberate. It's possible that sometime in the near future we'll toss out a screenshot or two just to keep the lynch mob at bay (sometimes I feel like a thousand Dr.Evils are looking at us yelling "throw me a frikkin' bone here!" in tandem), but please be patient. We're doing what's necessary to make sure this game will be worth the wait.
George Broussard, head of development on Duke Nukem Forever said this in email to Billy at Voodoo Extreme:
Honestly the real word is that we're sick of jumping through pointless pr hoops for demos. Going to E3 will delay any game in progress, because you tend to focus on the more visual whiz bang effects to wow press than solid, fundamental gameplay that finishes a game.
The priorities are simply screwed. Why should a trade show dictate when a game should be shown? It's insane. You do not HAVE to show at E3 to be successful. Duke 3D never went to any show, and if anything I think that might have helped the game sell, because it came out of nowhere.
The bottom line is that we decided to stay and work, and not lose a man week going to E3, plus losing coding time the month or more before preparing an E3 demo. When you start asking questions in Jan/Feb like "what are we going to show at E3. What will wow the press?" and you start working towards that goal. And we're not doing that anymore. E3 is a lower priority than getting the game done.
Finally, George had this to say in another thread on our Web Forums when asked about info about the game even though we're not going to E3...
We'll probably release a couple of new screen shots after all the E3 hoopla has died down. But rest assured, things are looking good.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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3D Realms Wins Website Award
 The Web review site, Web This Week has awarded the 3D Realms site their "Featured site of the week" award in their "Fun Stuff" category. Here is what they had to say about us:
3D Realms offers updated news and updates about their previously released games and games still under development. The site features a huge amount of downloadable demos and 3D Realms games can also be purchased online or by phone, info on buying these games is readily available on the site. The 3D Realms site also features information on the company and staff. In addition, the site offers a virtual tour of the company, a bulletin board, contests and loads more! If you're a fan of gaming this fun site is sure to be of interest.
If you'd like to see their review, check out the WebThisWEEK site site today!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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More on MRG Tech for Duke Nukem Forever
The Gurutech Web site over at http://www.gurutech.com has a mini interview with George Broussard (actually, it's just three quick questions) about the usage of the new Multi-Resolution Geomorty technology recently announced as licensed for Duke Nukem Forever. Here's what was said:
I had a small Q&A with George Broussard of 3D Realms concerning the Multi-Resolution Geometry technology they licensed for use in Duke 4.
Intaglio: How is Duke 4's development moving along with the addition and integrationin it? How do you feel the game has benefited from it? Are you planning to of Sven Technologies' Multi-Resolution Geometry technology? How long did the implimentation take, and what measures were involved use this technology in other upcoming games?
George Broussard: We've had the stuff in for something like 5-6 months. It dropped it in initially in a couple of days. We tweaked things over a couple of weeks and have had no problems. The game will benefit from drawing less polys than it needs to. DNF is a test bed for the technology for us, but I see no reason not to consider it for future games. It saves you from re-inventing the wheel.
Kind of interesting. I got motivated by yesterday's news of the technology being licensed.
Thanks to Greg Miller for pointing this out.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Interview with Lee Jackson
The "Ear on Games" Website has an interview with Lee Jackson out today, and the subject is music and sound in Duke Nukem Forever. Here's a few tidbits from the Q&A session:
EOG: Megadeth will be doing the theme song for DNF? Can you give some info on this?
Lee: They are doing a recording inspired by the extended version of Grabbag (the actual title of the theme song) that I wrote for the Plutonium Pak and Atomic Edition CDs. Anyone who has ever played track #2 of these CDs in a regular CD Audio player knows what I'm talking about. Megadeth is taking that version and running with it, so to speak. We plan on using this version as the "main titles" theme. I'll still be doing the rest of the music, with maybe one or two surprise exceptions that I can't talk about.
EOG: Can you give us some info on DNF's sound?
Lee: We're using the same sound engine that Unreal uses. Any hardware supported by that engine will be supported in Duke Nukem Forever.
To see what else Lee has to say about music and Duke Nukem Forever, check out the the full Q;A session today!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Avault Copy Protection Article
In other AVault happenings, they have another good article that we thought you should read. Entitled "Copy
Protection and Gaming", it's about gaming and copy protection. Written by Bob Mandel, this article talks about Bob's views on gaming companies and various methods of copy protection and the lengths they'll go in order to protect their software. Here's a tidbit from his article:
There is a famous old French saying, "The more things change, the more they stay the same," and in many ways this adage particularly applies to computer gaming. While video and audio technology march forward at an ever-accelerating pace, the basic elements that make an exciting game, as well as the types of games themselves, have not changed that much over time. In a parallel fashion, my own dream of immediate access to escapist gratification -- being able to just go to my computer, click on the icon of my avenue to fun, and play -- appears to be as remote an aspiration as ever.
Bob has some interesting thoughts on this issue; make sure and check out his article today!
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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Duke Nukem Forever & MRG Technology
Adrenaline Vault has a news story entitled "Duke Nukem Forever Proves Size Counts". What's this? It's an article that talks about some technology we licensed from Sven Technologies and have put into Duke Nukem Forever. Here's a bit from the Avault article..
However, a company called Sven Technologies has spent the last 18 months coming up with a code-based solution that should put some of the meat into 3D games again. It is called Multi-Resolution Geometry and it offers something called continuous level of detail. What this does, in layman�s terms, is increase framerates and enhance the visual quality of real-time 3D scenes by drawing polygons only where needed and smoothly increasing and decreasing the resolution of polygonal objects one vertex at a time. How impressive is the technology? Enough for 3D Realms to license and integrate the technology into its upcoming 3D action title Duke Nukem Forever.
The current industry standard is something called discreet level of detail, which requires 3D game designers to create several versions of each model with varying levels of detail; the engine then selects one according to the distance of the object relative to the camera. When a model is close to the player, the higher resolution model is used; when it retreats into the distance, the lower resolution model is used to salvage processing resources. When a model crosses the boundary from one level of detail to the next, the change is often glaring and results in something called "object popping." MRG eliminates object popping by smoothly adding and removing polygons.
George Broussard adds... "MRG easily met and exceeded our expectations. We were able to integrate Sven's technology into Duke Nukem Forever in a matter of days, saving us tremendous development time, hassle and cost. More importantly, though, it is one of the factors that has helped contribute to what will be [our] most visually stunning and playable game yet."
There's a lot more over at the Avault article about this, so make sure to check it out! You can also read the full press release by Sven Technologies on this licensing agreement here.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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The History of ID Software
There is a really cool article out now about the history of id Software, entitled "The History and continuing legacy of id Software". It covers many topics about id (several of which relate to Apogee Software) such as the creation of Commander Keen, Wolfenstein 3D background, Doom, Quake, and beyond. Here's a tidbit about Wolfenstein 3D from their article:
In 1983, a game programmer named Silas Warner made an Apple 2 game called 'Castle Wolfenstein.' It featured a captured U.S. soldier escaping from a Nazi P.O.W. camp. The guys at id software had played Castle Wolfenstein, and felt that the Wolfenstein story would work perfectly with the new '3d' engine that they had developed. They hunted down Mr. Warner, only to find that he had sold the rights. The rights trail led through three or four long-dead companies, finally ending with a guy selling the original game out of his basement. The copyright on the game had long since lapsed, so they applied for the copyright themselves. Wolfenstein 3d was born! On May 5, 1992, Wolfenstein 3-D, was released by Apogee.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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3D Realms Columns
Over the weekend, the latest columns written by 3D Realms staff have popped up on a couple of web based gaming magazines. Here's the details..
* The latest edition of Chris Hargrove's "Code on the Cob" is out, and it talks about multiplayer network coding. This article isn't terribly techy (Chris promises that stuff for the next issue), so if you're intersted in reading some of the mindset of a 3D gaming programmer, check out this article!
* The new game site "Gamesplayer" is online, and our own Joe Siegler is doing a column for them called "Siegler.net". It's a column where Joe reviews non gaming related Internet sites. The first site that Joe reviews is the Internet Movie Database. Make sure to check out the first edition of Siegler.net over at Gamesplayer today!
Update Aug 2006: Link to Joe's Gamsplayer column is removed, as it no longer exists on the net.
Posted by Joe Siegler at 1:00 PM
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