Prerelease:Duke Nukem Forever/1999

This is a sub-page of Prerelease:Duke Nukem Forever.

To do: The obligatory "everything" todo: Try to find suitable mirrors for the missing interviews. More info about GT Interactive (the game's then publisher) being bought out by Infogrames, causing publishing to revert back to 3D Realms. Screenshots are up but maybe there still a few more images that could go here?

3D Realms begins moving Duke Nukem Forever into the Unreal engine, updates about the game quiet down until the end of the year.

January 1999

January 4th

George Broussard posts in the 3D Realms forums regarding addons for Duke Nukem Forever. A news post is made about this the following day.

*None of this is set in stone yet, but here's the general thought. There will likley be several add on's for DNF. I doubt 3DR will be doing any directly because we want to immediately jump into a new game. But we will monitor and enforce the quality of the add on's for DNF, and make sure they are better than the ones done for Duke 3D. We'll know more when we get closer to the release of the game.

January 13th

Duke Nukem Forever & Max Payne Win Gold!

The Feb. issue of the always great PC Accelerator (www.pcxl.com) features a story entitled, "The 1999 Crystal Ball Awards," and when it comes to balls, both Duke and Max have what it takes to score. The article previews this year's coming games that they believe will "revolutionize PC gaming in '99."

Under "The Shooters" section, Duke Nukem Forever takes top place with the gold medal. PCXL says, "[This game] is all but guaranteed to be one of the biggest and most-hyped games of 1999." (Please note, though, that it is not 3D Realms that has been hyping this game--we've been staying very low-key so that most of the game will be a surprise to players.)

In the next section, "More than just Shooters, Max Payne gets the gold medal. PCXL says, "Remedy Entertainment manages to stuff more ATMOSPHERE into Max Payne than a dozen typical first-person shooters contain."

January 22nd

Sheeeeshhh...

Let me tell you about design docs. Duke 3D didn't even have one. We did stuff as we went, adding bits that were cool and discarding ideas that didn't work. Look how the game turned out. All we had was a vague notion that the game would be based in a future, seedy LA. The rest came from a dynamic devlopment process.

Duke Forever has substantially more on paper from the start because it's a much more cohesive and large game. But people that write 300 page design docs before hand are wasting their time. The game design process (for most) is an evolutionary process. You refine and re0design as you go, learning and making things better.

It's insane to write a 300 page docs, then just make the game. There is no way you can think of every cool idea before you make the game and you have to be flexible enough to roll with the punches and add and refine ideas as you go, all according to the timeline.

Speaking from our experience, design docs are merely a general guideline that get's more and more polished as you go. You just try to stay 3-4 months ahead of things as you go. The design doc isn't done until the game is.

Also bear in mind that 3D action games are not that complex. They have bad guys, guns, items and level locations. Not exactly rocket science, or something needing 300 pages.

February 1999

February 5th

To do: The ICR chat in question is WAY too long for this page, instead summarize it, note who was there and provide a link to its original source.

3D Realms developers hold an IRC Chat session.

February 10th

Interview

George Broussard Interview

1. Duke4Ever has been kept in extreme secrecy for the past 2 years with only a few screenshots released and the highlight being an E3 movie. Why all the hush-hush?
We want players to be surprised the first time they play the game. Duke Nukem is a very well known franchise now, so there is no need to scream from the rooftops about features or release mass amounts of screen shots. In the long run, anticipation is what it's all about. With Duke 3D, players had no idea what to expect. No weapons list, characters list, or locations list. And I think that lack of info actually made the game more fun and popular. These days it seems as if we all know everything about a game before we play it. What's the point of playing if every 5 minutes I think "Hey, here's that screen shot, or Hey, here's that Boss I read about"?

2. Duke3D was famed for its highly interactive levels (ex.- the pool table that really worked). Can we expect the same kind of little touches in Duke4Ever? Can you give us some examples?
You can expect more interactivity than you've ever seen in Duke Nukem Forever. We're pulling out all the stops (and that's part of what takes so long to make these games). And no, I'm not giving lots of examples, as that will ruin the surprise factor. Just imagine Duke 3D interactivity on steroids.

3. Will vehicles be included within the game as in Shadow Warrior, and if so, what kind can we expect to see Duke riding?
We want to do vehicles and are still experimenting with doing them right. We'll see what sticks and what does not, but it's a common request to see Duke driving something cool. We'll do what we can, as long as it's fun.

4. Dr. Proton is said to make a comeback from the original Duke Nukem. Is this true? Can you let us in on the plot a little?
We're also keeping the plot under wraps. What's the point of playing if you know all the plot? You don't enjoy a movie if you know how it ends or all the details of the plot. Let's just say, Proton is back, causing trouble, and Duke has to kick his ass. That's all you should need to know this early. But rest assured that there will be far more plot than in Duke 3D. But in the end, Duke's about action and having fun with his attitude more than writing a novel.

5. What type of standard weapons will be in Duke4Ever? Will the shrink ray make it into the game?
The Shrink Ray and Pipe Bombs are the most popular requests, as well as items like the Steroids, HoloDuke, and JetPack. We will do what we can to stay true to old Duke fans while also adding enough new stuff to keep you all interested. It's a tough balancing act, as we feel the weapons and items in Duke 3D were among some of the best ever. It's hard to choose what to get rid of.

6. Will movie-like cinematics be used to uncover the plot, or will you be using in-game scripted sequences as in Sin and Half-Life?
In game scripting is clearly the way to go, as it keeps you in the game. You can expect a lot of it in DNF.

7. 1. Back in 1998, 3D Realms switched to the Unreal engine, for the most part, without warning. What drove you to make such a drastic change from the Quake/Quake II engine?
The fact that Unreal simply did more. It allowed us to do a bigger game more in line with Duke's world. The Quake engine is ideal for some games, and the Unreal engine is ideal for some.

8. Judging from the E3 movie, it seemed that quite a deal of work was already done before the switch was made. Did all that work have to be redone, or was it easy to move over to the new engine? How much time did the switch set you back?
It was a fairly easy move, but things like this always have a net result of costing you time. We took Unreal and added some major new technology to it and improved a lot of areas so that we could be more interactive.

9. What would you predict to be the minimum system requirements? Will you be using the same specs as what Unreal asked for (which weren't too precise anyway), or will they be changed?
We're not sure yet. In the end, the game will require what it requires. Unreal was a little slow when it shipped (mainly due to map inefficiencies), and CPU's levels and 3D cards will raise before DNF ships. We're going to make the most competitive game we can that will run on as many systems as we can. How's that for dodging the issue? In the end I'd predict you will want a Voodoo2 quality accelerator and P233-266 as a base.

10. When Unreal first came out, it was criticized for having unplayable Internet support. Did that at all worry you at the time? How do you feel now that Unreal netplay is on par with or beyond Quake II performance?
I never worried one bit about Unreal's net play. They simply shipped too soon. The new Unreal version 220 is 90% as good as Quake 2 from what I've seen and getting better. I think Unreal has finally achieved the performance they should have had when they shipped, and most people agree. I'd wager that with Unreal Tournament you will see a vast increase in Unreal's market share of online play.

11. Is multiplayer a vital part of Duke4Ever, or will it take a backseat to the single player aspect?
We see both as vital and will do both, really well, just as Duke 3D did. We don't believe in skimping on one or the other. The ultimate goal is to ship a game that absorbs you in single play, then keeps you playing for 2+ years in multiplay. That's what we saw in Duke 3D and what we hope to achieve again in DNF.

12. Duke3D's enemies were all aliens of some sort. Will Duke4Ever feature the same template of enemies, or will you take a different direction, to say, a technological/robotic feel?
We're not big on robots. They aren't scary or fun to fight. DNF's enemies will be a mix of a couple of different things that we aren't talking about yet.

13. In the E3 movie, Duke seemed obsessed by a certain cleavage-prone blond. Is this Bombshell? What part does she play in the Duke universe, and how will she affect gameplay? Can you describe her for us?
Yes, that was a very early prototype of BombShell in the E3 video. She will play a large part in the game (as will many other NPC's that Duke interacts with). How she affects gameplay will be seen when the game is released.

14. 1. And lastly, when can we expect Duke4Ever to hit shelves? Even though its current status is "when it's done", in what timeframe do you estimate we will be able to play this great game?
When it's done ;) That's as close as we're going to get. In the end, we know what the fans want and expect, and it will take as long as it takes to achieve that. That's another reason to try and keep the hype level down until we are ready.

February 16th

Duke Nukem Forever FAQ

Do you have a question about Duke Nukem Forever? Well, then we have a link for you. It's the Official Official Duke Nukem Forever FAQ. This FAQ (by Dukeworld) covers a wide range of topics about Duke Nukem Forever such as:

• How many weapons will Duke Nukem Forever have? What will they be?
• Will DNF be available for any platforms other than Win95/98/NT?
• What are the System Requirements?
• And finally, "When will the game be released?" (Astute 3D Realms fans should know the answer to this before looking.

Please note that this FAQ was not done by 3D Realms, it was done by Chris Day & Andy Morris of Dukeworld. It was approved by 3D Realms, but it was not authored by us. As such, any information contained within the FAQ is subject to change, and should not be taken as gospel. That said, this is a good source of information on Duke Nukem Forever, and you should check it out today!

For further information on our games, check out the 3D Realms FAQ area, which contains FAQs to several of our games, including a text version of the Duke Nukem Forever FAQ.

March 1999

March 2nd

Duke Nukem Forever FAQ Updated

The latest edition of the Official Duke Nukem Forever has been released. Version 1.01 adds and clarifies information on the chances of a parental lock option and a simultaneous Macintosh release, as well as supported sound and video APIs, and more.

You can check out the HTML version of the FAQ here, or you can visit our own FAQ area for a downloadable version, as well as FAQ's about several of our other games.

March 3rd

Duke Nukem Forever Preview

Gamespot UK has a preview of Duke Nukem Forever online. It doesn't contain any new information, but it is a nice summary of what's been said about the game so far. Head on over and check it out, but before you do, here's a small snippet from their preview:

Duke Nukem is one of the most popular and instantly recognisable characters in the history of gaming. The star of no less than 15 separate titles, the Duke is a modern gaming phenomenon. And the good news for PC fans is that Duke Nukem Forever, the Duke's fourth PC outing, should be set to debut sometime this year according to developer 3D Realms (Ed Note: Our release date is "when it's done", we haven't said when it will be released) - whose famous catchphrase when asked about release dates is usually: "When it's ready".

The American thrash metal band Megadeth makes a post on their website, announcing that they will perform the main theme of a "future Duke Nukem video game." 3D Portal makes an update about this.

* 3/3: The band has recorded the theme song for a future Duke Nukem video game. Further details have not yet been released, as is the case regarding with details on A Tout Le Monde II. More to come as it's released...

March 5th

3D Realms makes a news post about Megadeth and 3D Portal's posts, officially announcing that the band's involvement with Duke Nukem Forever.

Well, I guess we couldn't expect this exciting news to not leak sooner or later. We've been working with Megadeth (and GT) to record the opening theme song for Duke Nukem Forever. So far, things kick ass, and they are going to record another version of the song soon. We'll release more info later regarding the song, but rest assured it will be cool.

Megadeth would also post an update about the announcement.

* 3/5: 3D Realms has acknowledged that Megadeth has recorded their own version of the theme song for their Duke Nukem Forever video game. They've apparently recorded one version and are about to make another. 3D Realms has also made clear that Megadeth is only doing the theme song, while Lee Jackson will continue to do the rest for the game.

March 8th

George Broussard makes a post on 3D Realms' forums about the Megadeth's involvement.

It's important to clear something up before rumors get out of hand. Megadeth is only doing one song for DNF. They are doing their own version of the Duke 3D title theme song (by Lee Jackson). It's very cool and fits the attitude and mood of Duke, and the original song.

Lee Jackson will still be doing the remainder of the music for DNF, although a surprise or two could pop up along the way.

We are very excited about the Megadeth cover of the theme song and if we all love it, we know you all will as well.

Broussard also updates his .plan file discussing that the team has nearly finished setting up motion capture. A news post on 3D Realms' website about this also included the caption "Motion captured strippers, eh?".

Well we finally almost have the motion capture room setup. The ceiling has been yanked (so we can jump up and not hit our heads) and the stage will be installed tomorrow. Then we just setup the equipment (We opted for the MotionStar Wireless system from Ascension), calibrate it and start capturing motions for the game. The 3 animators (Chris, Allen and David) are in Canada now getting training on the mo-cap cleanup software we're using (Kaydara FilmBox).

Chris Hargrove already has the full skeletal system in the game and it all works great. A character can be doing his animations and you can use the bones in the skeleton to override various animations like: Have enemies heads track Duke's position, shoot them in the shoulder and they can recoil, independent things like ponytails or tails, while doing another animations.

We've spent a good deal of time re-working Unreal's character system, and it's time for it to all start paying off. Once you have skeletal control and motion capture data, putting animations in the game becomes trivial (the cleanup is very minor with the right software), and capturing complex motions like strippers becomes easy

Add to this, a fully dynamic real-time LOD system for every mesh in the game, and you have a character system that we are very, very happy with.

1. What's your opinion of games charging to play online (as with Ultima Online).

I think that for persistent world games, like OU, that there's really enough value to charge. Otherwise, for most games that have an online play capability, I think both the Quake model and the battle.net model are best.

2. Looking beyond Duke 4, have you guys tossed around any ideas for Duke as an online-style game, such as Q3 and Unreal Tournament?
Not seriously, but after DN4 comes out, we'll probably give it more thought. This is obviously a direct worth considering, and I think id is doing a very bold thing focusing on the multiplayer area. There's still a lot of worry among developers whether a multiplayer focused game (especially one without a persistent world) can really sell in the high numbers (400,000+). The multiplayer base is vocal on the Internet, but they do not represent the majority demographic of players.

3. In your opinion, how has Duke Nukem helped shape the gaming community?

1. Duke helped show that defined characters are important to players. The conventional wisdom before Duke Nukem 3D was that players preferred to play an undefined hero, so that they could take the role of that hero. With Duke, we instead create a larger-than-life hero, and you give to live the game through the hero's eyes and voice.
2. Duke's political incorrectness opened a lot of eyes around the industry, and now we see a lot of games trying to go over-the-top in their content and attitude.
3. Duke Nukem 3D also showed that realistic places can be as fun as fantasy locations.

4. Can we anticipate a demo of Duke 4 before the game hits the shelves? If so, what will it offer (multiplayer support, number of levels, etc.)?
Our plan is to release a demo about one to two weeks before the game itself. And the demo will not be more than a level or two. We don't want to give away too much of the game for free, but from what we do give away you'll be able to tell how cool the game is.

5. Will Duke contain any team-based games out of the box, such as ctf or team-fortress?
Not likely. If we do that it'll probably come later. That kind of addition can add another month or two to the game's release date.

6. Considering all the games we saw in 1998, which impressed you the most?
Half-Life had a lot of ideas we were doing for Prey, such as power/health stations, scripted characters and events that take place around the player, and a lot more. That game really raised the bar, and I think most 3D shooters will have a tough time jumping that bar until DN4 takes it raises it several more notches again. ; )

March 27th

Fragland publishes an interview with Miller.

Hugh: How are Duke Nukem Forever (DNF) and Prey developing and when can we expect them?

Scott: DNF is proceeding full speed ahead and looking great. Prey's engine tech is being greatly rewritten and enhanced currently.

Hugh: Duke Nukem 3D's tongue in cheek humour and great sence [sic] of fun always impressed me. Up until [sic] Half Life's recent release, I don't recall a single game capturing those qualities quite as well. Would you aggree [sic] and like to comment on the what appears to be a 'returning' notion among developers that atmosphere and content are perhaps more important than technical prowess?

Scott: I agree that a game can be much more than just a technology showcase, with gameplay issues taking backseat priority. We showed this with Duke Nukem 3D, and Half-Life showed this well, too. The problem is that it's much more time consuming to develop cutting-edge immersive content than it is to create cutting-edge technology.

Hugh: Will they feature in DNF?

Scott: We think DNF will raise the bar in many gameplay areas.

Hugh: How are you addressing those issues surrounding the 'limitations' of the Unreal game engine (heavy system requirements and lack of possible interaction) in your licence?

Scott: Where needed, we rewrite and improve upon Unreal's base technology.

Hugh: Cynics might be tempted to say, that the current trend of large scale 'engine licensing' has lead [sic] to a number [sic] games which amounted to nothing more than total conversions (Klingon Honour Guard, case in point). How would you react to that claim?

Scott: This happens if the developers do not have the time, the budget, or the desire to make something truly unique and special.

Hugh: Is their [sic] still room for development beyond technological improvements in FPS?

Scott: There's always room to improve.

Hugh: What will DNF offer gamers which they don't have today?

Scott:You'll [sic] have to wait and see. We [sic] don't want to reveal any surprises.

Hugh: What direction do you see the genre taking in the future?

Scott: More interactivity, more content, seamless story progression, companion characters, on and on.

Hugh: Thank you for talking to us. And all the best...

March 29th

To do: Find a mirror of 4gamers coverage

3D Realms makes a post about 4gamers' coverage of the game.

Duke Nukem Forever Preview

There's a new Duke Nukem Forever preview online by 4gamers. It does not have a whole lot in the way of info that you haven't already heard before (probably due to our lack of information release), but it's still worth checking out. The preview includes some of the screenshots that have been floating around for Duke Nukem Forever, as well!

A post is also made about the lack of updates on the website.

Updates

We wanted to address a rumour that has popped up in our email boxes a lot in regards to the recent (lack of) updates here on the 3D Realms news page. There has been rampant speculation that the reason for the lack of updates was that we were about to:

• Release Duke Nukem Forever
• Announce a release date for Duke Nukem Forever.

Both of these are false. The reason there hasn't been that much in the way of updates here is because there hasn't been much going on! Please keep in mind the release date for Duke Nukem Forever has always been and will always be (until about a week before it happens) "When it's done".

In other news updates, there are two things we're working on that should be on the web site this week. They are:

• Duke Nukem: Time to Kill Development Bible (see the genesis of a video game)
• Balls of Steel v1.2 Update (a bug fix update)

Keep your eyes peeled here for these updates.

April 1999

April 4th

Gameprix publishes a preview of the game, 3D Realms posts about it the following day.

Duke Nukem Forever Preview

A new month brings another new Duke Nukem Forever preview. This time out, it's a game news site called "GamePrix" that is doing the honors.

This preview covers several things (such as the scrapped Duke Nukem Forever sidescroller), and is a good summation of the history of the development so far, as well as a few things about the as of yet unreleased Duke Nukem Forever 3D game. This is an excellent collection of the various things that are known about the game so far, so make sure to check it out today!

April 6th

SVEN TECHNOLOGIES PROVIDES MULTI-RESOLUTION GEOMETRY TECHNOLOGY FOR 3D REALMS' DUKE NUKEM FOREVER

Next Game in Duke Nukem Series Will Use Sven's Multi-Resolution Geometry Technology

PALO ALTO, CA, April 6, 1999 - Sven Technologies announced today that 3D Realms has licensed and integrated Sven's Multi-Resolution Geometry(tm) (MRG) Technology into its forthcoming Duke Nukem Forever(tm) (DNF) game, providing further validation of market demand and adoption of Sven's continuous level of detail technology. MRG is Sven's proprietary real-time, continuously scalable geometry technology for game and other real-time developers, which dramatically improves frame rate and enhances the visual fidelity of dynamic 3D scenes. DNF is the next eagerly anticipated title in the highly successful Duke Nukem series.

MRG is a critical solution for developers who are seeking real-time, continuously scalable geometry for games and other real-time applications. MRG significantly increases frame rate and improves the visual quality of dynamic 3D scenes by intelligently drawing polygons only where needed and by smoothly increasing and decreasing the resolution of polygonal objects one vertex at a time. MRG continuously scales polygonal objects based on factors such as distance from camera as well as other developer-controlled parameters. This optimized rendering scheme allows developers to author their models at higher polygon counts than ever before. Unlike traditional, discrete continuous level of detail systems, MRG smoothly adds and removes polygons and eliminates object popping.

3D Realms has already successfully incorporated MRG into the Unreal(tm) Engine, on which Duke Nukem Forever is built. This has provided the game developer with faster frame rates, better-looking scenes, and the ability to add more characters than previously possible.

"We are tremendously pleased to have 3D Realms as a customer," said Saul Kato, CEO and President of Sven Technologies. "The adoption of MRG by a triple-A game developer like 3D Realms confirms that continuously scalable geometry is a must-have in computer games from here on out and that Sven will be a key provider of this technology."

3D Realms chose MRG for several reasons. The game developer was looking for a cost-effective way to add unprecedented smoothness, high frame rate, and a large number of moving 3D characters to DNF. Another important benefit that MRG provided was ease of integration with DNF's Unreal-based architecture and full support from Sven engineers on the few occasions when 3D Realms requested technical assistance.

George Broussard, Producer of the Duke Nukem series and Owner/Partner of 3D Realms said, "MRG easily met and exceeded our expectations. We were able to integrate Sven's technology into DNF in a matter of days, saving us tremendous development time, hassle and cost. More importantly, though, it is one of the key factors that has helped contribute to what will be the most visually stunning and playable Duke game yet."

About MRG
MRG is available as a software development kit that allows game developers and other real-time 3D graphics developers to incorporate continuous level of detail ability into their applications. The MRG SDK includes the MRGAuthor API, which allows the creation of multi-resolution 3D objects, and the MRGPlay API, which enables the playback of those objects. MRG is a renderer-independent technology THAT can benefit applications on any platform, including both PC and console-based games.

The benefits of MRG include improved frame-rate, higher visual fidelity AND the ability to add an unprecedented number of moving objects and characters. MRG also benefits developers on the content creation side as well - artists no longer have to waste time creating multiple representations of the same object. They can simply create the highest level of detail representation of their 3D objects and run them through the MRG preprocessor, which then allows them to render the object at any level of detail using the MRG run-time kernel. MRG is designed with the game developer in mind. While it provides automatic continuous level of detail, it also provides the artist with complete control of the downresolution path, enabling the user to set intermediate and minimum vertex sets and to preserve detail where it is essential. MRG also preserves texture coordinates and supports all types of vertex animation.

About DNF
Duke Nukem Forever is a first-person shooter style PC game with a well-developed story line and a universe of colorful characters, factors which have traditionally separated 3D Realms' games from the rest of the genre. DNF is the fourth title in the series, not including the multiple expansion packs and console versions based on the Duke Nukem franchise. DNF brings the wise-cracking Duke back to face his archenemy, Dr. Proton, and Dr. Proton's minions, in Las Vegas and Area 51.

About Sven Technologies
Sven Technologies is a Palo Alto, CA-based company founded in 1996. Sven develops and markets 3D computer graphics software tools that enable the creation of compelling, photorealistic 3D images for use in many segments of the 3D computer graphics industry. Sven Technologies' customers work in a variety of vertical markets, including film and video effects, game development, AEC, industrial design, medical visualization, fashion design, forensic animation and World Wide Web content development. Sven Technologies also develops and markets SurfaceSuite(tm) PRO, a real-time continuous level of detail system for game developers and other dynamic 3D content creators, and AvatarMaker(tm) 3D, an intuitive 3D avatar creation application. For further information, browse to www.sven-tech.com or call (650) 852-9242.

About 3D Realms
3D Realms Entertainment, a division of the long-standing Apogee Software, Ltd., founded in 1987 and headquartered in Garland, TX, is focused on creating highly innovative real-time 3D action games, such as the Duke Nukem series (Selling well over 1 million copies). Apogee is the pioneer of multi-episode shareware marketing for games and has won numerous industry marketing and game awards. On the web, visit www.3drealms.com for more information.

April 9th

Gurutech holds a small interview with Broussard.^{Interview missing}

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 (sic) 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.

Ear on Games also holds an interview with Lee Jackson.

Lee Jackson, Music & Audio director for 3DRealms, decided to let us in on a bit of info on Duke Nukem Forever. Take a read through, it won't take you long and you can get back to your TV, er... PC Dinner, later.

EOG: If you have time, maybe you can answer a couple questions?

Lee: I'll answer what I can, although there will be things that I can't discuss. Area 51 rules are in place here.

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.

EOG: Who will be doing the voice of Duke?

Lee: Jon St. John will reprise his role. Aside from Joe Siegler, who did Duke's voice in Duke Nukem II, Jon is the only person to perform as Duke Nukem.

EOG: Will the soundtrack be similar to the last Duke?

Lee: There will be recognizable elements. Some of the themes may carry over. The music system will not be the same - no General MIDI playback this time.

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: What are your impressions/beefs/praises on the SoundBlaster Live? How about the Vortex2 cards?

Lee: I've had personal experience with the SBLive! card, and I like it. Good, clean output, and very flexible for composing music. I like the way Soundfonts are handled now. I also like the EAX capabilities - when used right, it sounds great, and it makes the job a lot easier. Realtime effects are a good thing.

EOG: What kind of improvements are you making to the Unreal engine's sound, if any?

Lee: Sorry, can't discuss yet.

Well, by the sounds of it, expect nothing less than Half Life quality sound, and maybe some tweaks to the Unreal engine's sound? We'll try to squeeze some more info out of him closer to DNF's release date.

April 13th

A news post about 3D Realms' absent from E3 is posted, featuring various comments from developers made the previous day.

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.

April 27th

^{Interview missing}

Q: Will DNF also integrate Sven's technology into the Unreal engine, and what other groovin [sic] 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 APIs out there, Direct3D, Glide, OpenGL, will DNF offer the same level of visual effects and performance with all these APIs 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.

April 29th

Broussard updates his .plan to address rumors and speculation about Duke Nukem Forever and Prey.

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: 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.

April 30th

^{Interview missing}

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.

May 1999

May 19th

Duke Nukem Forever FAQ

3D Portal's Dukeworld has updated their Duke Nukem Forever FAQ. This new version (v1.02) includes several new items. Here's what's new in this revision:

• Updated information on the people behind DNF to reflect the addition of the content developers behind Prey now working on DNF
• The news that Megadeth will be recording the theme song for the game.
• Updated IRC section and acknowledgments.
• Added information on Sven Technology's [sic] MRG technology for level of detail rendering
• The decision to not show DNF at E3 '99.

Make sure and check out this FAQ - it's probably the most comprehensive listing of Duke Nukem Forever information. If you have a question about the game, the answer is in here. If the answer isn't in here, then we haven't said anything about it!

June 1999

June 18th

^{Interview missing}

June 26th

^{Interview missing}

July 1999

July 6th

A news post is made about a preview from 3DGaming.net

A Duke Quickie

If your Max Payne quickie wasn't enough, then you can also get a Duke Nukem quickie!

3D Gaming Net has a Duke Nukem quickie online too. It's their preview of Duke Nukem Forever (with the same cool header graphic, some of which is shown here - Duke would like it ). The preview has a few screenshots, but they're from the video we released at the 1998 E3. They seem to be really jazzed for the game, check out what they said about it.

• They (3D Realms) have said they have "God-like" control over their brushes and models allowing for a level of interactivity surpassing any current game.

• If you aren't excited about Duke Nukem Forever then you're obviously not human but rather an alien.

• Some fun things that are rumored to be reappearing in Duke Nukem Forever are the Shrink gun and pipe bombs, blowing holes in walls, the exotic dancers (now motion captured!), and the aforementioned Dr. Proton from the Duke sidescrollers (Duke Nukem 1 and Duke Nukum 2).

They really seem to be eager for this game to come out, go check out why!

Matt Wood is also interviewed by 3D Map Realm.

July 13th

3D-Unlimited has an interview with Steve Hornback.

Q1. First off, what can you tell us about yourself? How old are you? When did you start in the gaming industry? How did you end up at 3D Realms/Apogee? What position do you hold?

A. Well, I'm 46 and was an engineer for Westinghouse before I was called by Scott Miller to do the art for "Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure" back in 1991. He had seen some shareware clipart I had done which had won second place in a contest (Duke Nukem 1 took first place, LOL!) Currently I'm Senior Artist / Modeler at 3D Realms.

Q2. How long have you been in the gaming industry? How long have you been with 3D Realms/Apogee? Do you have any previous experiences at other companies?

A. After that I worked on "Duke Nukem 2" and then came to work for Apogee full time in 1993. We made "Rise of the Triad" with Tom Hall, now with Ion Storm

Q3. As a kid, what company did you dream of working for?

A. Never really had any dreams of working for a game company because there was only space invaders back then. When I was a kid, electronic calculators were still a new item! But once games came out I would have loved to be a part of the creation process. I wasn't looking to actually make them, though. I was very fortunate to have been approached by Apogee in those early days.

Q4. What can you tell us about the plot of Duke Nukem Forever?

A. Only that Duke's out to save the world again. Dr. Proton from the first Duke Nukem game returns with a host of alien cohorts attacking Duke's casino/hotel in Vegas. The plot leads you through a variety of the most realistic gaming environments imaginable culminating in facing Proton on his "Independence Day" sized alien ship.

Q5. What type of weapon selection does Duke Forever offer?

A. Sorry, that's still confidential.

Q6. Everyone loved Duke Nukem, and everyone is highly awaiting Duke Nukem Forever, can you shed some light on the subject of why it has taken so long to even get close to release?

A. For one thing we changed game engines in midstream from Quake's to Unreal's. Creating games has also become so much more complex compared to those early days. Cosmo was created by two people (Todd Replogle and me) in seven months. Now we have a team consisting of our project leader, 2 programmers, 6 mappers, 3 artists, 3 modelers, a concept artist, a sound guy, and others. Also, 3D Realms' goal is to put out the highest quality game in the world. You can't achieve that by rushing to a deadline.

Q7. Should we expect Duke Nukem Forever for this years Christmas?

A. Unlikely.. however, it should be done within a few months after x-mas. Of this I'm very sure.

Q8. With all the new shooters coming out this year, what does Duke Nukem Forever have that will make it a leading game this year?

A. Again, you hit me where that confidentiality conflict arises. Let's just say that you will actually feel you are there... total immersion in reality.

Q9. Have you worked on any previous projects at 3D Realms/Apogee? Or contributed to other projects at other companies?

A. Well, as I stated previously, I've worked on "Cosmo's Cosmic Adventure", "Duke Nukem II", "Rise of the Triad", "Duke Nukem 3D" and "Duke Nukem Atomic", "Shadow Warrior", "Prey"(currently on hold), and "Duke Nukem Forever" I've also worked on a few other games, but just a few pieces of art. I also created 3D Realms logo.

Q10. When you mean, "Duke Nukem Forever" is a bit "classified" right now, what exactly do you mean by this?

A. Well, as you know, this is a very competitive business. When making "Rise of the Triad" one of our programmers let Carmack over at Id know some things we were doing, and, of course, those same ideas ended up in Doom. So we have to keep our best, most creative ideas secret, or else they will be stolen by all our competitors.

Q11. How long has Duke Nukem Forever been in production?

A. Production began with some programming in 1997, but actually got underway full tilt in 1998.

Q12. What types of gameplay will Duke Nukem feature? Single Player, Multiplayer, ect?

A. Both, of course. And there will be bots for multiplay also. 14. Will Duke Forever use first person or third person perspective?

August 1999

August 24th

The album, Duke Nukem: Music to Score By is released, containing Megadeth's cover of Grabbag.

August 26th

^{Interview Missing}

Q: Why does 3D Realms put their games under a media blackout so often?

A: About our secrecy, It comes down to two basic concerns. First, we want our games to be played before players know all the little interesting details which tend to ruin the experience, much like some movie trailers show far too much of the movie. Second, we prefer not to give our competitors too many ideas.

Q: Will 3D Realms ever send out any screenshots of DNF?

A: We will begin sending out screen shots and more info for both Max and DNF early next year--that's when we really plan to start lifting the cloak off of our two games.

Q: Balls of Steel marked a first for the company where the full version was completed and sold before the release of the shareware version. Was this successful and will you continue this on future games?

A: Most likely in the future, our shareware games will appear only a week or two ahead of the retail availability.

Q: How soon do you see more information about the Duke Nukem movie being released?

A: We've been meeting with the script writer a lot recently and things are rolling very, very nicely. What's taken so long with the Duke movie, in part, is that we've been very picky about the story, and not just doing a quickie, rip off movie that no one will care about.

September 1999

broussard makes a post on the BBS boards about software rendering in Duke Nukem Forever.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Software go away in DNF. It's a real hassle to add things that look cool in hardware then have to deal with the software version ramifications of that. We had decided to go hardware only way back in the early days with Prey, so it woulnd't be outside the realm of possibility that we go hardware with Duke.

The bottom line is that is software looks "ok" and won't cost us weeks of extra development time to keep it current with the hardware version, it can stay. But as of right now, we've all but abandonned software mode and have the attitude that hardware is the priority.

The reality is that no system ships now without a 3D accelerator. Added to that will be a flood of Voodoo 2 level cards on the market as new hardware ships. And once everyone can have 3D acceleration for under $100, it becomes the same issue as a sound card. Just go buy one.

October 1999

3D-Unlimited hosts an interview with Scott Miller

[3DU]. I know Duke Nukem Forever is very undercover at this stage in development, but what can you tell us about its progress and how much longer we should expect until release?

[SM]. The only thing I can say about the release is that it will not be this year. The game is making rapid and impressive progress, and has every sign of being a Major Hit. The upcoming Dec. issue of PC Gamer will have the first ever screen shots of the game since we've switched to the Unreal engine, plus additional game details we've not released. Look for the issue with Duke on the cover.

[3DU]. Duke Nukem 3D really did kick some serious ass, do you guys plan on having Duke talk like you did in Duke 3D?

[SM]. Do you really think we could shut Duke up!!! Expect him to say at least 10x as much as he said in Duke Nukem 3D. Other game characters will also have a lot to say.

[3DU]. With the GeForce 256 hitting the market soon, and really with a bang, will Duke Forever have support for the GeForce's special features?

[SM]. Too early to say.

[3DU]. What can you tell us about the engine of Duke Forever?

[SM]. We're using the Unreal Tournament version of the engine, but we've added a LOT of new technology to it. There's no doubt in my mind that our enhanced UT engine is one of the most powerful, impressive engines ever used, and will very much be leading-edge stuff when DNF comes out. In other words, this game will not in any way suffer from looking dated, which many gamers have expressed some concern about.

[3DU]. What have you done to the Unreal engine, to better suit Duke Forever's needs?

[SM]. I cannot say much about the details of what we've added. Maybe the PC Gamer article will cover some of this.

[3DU]. A lot of upcoming games are using highly advanced modeling (sic) and animation systems, what can you tell us about the modeling (sic) and animation system for Duke Forever?

[SM]. As far as I'm aware, it's one of the most advanced currently being used in an up-coming PC game. We are animating body parts are are (sic) typically ignored in other games' models.

[3DU]. Since most companies are switching to either half or all multiplayer games, what can you tell us about the multiplayer support for Duke 3D?

[SM]. We'll have it, and it'll rock like it did in Duke Nukem 3D. Remember, we're using the Unreal Tournament code as a base, and it has outstanding multiplayer support.

[3DU]. Who is coding the networking base code for Duke Forever?

[SM]. Tim Sweeney! Plus, our coders will add their own enhancements.

[3DU]. You guys have Corrinne Yu on the team, who is very skilled at engine development, what is her current position?

[SM]. She is creating a new engine to be used on future games.

(Continuing on the next webpage.)

[3DU]. Sound is another must have feature in games, what can you tell us about the sound support for Duke Forever?

[SM]. We'll support the leading sound technologies.

November 1999

November 1st

3D Realms releases 10 new screenshots of the game in Unreal Engine. The screenshots were intended for the December issue of PC Gamer magazine (published in November).

PC Gamer would showcase these screenshots and more in a cover story called Miss Me?.

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  DNF_Nov99_Area51.jpg

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  DNF_Nov99_Casino.jpg

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  DNF_Nov99_Club.jpg

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  DNF_Nov99_Crane.jpg

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  DNF_Nov99_GhostTown.jpg

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  DNF_Nov99_GusandMule.jpg

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  DNF_Nov99_Hooverdam.jpg

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  DNF_Nov99_Stratosfear.jpg

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  DNF_Nov99_Tentacles.jpg

November 2nd

Duke Nukem Forever Screenshot Update

The demand and response to our release of the Duke Nukem Forever screen shots yesterday was just just Unreal (OK, bad joke). Seriously, the response was far beyond anything we expected, and our web site got extremely overloaded. We're working to relieve that situation, but in the meantime, you can grab the shots below, or you can visit any one of these mirrors that have popped up since yesterday afternoon.

Individual JPG images:
(Links to various now defunct webpages)

The Zip archive of all the shots
(Links to various now defunct downloads)

Thanks to everyone who is carrying the shots on their pages. If you have the scans that first appeared online on your site, we ask that you remove them, and use these. Thanks for your cooperation. A few remarks about the shots from George Broussard:

(Shows various comments from Broussard)

November 11th

Scott Miller partakes in an interview with RPOV Interviews.

stonewall: Duke Nukem 3D had an arsenal that was imaginative and a blast to use. So much so that the weaponry, in my opinion, has yet to be equaled in a first person shooter. Which of the original DN3D weapons are currently still in the plans to be included in Duke Nukem Forever?

Scott: Duke will have several improved versions of his basic DN3D arsenal, as well as several all- new weapons. Our philosophy with weapons, beginning back with DN3D, is that more is not necessarily better instead, weapon balance and variety are the two most important factors. Weapon balance means that weapons should not get increasingly more powerful. We design the top five or six weapons to be equal in power, but each weapon has a unique strategic use, as well as an Achilles' heel.

stonewall: Is the rest of the DNF development plan basically mapped out or are there still a lot of cool ideas and "what ifs?" floating around that add on to the development time?

Scott: Most of the top level design is in place, but we design games with the flexibility to add and remove elements at any time. For example, in DN3D, the engine was improved to allow for sloping surfaces only a few months before the game's completion, but it was such a striking improvement that we chose to revamp all the game's levels to add slopes, which we thought substantially improved the game, but added two more months to the game's release date.
Generally, if an idea is cool enough, we'll find a way to add it to the game unless it would shift the release date too far back. This doesn't mean that every single cool idea is added, only those that add to the game in a meaningful way.

stonewall: Is the female character of Bombshell still part of the plans as a sidekick for Duke?

Scott: Bombshell is a somewhat complex character who's involved in a few plot surprises, so I can't say much until the game's release.

stonewall: Now don't tell my wife but the reason I bought my first PC was to play Duke Nukem 3D (and not to write my thesis ;) It is safe to say that DN3D has a large and loyal following that will likely purchase DNF as soon as it hits shelves. Do you see this as more of a good business situation or as a huge pressure to release another top-notch game for the fans?

Scott: The fact that Duke Nukem has become one of gaming's top 'franchises,' (as it's known in the biz) means that we're under seismic pressure to live up to fans' expectations. The last thing we want to do is vomit low caliber yearly sequels just to rake in the bucks.

stonewall: You recently stated that DNF is using the Unreal Tournament version of the engine but that "a LOT" of new technology has been added. Could you give a few examples of enhancements that the DNF team have made?

Scott: A few general things:
o Model/animation system on par or better than anything I've seen in PC gaming. (This system, combined with our motion captured animation, will give DNF perhaps the best looking characters and enemies seen on the PC.)
o The scripting system is greatly enhanced and far more flexible.
o Realtime backward and forward level-of-detail, which scales down models to increase framerate (when characters are at a distance), and also adds detail to models when close up (meaning that characters will look more detailed than even the source model).
o There are other major tech additions, but I cannot go into them now. However, I can add that DNF's scripting system is so advanced that we can make practically anything in the game interactive. For example, we've released a screen shot that shows a video poker machine. It ain't just for looks. ;-)

stonewall: Comparing the screen shots done originally with the Quake 2 engine compared to the recently released PC Gamer screen shots seems like night and day. The lighting, environment and models (including Gus the miner) all look incredible. How were you able to make such significant graphical enhancements? Was the Unreal engine the platform your developers needed to make a stunning game?

Scott: If I remember right, when DNF appeared at E3 using the Quake 2 engine in 1998, it blew away everyone who saw it. Now we're doing the same thing using the Unreal technology. So maybe it's not the technology, it's the people using it. ;-)
Seriously, we have used special techniques that exploit all the power of the engine, plus we've added our own technology enhancements (many which were not shown in those screen shots). One thing we're striving for in both DNF and Max Payne is photorealism. Most 3D games have cortoonish art and characters, and this is something we're avoiding as best we can. The goal is to make a game that looks like real life. DNF is coming close, and Max Payne actually comes even closer, as people will see when we release new shots of that game next year.

(Continuing on the next webpage.)

stonewall: After the DNF engine switch from quake to unreal was the media blackout real or perceived?

Scott: Real. Early on we decided that we didn't need to be distracted by media requests for screen shots and stories. We've been offered many covers that we've turned down. We recently agreed to the PC Gamer feature because PC Gamer has always been a great supporter for us, and they're the top PC gaming magazine. The fact that they offered us their most prestigious Xmas issue convinced us to let them do the first story on the Unreal version of DNF.
Our plan is to release more shots and info next year, but in a controlled way so as not to give away the story or key plot points of the game. Our main concern is to make sure that first time players experience the game without prior knowledge of the story, and without knowledge of all the locations, weapons, enemies, characters, power-ups, etc. Nothing spoils a movie more than seeing a trailer that practically gives away the story, so we don't want to let this happen with our games.

stonewall: Does having the public (and annoying interviewers ;) always lusting after more information on your upcoming titles create a big distraction or is it fairly easy to deflect?

Scott: It's only a small distraction because George (my partner) and I are the first line of defense to shield the team from the constant requests for DNF info and screenshots. It would be a huge distraction if we followed through with even one tenth of the requests, which is one reason why we just cannot fall into that trap.

stonewall: You have said in the past that you had learned that a company can't be involved in making too many games at once. Was having 3 major titles coming up simply too much and Prey was the natural choice to put on the shelf due to the large amount of time and effort needed to create an engine from scratch? Once DNF and Max Payne are released will 3D Realms resume work on Prey?

Scott: It's absolutely true that more is not always better, and that making two games is often not as productive as just focusing on one game. That's a big part of why we put Prey on hold, and relocated the Prey developers to DNF. Even with all the hype and anticipation for Prey, let's face it, Duke is our bread-and-butter franchise and the most important thing for us to do is make sure DNF is developed to exceed players' expectation. That takes the focus and talent of the entire company. Remedy is developing Max Payne (with our design and financial assistance), so it's not in the same boat as Prey. They're company is entirely focused on their single game.

(Continuing on the next webpage.)

stonewall: id software, and now Epic as well, use the method of releasing a test version of the game to work out all the multiplayer glitches. Do you plan to have Max Payne and DNF use the public as free play-testers (use us please ;)?,

Scott: There are benefits and disadvantages to releasing a test. At this time I just don't know if we'll do this for DNF or Max yet.

stonewall: What FPS games have made you stand up and take notice over the last year?

Scott: Half-Life without question impressed everyone at 3DR. But maybe not as much as most game players because most of the good ideas in H-L we had in the Prey design already (such as the health stations) or we have them in DNF in some form. H-L is a finely polished, well executed game (at least until it became an arcade jumpfest on the alien world) and the scripted events added a lot of life to the experience. Also, Unreal Tournament looks like a grand slam winner, though I've only played the demo.

stonewall: It was announced in 1997 that Pocket Books was going to be creating some Shadow Warrior and Duke Nukem novels. The Duke books were slated to be released in conjunction with DNF. Is this still planned?

Scott: No, because DNF is introducing so many new characters and ideas that until the game is done we don't want to have any novels written that might wind up being based on old or incorrect background information. Also, just because Duke is a great video game star doesn't mean that he'll translate into a great book character. I think Duke could make a great comic book, but I have my doubts about doing novels. We'll see. If we get a great writer on the project, then we might still do some novels.

stonewall: You have said that 2000 will be a big year for 3D Realms. Is there a chance I will be asking for Max Payne and Duke Nukem Forever for Christmas next year?

Scott: You're probably safer putting Tomb Raider 5 on your list, because we all know Eidos doesn't let a Christmas go by without milking their franchise. But realistically, I'd say that at least one of our games will be out next year and hopefully both, but the official release date is as always, "when it's done."

December 1999

December 7th

Miller updates his .plan files with his thoughts on recent releases. He discusses Unreal Tournament and its multiplayer bot support, then goes to state he hasn't yet played Quake III Arena, in which he then discusses the game's key validation anti-piracy measure.

I've been watching the debates regarding QA3's server key validation because Duke Nukem Forever will likely use some form of copy protection too. Software theft (mostly casual theft, such a making a copy for a friend, family member, or co-worker) has become such a huge problem that developers and publishers can no longer release games without protection of some sort. Hit games used to sell many more copies than they do nowadays, and a good part of the dramatic drop must be due to the proliferation of CD-ROM burners.

December 21st

Gamespy Looks Forward to DNF & Max Payne

The Gamespy site is currently running a piece all week entitled "Gamespy Preview of 2000". Each day this week, they are posting what they're looking forward to from several games over a few different genres. For example, Monday the 20th was Action games day, today is Strategy games day, and Friday is a hardware preview.

Two of our games made their article, both on the Action Games day; Max Payne & Duke Nukem Forever. Here's a bit of what they had to say about each:

Duke Nukem Forever: Duke Nukem Forever will use the beautiful Unreal Tournament engine from Epic, while keeping the sheer Cool Factor(R) that made Duke 3D such a hit. In this latest Duke installment, expect to see Dr. Proton and his evil cohorts, law (ahem) enforcers, and, hopefully, lots of scantily clad women who like dollar bills. Also expect lots of classic Duke quotes, as well as new ones. Hail to the King, baby!

There's more on both of these games at Gamespy's Preview of 2000, so make sure to check it all out today!

December 23rd

Multiple assets and development tools for the game are burned on an CD image named "Duke4Back122399.iso", included are some assets from the Quake II engine days and many assets from the game in Unreal Engine.

December 31st

3D Realms releases another screenshot.

3D Realms would post online their 1999 company Christmas card to mark the new year and millennium.

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References

To do: Incorporate/reference this information below into article.

Random Info

• https://web.archive.org/web/20000303232435/http://www.dukeworld.com/features/interviews/gb19991101/index.html
• https://web.archive.org/web/20000124182326/http://www.shugashack.com/onearticle.x/2945
• https://web.archive.org/web/19991128214122/http://www.shugashack.com/onearticle.x/2438
• https://web.archive.org/web/20000815071957/http://www.us.infogrames.com/corporate/investor_relations/gtis/121799_gtdealclosure.asp
• https://www.bluesnews.com/s/2790/duke-nukem-forever-update
• https://web.archive.org/web/19991023001431/http://3drealms.3dportal.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/001226.html
• https://web.archive.org/web/19990824184317/http://www.avault.com/news/displaynews.asp?story=4191999-22116
• Shacknews stuff.
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/22/duke4-p3-cpus
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/1387/duke4-technology-dated
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/1415/no-co-op-dnf
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/1745/duke4-progress
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/1820/dnf-news
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/1875/duke4-shots-and-suck
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/1875/duke4-shots-and-suck
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/1921/duke4-discussion
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/2068/duke4-complex
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/2178/duke4-chitchat
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/2304/scott-george-duke4
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/2344/name-duke-nukem-5
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/2438/georgeb-on-duke4
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/2547/duke4ever-qa
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/2573/duke4-qa-part2
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/2673/duke4-stuff
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/2945/broussard-on-duke4
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/3289/duke4-cdkeys-etc
  • https://www.shacknews.com/article/3554/chrish-on-dnf-animation

3D Realms News Posts

• http://legacy.3drealms.com/news/1999/10/duke_nukem_fore_28.html
• http://legacy.3drealms.com/news/1999/11/george_broussar_11.html
• http://legacy.3drealms.com/news/1999/11/duke_nukem_fore_30.html
• http://legacy.3drealms.com/news/1999/11/more_duke_nukem_2.html
• http://legacy.3drealms.com/news/1999/11/gameslice_on_du.html
• http://legacy.3drealms.com/news/1999/11/duke_nukem_fore_29.html
• http://legacy.3drealms.com/news/1999/12/gamespy_looks_f.html

• https://legacy.3drealms.com/news/1999/08/duke_nukem_musi.html
• https://legacy.3drealms.com/news/1999/08/come_get_some.html
• http://legacy.3drealms.com/news/1999/09/music_to_score.html
• http://legacy.3drealms.com/news/1999/09/duke_nukem_musi_1.html

• https://legacy.3drealms.com/news/1999/01/interview_with_16.html
• https://legacy.3drealms.com/news/1999/02/the_grape_unkno.html
• https://legacy.3drealms.com/news/1999/02/chris_hargrove_1.html
• http://legacy.3drealms.com/news/1999/03/older_games_can_1.html

• https://legacy.3drealms.com/news/1999/12/top_10_game_pre.html