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Brace Yourself For More Duke Nukem Forever, DLC Coming Next Week

Tony Wibowo — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 17:06:03 +0000

Duke Nukem Forever finally released earlier this year to a rather dire critical response, but despite the reviews, and subsequent lower-than-anticipated sales, Gearbox is still supporting the game by releasing extra DLC. The first DLC for the game released back in October, titled Hail To The Icons, parodied games like Call of Duty and Team Fortress 2. But if you want more Duke, then you are in luck – 2K Games has announced that next week they will release a brand new DLC pack titled The Doctor Who Cloned Me.

The DLC provides a new single-player campaign in which Duke has to face its arch nemesis Dr. Proton in Area 51. Other than the single-player content, the DLC will also introduce four new maps for multiplayer, new enemies, new weapons and new trophies. The maps included in this DLC are:

Sky-High: The alien-infested corporate offices of Pooty, Inc. near the center of Las Vegas. This map includes three indoor floors taken over by the aliens and two rooftops, jump pads, stairwells, and building-to-building combat.
Command: EDF command center with an imprisoned BattleLord at its core! A two-level map featuring winding stairs, straightaway corridors, and jump pads
Drop Zone: Rooftop of Duke’s Lady Killer Casino featuring indoor and outdoor combat and stairwells for platforming, an EDF dropship on landing pad, and a bottomless pit.
Biohazard: Fight in the Breston Plant Nuclear Power facilities and compete across multiple floors in locker rooms, restrooms with showers, control rooms, and the nuclear waste storage room

The DLC will be available for $9.99 and for more information on the DLC, check out the official website.

If you can’t wait for its release, you can check out some screenshots down below:

Poor Duke Nukem Forever Reviews the Result of High Expectations Says Gearbox

Jonathan Leack — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:55:08 +0000

After the most agonizing and lengthy development cycle in video game history, Duke Nukem Forever released during June of this year. Longer development isn’t always an indicator of quality, however, and its extremely negative reception is proof of that.

Gearbox Co-Founder, Brian Martel, has been disappointed by the poor reception that Duke Nukem Forever has accrued over the past few months, primarily with the way it scored critically. He has placed blame on high expectations for the results, and during an interview with Eurogamer he stated the following:

I think that if we were going to review the reviews fairly, no. A certain amount of gamers today are not used to [Duke Nukem Forever]. It was what it was meant to be, which is a more old-school style game in what is today’s technology.

Okay, so it’s a given that everyone expected more, but doesn’t explain the bugs and unrewarding gameplay. Even if they were aiming for a more classic feel, which quite frankly is just an excuse for it being a game being based on development at the turn of the century, there was plenty of enjoyment to be had from classic games. As stated in our review, Duke Nukem Forever is a game with an array of flaws, none of which come directly from it being a “classic” game.

Pitchford Calls For Rally Against Hackers, Sony in the Right

Tyler Minarik — Mon, 16 May 2011 13:22:59 +0000

We’ve all been affected by the recent hacking of the PlayStation Network, and as a result many are crying foul against Sony. Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford says that’s the wrong target, and we should be firing our anger at the real evil: hackers.

It’s difficult not to feel some sense of anger every time you tried to sign in and saw the “PlayStation Network is currently down for maintenance” message. The PS3 is right in front of you, making it easy to pick your target and blame Sony. The unfortunate fact is that no network is completely secure, and blame Sony all you will, the real cause of our frustrations is the seemingly faceless hacker(s). Most public word from various developers has been one of understanding, despite it causing possible declines in sales. Randy Pitchford on the other hand is outraged, but at the hackers. Speaking to Eurogamer earlier today, he emphatically expressed his opinion on the situation:

We should all be rallying our support, hating the terrorists, wishing to dismantle that problem, because that could strike at any time and disrupt our fun and disrupt our way of life as gamers. It’s freakin’ terrible. [The hackers] are evil, they’re criminal. We’re all throwing darts at Sony – we should all give ‘em hugs and help ‘em out. It’s the first time we’ve experienced it in the games industry and I think we’re failing in how we respond to it. Everyone who is attacking Sony right now is failing. We need to attack cyber-terrorists.

I personally couldn’t agree more. It’s similar to getting mugged, and then blaming the cops because they weren’t there when it happened. The real culprit has got away with our valuables, and we’re angry at the wrong people. Sadly, the recent hacks of Square Enix’s databases indicate we may be seeing a trend, which none of us want to see, including Randy:

Other people that want to feel that kind of result now have examples they can look at which could inspire them. Wow, cyber-terrorism is now an inspiration for other cyber-terrorists? We need to stomp this sh*t out and kill it. The best thing is to try and create a culture where that behaviour is not acceptable human behavior.

Stealing should never be accepted as normal behavior, and letting criminals get away with it only encourages them to do it again. No matter the method, criminal behavior is just that, and hiding behind a computer screen doesn’t make it any better. Luckily plenty of reasonable people are already well aware of this, but it’s great to hear that great game makers like Mr. Pitchford won’t just lie down and allow themselves to be walked on. The PlayStation Network finally appears to be getting back on it’s feet, with firmware 3.61 live, just in time for the release of Gearbox’s legendary game, Duke Nukem Forever. Hopefully the rest of the PSN’s features are back soon, so we can focus on what’s really important: playing great games, killing pig headed aliens, and saving the world’s babes from unearthly evil.

Duke’s Hazards; Aliens, Babes, & One Huge Ego

Tyler Minarik — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 15:49:52 +0000

Having a development time as long as Duke Nukem Forever’s could be hazardous to a franchise’s health, but a little thing like that isn’t keeping the Duke down. A new trailer shows us how he’ll retake his post as the ultimate alien killing babe magnet.

According to Duke, after 13 years it better be good, and we’re inclined to agree. However, even in the hands of developer Gearbox and their passionate leader, Randy Pitchford, Duke Nukem Forever has suffered yet another delay. Whatever the cause is of this, it seems Duke hasn’t suffered a bit, since his iconic brand of humor combined with over the top situations are clearly in the foray of a new trailer that’s just been released. Blood, aliens, school girl babes, big guns, and Duke’s enormous ego are all here, and it must have been hard to squeeze it all into one game. Be forewarned before watching though, this is definitely not safe for work.

It’s hard to push the bar any more in an industry with ultra violent games like God of War showing us just about all the maturity one gamer could handle, but Duke Nukem Forever looks like it’s managed to find some wiggle room to do just that. Hopefully it turns out the past 13 years have been worth the wait, and we won’t see any more delays before the advertised June release dates hit. After all this time, are you still excited to spend time playing as a cocky, self assured, gun toting hero all in the name of saving our babes from disgusting pig-like aliens?

Gearbox Says “There’s More” for Borderlands

Ray Conley — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 18:53:14 +0000

It’s no secret that Gearbox wasn’t short of being thrilled about the overwhelming success of its treasure hunting shooter, Borderlands. The title, which now boasts a total for four awesome DLC packs, may seem more pampering if the speculations are correct.

In a recent interview with Now Gamer, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford stated that the Borderlands franchise isn’t over yet, and that there was more that they “need to do.”

We were really excited to do more and the customers were really excited about more: We love what we’ve done with Borderlands and we know that there’s more that we need to do and that the customers are looking forward to. We know we’re not done with the franchise and we’ll be letting you know what we’re doing before too long.

However, it’s still not clear if Pitchford was giving nods towards the heavily rumored Borderworlds or if the original title will indeed receive a fifth DLC. After playing through the four DLC packs that have already been released, I’m really hoping that those new ideas cranking around at Gearbox will be applied to a much more improved sequel. Besides, I’m in dire need of fresh loot.

[Via]

Duke Nukem Forever’s Campaign is as Big as Duke Himself

Jonathan Leack — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:34:39 +0000

While 2010 has been chock full of surprises; Duke Nukem Forever‘s announcement was easily the most notable. After 10 years of development and release date announcements that eventually fell through, the final product was finally announced with a release date of 2011. While that’s fine and dandy, many have been wondering if the lengthy development time will play a role in making the game grand. Developer Gearbox Software has the answer.

During an interview with Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford, Randy revealed that the campaign for Duke Nukem Forever is perhaps as large as Duke himself. Randy stated the following:

“The campaign is huge. It’s probably three times the size of the last Call Of Duty game. And it’s great through and through.”

Although Modern Warfare 2 isn’t the best form of measure, it definitely puts things in perspective. By comparison, Modern Warfare 2‘s single-player was quite varied and lasted about six hours. Will this mean the campaign for Duke Nukem Forever will last over 20 hours? Better yet, will it be memorable? With over a decade of development, one can only imagine how much potential this game has.

[Source]

3D Realms Boss Lost $20-30 Million with Duke Nukem Forever

Adam G — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:46:47 +0000

3D Realms has had its share of misfortune with Duke Nukem Forever, spending 11 years and a considerable amount of funds getting the game up to scratch only to go under and see it release with a different developer. Just how much the company and co-founder George Broussard lost wasn’t clear until this week.

Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford told CVG that 3D Realms probably lost somewhere in the region of $20-30 Million, with most of that coming out of Broussard’s own pocket.

“There was the bad news in May 2009. You all saw the stories; 3D Realms was shutting down, Duke was dead. That sucked. It was tough being in Dallas, many of my friends lost their jobs.“I spoke to George Broussard and he said, ‘Randy, this is the worst day of my life’ but you could hear in his voice there was more. This was 12 years of his life… try and imagine what you’ve achieved in 12 years, Gearbox has made 15 games in that time.”
“George is not a poor man, but I would estimate that he lost 20 to 30 million dollars of his own money on Duke Nukem Forever – I don’t care who you are, that’s a hell of a lot of money. He was committed to Duke to the point of insanity – and now Duke was dead.”
“He decided he would rather have it burn that have a bad version of the game come out.”

Broussard is still working on the game alongside Gearbox, but it must be disheartening for the rest of the developers at 3D Realms to see the Duke release under a different developer after over 12 years of development.

Retailers Hint at Early 2011 Release for Duke Nukem Forever

Matt Baker — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 02:46:02 +0000

Gearbox president, Randy Pitchford, has already stated Duke Nukem Forever’s development is complete, but the game won’t be releasing until 2011 due to last-minute polish. But the question is inevitably: when exactly in 2011 will it see a release? With the massive line-up of blockbuster games next year, which month will Gearbox be aiming to release their over-10-year-in-development game? If some massive retail chains are to be believed, as early as February, apparently.

Duke Nukem Forever’s official website is linking to pre-order pages for the title on well-known retailers such as GameStop and Amazon. Both of these mega retailers are slating the game for a February, 2011 release.

A Gearbox representative has said that any retailer listing Duke Nukem Forever’s release date are placeholders only, so don’t actually take this as a real release date. Instead, take this as a sign that it very well could be ready for a Q1 release, or at least Q2. Although it nearly lived up to its name by taking forever to be released, the end is finally in sight.

[Via]

Free Borderlands Level Cap Extension, Claptrap DLC Dated

Ray Conley — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:35:41 +0000

Gearbox had plenty of good news to bring to the fore-front of the Penny Arcade Expo panel today. Borderland’s next anticipated DLC has officially been dated and they also want to “raise” the roof to all of their customers as well.

Gearbox’s president Randy Pitchford announced at a PAX panel today that treasure adventurers of Pandora will be getting their next Borderlands’ DLC, Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution on September 28th, and a free extension to the level cap: from 61 to 69. Although, no date has been set yet for the level cap extension.

The last level cap extension came with Borderland’s latest downloadable package “The Secret Armory of General Knoxx.” While that last DLC allowed players to advance 11 additional ranks (from 50-61), Pitchford mentioned Borderland’s current structure would require gamers to buy the previous expansion to receive the next raise in level XP. Following that old model didn’t seem fair. As a result, Pitchford said that he wanted all players to enjoy the level cap for free, without the burden of making extra purchases.

We can all expect to receive this XP buff as a patch update around the release date of their next Borderlands Claptrap expansion.

[Source/Via]

Duke Nukem Forever Alive Again!

Cameron Teague — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:30:52 +0000

And the saga of Duke Nukem Forever continues to drag on. After a development cycle just short of my life span, 2k Games has announced that Borderlands developer Gearbox will be picking up where 3D Realms left off. This comes on the heels of rumors that the game was still alive and actually going to release in our lifetime.

It has been very frustrating watching all this go down over the years with the game really running with the name Forever; which is exactly how long the development of the game has taken. 2k Games and Gearbox will be showcasing the game to the press at PAX, which is currently going down so hopefully more details will be released soon.

[Update]

Here’s some pics of the Duke, courtesy of Eurogamer:

The Duke is set to release in 2011 for the PS3, PC and 360, and is currently playable for those lucky enough to be at PAX.

“Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution” Suppressing Borderlands This September

Adam G — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 02:22:10 +0000

As you may remember, four days back, we reported on a leak that gave away pretty much every piece of information there was about this yet unannounced piece of DLC. It was a fairly monumental leak; you can’t just sweep something as big as an elephant under a rug and forget that it’s there. And so, 2K Games have done the next best thing; they’ve uncovered the elephant and started parading it around outside their offices, or, to bring this disastrous metaphor to an end, they have confirmed that there will be a fourth plundering of downloadable content to sink your thirsty trunk into.

A specific date hasn’t been nailed down but the 20 new missions should arrive at some point in September. Most of the story has already been leaked, but here it is again in slightly different, more official words.

“Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution invites single-player and co-op fans back to try to suppress a deadly Claptrap revolution using one of four infamous vault hunters. The foursome find themselves caught in the crosshairs of a deadly civil war between the Hyperion Corporation’s well-armed armadas and the ever-amassing army of homicidal Claptraps led by one of the most eagerly awaited characters in the franchise’s history – the cunning Ninja Assassin. As vault hunters, players must put aside their past differences with the Hyperion Corporation, namely the organization’s repeated attempts to wipe them from existence. For a hefty payday, they will join forces to help beat down the mechanical uprising and thwart the dastardly kung-fu expert, the Claptrap known only as Ninja Assassin.”

So, are you as pumped as we are for more Borderlands?

A Fourth Batch of Borderlands DLC Could be on the Way

Adam G — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 05:56:57 +0000

Good news, avid Borderlands adventurers: if those first three downloadable add-ons didn’t quench your loot-’em-up thirst, a fourth expansion may be on the way to settle your stomach. User “Legendrew” from the official Gearbox forums started poking around the 1.3 patch for PC and found a whole host of potential info about the new downloadable missions, including what seem to be new breeds of Claptrap.

Yes, If you thought the regular dancing robots were annoying, just wait until you’re being bandied around in the middle of a ninja Claptrap mosh pit. It seems the story this time around is focused on this rogue ninja Claptrap trying to stop the domestication (or slavery, if you want to be picky) of these ‘wild’ contraptions by gathering up an army and leading a robotic revolution. To aide them, the ninja leader starts re-animating the dead and bolting on Claptrap parts to make them suitable warriors (you could say they’re ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Robots’ in a way.) You’re character has been given the task of stopping these rogue machines, which will apparently be done in nine main missions and a further 12 side missions.

But this is just the bare bones of the information that was posted; Legendrew has managed to dig up pretty much everything on the next expansion, including a full list of the new enemy variants and a transcript of the opening cut scene (so of course, there will be spoilers.) There’s been no word from Gearbox on the announcement of a fourth add-on but I’d imagine this leak will have forced their hand a bit; we’ll keep you posted on any news as we get it. But for now, viva la revolution!

[via]

Borderlands: GoTY Edition On the Horizon

Ray Conley — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:14:13 +0000

If you have been holding off on adding Borderlands to your FPS collection, then perhaps your wait will be over soon. Gearbox’s RPG shooter looks like it might be making a return with a special edition that will give you the most bang for your buck.

Gamestop’s online store may have unwittingly spilled the beans of a new edition of Borderlands. A listing of a particular strategy guide was recently spotted, not just for Borderlands, but a Borderlands GoTY Edition. While the listing had no further details, we can suspect that the GoTY edition could be packed with the three DLC content that have already been released. Based on the ad, the strategy guide was listed for a September 7th release date, which would more than likely coincide with the release date of the GoTY edition for Borderlands.

Shortly after the strategy guide ad was spotted by multiple viewers, Gamespot had quietly removed the listing. Some others have tried contacting Gearbox for confirmation to which they replied “No comment.”

[Source]

This Week in PlayStation – April 16th

Kyle P. — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:45:33 +0000

A common stereotype about gamers is that they have short attention spans. As announcements for new games and hardware come and go, it’s easy to lose sight of the momentous events that shaped the gaming world. This Week in PlayStation highlights Sony’s rich videogame heritage, which dates back to the 1980′s. Step back in time with us as we put the spotlight on events big and small that have significantly altered the gaming culture.

This Week in PlayStation April 10th – April 16th

April 10th

1999 - The arcade game sweeping Japan gets a PS1 release. Dance Dance Revolution challenges gamers’ dancing skills.
2003 - CyberConnect2′s newest entry into the long-standing .hack// series, .hack//Quarantine hits Japanese PlayStation 2s.

April 11th

1997 – Gremlin Interactive’s Actua Golf drives to British PS1s.
2006 - Electronic Arts reveals the soundtrack for Fifa 2006 World Cup. The soundtrack features songs from over 15 countries, which truly represents the worldwide participation the World Cup stands for.

April 12th

2001 - From Software’s Armored Core 2: Another Age hits Japanese PlayStation 2s.

April 13th

2004 - Ubisoft significantly increases its stake in Gameloft by roughly 10%
2004 - Gearbox Software and Ubisoft announce details of a long term deal that also starts development on the first Brothers in Arms game.

April 14th

2004 - The United States Army and Ubisoft come to an agreement that allows Ubisoft to exclusively develop and publish games under the America’s Army name.
2006 - TDK, one of the biggest producers of Blu-Ray discs, announces shipment of the company’s first cartridge-free 25GB and 50GB discs. This comes just months away from the launch of the PlayStation 3, which is the first strong supporter of the disc.
2009 - Stone Librande, lead designer for Maxis, announces that he is embarking on a nation-wide college speaking tour. His goal is to talk to and inspire the nation’s leading game designers and artists.

April 15th

2003 - Ubisoft announces its killer lineup for the E3 convention taking place in 2003. Notables in their lineup include Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon 2 and Prince of Persia 2.
2008 – In a bizarre move, Ubisoft announces its acquisition of India-based development company, Gameloft.
2008 - EA Dice announces the release date for their highly anticipated shooter, Battlefield: Bad Company. The title, set for a June 23rd release, certainly is the first true competitor to Call of Duty 4, which released in late 2007.

April 16th

2009 - In an unsurprising move, Ubisoft announces development on the follow-up to their highly successful title, Assassin’s Creed. Assassin’s Creed 2 will hit consoles and the PC later in 2009.

Borderlands to Further Extend Borders

The Great Thomasio — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:52:47 +0000

Few would have guessed that Gearbox’s ‘First-Person RPG’, Borderlands, would have turned out to be the Best Selling New IP of 2009, having sold over 2 million copies worldwide. Fans of the surprise hit have been rewarded with two DLC packs so far, and the good news is that best has yet to come.

In an interview with IGN, President Randy Pitchford talked about the success of the title and said that even more DLC will be arriving soon:

We are investing a lot of time in supporting the game with free updates and paid downloadable content. There will be some announcements on both fronts soon, I expect. We have a lot of motivation to do more with the game and have a lot of lessons we’re applying not only to our immediate efforts, but to our ambitions for the future. I don’t have anything specifics to announce at this time, though.

It has also been revealed that the level cap will be increased and that the current DLC being worked on is the largest to date.

It seems the future is bright for the Borderlands franchise, as 2K Games has exclusive publishing rights for the title for many years to come. Once more information about future DLC and updates is released, we’ll be sure to let you know.