If this turns out well then they should totally release it as a downloadable game.

I'm confused. If its not going to have a commercial release, why would a large developer greenlight the project? Not to sound misinformed, but what does Gearbox gain from their being a Duke Nukem 3D HD? Or is it just more like a "we won't sue you" statement?

Not entirely sure I understand what they mean by it won't see a full commercial release. Still, the thought of Jon St. John doing more voice acting is frightening.

Looks nice, though I hope this isn't something else that's stuck in development for ages like Half-life Black Mesa. God I'd love to play that at some point.

Well, actually, that is nice.

I'm guessing it's going to be a downloadable game, though that seems silly since I'm pretty sure the original is on XBL and PSN.

Still, it's nice to see a GOOD Duke Nukem game getting remade (yes they do exist).

@ NickCull- Gearbox are some kickass guys. The mod makers actually went to Gearbox and got approval straight from the source (though I'm sure they were there for other reasons as well). John St. Jon does amazing stuff for the community as well, so him pitching in for this project just makes it fantastic. Fully approved, no strings attached, amazing.

I love the fact that Gearbox is allowing this with the IP, and the fact they are getting the voice to re-record the dialogue. If this is simply a fan-made thing that we can all download for free, then it is awesome that Gearbox is allowing it. I just wish other publishers would allow this sort of thing for fan projects. If it will be a XBLA or PSN game, then it is still an awesome announcement in its own right

An HD-remake of Duke 3D sounds way better than Forever.

@NickCull

Well, first of all, "not a commercial release" likely means they will not be charging people to get this game when it's finished. So Gearbox wouldn't be losing money on a potential project they could be working on themselves. Also, getting a OK to do this project basically lets these guys know that they won't end up wasting their time putting effort into this, only to end up having a cease and desist letter sent to them to stop the project when they're 90% done like some past games.

Some sections from the FAQ:

Q: Is this a Remake?

A: Duke Nukem 3D: Reloaded is not a remake in traditional sense. We call it a "Revision".
Its what Duke Nukem 3D, might have looked like (And played like), if it was created today.


Q: Will Duke Reloaded, play like the original?

A: Short answer, No.
Long answer: The game will play like "most modern shooters". But our highest priority, is to keep the "Duke Feel".
Insanely fast running speeds, and hyperjumping are a thing of the past. That is not the direction we are going for.

Now lets see if this will ever see the light of day. I'm not sure right now, they have some nice artworks but not a single screenshot in their media section.

there's Eduke http://eduke32.com/ it's just an upscale but it does look a bit better.

cant wait to wait 15 years...

I believe this is an independent project that's been going on for a while. It's pretty interesting to see Gearbox getting involved. Hopefully not too involved, we all know what happened last time they did...

@GoodGuyA @AllenR

Thanks for the clarification! It's always nice to see larger developers helping out the smaller guys too! Gearbox is definitely setting a good example for the others.

Dunno, just replayed Duke 3D with HRP mod and had lots of fun with it. heard that XBLA release was pretty good too.
If they want to do something that wasn't done in XBLA or HRP, they should try to remake the game itself slightly, while retaining the cool level design and simplicity of the original gameplay

If I want to play Duke 3D, i'll play Duke 3D.

This just sounds like yet more butthurt. But hey, kudos to Gearbox for not being jerks about a fan project.

Danish! then it must be good!

Will it take 15 years to come out? If so, I don't think I am going to wait.

I think I am ready for duke to go back to the crypt. He is not funny, or even a badass, he is just kinda a douche. DNF is just bad, yea its kinda fun to shoot shit, but its just not that great of a game.

You know what I'd love to see in HD? The original sidescrolling Duke Nukem titles all done up with pretty visuals and John St. John's voice. I'd throw down money for that. I already have the Hi-Res pack for DN3D so this just feels a little redundant.

Seriously, where the hell are the original Duke Nukum games? Duke 3D has been re-released to hell and back, but not one single proper release of Nukum 1 or 2. Seeing as how those aren't easily playable, an XBLA/PSN release would be perfect. I was secretly hoping they'd be included as unlockables in DNF...but that didn't happen.

I am more excited about Duke Begins, the entirely new Duke game Gearbox is building from the ground up.

I love Duke 3D, don't get me wrong, but I have been playing it for 15 years now on more different platforms than I can count....it's time to move on.

Either way, I think it is awesome that Gearbox aren't being SquareEnix-like dicks about this and actually giving it their full support.

::goes back to playing Duke Nukem Forever online::

Neat, but we've already got the HRP. How about making something different, eh?

@nonowerx: I believe that was cancelled. My buddy worked at Gearbox here in Dallas as a ----- -------- for that game. But with the sales of DNF I'm pretty sure they'll pick it up again

I sure hope so. I was really getting myself hyped up for a complete Geearbox-coded Duke game.

Thats why I am so disgusted with all the critical panning of Duke Forever, I liked the game a lot, but many people won't even give it a shot because its getting bad reviews. Thus, losing sales and hope for more Duke.

See SEGA? They GREENLIGHTED It. You know why? Because they know that's a homage and also a form of keeping YOUR property alive.

a-holes.

So this is a "re-envisioning" that is going to "play like most modern shooters."

This puts my interest level at zero.

@badstar

Me too. The whole "Insanely fast running speeds, and hyperjumping are a thing of the past" is even worse for me. Next they're gonna say they don't want complicated level design

I smell a 3 gig $15.99 download.

@Bad Star

Ditto

Having just finished Forever, I'm pretty much done with shooters for the rest of my natural life. Unless something dramatically changes, as is the case with Battlefield 3, I don't give a fuck. Duke killed my enthusiasm for an entire genre; a genre that I love, mind you.

Duke Nukem 3D remake? If they keep it mainly the same, and they don't fuck up the controls, I actually have faith that this would be a really good game.

Fast speed, weapon limit, probably linear levels, regenerative health... Their remake of Duke 3D is basicaly sucking out everything that was GOOD about Duke3D.

Just pick up the original and download the HD pack. That's all you need. Keep your cover shooter mechanics, please.

Because of this post, I got a job with Interceptor Entertainment! Thanks Jim for posting it!!!