Now this is an awesome dev company! Allowing a fan to remake and distribute a classic game for free!

eyeswideopen

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6281971.html?tag=latestheadlines%3Btitle%3B1

 

 

Gearbox approves fan-made Duke Nukem 3D remake

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  By Tom Magrino, GameSpot
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  Posted Oct 14, 2010 4:33 pm PT

New IP owner of iconic macho action hero grants noncommercial license for Unreal Engine 3-powered overhaul of 3D Realms' classic shooter.

Prior to its collapse in 2009, 3D Realms fired off one more installment in its Duke Nukem franchise, rereleasing 1996's highly regarded Duke Nukem 3D for Xbox Live Arcade. Now, Gearbox Software owns the rights to the Duke Nukem IP, and one of its first acts--beyond dating Duke Nukem Forever, of course--has been to grant a noncommercial license to revive Duke Nukem 3D with Unreal Engine 3-powered graphics.

As detailed in a post to Gearbox's message boards, forum user Fresch announced that the studio had granted him the license to proceed with his project, tentatively titled Duke Nukem: Next Gen. In the words of Fresch, the project gained legs after he built a "test" map using UE3 and posted screenshots to Gearbox's message boards.

Duke Nukem 3D has never looked so…3D.

"A few weeks ago, I played with the idea of a Duke Nukem 3D revision, made on Unreal Engine 3 Tech," he wrote. "Knowning that every other Duke project, not based on 3Drealms own technology (Build), has been knifed and cancelled, I didn't think it was possible to do…I contacted George Brussard and Scott Miller, to start a conversation about the project…But the project was only doable if Take-Two would approve it."

Enter Gearbox VP and general counsel PJ Putnam, who worked out the details with Take-Two, which culminated in a license for the project.

As for what that project will be, Fresch described DNNG as a complete graphical overhaul of Duke Nukem 3D using Epic Games' engine. The final release, which will be offered free of charge, will include a three episode single-player campaign and a multiplayer mode. The game does not yet have a release date.

Go check out the youtube video in the original article.

Jellypig

Thanks for this post, this is friggin awesome.  I can't wait to try this remake out.

SnarlingWolf

Makes sense. If they really are planning on realsing DNF this time around then reviving interest/bringing DN3D to a whole new generation with a free game will likely boost their sales significantly. Not to mention they don't have to put a single dime into it's creation so they get those new sales for 0 investment.

 

I'll certainly download it and play it. I wasted so much time as a kid on DN3D over the modem with my friends. Nothing like freezing someone in mid air and watching them drop to their death. Getting someone to chase you around a corner into a trip mine (or putting them in a closet so when the person opens the door the beam hits them and it explodes in their face). So many ingenious ways to kill people in that game instead of just shooting them.

levsix

That is really great news. I love projects like this. It reminds of the people remaking the original Half Life as Half Life: Black Mesa with the new Source engine. Like Duke Nuke 'Em Forever, however, they are taking a long, long time to get it done!

Jellypig

Finally found an excuse to post this ;D

eyeswideopen

Originally posted by Jellypig

Finally found an excuse to post this ;D

ROFL!

Jimmac

Awesome screen shot. I couldn't even count the number of times I played through this game. Duke Nukem 3d is one of the classics of video gaming.