Apogee Comeback

Apogee Software announces their plans to start doing stuff again, saying they will be producing new Duke Nukem games on consoles. Apogee is actually the official name of 3D Realms, but they have not branded anything Apogee since 1996. Of course no such announcement would be complete without an explanation of all the innovations Apogee/3D Realms is behind (something to do with shareware, if memory serves). Here's word:
Dallas, Texas -- July 14, 2008 -- Apogee Software is back to re-establish itself as an innovative leader in interactive entertainment. Apogee is reviving some of its legacy catalogue of 30+ releases as well as publishing all-new properties in collaboration with diverse creators and developers.

Apogee is bringing the King of Action himself, Duke Nukem(tm), to the handheld console market with three new missions, together called the Duke Nukem Trilogy(tm). Apogee Software is producing the Trilogy under an exclusive license agreement with 3D Realms and MachineWorks Northwest LLC. The Trilogy is comprised of three episodes: Critical Mass(tm), Chain Reaction(tm), and Proving Grounds(tm).

"This marks a new beginning for a famous publisher with a history of market-making innovation," said Terry Nagy, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Apogee. "I can't think of a better character than Duke or a better franchise than the Trilogy to usher in a new era for Apogee." "It's funny how what's old is new again in this industry," remarked Apogee co-founder, Scott Miller. "Many of the things Apogee pioneered are back in style, so it only makes sense to bring back Apogee and its properties with a visionary team that will once again create innovation for gamers around the world."

Apogee pioneered the shareware game revolution in 1987 by inventing the concept of game demos, distributed online, which advertised the remaining episodes in a series. Before this time, game demos and episodic releases were unheard of. These concepts created by Apogee have become mainstream today. Apogee's amazing history includes the original releases of Commander Keen(tm) (1990), Duke Nukem(tm) (1991), Wolfenstein 3-D(tm) (1992), Raptor(tm) (1993), and Rise of the Triad(tm) (1994), just to name a few.
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1.
 
No subject
Jul 14, 2008, 09:51
1.
No subject Jul 14, 2008, 09:51
Jul 14, 2008, 09:51
 
TO BE RELEASED:






never.....

I never wanted to do this job in the first place! I... I wanted to be... A LUMBERJACK! Leaping from tree to tree! As they float down the mighty rivers of British Columbia! With my best girl by my side! The Larch! The Pine! The Giant Redwood tree! The Seq
Avatar 21343
2.
 
No subject
Jul 14, 2008, 10:02
2.
No subject Jul 14, 2008, 10:02
Jul 14, 2008, 10:02
 
I hear Leave it to Beaver is making a comeback too!


This comment was edited on Jul 14, 10:03.
“Extinction is the rule. Survival is the exception.” -- Carl Sagan
3.
 
No subject
Jul 14, 2008, 10:14
3.
No subject Jul 14, 2008, 10:14
Jul 14, 2008, 10:14
 
Although it would be sweet to see a new Rise of the Triad ... I smell FAIL

4.
 
No subject
Jul 14, 2008, 10:34
4.
No subject Jul 14, 2008, 10:34
Jul 14, 2008, 10:34
 
screw the handheld market. I want a modern day interpretation of Rise of the Triad
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Both the “left” and the “right” pretend they have the answer, but they are mere flippers on the same thalidomide baby, and the truth is that neither side has a clue."

- Jim Goad
Avatar 10137
5.
 
ROTT
Jul 14, 2008, 11:19
5.
ROTT Jul 14, 2008, 11:19
Jul 14, 2008, 11:19
 
Ludicrous Gibs!

6.
 
Re: No subject
Jul 14, 2008, 11:30
6.
Re: No subject Jul 14, 2008, 11:30
Jul 14, 2008, 11:30
 
A modern ROTT wouldn't be the same without Lee making the music though, and I doubt we'd see the shrooms again.

Meh, I don't think the modern environment could take a ROTT without going balistic over the references and gore. Shrooms mode anyone?

This comment was edited on Jul 14, 11:30.
7.
 
No subject
Jul 14, 2008, 12:24
7.
No subject Jul 14, 2008, 12:24
Jul 14, 2008, 12:24
 
Apogee Software is producing the Trilogy under an exclusive license agreement with 3D Realms
So basically, they're licensing it from themselves? Surely that must violate at least a few laws somewhere?

Avatar 23755
8.
 
No subject
Jul 14, 2008, 14:38
8.
No subject Jul 14, 2008, 14:38
Jul 14, 2008, 14:38
 
Awesome... we're seeing the return of Duke in a platform game?
Remember... Apogee means action!
And Duke means mileage.
Avatar 13202
9.
 
Re: ROTT
Jul 14, 2008, 15:44
9.
Re: ROTT Jul 14, 2008, 15:44
Jul 14, 2008, 15:44
 
I can't be the only one that would prefer to see a new ROTT or Raptor than another Duke Nukem remake/port?

10.
 
ROTT
Jul 14, 2008, 17:49
10.
ROTT Jul 14, 2008, 17:49
Jul 14, 2008, 17:49
 
Rise of the Triad is still one of my all-time favorite games. My brothers and I played the stuffing out of the direct-connect multiplayer DM modes (long live "Falling For It" & "The Corpseyard")!!!

I've still never had as much fun.

11.
 
Guilty!
Jul 14, 2008, 18:52
11.
Guilty! Jul 14, 2008, 18:52
Jul 14, 2008, 18:52
 
Exhibit A

Apogee pioneered the shareware game revolution in 1987 by inventing the concept of game demos, distributed online, which advertised the remaining episodes in a series. Before this time, game demos and episodic releases were unheard of. These concepts created by Apogee have become mainstream today. Apogee's amazing history includes the original releases of Commander Keen(tm) (1990), Duke Nukem(tm) (1991), Wolfenstein 3-D(tm) (1992), Raptor(tm) (1993), and Rise of the Triad(tm) (1994), just to name a few.

Exhibit B

Apogee is bringing the King of Action himself, Duke Nukem(tm), to the handheld console market with three new missions, together called the Duke Nukem Trilogy(tm).

They would NOT be where they are today if not for the PC gaming market. So to 3D Realms (Apogee, or whatever the hell they want to call themselves now)... go to hell traitor!

-----
http://www.gamemusicjukebox.com/
Game p/reviewer for http://www.gameindustry.com/
This comment was edited on Jul 14, 18:54.
"Listen, Peter... with great horsepower comes... the sickest drifts..." - source
Avatar 18786
12.
 
Re: Guilty!
Jul 14, 2008, 19:42
12.
Re: Guilty! Jul 14, 2008, 19:42
Jul 14, 2008, 19:42
 
They would NOT be where they are today if not for the PC gaming market. So to 3D Realms (Apogee, or whatever the hell they want to call themselves now)... go to hell traitor!

This kind of attitude embodies perfectly what's wrong with the hardcore PC market today. A company branches off into different markets, and calls of TRAITOR ZOMG HOW DARE YOU ABANDON YOUR ROOTS ensue.

Guess what: if Apogee weren't in the PC market, they wouldn't exist because the only other market that existed was the damn Nintendo market, which was nowhere near as open as the PC was! Apogee wouldn't even have the chance to go into the handheld console market because there was none! So the only reason Apogee owe the PC market is because they had no other choice in the first place.

This comment was edited on Jul 14, 19:43.
13.
 
Re: Guilty!
Jul 14, 2008, 20:25
13.
Re: Guilty! Jul 14, 2008, 20:25
Jul 14, 2008, 20:25
 
This isn't anything new. Duke has been in numerous console spin-offs.

Avatar 20715
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No subject
Jul 14, 2008, 20:40
Okibi
 
14.
No subject Jul 14, 2008, 20:40
Jul 14, 2008, 20:40
 Okibi
 
I guess they needed to come up with something to help them continue funding Broussard's circus of development lunacy for another 10 years.

15.
 
Re: Guilty!
Jul 14, 2008, 20:55
15.
Re: Guilty! Jul 14, 2008, 20:55
Jul 14, 2008, 20:55
 
@sponge

Commander Keen, Duke Nukem, Wolfenstein 3-D, Raptor, and Rise of the Triad, and any other game could be sold on Steam, GOG.com, Direct2Drive, et all. They wouldn't need to do anything drastic because the platform is still PC.

There are plenty of industry vets who’ve said when the naysayers look at PC versus console sales they don't include online sales. In many ways online sales is bigger than the entire console market combined.

Seems to me if 3DR/Apogee is screaming for cash they would sell their older games on a platform with the most profit potential. As I see it that platform is online sales...


-----
http://www.gamemusicjukebox.com/
Game p/reviewer for http://www.gameindustry.com/
This comment was edited on Jul 14, 20:56.
"Listen, Peter... with great horsepower comes... the sickest drifts..." - source
Avatar 18786
16.
 
Re: Guilty!
Jul 14, 2008, 20:58
16.
Re: Guilty! Jul 14, 2008, 20:58
Jul 14, 2008, 20:58
 
Odd... I was thinking about old games the other night as I was digging through my "box of tricks" for WarHammer Dark Omen, and the thought of a new ROTT came to my mind... then I see this on the news. Weird =\

17.
 
No subject
Jul 14, 2008, 21:00
17.
No subject Jul 14, 2008, 21:00
Jul 14, 2008, 21:00
 
You guys must have been into that shroom mode a little too much. ROTT was terrible. It did have a few redeeming features though. I liked the gibs and the begging enemies.

I'd be down with an old-school side-scrolling Duke Nukem or Commander Keen on a handheld though.

18.
 
Re: Guilty!
Jul 14, 2008, 21:24
18.
Re: Guilty! Jul 14, 2008, 21:24
Jul 14, 2008, 21:24
 
Seems to me if 3DR/Apogee is screaming for cash they would sell their older games on a platform with the most profit potential. As I see it that platform is online sales...

I'm not seeing the attraction. Games that are comparably entertaining to Commander Keen or Duke Nukem are available as free Flash games nowadays, aren't they?

19.
 
Re: Guilty!
Jul 14, 2008, 23:05
19.
Re: Guilty! Jul 14, 2008, 23:05
Jul 14, 2008, 23:05
 
They are but they don't run as well as the originals. Basically because Flash has a problem animating more than a few bitmaps on screen at a time.

Notice how fast this Commander Keen clone plays...
http://www.glenrhodes.com/flashkeen/tilepop.html

Versus this Wolf 3D clone...
http://www.glenrhodes.com/wolf/myRay.html

That's because the Wolf 3D clone uses bitmaps while the Keen clone uses vector artwork. Flash can handle vector artwork much better because its native to Flash. All old school games use bitmap sprites. I don't think an artist wants to recreate all the bitmap artwork as vector artwork.

By the way that Wolf 3D clone crashed my browser.


-----
http://www.gamemusicjukebox.com/
Game p/reviewer for http://www.gameindustry.com/
This comment was edited on Jul 14, 23:14.
"Listen, Peter... with great horsepower comes... the sickest drifts..." - source
Avatar 18786
20.
 
Re: No subject
Jul 14, 2008, 23:08
nin
20.
Re: No subject Jul 14, 2008, 23:08
Jul 14, 2008, 23:08
nin
 
ROTT was terrible.

WTF?!?! Are you serious!? I know different people like different games, but wow! You really thought it was bad?

I'd kill to have it show up on Steam...



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"The Bellic boys! Talking over your town, assholes!"
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