According to official Black Mesa word, the mod no longer requires Counter-Strike: Source, as the project has moved to The Orange Box version of Valve's Source engine. Any Source-based game will let you play Black Mesa, should it ever be released.

That means the new media may show off the "advanced particle effects, jigglebones, cinematic physics, combined maps, self-shadowing bump maps, dynamic shadows, and [...] Procedural Terrain Displacement" courtesy of the new engine. If not, the new trailer promised in the days to come hopefully will. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you next year!

Well, now The Wiicast has gotten on the phone with Adam Spencer of Nibris partner Fog Studios to mess with our heads some more, saying that things are still underway:

Obviously there’s only so much I can say. I can tell you for sure that the project is real, they’re actively developing it. There’s no publisher for the game yet and as such it’s impossible for us to say when the game is going to be released. Basically, that’s the official statement.

Spencer says he's even seen the game in action, but they haven't found a "fit" yet in a publisher.

Breaking News! Sadness is Real! [The Wiicast]

Earlier this year, an in-game image from Duke Nukem Forever popped up on a Gamasutra job ad. Months later, there is another apparent real time image of an enemy model. According to Duke Nukem creator George Broussard:

Just to head off any questions. Real-time in game asset, like the last job ad shot. Taken from a game level with a dark background, on purpose, because we wanted to focus attention on the character.

Better than focusing on DNF's ten year development hell. Brian Ashcraft

DNF Image [Gamasutra via Shack News]

They ask Miller in a recent interview:

It's been nearly 5 years since the last Duke game on a PC was released and although it was critically accepted, it was perhaps not the Duke game many fans were expecting; is it not a case that Duke's time is now long gone?

First, we fully admit we're screwed up the development of DNF, and it's now an industry joke. I laugh (and cry) when I think about it, too. Our fault is that we set the bar too high, and we tried too hard to make the game to beat all games. In the last 18 months we've taken a much more realistic look at the project, we've hired a truckload of experienced help, and I personally believe we are now on the right track...finally.

Finally. Finally! We look forward to this new realistic look at the project. Really! Michael McWhertor

Scott Miller Interview - The Man Who Would Be King? [YouGamers via 1UP]

OK, you can officially take S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl off the Vaporware list, the company is shipping out beta code to reviewers (myself included) as we speak.

The code is said to be beta of the single player side of the game. From the release:

One of the most highly anticipated PC games of 2007 will be arriving soon for you to preview - S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. This first person shooter title is set in an alternate future where Chernobyl has been devastated by a second nuclear disaster. You will assume the role of a S.T.A.L.K.E.R., a person living in the radiation zone who makes a living by collecting artifacts and selling them. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is set for release in March 2007.

The tempo of the action will shift quickly as you journey through over 30 square kilometers of the radioactive zone including the ghost town of Pripyat and the abandoned sarcophagus of the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant. Be forewarned! You will have to fight for survival against animals and flora that have been horribly mutated by radiation, as well as other S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s.

Judging by the screenshots, this looks like it might live up to at least some of its potential. I'm told I'll be getting code today. If it happens I'll try to get impressions up by early next week. Brian Crecente

Impressive.

Is Duke Nukem Forever progress another sign of impending Armaggedon? Get your copies of Left Behind: Eternal Forces and repent before it's too late! Michael McWhertor

I am one more Duke Nukem Forever away from putting a bullet in Wired's annual Vaporware awards.

The never finished game has made the list six times and frankly I don't think it deserves to be considered in development. We get the point already, the game is vaporware, get on with it and use the slot it takes up (number one on the list this time around) for something that everyone doesn't already know about.

The rest of the games included on the list seem a bit shaky too. You've got Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl, a nuclear first-person shooter first previewed in 2001, last updated to hit next year. Then there's the always Gran Turismo 4 Mobile, a portable version of a game that is perpetually delayed and Spore... not really sure why this is here. While the game has been pushed back once, it's not big enough of a push to be considered vaporware, that and EA's been promoting the hell out of it.

What games do you think should have made the list? Brian Crecente

Vaporware 06: Return of the King [Wired]

If I remember my Biblical history correctly, the Jews — under Moses — made a mass exodus out of Egypt for the land of milk and honey when the pyramid they were building was crassly labeled as being completed "Fornever."

So there's clear theological parallels between the Israeli exodus of the Old Testament and the current exodus of 3D Realms game developers working on Duke Nukem Forever Since December, Scott Alden, Will Bate, Brian Cozzens, Kyle Davis, Andy Hanson, Keith Schuler, and Charlie Wiederhold have all left 3D Realms for greener pastures. Up to 10 team members have left the company, and there have been multiple departures within the last few days alone.

Shacknews posits that the problem is George Broussard, a crazy perfectionist who keeps on bloating the design document with new Army of Darkness one-liners and ways to "use" the strippers found in the game. Still, when so many people responsible for so many key systems in development start flooding out, that's 2007 release starts looking more and more implausible. Florian Eckhardt

3D Realms Sees Major Employee Departures, Fate of DNF in Question? [Shacknews]

CNET has a bizarre little slideshow of the top-eleven vaporware titles, with the mysterious inclusion of those who are no longer vaporware (Prey is #3). I think someone is confused about the definition of "vaporware", despite the literal definition being pasted above the article itself.

Here're their complete picks:

1. Duke Nukem Forever
2. The Phantom Game Console
3. Prey
4. Starcraft Ghost
5. Sam and Max: Freelance Police (listed as cancelled...whuh?)
6. PlayStation 3 (say what?)
7. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (this is getting ridiculous)
8. Team Fortress 2 (jesus christ)
9. Fallout 3 (I actually hope this is true; I don't want to see Bethesda fuck my sunshine on this one)
10. Earthbound 64/Mother 3

In fact, I think the only actual vaporware items on that list are the Phantom, DNF, and maybe Fallout 3. Although the latter doesn't really count because it hasn't been cancelled or delayed; it's barely even been announced. Get the fuck out of my comic book shop, CNET. Eliza Gauger

See list here [CNET, not sure where I got this link]

Add another bullet point in the list of things that have happened while Duke Nukem Forever has been in production: a completely different 3D Realms vaporware product has gone gold, under the watchful eye of Human Head Studios.

We refer, of course, to Prey. I haven't kept tabs on this very well, so I was surprised to find that they abandoned their Native American protagonist idea ('Talon Brave') and replaced him with a garage mechanic named Tommy. Huh. Interesting... although I suppose we can all thank 3D Realms for not giving a Native American the Lo Wang treatment.

A demo of Prey is scheduled for tomorrow, according to Wikipedia. Florian Eckhardt

Prey Goes Gold [3D Realms Forums]

Here in one article are all the sad stories of these doomed games, with a trace of hope squeezed in here and there:

Still, Telltale decided to make a new game from scratch with Purcell. In fact, Game Tap announced at E3 this year that the new Sam and Max game will be released as episodic content via its network (again, a pretty funny trailer was released at the show). So while Freelance Police may have died, Sam and Max will return.

I'm a little disappointed to see the new Sam and Max is all 3d. I would love to see a return to the gorgeous cartooning that LucasArts used to use for those games.

And we're still hearing about DNF now and then, too! Although at this point, we've been waiting so long and hoping so hard that anything they give us will simply not be enough.

We have gone too long un-Duked, you and I. There is probably nothing for it. Eliza Gauger

The Best Games Never Published [Twitch Guru]

Well, Mike has nothing to worry about. Everybody's favorite vaporware Duke Nukem Forever doesn't look ready to ship this year—even with contractual obligations. George Broussard had this to say:

As for the 500k completion bonus, I don't even know were that came from. Scott [Miller, 3D Realms CEO] would know, but I do know that we never cared or asked for it, and I think it was just tossed in as part of some other agreement. We're certainly not motivated by that amount of money, after all this time, and getting the game right is what matters. I would never ship a game early (even a couple of months), for 500k.

What was that George? Sorry, my eyes just glazed over. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Next-Gen]

According to Wired Nintendo's Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess made the list at number 6, just ahead of Valve's Team Fortress 2: Brotherhood of Arms. The latter of which has been AWOL since 1999. Those aren't the only two video games on the list, however. At number five is Blizzard's Starcraft: Ghost, a game I know exists, because I fiddled with it at last summer's E3. It wouldn't be vaporware if not for the last two entries from the video game world: Infinium's Phantom at number two and of course, Duke Nukem Forever.

Vaporware: Better Late Than Never [Wired]

Clickable Culture reports that according to new Infinium CEO Greg Koler, the Phantom, Infinium's gaming machine is planned for launch in 2006. So we have three next-gen machines to look forward to this year. The Revolution, PlayStation 3 AND the Phantom.

One of these is not like the others. And I don't mean in a controlled-by-a-remote-control kind of way.

Infinium Labs Phantom Console in 2006 [Clickable Culture]

Yeah, right. Amazon lists its release date as April 21, 2006 (UK only, sorry America) — so it must be true, right? Is this vaporware product finally coming out? Doubt it, but I still laughed when I saw the link. Hey, remember in October when it looked like this was going to ship in December? Giggle.

Thanks, Tyrone

Duke Nukem Forever at Amazon [Amazon]
Duke Nukem Forever to Ship in December (Doubt it)

Infinium Labs, the company behind the next-generation of console vaporware, the Phantom, made a change at the leadership position, according to Games Industry. Greg Koler has taken over as both CEO and CFO for Kevin Bachus after Bachus left Infinium. As far as how this affects the Phantom's release? Eh, no one knows. The race is on to see which hits store shelves first Duke Nuke 'Em Forever or the Phantom.

Kevin Bachus Leaves Infinium, Koler Named CEO [Games Industry]