Wow. Apogee. That's a name I've not heard since, oh, before you were born! But hear it again we will, because the classic PC publisher (or at least the name, ala Atari) is back from the dead, and is bringing one of its classic franchises with it. The company has announced that it'll be releasing three new Duke Nukem games (if you're as old as I am, you'll remember Apogee publishing the original Duke Nukem side-scrollers on PC) to the "handheld console market". Also announced are plans to revive more of its "legacy catalogue", so if you'd like to start praying for a current-gen Rise Of The Triad, go ahead and be my guest.
Dallas, TX - 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™, to the handheld console market with three new missions, together called the Duke Nukem Trilogy™. 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™, Chain Reaction™, and Proving Grounds™.
"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."
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.
"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."