Apogee Software LLC has apparently made the promised Duke-related announcement, and the big news is that Apogee's expanding its search for a live-action Duke.

Making no mention of 3D Realms's closure or the doomed Duke Nukem Forever, Apogee announced that budding Dukes can now submit their auditions reels online.

The winning Duke will market Apogee's upcoming Duke Nukem Trilogy for the Nintendo DS and PSP, which sees Duke in a variety of genres and time periods, including WW2. Developed by Frontline Studios, the first installment 'Critical Mass' is due out this fall.

The men--and women--who would be Duke can size up the competition at the Duke Is Back website before uploading a video of their best grimace, flexing and one-liners.

Update 5: More images and some DNF gameplay footage have surfaced.

Update 4: Images from 3DR's Duke Nukem Forever have started to leak.

Update 3: 3D Realms webmaster Joe Siegler has commented on the shut down, stating: "It's not a marketing thing. It's true. I have nothing further to say at this time."

Siegler's post also reflects the unexpected nature of the situation, as he was unaware of the impending shut down during an interview conducted yesterday afternoon.

Update 2: Duke Nukem Forever publisher Take-Two has confirmed to Shacknews that it was not funding ongoing development of the 3D Realms project.

"We can confirm that our relationship with 3D Realms for Duke Nukem Forever was a publishing arrangement, which did not include ongoing funds for development of the title," said Take-Two VP of communications Alan Lewis in a prepared statement.

"In addition, Take-Two continues to retain the publishing rights to Duke Nukem Forever," he added.

Update: Apogee Software LLC and Deep Silver have issued a statement to Shacknews, confirming that the situation at 3D Realms has not affected the development of Frontline Games' upcoming handheld Duke Nukem Trilogy.

"Deep Silver and Apogee Software are not affected by the situation at 3D Realms," a representative for the companies told us. "Development on the Duke Nukem Trilogy is continuing as planned."

Original story: A very reliable source close to Duke Nukem Forever developer 3D Realms today confirmed to Shacknews that the development studio has shut down.

The closure came about as a result of funding issues, our source... Read more

Apogee Software today announced that Critical Mass, the first entry in the new Duke Nukem Trilogy, will arrive on Nintendo DS and PSP come September.

Now in development at Frontline Studios, the action game takes place in the future. The latter two entries are respectively set in the modern day and during World War II.

The company also announced that it's kicking off a talent search for "the next live-action Duke Nukem actor," noting that "aspiring Dukes will be judged on how well they personify the character's take-no-prisoners attitude."

Auditions will be held in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas, with submissions also being accepted in DVD, tape or QuickTime form. For more info, hit dukeisback.com.

Apogee Software, a prominent publisher of independent PC games back in the early 1990s, today announced that it is re-establishing itself as a publishing and production company. The pioneer of shareware software, where a large chunk of a game (usually the first of a game's three episodes) was given away as a teaser with other installments available upon payment, Apogee had not published a game since 1996's Stargunner. After 1994, the company mostly used the 3D Realms name.

Apogee also immediately announced its first new title in Duke Nukem Trilogy, an episodic project for Nintendo DS and PSP. The Trilogy will consist of three episodes: Critical Mass, Chain Reaction, and Proving Grounds. These games, which will share a common storyline, will be released sequentially, starting during the summer of 2009.

The games are ... Read more