Gearbox head Randy Pitchford says that a preview of the 2011 360, PS3, and PC shooter is "important", currently working on timing with publishers.

Duke Nukem Forever, a game long dismissed as vaporware, materialized in a big way at last week's Penny Arcade Expo. In a lavish surprise unveiling, Borderlands' Gearbox Software announced that it had taken over development of the game, which had been in development at the quasi-defunct studio 3D Realms since 1997. According to Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford, Gearbox has also bought the Duke Nukem intellectual property outright and will develop all future installments in the franchise.

Gearbox is already laying demo plans for 2011's Duke Nukem Forever.

Not only was Duke Nukem Forever unveiled at PAX, but it was also playable in demo form on the show floor. And although the game won't be released until 2011 on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC, Pitchford told UK gaming site VG247 that he is already looking at ways to release a demo to the millions of gamers who weren't at the event.

"I think that is an important thing to do," he told the site. "Now that the cat's out of the bag we can actually make those plans. Now we can get with retailers and figure out the launch window, and figure out demo timing, and work with the first-parties on that. We weren't able to do that until this point."

As outlined in GameSpot's hands-on preview from PAX, the game will feature the crude humor and hectic action that are the franchise's hallmarks. For more on Duke Nukem Forever, watch GameSpot's interview with Gearbox's Pitchford below.

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APB administration firm confirms mystery buyer has picked up the rights to studio's social gaming and networking platform.

A number of developers have cut staff following the completion of their latest game this summer, but Realtime Worlds' headcount reductions were, unfortunately, different. Less than two months after shipping the tepidly received online shooter APB, the Crackdown developer announced that it had entered administration--a form of bankruptcy in Europe. Administration firm Begbies Traynor has since been attempting to find buyers for Realtime Worlds' assets.

Project MyWorld will continue to spin…somewhere.

Today, it appears as if it has found some success with Project MyWorld. GameSpot has confirmed with Realtime Worlds' administration firm that an unnamed company has purchased the rights to the studio's online social-networking and gaming platform for an undisclosed sum.

Details on the acquisition remain a mystery. Responding to GameSpot's request for comment, a Begbies Traynor representative stated that the Project MyWorld buyer demanded complete confidentiality as terms of the acquisition.

"The buyer insisted on total confidentiality, no press release, no disclosure of price paid, or name of buyer," the rep said. "Administrators had to comply or risk being sued and could only say MyWorld had been sold."

Announced in late July, Project MyWorld has been described as a mix of social gaming, social networking, and traditional gaming. According to Project MyWorld's Web site, the platform "turns the real world into a fun 3D social gaming experience. Project: MyWorld is a virtual re-creation of the real world combined with 3D gaming and social media."

After enacting sweeping layoffs at the studio, Begbies Traynor rehired 23 members of the 60-person Project MyWorld team. "MyWorld is attracting considerable interest from potential buyers…hence the fact we have been able to offer a limited number of those jobs back," the administration firm said at that time.

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World at War favourite and History of Violence star confirmed for Treyarch's shooter; Dark Knight scribe David S. Goyer helping with script and story.

True Crime, Spyro the Dragon, and Call of Duty: Black Ops all have one thing in common: Gary Oldman. Activision confirmed today that the Hollywood star, best known for his roles in Leon, True Romance and The Dark Knight would be returning to the Call of Duty franchise to voice Viktor Reznov from Treyarch's previous entry, World at War.

Ed Harris has played military types before, such as in 1996's The Rock.

The megapublisher also confirmed that Ed Harris, known for his roles in such movies as The Right Stuff, The Rock, and National Treasure: Book of Secrets, as well as more substantive fare such as A History of Violence and A Beautiful Mind, would be voicing CIA operative Jason Hudson, one of the game…s main characters. Activision also said that support for the script and story scribes would be provided by FlashForward cocreator and comic book writer David S. Goyer. Goyer also wrote the scripts for critically acclaimed Batman reboot Batman Begins and the story for its sequel The Dark Knight.

Oldman is no stranger to video game projects, having first worked on Medal of Honor: Allied Assault in 2003. Since then, he has leant his voice to True Crime: Streets of LA and three separate Spyro The Dragon titles. Goyer contributed to the story of the Batman Begins game, while Black Ops is Harris' first game project.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is due out worldwide on November 9 and has not yet been officially rated by the ESRB or the BBFC.

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