Duke Nukem's Girls...Naked

If there's one thing Duke knows how to do well -- aside from killing and/or banging anything on two legs -- it's stirring up controversy. Multiplayer details for Duke Nukem Forever were recently revealed, and while most of it looks innocent enough, there's one MP mode that's offending a great many people on the Internet. The list of MP gameplay modes includes staples such as Hail to the King (King of the Kill), Team Dukematch, Dukematch, and Capture the Babe. Wait, what was that last one? Instead of 'Capture the Flag,' DNF has you capturing girls and carrying them to the designated goal. Not surprisingly, these live flags will occasionally "freak out," requiring you to smack them over the arse periodically to keep them calm. Because everyone knows spanking has soothing, therapeutic effects on people. Other than that, the multiplayer for DNF is pretty standard. You've got ten maps, multiplayer progression (leveling and player stats), and the aforementioned MP modes. The Holo-Duke weapon will also be returning for added hilarity, plus a jetpack that's exclusive to multiplayer. The Xbox 360 version will feature an eight-player cap per match, though it isn't clear whether this restriction applies to PC and PS3 as well. A multiplayer demo is planned for release shortly before Duke Nukem Forever comes out in May. If you still aren't amused and/or thoroughly offended, give the game's ESRB synopsis a read; it's majorly sexy stuff.

Nintendo And Its 3DS

Just when I thought 3D was a faded, "Avatar"-spawned fad, it starts popping up everywhere: TVs, smartphones, and now toys. I'm clearly not the target demographic for Nintendo's soon-to-be-released 3DS gaming device, but I can tell it's going to be a runaway hit with the kids. It's got the wow factor, the fun factor, and the pure novelty that combine to makes something buzz-worthy. But the part I wasn't expecting was Nintendo's serious warnings all over the device, packaging, and Web site cautioning that children aged 6 and under should use the 3DS only in its conventional, 2D mode. That's because, Nintendo has said, 3D viewing could potentially disrupt the developing eyesight of the younger set. Concerned about the warning, we interviewed Dr. Andrew Iwach, an ophthalmologist in downtown San Francisco. As director of the Glaucoma Research Center, Iwach has done extensive research on the effects of 3D on kids' eyes. He told us the data on watching a 3D screen is inconclusive but that it doesn't point to any negative long-term side effects. He does caution, though, that moderation is always key when gaming. That certainly proved true when my CNET colleague Donald Bell and I were playing around with the new gadget, which is set to hit stores March 27. Some of the features are seriously dizzying and nausea-inducing! (In fact, Nintendo's warnings have included advice to adults to take a break after 30 minutes of 3D play.) Among the more head-spinning features, for instance, are the augmented-reality games that read special 3D cards with the 3DS' cameras and then turn the surface of the cards into a playing field that interacts with you and the device. That's a great example of some of the seriously innovative tech behind the 3DS' wow factor. And again, I'm not the target audience for the Nintendo 3DS. But I have to say, whether we're talking about little kids or even adults, it sure is a good thing you can turn the 3D capabilities on and off.

Twitter & Bing

Microsoft's Bing just added Twitter feeds to its news pages, giving readers the ability to quickly scan the latest buzz about the biggest events. When Web surfers search Bing News for a story, tweets now show up in a scrolling column on the right side of the page under the heading "Public updates." So news links today about Elizabeth Taylor's funeral were accompanied by brief tributes from fans as well as promotions from publications linking to articles about the actress. The idea behind the new Twitter feed is to give readers yet another source of information. "As we've seen with the tragedy in Japan or political turmoil in the Middle East, real people are relaying timely and compelling items not captured by traditional outlets," Betsy Aoki, a Bing senior program manager, writes on the Bing blog. The Twitter feed adds a bit of clutter to a page that also includes related video to the news topic as well as links to people in the news related to the search. But it also differentiates Bing News from its much larger rival, Google News. Microsoft also expanded its "Liked Results" feature, highlighting links that Facebook friends have "liked" directly in Bing's search results. Users have to be signed into both Facebook and Bing for the feature to work. But WHY NOT just use Twitter??