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Eurogamer.net Podcast #70

Duke! FIFA! E3! E3! E3!

In this week's Eurogamer.net podcast, regular host and noted raconteur Tom Champion enjoys talking to three excitable men about the fun time they're going to have in Los Angeles, where he isn't going. You can imagine how happy this makes him.

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Champ is joined in the quite plush but acoustically suspect new Eurogamer boardroom by new boy Martin Robinson - still keen enough to do two of these in a row, then - as well as Tom Bramwell and Oli Welsh.

We begin by discussing the wildly improbable fact that Duke Nukem Forever has "gone gold" after an incredible 13 years in development. Will 3D Realms' game, resuscitated by Gearbox Software, be a lost classic, a fun throwback or an embarrassing relic? And just how do you go about reviewing a game that started out in life before this website did?

Martin's fresh from a hands-on demo of FIFA 12, and he, Brammers and Champ get involved in a surprisingly deep, technical and well-informed discussion of its changes and developments that leaves Oli none the wiser, if he's honest.

He compensates by showing off how much he knows about E3. The team discuss what we know and what we can expect from the big players at the great games fair, which takes place in Los Angeles next week. They get so carried away they almost break half a dozen embargoes. Oli also has some exciting podcast-related news.

Listener Simon Stirrat's Sandy Isle games choices are pored over - inspiring yet another a spirit-crushingly pedantic rules debate - and we paper over the cracks of last week's Metabet fiasco involving Exerbeat Gym Class Workout, before predicting scores for this week's big (i.e. only) release. Watch out for a rare, if unnecessary, display of integrity from Bramwell here.

Meanwhile, there are family rivalries at the Single Wicket Competition and oh God I miss Ellie already.

Background reading!

The Eurogamer.net Podcast is published each Tuesday at 3pm UK time, or a little bit after because it's a really busy day.