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Doom 3 source code available now, gory customizations welcomed
Doom for everyone. It's not a particularly festive message, but as promised earlier this month, the Doom 3 source code is now out on a general public license. Programming types can meddle with the game's inner workings as wintery temperatures force them to huddle close to the warm hum of excessive gaming rigs. Doom dad John Carmack announced the release to his horde of Twitter followers, while doffing his cap to Timothee Besset, who helped sidestep some shadow rendering license issues that had dogged an earlier release. Peer into the source code at the link below, and know the true face of despair Doom.
Carmack: Doom 3's engine ready for open-sourcing, awaiting 'OK' from legal
When the granddaddy of FPS tweets, we listen. For those unaware, that's John Carmack -- you know, the guy behind games like Doom, Quake and Rage -- confirming that Doom 3's engine, id Tech 4, is all bundled up for its open-source release, only awaiting clearance from legal. To be verbose, that doesn't mean you'll be getting down with a gratis copy of Doom, but rather with the powerhouse that powers it, a veritable boon to game developers and tinkerers, alike. The release is par for the course for the company, as id Software's been routinely open-sourcing its older engines for as long as we can remember. We'll keep an eye out for when it drops, but while you wait, feel free to read an interview with the visionary himself.
The violence-in-games debate 'didn't matter,' says Carmack
People have been arguing about violence in video games for as long as video games have had violence for people to argue about, and few titles have come under as much sustained fire as Id Software's Doom. It would stand to reason then, that John Carmack, a man who was instrumental in the game's development and the FPS revolution that followed, would be chief among those most affected by the debate's wide-reaching ramifications. Not so much, it turns out. "I never took seriously the violence in video games debate. It was basically talking points for people to get on CNN and espouse their stuff on there," he said, speaking with IndustryGamers. "In the end it didn't matter, it didn't make any impact on things. I never felt threatened by it and it turned out not to matter." Carmack also believes that violent games help calm agressive players and are, in-fact, good for us: "If you go to QuakeCon and you walk by and you see the people there [and compare that to] a random cross section of a college campus, you're probably going to find a more peaceful crowd of people at the gaming convention."
id's Carmack talks Rage HD, iPad's power, and future iOS games
Rage HD for iOS is a seriously gorgeous game -- well worth the $2, if you ask us. Now that he can look up from his monitor, id Software's technical wizard John Carmack is making the interview rounds -- let's see what we can glean, shall we? On the subject of Rage itself, expect the first patch to add Game Center support as well as some bug fixes / minor tweaks to prettify the game further. And if you picked up the SD version, consider yourself among a more exclusive crowd: sales have been majorly lop-sided in favor of HD. "If it's that big of a difference," he told TUAW, "we probably won't offer the low-end, standard def version [in future games]." We already know Carmack's thoughts on the iPhone vs. Nintendo DS / PSP, as they've been echoed before once or twice, but here's one new to us: "You should be able to do something that's better on an iPad than anything that's done on the Wii," according to the John that spoke with Kotaku. That's all purely theoretical, as it's really up to the developer as to how much power it takes advantage of, and even with the tablet in question, "we're nowhere close to maxing out what could be done on an iPad." Oh, and Android? There's work being done for the Little Green Platform as well, but via TUAW John, "there's a lot of things with how the distribution platform works and the diversity of the platforms that you have to target, where things are still much, much nicer on the iOS world." As for id's next foray in the "iOS world," Joystiq learned that a driving game based in the Rage universe is in the cards, and perhaps something inspired by Quake Arena: "maybe focusing on the lightning gun, and call it 'Lightning Arena' or something, that would be a full roam-around FPS game." When asked about his resemblance to one Kevin Bacon, all reports indicate Carmack vanished behind a green-tinted smoke cloud of 1s and 0s, leaving in his wake a three-foot tall statue of Commander Keen made from old shareware discs.
App review: Rage HD (iPhone)
The iOS App Store might already have its fair share of addictive and compelling games on offer, but when John Carmack comes calling with his latest megatextured shoot-em-up, you've got to sit up and pay attention. Rage HD: Mutant Bash TV isn't so much a full-fledged game in its own right as it is a teaser for the forthcoming Rage FPS for the PC, and yet even in its pretty limited running time, it managed to woo and thrill us with its visceral gameplay and arresting visuals. It's easily the best-looking game we've yet seen on a mobile device and provides a fine demonstration of just how far Apple's hardware -- on the iPhone 4, iPad, and fourth-gen iPod touch -- can be pushed when some appropriately adroit hands are at the graphical controls. But, of course, games are supposed to be fun to play, not just to look at, so why not join us after the break to see how well Rage HD handles its mutant-bashing duties?%Gallery-107875%
Carmack blows minds with id Software's Rage, running on iPhone at 60fps with 'megatextured' graphics (video)
We're sorry, but the Palm Pixi's rendition of Need for Speed no longer impresses us -- we've just seen John Carmack show off Rage for iPhone. While of course it looks nothing like the PC graphical monstrosity that swept the E3 Games Critics Awards, it's safe to say the 60 frame-per-second tech demo at QuakeCon 2010 shoves the cell phone gaming envelope through a Juggernaut-class brick wall. Where Carmack originally called the iPhone "more powerful than a Nintendo DS and PSP combined," the id Software co-founder is now aiming squarely at the likes of PS2 and Xbox with iPhone 4 hardware. Not impressive enough? He says it still "runs great on an original 2G iPhone" as well. VG247, who liveblogged the event, reports the title will be available in the App Store later this year for a relatively inexpensive price, with a second game available in time for the PC game's 2011 launch. Sadly, there's as of yet no plans for Android owners to get the same megatexturing goodness. Don't miss the video after the break, because this screenshot doesn't do it justice. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Apple seeks game guru for app development
While some say Apple never wanted the iPhone to be a gaming device, the company knows which way the wind is blowing and wants to get involved. Apple is looking to hire a game and media software engineer for its iPhone and iPod touch team, which could mean it wants to make games of its own. The job description doesn't say "games" specifically, focusing instead on "interactive multimedia experiences." However, the ad is looking for someone with "3-4 years of video game development experience," someone who has "shipped at least one AAA title," and someone who is a "passionate gamer." id Software co-founder John Carmack says higher-ups in Apple aren't overjoyed with the growing status of the iPhone and iPod touch as gaming devices. But there's big money in games. Research firm DFC Intelligence sees profits for dedicated game-device makers like Sony and Nintendo shrinking 27% over the next five years, while expecting revenue from games for Apple's handhelds to rise from $46 million last year, to $2.8 billion dollars by 2014. That's a lot of money flowing through Apple, though most of that will go to developers. With over 100,000 apps available in the App Store, only four available today are made by Apple, and only one of those - Texas Hold'em (iTunes link) is a game. [via Apple Insider]
John Carmack: Working with Apple not always easy
Folklore.org is a tremendous repository of Apple history and lore. Check it out if you haven't; you'll find some entertaining and incredible stories. I'm reminded of Folklore whenever a story emerges describing Apple from behind the scenes, like this interview with id Software's co-founder John Carmack. Speaking with Kotaku, John describes the ups and downs of working with Apple: "I'll be invited up on stage for a keynote one month and then I'll say something they don't like and I can be blacklisted for six months." We suspect such a public revelation won't get you back on stage anytime soon, John. Or maybe not, as he's now got "a man on the inside." Former id coworker Graeme Devine now works at Apple's iPhone Game Technologies division. However, the most interesting part of this interview confirms, in a small way, what I've always suspected: Apple begrudgingly promotes the iPod touch and iPhone as gaming platforms. "At the highest level of Apple, in their heart of hearts," Carmack said, "they're not proud of the iPhone being a game machine, they wish it was something else." I have no way of backing this up, but I've long suspected that Steve Jobs in particular has no interest in the world of gaming. They're certainly pushing the iPod touch as a gaming device, but I'm sure it's through tightly-clenched teeth.
Carmack says Rage will look worse on 360 on 2 DVDs
During the QuakeCon keynote, id Sofware's programming wizard John Carmack made it known that the Xbox 360 version of id's upcoming Rage will look worse than it's PC, Mac, and PS3 counterparts. The reason, according to Carmack, is purely a compression issue and "has nothing to do with the power of the Xbox 360 hardware." The compression needed to squeeze the game onto two DVDs will apparently affect the visual fidelity, and Carmack noted that the royalty fee that a third disc would require is too high. Carmack added that he hoped Microsoft would "make a concession."Given that Rage is likely to be a very high profile title and that Microsoft has been known to give assistance to developers -- specifically, working with Capcom to accomodate Street Fighter II HD -- it's at least possible they may do the same for id. We're fairly certain the company probably isn't too keen to see a multiplatform title look noticably worse on its platform either. Here's hoping MS sees the light.[Via Joystiq] Gallery: RAGE
Carmack says iPhone is "more powerful than a Nintendo DS and PSP combined"
We already knew that Id Software co-founder John Carmack was on board with the iPhone to some extent, but at the now-happening QuakeCon 2008 in Dallas he's revealed just how impressed with the device he really is. According to Apple Insider, while Carmack admits that graphics memory could be a limiting factor, he describes the phone's hardware as equivalent to a Dreamcast and almost on par with a PlayStation 2 and the original Xbox. He also sees it as far superior, at least in terms of raw specs, than the two big dedicated handheld consoles out there, saying that is "more powerful than a Nintendo DS and PSP combined." Unfortunately, he didn't have any actual games to show off, but he did at least confirm that Id has two "tentative titles" in the works, including a "conventional mobile game," and one that pushes the iPhone's graphics capabilities.
John Carmack says Blu-ray offers better graphics
Right now, the PS3 version of id's upcoming shooter, Rage, will offer superior graphics performance on PS3 than Xbox 360. Not because of sheer horsepower, but because of storage. The game is shaping up to be a three disc game, a costly proposition due to Microsoft's licensing fees. Textures would need to be compressed "to fit the game's assets on two DVDs."Microsoft may have to rescind any fees for additional discs, as it's becoming evident that more developers will require more space in the future. For example, how much compression will Square Enix use for the 360 version of Final Fantasy XIII if making multi-disc games becomes too costly? In the future, we're likely to see more games take advantage of the sheer space offered by Blu-ray disc.[Via Joystiq; Thanks, stoo!]
Gameloft, Id to develop for iPhone
Joining the ranks of Electronic Arts in game development for the iPhone, Gameloft and id Software have announced their commitment to Apple's portable. According to its press release, Gameloft intends to develop over 15 titles. In a post on Slashdot, id's programming wizard John Carmack lauded Apple's 70% royalty deal and distribution deal. As for the SDK, Carmack said, "Just based on the blurbs, it looks very good -- a simulator plus debugging on the native device is the best of both worlds." Id also noted it had to put in an application for development like everyone else. Can we get an official version of Doom now?[Via Engadget]Read - John Carmack on iPhone SDKRead - Gameloft Confirms Plans to Develop For iPhone With Over 15 Titles in 2008
Carmack fighting with Jobs about gaming on the Mac
Despite what Jobs told us at WWDC earlier this year, Apple isn't as committed to gaming as they'd want us to think. GamedailyBIZ has an interview up with id software's John Carmack (makers of Quake and the new Rage, set to premiere simultaneously on Mac and PC), and he says that he and Jobs have had arguments about gaming on the Mac, including a "...fairly heated argument" at WWDC.Carmack says he would love to develop on the Mac-- and who wouldn't-- but that the problem is that Apple just doesn't care. Carmack mentions the iPhone as a platform he'd love to see some great games on as well, but points to the iPod as a place where Apple failed gaming-- they made developers work on an emulator, and there were many "horrible decisions."As Carmack says, you can't exactly fault Apple for their choices. From a business perspective, they are going gangbusters. But with Jobs' feelings on this coming to light, we must look past specific developers, and Apple themselves-- why are Jobs and his company so opposed to solid game development on their platform?[Via IMG]
id confirms Quake Arena DS
The rumored project from id got a little more possible last week, when husband and wife super-duo John Carmack and Anna Kang commented to Wired that they'd been planning on bringing Wolfenstein to the DS and would like to do the same with Quake Arena (as well as bringing Orcs & Elves to the Wii). Now, it's been confirmed that Quake Arena DS is happening.Carmack commented that Quake Arena DS would not be made for mobile and DS together, stating "...we're currently looking at potentially two more DS titles in the next year a Wolfenstein title and a Quake Arena title. Wolfenstein 1 being done in concert with a mobile title, the Quake Arena title would be DS specific." He also wants to assure us that the game won't just be another sloppy port and will maximize the handheld's unique features. "We're never going to try and cram a square peg into a round hole with this." He went on further to say "That's kind of our whole theory behind the mobile stuff, is, we're going to do things that work well on mobile, rather than try to do the things that we're historically known for and push it onto mobile."We're excited, believe us, but if this game doesn't have Wi-Fi Connect support, we're not sure it could work.[Via AMN]
Metareview: Orcs & Elves
The choice to bring the title to the DS seemed like a no-brainer to id and publisher EA, as Orcs & Elves fared quite well on the mobile phone circuit. And, the critics that have tossed their two pennies into the virtual arena of thought seem to agree that the game has its merits. But, what's scarier, is the fact that the users over at Metacritic find the game to have a lot less value than the critics have said. So, who's to believe? GameDaily (80/100) says "Although it's easy to poke fun at the story, it harkens back to a day when hardcore role players locked themselves in their basements and played Dungeons & Dragons with friends, and because of that, Orcs & Elves has an old school charm missing from the latest Final Fantasys." GameTap (80/100) thinks "Fortunately, graphics aren't what makes a game fun--actual game content does. And while the story doesn't break any new ground, this is a solid little dungeon crawler to spend a few hours with." GameSpy (70/100) is of the mind that "Its simple elements are well-blended in an adventure that only lasts about eight hours but still manages to fill its time with great fighting, fun puzzles and a general nostalgic atmosphere. It might not be for everybody, but it certainly hits a niche that has been neglected by mainstream developers in recent years." Have any of you picked up the game yet, or given it a try?
Checking out spell casting in Orcs & Elves
While we'll agree that Orcs & Elves could definitely use some better graphics, as well as maybe a more intuitive control scheme as far as controlling your character's movement goes (not the spell casting, that certainly looks fun enough), but that doesn't mean we're just going to write the game off.1UP recently got their hands on the game and found it to be oddly engaging. They obviously share our sentiment that the game lacks a fine touch in the graphics department, but feel the rest of the title they were lucky enough to get their hands on was actually pretty good. We're happy to hear that, to be honest.Read - Spellcasting trailerRead - 1UP preview
John Carmack ponders Orcs & Elves on Wii
"Maybe we will do a Wii version next... with a magic wand."Those were the words of John Carmack, CTO and co-founder of id Software. While his company has made their fortune in the PC sector, the company has also outsourced development for some of its titles for gaming consoles, as well as most recently entering the mobile phone market. Now, they're bringing one of their mobile phone games, Orcs & Elves, to the DS.But, John apparently thinks the game could do well on the Wii. Having never played Orcs & Elves before, we're looking forward to the DS installment. Still, the premise of utilizing the Wiimote as a wand, casting spells and cleaning up dungeons, is one we can get behind.Any of you play Orcs & Elves before? Think the game can be adapted for the Wii?
Quake Arena to rock the DS?
John Carmack may have released quite a big cat from quite a big bag at QuakeCon. He made comments in regards to a version of Quake Arena making its way to the DS during his keynote. He also said that, should it happen, he'd want a different control scheme than you may initially expect.Unlike the touch-screen input of Metroid Prime Hunters, Carmack voiced his opinion that a d-pad, restricted movement control scheme like that of Doom would be better-suited to the title. Personally, if this were even to happen, we'd prefer the touch-screen controls, as they more closely resemble the mouse and keyboard. Of course, Carmack's intent to put the game on the DS isn't anything new, but it's certainly a bit more plausible now, if we may say so.
Romero unearths unreleased Doom music
So you think you know everything about Doom, huh? You've beaten all the games on Nightmare without cheats? Played every fan-made WAD you could get your hands on? You're listening to a megamix of Doom MIDIs right now, aren't you? Well we've got some tunes here that we can guarantee aren't on your playlist.Doom co-creator John Romero has posted these unreleased tracks on his blog with the warning that, much like deleted scenes on DVDs, "there's a reason these weren't released - they're not very good." And he's right -- with a few exceptions, the tracks are overly repetitive and a bit wonky. Still, if you worship anything and everything Doom-related, then, uh, I guess you should start worshiping ... because these are definitely Doom-related. Yeah!
