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John Carmack quit id Software because it wouldn't support VR games
We know the basic reason why John Carmack left id Software: he wanted to concentrate on his work at Oculus VR. However, we now know that it was more complicated -- it was the result of a dream denied. The game developer explains to USA Today that he had proposed a deal between ZeniMax (id's parent company) and Oculus VR that would have games like Doom 4 and Wolfenstein: The New Order support the Oculus Rift. He was heartbroken when the pact didn't come to be. "When it became clear that I wasn't going to have the opportunity to do any work on VR while at id Software, I decided to not renew my contract," Carmack says. The departure is ultimately "bittersweet," but it reflects his sincere belief that wearable displays represent the next big thing.
John Carmack leaves id Software to focus on Oculus VR
For veteran gamers who enjoyed Doom and Quake, it's the end of an era -- id Software co-founder John Carmack has left the game studio to concentrate all his efforts on his Chief Technical Officer role at Oculus VR. It was just too "challenging" to divide attention between the two companies, he explains. id's Tim Willits says in a statement that the departure won't affect any existing projects, but it does leave the firm without the insights of one of the game industry's brightest programmers. However, his exit is good news for VR fans; Carmack can now pour all his energy into developing cutting edge wearable displays. Check out our recent video interview with him after the break.
Modders turn piano into Doom controller (video)
It's been almost too long since we've seen something (in)appropriated to satisfy a twisted modder's Doom craving, and this time, it's not the hardware running Id Software's classic game that's ill-fitted, but the controller. If the timeline on David Hayward's Vine account is accurate, a crew of what appear to be professional tinkerers has turned one old piano into an awkward keyboard in little more than 24 hours. Details on how this was achieved are limited, but it seems to involve some basic PC interfacing and a "load of wiring." Head past the break to catch the noisy mod in action, and if you'd like to a see a few more clips of the "Doom Piano" in development, hit up Hayward's Vine profile. Now, which one's the BFG chord?
id taking a break from mobile to work on Doom 4
QuakeCon is happening in Texas this weekend, and id software head John Carmack has been giving interviews to the press on hand. He told The Verge that id software has decided to step away from mobile development long enough to focus on the forthcoming Doom 4. "We did make the decision to close up our mobile development," says Carmack, "which saddens me a lot ... I hope we get back to mobile in various ways in the future, but the big real aim is blockbuster, AAA titles, and for id that means Doom 4, it means that we get the whole company behind that after we get Doom 3: BFG Edition out the door, essentially everybody will be focused on Doom 4 as a project." In the past, id has had some solid success on the App Store, both with ports of old id games, as well as versions of newer games like Rage. But it looks like for the moment, id is done with putting out new releases on the App Store. I wouldn't worry too much about this. Clearly, Carmack knows and loves Apple's mobile platforms, and its a common practice in big studios to focus the team on a sigle project, especially when its as big as Doom 4. For now, the team may be focusing in on an AAA title, but I don't think it'll be long at all before we see some more mobile work coming out of id and its developers. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Wolfenstein 3D celebrates 20 years of machine guns and flag-obscured passages with free web version
To commemorate the big two-oh years since its release, Bethesda has offered up the full Wolfenstein 3D experience to play for free in your web browser. Not only that, you'll also be able to play the id original on iOS devices gratis (at least for today) and creator John Carmack has decided to offer us a director's commentary on the game's development while shooting his way through a few levels. Watch, nod and reminisce right after the break, then hit up the source to play for yourself.
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.
Doom now approved for sale in Germany, 17 years later
Doom may run on just about everything these days, but one place it hasn't been very accessible during the past 17 years -- regardless of the device -- is in Germany. That finally changed this week, however, with both Doom and Doom 2 receiving a USK-16 rating that allows them to be made available wherever video games are sold. Both games had previously been "indexed" by the country's Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons, which has effectively confined them to the underground market since their debut. According to the BBC, the ban was lifted because the agency now considers Doom to be "mainly of historical interest," although it notes that Germany is maintaining the ban on one particular version of Doom II that contains levels from Wolfenstein with Nazi imagery. As for Doom publisher Bethesda Softworks, it tells Joystiq that it's "obviously very pleased" with the decision, and that it will let folks know when it plans to actually makes the game available in Germany.
RAGE and RAGE HD for iOS now free for a week
As a result of receiving over 100,000 Facebook "likes," iD Software is giving away its first-person iOS shooters RAGE and RAGE HD for free until next Wednesday, August 24. Both games are universal apps with RAGE HD offering enhanced graphics for Retina displays and the iPad. The games have you role-play as a contestant on a post-apocolpytic TV game show whose goal is to waste angry mutants. RAGE is fun, though unfortunately "on rails," meaning you can't wander around and explore the 3D environments freely. Instead, the games dictate your movements through the levels. But hey, you can't argue with free, right? Click the links above to grab the games from the App Store now. But be warned, they'll take up a fair amount of space. RAGE is a 540 MB download, while RAGE HD clocks in at 747 MB. [via Phone Arena]
DOOM Classic updated with Retina graphics, now a universal app
DOOM Classic, id Software's iOS port of the seminal 90s first-person shooter, has just been updated to version 2.0. It's a fairly major update that brings support for Retina Display graphics and support for the iPad and iPad 2. At last, DOOM Classic is a universal app that you can play on the iPad. I never played DOOM on the PC back in the day -- never had a machine that could handle it -- but I played through the iPhone version last year and enjoyed it a lot. I'm looking forward to giving it another runthrough on my iPad. DOOM Classic is US$1.99 on the App Store. If you already own the game, the update to Retina Display graphics and iPad support is free.
Id co-founder: mobile devices will be as powerful as today's consoles within two years
Id Software has taken that whole "can it play Doom" challenge to heart in recent years, embracing the mobile space in a big way. Given the explosion of phone-based gaming, it's not hard to see why -- in fact, the speed with which devices have advanced has apparently left co-founder John Carmack's mind reeling. In a recent interview, the Wolfenstein / Doom / Quake developer noted how iOS has gone from non-existent to a major gaming player in the time that it has taken the company to develop the still forthcoming Rage. And while the iPad 2 isn't quite as advanced as some might suggest, Carmack predicts that in two years, mobile devices will "almost certainly" be as powerful as the current crop of high-end consoles. Don't say we didn't warn you.
Quake turns 15, ready to be ported to a learner's permit
In the ever-changing world of gaming, a 15-year-old title is downright ancient, so there's a lot to be said for the fact that we're still talking about Quake a decade and a half after its release -- and what a packed decade and a half it's been. The game has spawned a still thriving convention and has made an appearance on pretty much every platform, ever, including, recently, Android, webOS, Chumby, BUG, and, of course, a maze for lab mice. So, happy birthday, old man. Now how about playing on something more your age? Like, say, the Jitterbug? Got a favorite Quake moment? Be sure to share it with us in the comments below.
Rage for iOS frags its way to gyroscope and Game Center support
One of the hottest titles in the App Store right now -- id Software's Rage -- recently got a healthy official update to version 1.11 that adds a handful of big new features to its roster, perfect to add a little replay value just in time as your amazing graphics-induced euphoria wears off. What's new? Well, the biggest new feature might be support for Apple's Game Center, offering achievements and scoreboards. You've also got gyroscope support -- good only if you're using an iPhone 4, of course -- that offers an orientation-controlled aiming mode, and official TV-out support for upsizing your gameplay onto the big screen. There's apparently also a new "museum mode" that lets you stroll through the game world without troublesome baddies trying to attack you for those occasions when you're looking for a more peaceful form of entertainment... not exactly fit for a title named "Rage," really.
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%
John Carmack talks about Rage SD and HD, iOS, and what's next for iOS gaming
We've all seen the potential of what a demo like Epic Citadel can do, but while work continues on Infinity Blade, John Carmack's id Software has released Rage, an iOS-exclusive tie-in to the big FPS console and PC title scheduled to come out next year. The game is a pretty incredible feat in and of itself, with realistic graphics set in Rage's post-apocalyptic world and an on-rails shooting experience that feels extremely dynamic. It also has a fun reloading mechanic, a dodge button, a constant flow of mutants to shoot, and power-ups and bonuses to grab. At just one or two dollars for the SD or HD versions, Rage is a steal, and if you can play the game in full HD on the iPhone or the iPad, there's no question you should. I got the chance to chat with Carmack himself earlier today about this game and what he thinks of the iOS platform, and you can read the results of our interview after the break below. The good news: he says he's more focused on this kind of mobile development than ever before, and as a result, he's hoping we'll see at least two more mobile games from id before the full version of Rage comes out next year.
Rage: Mutant Bash TV brings id Tech 5 to iOS
We saw id games' newest title, Rage, demonstrated earlier this year on an iOS device, but now there's more details and specifics on just how it's coming to iOS. It's not a straight port of the PC and console shooter -- rather, id is calling it Rage: Mutant Bash TV, and releasing this version of the game as an original, on-rails shooter. IGN has some video of the game running, and it looks pretty great. While the on-rails part means that you don't control movement at all, the camera controls and shooting gameplay look like a lot of fun. Of course the graphics look terrific -- Epic Games' Infinity Blade will apparently have some competition for the best-looking next-gen game on iOS. And while there's no word yet on what kind of Game Center integration we'll see (or, you know, price or date), apparently the game will have a "TV Out" option, allowing you to output the video to your television if you've got the appropriate cables for your iPad or iPhone. Sounds good -- we'll keep a look out for this one and let you know when it's out.
Epic Games, Id Software show off jaw-dropping new iPhone games
We've already seen Epic Games and Id Software show off their respective game engines for iOS devices, but they're only now finally giving folks a look at the first actual games that will use them. The first of those to roll out will apparently be Id's Mutant Bash TV, which looks as impressive as the Rage demo promised (although that's aided in part by being on rails), and will cost just $0.99 for the standard version or $1.99 for the Retina Display-enhanced version. Seemingly even more impressive than it, however, is Epic Games' Infinity Blade, the game counterpart to the Unreal Engine 3-based "Epic Citadel" demo that was released back in September. While it may look like yet another God of War clone, it sounds like Epic has something quite a bit different in mind -- the game's creative director (of Shadow Complex fame, incidentally) recently described it as a mix of Karateka, Dragon's Lair and Punch-Out. Head on past the break to check out the trailer, and hit up the link below for Touch Arcade's preview of Mutant Bash TV (no video for it just yet, unfortunately).
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]
Zune HD: yes, it plays Doom
No matter how weak or powerful the gadget, one brave soul will always broach the all-important question: can it play Doom? Just four days after hacking the Zune HD and unleashing the OpenZDK, the Zune community has received its answer. ZuneBoards forumgoer Netrix has opened the portal to the familiar alien hell, where gamers will writhe in agony as they struggle with tilt and touchscreen controls. Those who persevere regardless will find the app runs any of the original Doom WAD files. Full installer available at the source link; see OpenZDK's power in action after the break. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
