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Electronic Arts and id Software form partnership
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Electronic_Arts_and_id_Software_form_partnership'; Id Software creator John Carmack just announced at Electronic Arts' press conference that it has partnered with the publisher. The Quake and Doom creator has long used Activision as a publisher, but we wonder if things got bitter after the travesty that was Quake Wars console ports. Id and EA? What a great ... idea?Update: The fruits of the partnership are beginning to bud as EA re-announces Rage, "an all-new take on the first person shooter" for the PS3, Xbox 360, PC and Mac. Note much else new is revealed about the game, which was named last August, but look for more info at QuakeCon.
id's Hollenshead: Apple "has not followed through" on gaming
id software's CEO Todd Hollenshead met up with Kikizo for an interview recently, and the conversation turned, as often seems to do with id nowadays, to gaming on the Mac. Hollenshead was confronted with what his peers Gabe Newell (of Valve), and id's John Carmack had previously said about Apple, and he agreed that while "the Apple guys would probably frown to hear me" say so, it's true: Apple has stepped up on gaming before, and never "followed through" with their support.He doesn't paint an extremely dark picture -- he says that Apple did send engineers this time to promise their support for the future, and that developing on Intel architecture makes things much easier than dealing with the "weird PowerPC" setup. And in Apple's defense, we've seen more support for gaming out of them, both on the Mac and on the iPhone and iPod, than ever before.But so far, it's all talk on Apple's part, and we have yet to see indie games on the App Store and working day 0 releases from id and EA. Hopefully, Apple's following through this time, and those things are right around the corner.[via IMG]
Wolfenstein will probably be at E3
Wolfenstein fans rejoice because it looks like the next entry in the fabled franchise is set to debut at E3 this year. The news comes from a press release covering Spike TV's E3 plans (of all places). So says the press release: "Geoff Keighley is on the E3 show floor to give Spike viewers the inside scoop on the sights and sounds of the show. Also, tune in for more world exclusive surprises including something special from id Software and Raven Software." The time listed for this particular bit of programming is "Tuesday, July 15 and Wednesday, July 16 (11:59 PM - Midnight, ET/PT)."Considering the next Wolfenstein is Raven Software's current project, it sounds like that's what we'll be seeing. Strangely, this is listed for GameTrailers TV's E3 Minute program which, as noted above, is only a minute long. With id Software's E3 plans still very hazy, it's looks like things may be starting to take shape after all. Let's hope we wind up with more than a minute's worth of Wolfenstein when all is said and done.
id ESA departure 'probably temporary, not political'
Developers and publishers have been jumping ship from the Entertainment Software Association as of late, without much justification for the departures. The Washington Post reports on possible reasons for this trend, and speaks to Doom developer id Software on why they, like so many others, have moved on from the ESA.According to CEO Todd Hollenshead, id's departure is "probably temporary," and due to business priorities. Hollenshead reiterates that the ESA is a "credit to the industry." According to the Post, many companies might be concerned at the continued expense of maintaining ESA membership, no longer having the perks of "the spectacle of E3," to use analyst Michael Pachter's words.The ESA itself, meanwhile, is nothing if not concerned at the growing trend, and what it means for the organization's stability.
Shipping this week: Stroggbad & Akrid
First we should get this out of the way, I'm not Richard. As our American readers know it's Memorial Day and our fearless leader is spending time with his family so he asked Dustin or myself to take care of his weekly "Shipping This Week" post. Considering how well received it was the last time Dustin did one of Richard's regular features, I took the reigns. As a Canadian I'm not entirely sure what Memorial Day is. Okay, you can pretty much guess what it is based on what it's called. According to Dustin it's a day when American's memorialize stuff, but that just makes it sound like there's a lot of scrapbooking involved. Either way, Happy Memorial Day! This week brings us two new, yet old, games. id Software and Splash Damage's class-based PC shooter, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, hits the Xbox 360 in a port by Nerve Software. While the PC version landed at retail around heavy-hitters like The Orange Box and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Quake Wars finds itself on the Xbox during a gaming release lull and hopes to catch a wider audience the second time around. Also hitting the Xbox 360 is Capcom's definitive version of Lost Planet with all new content including the ability to play as the evil Akrid. Lost Planet Extreme Condition: Colonies Edition, a game with a name so long I had to eat a sandwich in the middle of typing it for fear of losing strength, lands tomorrow for the price of a platinum release. So there you go, two new/old titles hit the Xbox. Planning on picking up either? And yes, we promise Richard will be back to tell you about the games of the week next time.
id Software leaves ESA
GamePolitics has confirmed through an id Software representative that the Doom and Rage developer is no longer a member of the Entertainment Software Association. The departure comes after several other companies, including LucasArts, Activision and Vivendi, waved goodbye to the organization. It's unclear what prompted id's decision, but the ESA will be in trouble if these exits turn into an exodus. The ESA may release a full statement, acknowledging the latest departure, later today.
Doom 4 announced, monster closets being restocked
After a nearly four year hiatus, the Doom series is back. Id Software today announced that Doom 4 has officially begun production and that the company is looking for new talent to produce the sequel. Said id Software CEO Todd Hollenshead, "Doom is part of the id Software DNA and demands the greatest talent and brightest minds in the industry to bring the next installment of our flagship franchise to Earth." Right now that's all we know. No platforms have been announced but, given the franchise's history, we'd expect it to show up on the 360 in some form.Those looking to scratch that Doom itch while we wait for more info may want to check out the new series of Doom 3 novels. The first in a planned trilogy, Worlds on Fire, is actually pretty decent (yeah, we were surprised too).
Doom 4 announced, id Software hiring
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Doom_4_announced'; Turns out those blood-thirsty demons just won't stay dead. Id Software has announced that Doom 4 has begun production as of today. According to the press release, the studio is now hiring for the project. Said CEO Todd Hollenshead, "Doom is part of the id Software DNA and demands the greatest talent and brightest minds in the industry to bring the next installment of our flagship franchise to Earth."No other details were given, but we're guessing it'll run off of id Tech 5 (or perhaps something greater). Given the ending of the Doom 3 expansion Resurrection was pretty conclusive, we don't know where the team will take the Doom story next. Our guess? Probably send a space marine to Hell to fight demons. Perhaps this time he (or she) will pack a better flashlight. Id Software is a prolific partner of Activision, who published Doom 3, Quake 4 and Quake Wars. Check out Activision's Family Album to learn more about the company's internal studios.
id Software admits uncertainty regarding plans for E3
Last week laid the groundwork for what promises to be at the very least a confusing E3, with a number of familiar faces jumping ship in favor of the uncertain waters below. However, the news of who would and would not be attending the show this July got a bit hazy with regards to talk of developer id Software, with conflicting reports painting the Doom masterminds as both planning to attend and turning their backs on the annual event.Rather than seek the wisdom of the office Magic 8-Ball, we turned to id co-owner and CEO Todd Hollenshead, who conceded uncertainty with regards to the company's E3 plans. Admitted the exec in an email: "Actually, we haven't determined in what capacity we'll be attending E3 (if any), so everyone is wrong." Interestingly, his response echoed that of our own prognosticating orb, which replied simply "Reply hazy, try again."
Quake Live accepting beta sign-ups
As much as years of consuming have taught us to love purchasing goods and services, we have to admit that we still love free stuff just a skosh more. If you share in our gratis glee, you may be interested to hear that id, developer of web-based Quake III port Quake Live (formerly known as Quake Zero) is currently accepting sign-ups for the beta program. There's not much else on the site at this point, you're basically just firing your email address off into the inky blackness of the internet and hoping for the best. Of course, there's not really anything you can do about that. The dark side of free stuff is that you lose your most powerful asset: The ability to complain about anything.
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
GDC08: Surviving the war of words in 'The Future of Story' session
First off, kudos to the GDC organizers for putting such different-minded people together for "The Future of Story" panel, which ended up being an insightful and vitriolic debate. The panel, hosted by indie writer Deborah Todd, included Saber 3D's Matthew Karch and Michael Hall (Time Shift), Silicon Knights' Denis Dyack (Too Human), Eidos Montreal's Mary DeMarie (previously: Myst III, IV and Dungeon Siege), Matt Costello (7th Guest) and Director of id Software Tim Willits.A focus of the panel was the the dichotomy of story and gameplay, with both Dyack and Karch taking opposing viewponts and everyone else scattered somewhat in the middle. Early on, Karch asserted his view that some genres don't need to value story as much, citing Call of Duty 4 as a game where no one cared about the story. Later, he summed his viewpoint up best saying, "My whole argument is, it doesn't need to be a story written by Steinbeck, it needs to be someone who just keeps the game moving on."Said Dyack, "In five to ten years, there will not be a shoter genre. It's gonna be more literative -- horror, science fiction, etc." When Karch asked if Bruckheimer would go away (referencing the "high-octane" film producer), Dyack retorted that "He's McDonald's, thats what he is. and people love McD's." The back and forth continued, culminating in the following exchange:Dyack: "We should still aspire to this. you could have bubble gum like, Transformers [the film] for example, but in the end its what entertains."Karch: "I'll take bubble gum."
Solid port of Quake II almost a reality on your DS
That is, if you have the proper equipment to support homebrew on your DS. And, on top of that, the port of Quake II on the DS runs less than optimally. So, there will need to be a few sacrifices on your end if you so desire to enjoy the FPS on your DS.First of all, there's no multiplayer at this time. Sucks, we know. Second, some of the code can get a bit funky. Because the game demands so much from the DS hardware, some of the levels don't really run that well. And, on top of that, some of the textures are misaligned. We're sure there are some other spots that need to be ironed out, as well.It may not be a perfect release, but we're glad to see the homebrew community trying projects like this. The DS may not have been designed with PC games in mind, but seeing the homebrew community work toward solid releases for these games is something we very much appreciate.[Thanks, Craig!]
John Carmack to make a cell phone MMO
So when you think of the next shiny new MMOs coming out, do you think of any being released on a cell phone? Apparently John Carmack has said he does in a recent CNNMoney article. He says it will probably be after a sequel to one of id Software's newest original IP, Orcs and Elves. We can't imagine a cell phone MMO would have a very long development cycle (more akin to the PC-side of things) so the game could see light of day much sooner than anyone may think. Carmack goes on to say that his reasons for the idea is a lack of interest in competing with Blizzard. That's understandable given how saturated the massively game market continues to become, however we can't help but wonder if a cell phone MMO would even be very successful unless some serious innovations were made. Considering mobile phone functionality, there are definitely some interesting possibilities such as being able to play easily with anyone in your contact list permitted they have the game as well. However, this isn't the first time we've heard of a mobile MMO, so maybe Mr. Carmack is going to run into a little competition after all.[Via VirginWorlds]
Orcs & Elves drops price
EA has dropped the price of the DS game Orcs & Elves. Supposedly, this is to commemorate the release of its sequel, Orcs & Elves II, on mobile phones (you can read id's press release here regarding that). We could care less about what it's commemorating, to be honest. We just like cheap games!If you were on the fence regarding the game, maybe this new price of $19.99 will bring you down? Or, did you just not care for the title, regardless of price?[Via DS Village]
WoW is the "train driving PC gaming," says John Carmack
Game maker John Carmack, famous for developing landmark PC titles Wolfenstein, Doom, and Quake, sat down for a chat with Gamasutra earlier this week to discuss the state of the greater PC game industry. Normally, the shooter visionary wouldn't have much to say that would be of interest to those of us with massively multiplayer games on our minds, but in a discussion about what sets the PC platform apart from consoles, Carmack specifically cited MMOs as one of the few remaining genres that continue to bring in new players to the table, referring to them as the "train driving PC gaming."While we agree with Carmack's assessment of the PC landscape today, we can't help but wonder how much longer the PC is going to be the exclusive domain of the MMO. With rumors of the next Blizzard MMO transitioning to consoles, NCsoft's plans to develop a new property for the PS3, and Nintendo getting into the MMO game, it looks like consoles are poised to play catch-up. The full interview will run on Friday, so we'll have to see if Carmack addresses this challenge later this week.
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?
Will it play Doom? Yes: id Software creates mobile division
Granted, mobile versions of Doom aren't exactly in short supply, but the variety of mobile games coming out of legendary id Software's arsenal is about to explode. Founder John Carmack's wife -- who just happens to have started Fountainhead Games, the co-creator of Doom RPG for phones -- has been tapped to lead id Mobile with the goal of creating mobile ports of Wolfenstein and Quake (official ones, anyway) along with a sequel to the moderately successful Doom RPG. Long term, Carmack's hoping that we're on a cusp of an explosion in the popularity of mobile gaming, an explosion that could very well end up being driven by full-force entries into the arena by companies like id as they start to pull top-tier game developers into a field that's been historically dominated by offal from the desktop and console gaming worlds.[Via mocoNews]
id Software and Fountainhead create id Mobile
It was announced today that id, the company that invented the graphics-card pushing first-person shooter genre, has made the leap onto smaller screens with a new division simply called id Mobile, created in conjunction with Fountainhead Entertainment. The studio will be focused on games for cell phones, DS and PSP, with a few titles (like a mobile Wolfenstein) already in the works.id and Fountainhead have been headed this way for a while, after Doom RPG and the Orcs and Elves games. As you've probably seen, most mobile games are pretty awful (something even id's John Carmack admitted to in this interview about the new division), but if anyone can turn that around, we have faith that Carmack's the guy. (Especially since the rocket thing didn't pan out.)
