tim-willits
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Mythbusters meet their Doom on January 31
After more than a decade of debunking myths in reality, the Mythbusters are taking aim at the virtual world, specifically id Software's seminal first-person shooter Doom. The January 31 episode of the hit Discovery Channel series will feature Jamie and Adam examining the game alongside id Software creative director Tim Willits. While it's not feasible to properly test the game's premise by dropping the hosts into a Martian portal to hell, the show still plans to determine whether or not a person could simultaneously tote all the weapons, ammo, armor and gas-powered lawn care implements seen in the game. Additionally, with Willits' assistance and the significant special effects experience of the Mythbusters team, the show will feature a real-world replica of a level from the hit shooter. You can find more details on Mythbusters at the series' website, and you can find this upcoming Doom-themed episode by tuning into the Discovery Channel on January 31 at 9PM (8PM for those in the Central Time Zone). [Image: Bethesda]
'Rage' franchise not dead, says Willits
Rage, John Carmack's MegaTexture technical spectacle, is not the alpha and omega of its intellectual property, id Software co-founder Tim Willits told us during this week's QuakeCon 2013 event in Dallas, Texas. "I'm proud of what we did, I'm proud of the universe that we built. The franchise is not dead," Willits said. "We're not doing anything immediately with it, but when I designed the universe, I designed it in such a way that it would be easy to step back into. I'm still proud that we did something that was different – it wasn't like the games that we've done in the past." Willits also said that Rage's development fueled innovations in id Tech 5 that continue to pay off as the engine is adapted for use on next-gen consoles and in other Bethesda products. "We really tried to do one engine that worked for everything," he said. "It really helps establish a robust tech that, as John [Carmack] said last night, we're adding stuff into it based on the new consoles, and it's allowed people to make different games because the technology is flexible and robust and works on everything."
Get your nostalgia to Mars in Doom 3 BFG Edition
It has been a long time since I last visited the imperiled Mars research facility featured in id Software's 2004 shooter, Doom 3, but playing the upcoming HD revamp, Doom 3 BFG Edition, I felt like I hardly ever left.While not as highly regarded as its predecessors, Doom 3 was an enjoyable (and, at the time, graphically impressive) game that garnered a fair following. For fans, Doom 3 BFG is a package filled with memories of the franchise. Along with Doom 3, its expansions, and brand new 'Lost' missions, the BFG pack includes both Doom and Doom 2.Doom 3 BFG itself is not meant to be the original Doom 3 experience with prettier textures and 3D support. "We made some slight improvements to the original game," id creative director Tim Willits told me after I got my hands on Doom 3 BFG's 'Lost Mission' content. "Like the flashlight [which can be used in conjunction with your gun, unlike the original]. We made things a little bit brighter, we improved a lot of the character textures."BFG features tweaks throughout: slightly increased player speed, adjusted ammo and health, new soundscapes, and new auto-save and checkpoint features. "It plays better, it really does," Willits promises.%Gallery-161678%
The Soapbox: Games-as-a-service sucks for the consumer
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. If you pay close attention to game industry marketing-speak, you've probably heard of something called games-as-a-service. It's an initiative that's been gaining momentum in recent years, as publishers and development houses look to increase revenue, strangle used game sales, and clamp down on both PC and console piracy. It's also championed by a few of our more clueless game "journalists," more often than not due to their (desire for a) cozy relationship with the aforementioned industry players. Put simply, games-as-a-service seeks to change both the definition and the public perception of the phrase "video game" from a product that you buy to a service that you rent, thereby granting developers and publishers complete control over the end-user's experience. If that sounds somewhat nefarious, that's because it is. It's also something that MMORPGs have been doing for two decades.
Buy Rage new and get free ... sewer access?
Sewer levels are frequently some of the most maligned in any action game, but in Rage they're a bonus. In an interview with Eurogamer, id creative director Tim Willits said that sewer hatches scattered across the landscape would be open for those who bought the game new, a perk those buying used will have to pay for. It's bound to irritate some fans, but Willits tried to soften the blow by downplaying the significance of the sewers, saying, "Most people never even see it. I can tell you, some people will buy Rage, download that, and still never set foot in those things. They just won't. I think that's fair. It's cool. It's outside the main path. We're not detracting from anything. But I know some consumers, when you can't avoid it, then you get a little touchy subject." Used buyers, we know your inclination is to start fuming, but just look at those guys in the above image. Do you honestly want to poke around the sewers underneath their house?
