Doom Resurrection started life on the Wii

by Ben Gilbert { Jun 29th 2009 at 1:55PM }

Speaking with id Software's John Carmack earlier today, we got the sense that the man has a hunk of burnin' love for Apple's iPhone. Aside from bringing a metric ton of classic id titles to the device, the legendary developer let us know that the Wii game once being talked about around the hallowed halls at the company is what eventually became Doom Resurrection.

"We like to think of it as a more guided experience than an on-rails game," Carmack told Joystiq this morning, referring to the game's character control system. "Originally, I was pitched the title as a Wii game -- I dropped some hints about this earlier in the year but nothing substantial, in case the game didn't work out or it wasn't fun or something like that," he continued. Considering the $9.99 asking price of Resurrection versus the $50 a Wii title could have cost, we (and our wallets) are more than happy with Mr. Carmack's choice.

Gallery: Doom Resurrection

Tags: apple, development, doom, doom-resurrection, id-software, iphone, john-carmack

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

WINterfang @ Jun 29th 2009 2:00PM

Has anybody saw the starburst commercial with the Asian Scottish and the Pale Lifeguard?

sony boy @ Jun 29th 2009 2:13PM

that hilarious. i didn't know they were such things as scottish koreans.

devilsei @ Jun 29th 2009 3:10PM

"Aye, look there, a contradiction eating a contradiction!"
"Huh?"
"Look at you, a scottish korean, eating a starburst, which is solid, but juicy, like a liquid! Ey, look another contradiction, its Timmy! The albino lifeguard!"

cubeenigma @ Jun 29th 2009 2:01PM

err umm wiiware wasnt an option D: ?

Girugamuk (Moptimus Slimed) @ Jun 29th 2009 2:25PM

of course not. A game like this would never work on a digital distribution service....

Mr Khan @ Jun 29th 2009 2:01PM

So the Wii game doesn't exist at all anymore?

Figures, though. id will take any excuse to not develop for a Nintendo home console. They haven't done so in at least 15 years...

Shadow Hog @ Jun 29th 2009 2:12PM

Sure they have. Doom GBA? Orcs and Elves for DS?

goboColossus (LIVE, PSN - gobopop) @ Jun 29th 2009 2:14PM

Can't blame them for this one. I'd love to see a Wii specific id game, but if it means pandering to the supposed demographic by releasing another M rated on-rails shooter, I'll have to give it a big no thank-you.

I'm pulling for a Commander Keen 3D platformer revival.

Mr Khan @ Jun 29th 2009 2:33PM

that's why i said home console.

Fun DMC @ Jun 29th 2009 2:41PM

Do you really want THIS Wii game anyway, Khan? Rail shooters aren't really what the Wii needs right now.

mian @ Jun 29th 2009 3:18PM

Although I'd love to have a new Doom on Wii, I'm frakking sick of people thinking rails are better for it.

The Wii's FPS potential is STILL so under-rated it makes my stomach turn.

mian @ Jun 29th 2009 3:22PM

For clarification, "sick of people thinking rails are better" was directed at iD, not Mr. Kahn, whose core Wii creds are very secure.

tmacairjordan87 @ Jun 29th 2009 2:01PM

"We like to think of it as a more guided experience than an on-rails game,"

Rail shooter is a bad term to me, but I get the hunch it's not to most people. So why are developers so afraid of admitting that their game's a rail shooter?

Fun DMC @ Jun 29th 2009 2:33PM

Because 'guided experience' sounds more sophisticated, as though enough actual effort went into the making of the product to make it comparable to standard FPS games.

Have yet to play a 'guided experience' on the Wii that I've enjoyed.

samfish (uses the Joystiq Comment-Kill filter!) @ Jun 29th 2009 2:13PM

You know, it really makes me wonder about development budgets when they can take a game that was initially being made for a console and determine that they can still make a profit off the thing by selling probably less than 100,000 copies for 1/5 of the price on the iPhone instead.

Girugamuk (Moptimus Slimed) @ Jun 29th 2009 2:22PM

things you have to remember when making an iPhone game:

1.Idiots will buy anything
2.See #1

Bloo @ Jun 29th 2009 2:31PM

@Girugamuk (Moptimus Slimed)

Couldn't you make the same point about 90% of Wii titles?

tmacairjordan87 @ Jun 29th 2009 2:34PM

@Bloo

Thank you. I wanted to point the irony of his statement there, but I figured it would be better if someone else did it.

Girugamuk (Moptimus Slimed) @ Jun 29th 2009 2:45PM

awww damn, looks like you guys caught me ridin' dirty

http://images.uncyc.org/commons/c/cf/Trollface.jpg

CJLopez @ Jun 29th 2009 2:49PM

@tmac

Its a shame it doesn't work thay way. If 3rd party complain how hard is to sell on the Wii its because maybe Wii owners ain't idiots (most of them) either way this statement would be true. I think.....

Leroy_Octopus @ Jun 29th 2009 3:35PM

Check the sales charts. I don't think it's so much idiots will buy anything on the Wii as idiots will buy Wii Fit and Wii Play.

Cody @ Jun 29th 2009 3:41PM

I'm still laughin my ass off about tmacs attempted and subsequently botched "research paper" claim in regards to his Nintendo trolling. That was one for the ages.

Professor Lario @ Jun 29th 2009 3:57PM

@Cody - wait...that wasn't true!?

Sly @ Jun 29th 2009 4:44PM

cody, honestly, you have no right to laugh at anyone for being a troll...

Obi-Habby @ Jun 29th 2009 8:25PM

I was inspired by Tmac's research paper. Since then I have purchased a 360 elite and several games from craigslist and have a great 360 setup, but microsoft did not see one cent from me. On the other hand I bought all my stuff on craigslist already so its nothing different then normal.

ronEbear @ Jun 29th 2009 2:18PM

I would say expect more of this. The iPod Touch/ iPhone has a HUGE install base. The differences in control are a little bit negligible (in terms of games that only require a mouse-like input.) I assume that development costs are cheaper on the Apple product as well.

Jack Tretton @ Jun 29th 2009 2:25PM

"We like to think of it as a more guided experience than an on-rails game..."

John Carmack using marketing-speak? What's the world come to?

Leroy_Octopus @ Jun 29th 2009 4:13PM

Why do people think that sounds better? I actually like on-rails shooters, but guided experience makes me think of a museum tour or something.

Shagittarius @ Jun 29th 2009 2:26PM

Those 3 asian dudes sure look like they are having fun.

MLS @ Jun 29th 2009 2:29PM

"You're playing Doom? I'll bring the cone!"

uncle jesse @ Jun 29th 2009 3:15PM

I'm straight... I think. That 'dude' on the right is kinda hot. I'm confused now. Excuse me, Asian dude on the left, may I borrow your cone of silence?

Okay, she is not playing Doom. Tap to pick up the assault rifle = baseball swing.

Shagittarius @ Jun 29th 2009 3:49PM

The dude on the right right just did a Wii tuck manuever. Look he's got no boobs!

Dave @ Jun 29th 2009 9:32PM

"You're playing Doom? I'll bring the cone!"

Duuhhhhh, I don't get it.

Cellien @ Jun 29th 2009 2:29PM

Really, the 3Gs graphics capabilities is probably going to be more powerful than the Wii. It has a pretty decent little 3d accelerator in it. It may not push as many polys though, but I think the shader support is more robust.

tmacairjordan87 @ Jun 29th 2009 2:30PM

"the 3Gs graphics capabilities is probably going to be more powerful than the Wii"

If that is true then that is ridiculously sad. I don't know anything about the insides of an iphone though, so I'm not going to pretend I know anything about its capabilities.

NaeemTHM @ Jun 29th 2009 2:48PM

I highly doubt the 3GS has the graphical prowess of the Wii. Then again:

From Gizmodo:

"Hubert (a former Nvidia developer) from Ubergizmo says it's somewhere along the lines of going from Half Life 1 to Half Life 2, which is essentially going up a console generation. Gamers should pay attention."

The original iPhone had games that were some where between the DS and PSP in terms of graphics. If the 3GS is indeed a console jump, then that would mean we'll see some Gamecube level graphics on the device soon.

I mean take a minute and look at this:

http://www.firemint.com/realracing.htm

That's what's currently possible on the iPhone. Imagine what we'll see in a few years.

CJLopez @ Jun 29th 2009 2:56PM

*looks at the firemint trailer*

*looks at Twilight princess*
*looks at The Conduit*
*looks at Mario Galaxy*

Bloom effect do make wonders

Fun DMC @ Jun 29th 2009 2:59PM

Twilight Princess overused the bloom (there isn't a single game on the Wii that overused bloom more than TP, except for maybe Metroid Prime 3), The Conduit just doesn't look that good at all (and I'm going off of what I've played, which is the entire single player campaign and some of the multiplayer maps), and I didn't see too much bloom in Galaxy - their HDR effects were really subtle.

NaeemTHM @ Jun 29th 2009 3:01PM

@CJ

Sorry, maybe I worded that incorrectly. I posted that trailer to show what is CURRENTLY possible on the iPhone 3G, not as a comparison to Wii games. Real Racing looks WAY better than a DS racer, and if the 3GS is truly a console jump then games made specifically for the 3GS platform should look better than Gamecube games.

Cellien @ Jun 29th 2009 3:08PM

Yes, keep in mind no game out there utilizes the 3gs, yet. Twice as much RAM, twice as fast processor (not in specs, but apparently in performance), and a much more capable video accelerator than the 3g. I'm curious to see what it will do, but I am really just saying I wouldn't be surprised to see at least a Wii/Gamecube level of quality, perhaps even surpassing them.

motang @ Jun 29th 2009 2:35PM

Hopefully it will come out on Wiiware!

Nook @ Jun 29th 2009 2:47PM

I hate you John. One for not having anything on a Nintendo system, and two for even considering an on rails shooter. Shame on you. SHAME ON YOU.

and now you're using the same line EA did with saying 'it's a guided experience'

Hey, life goes on without id on a Nintendo system - others have filled the consumers desires with pretty good FPS action. It would be nice to see Doom come back, I haven't played an id title on N system...since Quake 2 and Doom 64, two generations ago.

So, I'm not missing you since it's been forever, but I hate you because of that.

mian @ Jun 29th 2009 3:21PM

I play Quake 1 on Wii thanks to the HBC.

But your anti-ID rant is still worthy of rating, because it's exactly how I feel. Bitter sweet. Thankful we don't have another rails shooter we're supposed to be grateful for, and disappointed that ID won't get on board and bring their special brand of wonderful to the system.