Joystiq

Pre-registration for QuakeCon 2013 open now

Mike Schramm — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:45:00 EST

Pre-registration for QuakeCon 2013 is now open and being offered alongside a few special packages. General admission is free, but extras are available at additional cost.

The Swag Pack, of which there are 250 available, costs $60. It includes three different shirts (including an officially branded QuakeCon tee), a QuakeCon-branded Logitech G400 Mouse, and a $10 voucher for use on Bethesda's site.

The Swag Pack is available in conjunction with a "Bring Your Own Computer" Select-a-Seat, which nets you a reserved spot in the special BYOC section for $90, with only 500 available. You can also get a BYOC seat along with just a "QuakeCon done Quick" pass, which will grant you express lane access to all of the show's panels and events. That package with a single shirt is available for $50, and 250 are available in total.

Finally, if it's just a BYOC reservation and shirt you want, you'll pay $30 for one of 1,250 packages available.

All package options and prices are listed in full over on the official website. QuakeCon 2013 will be held at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas, from August 1 until August 4.

Pre-registration for QuakeCon 2013 open now originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Doom 4 development still rocky, Rage 2 canned

Jessica Conditt — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST

Doom 4 is locked in development Hell - even for Doom, that's not a good thing. Since its announcement in 2007, developer id Software has completely rebooted Doom 4's development at least once and still doesn't have much to show as far as an actual game goes, Kotaku reports. The website provides the following breakdown from a series of anonymous people:

Doom 4 began as a Call of Duty-inspired shooter, with cinematic, scripted sequences, but after the lukewarm launch of Rage in 2011, id took another look at the project and started from scratch. Within that process, Rage 2 was canceled and id tried to merge the Rage and Doom teams, to focus solely on Doom 4.

By January 2012, id wanted Doom 4 to be as big as Skyrim, but the disparate teams had trouble finding a groove. Additionally, much of the project's "top talent" left id throughout 2012. This year, Zenimax, id's parent company, issued an ultimatum that could see id cleaned out to refocus on tech, two people tell Kotaku.

For now Doom 4 is still alive, though it may not be immortal. In October 2011 and February 2012, Doom 4 had two cancelation scares, each of which Bethesda refuted. The image above was part of a series that leaked in early 2012, though id Design Director Matt Hooper said it didn't represent actual Doom 4 direction. Last we heard - back in August 2012 - Doom 4 was attached to the Oculus Rift's VR push.

Report: Doom 4 development still rocky, Rage 2 canned originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bethesda launches online store featuring merch from Skyrim, Fallout and more

David Hinkle — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 04:00:00 EST

Until now, there just hasn't been a suitable place to pick up a pair of snazzy Vault 101 sneakers or a tasteful lithograph of the Skyrim landscape. Bethesda has solved that problem with a brand new online store, hocking wares that run the gamut from t-shirts to that recently announced and expensive Dragonborn statue.

The store also hosts Elder Scrolls merch, Dishonored pendants, and a nearly convincing Vault-Tec work shirt - you know, in case you pick up that quest to infiltrate a robot manufacturing plant.

Bethesda launches online store featuring merch from Skyrim, Fallout and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Mar 2013 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doom Classic Complete hits PSN today, includes Master Levels and Final Doom

Sinan Kubba — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:30:00 EST

A 'Doom Classic Complete' bundle shoots onto PSN today for PS3, and it includes Ultimate Doom, Doom 2: Hell on Earth, The Master Levels and No Rest for the Living expansions for Doom 2, and Final Doom. The price rockets in at $14.99.

The Master Levels and Final Doom weren't included in the recent release of Doom 3: BFG Edition. Master Levels contains 20 independently designed levels for Doom 2 (21 if you're counting the secret level). Final Doom offers two standalone Doom 2 mods, The Plutonia Experiment and TNT Evolution, and was officially distributed by Doom developer id Software back in 1996.

Doom Classic Complete hits PSN today, includes Master Levels and Final Doom originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Nov 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Don't install Doom 3 on Xbox 360 if you want to play Doom 1 & 2

Alexander Sliwinski — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:30:00 EST

A peculiarity in the Xbox version of the Doom 3 BFG Edition prevents access to Doom and Doom 2 when Doom 3 is installed on the hard drive. According to publisher Bethesda this is not a bug.

"Doom 1 and 2 are the same games that are currently available on Xbox Live. Installing Doom BFG files to the system's hard drive could cause a conflict with the existing XBLA game files," a Bethesda spokesperson told Joystiq. "Players should not see a performance advantage by installing Doom 3, so we recommend not installing the game to the Xbox HDD."

They added, "If people do install DOOM 3 BFG Edition to their hard drive, they should still be able to access both titles from the Xbox Live Dashboard under 'My Games'."

[Thanks, Justin]

PSA: Don't install Doom 3 on Xbox 360 if you want to play Doom 1 & 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get your nostalgia to Mars in Doom 3 BFG Edition

Britton Peele — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 18:30:00 EST

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: Doom 3 BFG Edition (QuakeCon 2012)

Continue reading Get your nostalgia to Mars in Doom 3 BFG Edition

Get your nostalgia to Mars in Doom 3 BFG Edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 04 Aug 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony restores PSN games that allowed Vita hack (but there's another one)

Jessica Conditt — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST

Sony pulled two PSP titles, Hot Shots Tennis and MotorStorm Arctic Rift, from the PlayStation Network in March when they were found to be open portals to Vita hacking heaven, allowing people to use homebrew programming through the Vita's PSP emulator. Both of these titles are currently back on the Vita and the hack scare is gone forever and ev - er, maybe not.

Vita version 1.67 closed off the ability for hackers to run the VHBL program in Hot Shot Tennis and MotorStorm Arctic Rift, but the folks at Wololo.net have found another game that runs the same program even after the update. The above video shows Wololo's Doom running on a Vita. It hasn't yet disclosed which game allows the hack.

Sony restores PSN games that allowed Vita hack (but there's another one) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doom stalking XBLA's corridors once again

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST

Remember when Doom was pulled off of Xbox Live Arcade over a year ago because of "expiring rights" (i.e. Zenimax acquired Id Software)? Do you also remember that Zenimax stated that the game would be back up "soon," courtesy of Bethesda? Well then, good news because "soon" is apparently today! Bethesda has sent out a note announcing that the original Doom has returned XBLA.

The granddaddy of modern shooters will set you back $5 and features both co-op and versus multiplayer via Xbox Live.

Doom stalking XBLA's corridors once again originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MADE museum delves into early 3D games

JC Fletcher — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:00:00 EST

The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment will host its first exhibit in Oakland starting December 3. Appropriately for its first foray into a physical exhibition space, the museum is highlighting "The History of Early 3D." That's 3D as in polygons, not glasses. Think Star Fox and Doom.

Continue reading MADE museum delves into early 3D games

MADE museum delves into early 3D games originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DOOM and DOOM 2 now acceptable in Germany, Berlin renamed E1M1

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST

Landmark titles DOOM and DOOM 2 received a USK 16+ rating in Germany today. Both titles were previously indexed by the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons (BPjM), which placed the games in the same commercially restrictive category as porn.

"We are obviously very pleased with their decision," Bethesda Softworks VP of PR and Marketing Pete Hines told us this morning. "Can't give you details yet on when they will be available in Germany. We'll let everyone know as soon as we know."

Hines explained that an appeal of the indexing is allowed after 10 years, with DOOM and DOOM 2 having been released in 1993 and 1994, respectively. Publisher Bethesda Softworks, whose parent company acquired original developer id Software in 2009, figured it would take the shot.

This is the latest classification surprise from Germany, which recently rated Gears of War 3, after both the previous installments were indexed. Microsoft is currently looking into getting the first two games available in the country.

[Thanks, Timo.]

DOOM and DOOM 2 now acceptable in Germany, Berlin renamed E1M1 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The violence-in-games debate 'didn't matter,' says Carmack

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 17:30:00 EST

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."

The violence-in-games debate 'didn't matter,' says Carmack originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 30 Jul 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Rock talks Doom again, would do another game movie (like Black Ops)

Griffin McElroy — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:10:00 EST

After watching The Rock, who is also named Dwayne Johnson, fulfill his hosting duties during last night's Wrestlemania event by totally slamming dudes in the face, we were all probably possessed by the same thought: When's Doom 2 coming out?

Speaking to MTV, Mr. Rock explained he's not averse to doing another game-based movie "if the right one came along." "I thought we had an opportunity with Doom," he added. "Didn't work out the way we wanted it to, creatively." Let's look on the bright side: Spy Hunter didn't work out the way you wanted it to completely and entirely.

When asked what game he'd like to film-ify, in a perfect world, Mr. Rock replied, "Black Ops -- that'd be bad ass. Let's make it happen. Let's do it." He added, "That and Black Swan 2." Wait, wait -- what if we combined the two? Oh, man. Do you smell what The Rock is cooking? Cinematic gold.

The Rock talks Doom again, would do another game movie (like Black Ops) originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Doom movie reboot in the works at Universal

David Hinkle — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 21:30:00 EST

While we all can agree the world ill needs to sit through another Doom movie, Hollywood is apparently keen on giving it another go. A new project is in the earliest stages, so says Hollywood Insider's What's Playing. This new film is supposedly a reboot and ignores the events of the Dwayne Johnson vehicle from 2005, plus will be in 3D (of course).

The piece says that Universal is shopping around for somebody to come up with a script right now. May we suggest anybody but the guy who wrote the first movie?

Report: Doom movie reboot in the works at Universal originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Mar 2011 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Classic postmortems' unveiled for 25th Game Developers Conference

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:03:00 EST

Beyond the plain ol' postmortems taking place annually at the Game Developers Conference, this year's event features a special 25th anniversary spin: "classic" postmortems. Famous developers will take the stage to speak about their classic games -- everyone from Pac-Man's Toru Iwatani to Doom's John Romero -- and an eager crowd will bask in the light of their classic game knowledge.

11 classics are being given the treatment, though we're putting Will Wright's Raid on Bungeling Bay talk at the very top of our priority list. Another highlight (among a list made up entirely of highlights) is Eric Chahi -- developer of currently in-progress From Dust -- speaking about the development of Out of This World. Check out the full, incredibly impressive list after the break and start planning accordingly. Or rather, clear your schedule.

If you can't make it to GDC 2011, the postmortems will be filmed and made available via GDC Vault at some point after the event.

Continue reading 'Classic postmortems' unveiled for 25th Game Developers Conference

'Classic postmortems' unveiled for 25th Game Developers Conference originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect Hacks: Gesture-based Modern Warfare, Zelda and Doom

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 19:30:00 EST

YouTube user Demize2010 has been busy since the Kinect's release -- though some have managed to squeeze motion controls into one older title, this crafty modder has Kinectified three. Check out the videos after the jump to see his take on Modern Warfare, Doom and Zelda: A Link to the Past.

Continue reading Kinect Hacks: Gesture-based Modern Warfare, Zelda and Doom

Kinect Hacks: Gesture-based Modern Warfare, Zelda and Doom originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 09 Jan 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doom, Double D Dodgeball pulled from XBLA [update]

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 21:00:00 EST

And just like that, Doom and Double D Dodgeball are no longer available on Xbox Live Arcade. Noticed by GamerBytes, both titles were pulled with no warning. The games can still be played if they were previously purchased.

Double D Dodgeball's mention in this post is for the simple fact that it happened to occur at the same time as Doom's removal. Speculation as to why Doom was pulled revolves around rights issues involving id Software's acquisition by Zenimax and the XBLA title being published by Activision.

We're following up with Zenimax to find out what its plans are for the game.

Update: A representative for Zenimax informs Joystiq that Doom's departure had to do with "expiring rights" and it "should be back up soon from Bethesda."

Doom, Double D Dodgeball pulled from XBLA [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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id's Carmack wants to support current franchises, new IPs unlikely

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Rage represents a rather large milestone for Carmack's id team. Not only is it the first game to use id Tech 4, it's the first id game to be published by new owner Bethesda. It's also the first new IP from the team in over a decade, since 1996's release of Quake. If a recent interview in the Official PlayStation Magazine (via CVG) is to be believed, it's likely that the new new IP from id will be just as far away.

"I doubt we're going to do another IP," Carmack told OPM. "We want to support Wolfenstein, Doom and Quake -- and hopefully we can add Rage onto that. ... Obviously, if Rage is a success then we'll want to do a Rage 2." Considering the lengthy development cycles at id (evidenced by the currently-MIA Doom 4) who knows when the next new IP will bubble out of the company?

Especially with that Commander Keen reboot getting in the way, right?

id's Carmack wants to support current franchises, new IPs unlikely originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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QuakeCon Steam sale discounts Doom titles by 66 percent

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:40:00 EST

So, you're disappointed that there wasn't any hot Doom 4 news in yesterday's QuakeCon 2010 keynote. Buck up, bronco -- Steam recently knocked the price of every Doom game in the store down by 66 percent, making it that much easier to drown your sorrows in pure, gib-filled nostalgia.

Continue reading QuakeCon Steam sale discounts Doom titles by 66 percent

QuakeCon Steam sale discounts Doom titles by 66 percent originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mega Man 8-bit Deathmatch demo now available to the public

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

If your gut response to the Mega Man 8-Bit Deathmatch mod for Doom 2 revealed last November was one of overwhelming desire, prepare to be satisfied. A demo for MM8BDM was recently released by its creator, Mike Hill, and is now downloadable for free through the mod's official website.

The download comes with four pixelated maps, five character skins and over 10 different weapon attachments based on actual powers from the Mega Man series. Unfortunately, these weapons can be picked up from set locations on each map -- we're not sure we'll appreciate them as much as we did when we were forced to pry them from the cold, dead hands of a bested Robot Master.

[Thanks, Nam-Ereh-Won]

Mega Man 8-bit Deathmatch demo now available to the public originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Voodoo Dice, Ben 10, Doom 2

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: X3F TV

Three utterly disparate games on XBLA this Week. Whether you prefer blasting demons, transforming into aliens or ... rolling dice, there's something here for you. This week on XBLA in Brief, we try out Voodoo Dice, Ben 10 and Doom 2 -- a puzzle game, platformer and FPS, respectively. One important note: Doom 2 is the only one with a chainsaw (as far as we know).

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Xbox.com: Add Voodoo Dice trial version to your Xbox 360 download queue
Xbox.com: Add Ben 10 trial version to your Xbox 360 download queue
Xbox.com: Add Doom 2 trial version to your Xbox 360 download queue

X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Voodoo Dice, Ben 10, Doom 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 May 2010 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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id 'ramping up' hiring for Doom

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:30:00 EST

While id is currently keeping Rage at the forefront of its media presence, it looks like things are starting to accelerate for the next entry in the Doom series. Bethesda has made a note on its official blog that id is currently hiring, with "several programming positions open, as well as positions in Animation, Art, Design, IT, and Management." While the post doesn't directly specify that the company is hiring for Doom, it does point to the image at right as a clue to what the studio is "ramping up for."

Announced in 2008, the next Doom project is "not a sequel to Doom 3, but it's not a reboot either," according to id's Todd Hollenshead. It won't be called Doom 4 either. Whatever it is, we probably won't be hearing about it anytime soon.

id 'ramping up' hiring for Doom originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zenimax gets unofficial Doom, Wolfenstein and Quake ports pulled from Android Market

David Hinkle — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:44:00 EST

Android and Me points out some ports of popular id games were once available on your snazzy superphone, including Quake, Wolfenstein and Doom. They didn't last long, however, as Zenimax has managed to get the games pulled from Google's Android Market service due to copyright infringement.

It's only natural for ZeniMax to want to get the titles pulled and doubly so if the publisher is thinking about releasing id's classics on the platform, though that's just speculation on our part based on id's readiness to work on the competing iPhone platform. Head past the break to check out some footage of what you missed out on, courtesy of the unofficial Android version of Doom.

We've asked ZeniMax to comment on any commercial plans for these titles on Android and to clarify the nature of Doom's open source codebase and why it was included in this takedown request.

[Update: A ZeniMax spokesperson got back to use, writing: "We did issue a DMCA takedown notice to the Android store to remove the unofficial Doom, Wolfenstein and Quake games as they contain our trademarks and copyrighted assets, including graphics, artwork, storylines and audio. Open source relates to the underlying engine source code, not to a game's content, trademarks and assets, all of which remain proprietary. If the game was a total conversion and did not use any of our trademarks or assets, that would be fine. But none of our data can be repackaged and nobody is authorized to make a Doom, Wolfenstein or Quake product."]

[Via Game Politics]

Continue reading Zenimax gets unofficial Doom, Wolfenstein and Quake ports pulled from Android Market

Zenimax gets unofficial Doom, Wolfenstein and Quake ports pulled from Android Market originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Street artists beef up billboards with Doom graphics

David Hinkle — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST

[Flickr user Mr. Talion]

You know what? Driving around is boring. Luckily, some Germans are taking steps to amp up the experience by incorporating Doom graphics into billboard ads, effectively upping their cool factor exponentially. Check out this Flickr set and tell us these billboards are anything but completely awesome. We dare you!

Hopefully, this is the beginning of a trend that will cross the oceans of the world and spread throughout every major city, causing us to actually care about these outdoor advertising eyesores. In the spirit of international sharing, we've got a couple ideas of our own you can check out past the break.

[Via Animal New York and Nerdcore; thanks, Ryan]

Continue reading Street artists beef up billboards with Doom graphics

Street artists beef up billboards with Doom graphics originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mega Man goes to 8-bit Hell in Doom 2 mod [update]

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST

Doom's main character always seemed to be lacking that little extra something. Sure, he had a BFG 9000 and could battle demons with the best of 'em, but did he have a gun arm? How about a body covered by totally sweet blue metal armor? Didn't think so. And that makes all the difference in the Mega Man mod for Doom 2, created by Mike Hill of the UK. "I've been modding for Doom ever since I first got a hold of the PC version ... some may find it hard to believe that the Doom modding scene is still live and kicking after all these years," Hill told Joystiq.

The 22-year-old built the mod (still in alpha) as an homage to "the time when I feel Mega Man was in full fruition: on the NES," harnessing not just 8-bit sprites for characters but for entire levels. Mike Hill's hope is that someday the mod will contain "all the levels and weapons from Mega Man 1-6 (and maybe even 9)," though, as of right now, he's still got a long way to go. "Right now the gameplay is a bit slow paced and unbalanced, and the maps are extremely difficult to navigate ... expect a more stable release some time next year." He promises more levels and more weapons in 2010, but we're hoping the power of Joystiq BioMass[TM] can spur Mike on to get us more Mega Man deathmatch asap. Go forth and comment, BioMass!

Update: We've added a video of the mod in action just after the break.

Continue reading Mega Man goes to 8-bit Hell in Doom 2 mod [update]

Mega Man goes to 8-bit Hell in Doom 2 mod [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone plays Doom, but what about Doom 3?

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST

id Software's John Carmack estimates that the iPhone version of iconic first-person shooter Doom took "maybe six weeks of serious work" to come together. Borrowing time -- and an artist -- the prolific programmer managed to assemble a port that, according to a recent VentureBeat interview, "plays great on every iPod Touch and iPhone ever made." But what if he focused effort on the iPhone 3GS, the latest and more powerful variant of Apple's killer app-platform?

"I think we could do the real Xbox Doom 3 game on a 3GS if we targeted it exclusively," Carmack notes. "That is pushing it a bit. You could probably get that kind of visual fidelity." And here we thought portable devices were only good for recording spooky audio logs and unlocking doors within exploding barrel research laboratories.

iPhone plays Doom, but what about Doom 3? originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doom Classic released for iPhone and iPod Touch

Randy Nelson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

How many versions of id Software's seminal FPS, Doom, can you possibly buy? At least one more. The developer has released Doom Classic for iPhone and iPod Touch, not to be confused with Doom: Resurrection, the ~~tech demo~~ rail-based shooter released earlier this year.

The title is going for $6.99 [app store link] and includes four episodes: "Knee-deep in the Dead," "Shores of Hell," "Inferno" and "Thy Flesh Consumed." It offers multiple control configurations, at least one of which we've gotten fairly proficient with after an embarrassingly long and death-filled adjustment period. We haven't tried out the four-player local Wifi deathmatch yet, but as for internet play? Based on John Carmack's comments, we'd expect to find that washed up on the shores of Hell.

Doom Classic released for iPhone and iPod Touch originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doom cover artist dies at 73

Justin McElroy — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:28:00 EST

Doom is one of the most influential games in history, and at least some of that credit has to go to the iconic cover, which features an aesthetic that's still pervasive in the industry a decade-and-a-half later. The man responsible for that image, artist Don Ivan Punchatz, has passed away. He was 73.

Though Punchatz created cover art for numerous books and magazines, ranging from Playboy and National Geographic to Boys Life and Newsweek, what we'll always remember is the lone space marine with the curiously exposed abdomen facing off against the legions of Hell. Our best wishes to his family and friends.

[Via BigDownload]

Doom cover artist dies at 73 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doom Classic soon to hurt us plenty on iPhone

JC Fletcher — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST

An electronic device isn't a game machine these days until it passes the crucial "Does it run Doom" test. John Carmack has been hard at work on Doom Classic, an official port of id Software's groundbreaking FPS for iPhone, and now he reports that it's been submitted to Apple for approval, only four months after Carmack said it would be ready. Soon - provided Apple gives the okay to a tour of Hell - we'll be swiping and tilting our way to a symphony of exploding barrels.

Doom Classic should support wi-fi multiplayer upon its release, with Bluetooth to follow if it's not already implemented. At least, that's what Carmack said earlier this year.

Doom Classic soon to hurt us plenty on iPhone originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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id: Rage won't have Doom 3's 'Monster Closets'

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EST

There was a major design element in Doom 3 that a lot of players took issue with -- and no, we're not talking about the protagonist's inability to hold a firearm and a source of illumination at the same time. The element was the game's enemy spawning mechanic, which would make baddies appear when the player reaches set points in the level -- a practice which has since been nicknamed "monster closets." Fortunately, it seems id's next angrily-named project won't feature this oft-harangued spawning system.

In a recent interview with 1UP, Rage lead designer Matt Hooper explained that enemies in a certain section of the game's demo will be "doing whatever they're supposed to be doing. If they're supposed to be defending against you coming there, they'll be doing that. If they're just tinkering or having a conversation they'll do that." Sounds like id's AI has actual motivation now. Well, motivation beyond "scare the crap out of then murder space marines," anyway.

id: Rage won't have Doom 3's 'Monster Closets' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spotted at Quakecon: Doom II for XBLA

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST

Whilst roaming the halls of Quakecon and shooting everything in sight (with a camera), our friends at BigDownload spotted a heretofore unannounced Xbox Live Arcade version of id Software's FPS classic, Doom 2. According to Shacknews, the downloadable title is set feature all of Doom II's content, in addition to a new episode, 4-player local multiplayer and the usual online shootery. You can also expect an exciting doubling of barrels over the original Doom -- both of the exploding and shotgun varieties.

Also spotted at Quakecon: a further proof of life from our long-anticipated friend, Quake Arena Arcade!

Spotted at Quakecon: Doom II for XBLA originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone It In: Doom Resurrection

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:30:00 EST

What's the most you would spend on a game for your iPhone? Not a port, mind you, but a brand new game based on a classic franchise, developed specifically with the iPhone's control system in mind -- $5? $7? How about $10? Try as I might, while playing id Software's latest Doom iteration -- Doom Resurrection -- it was near impossible to shake the uneasy feeling that $10 is just a bit too much money for the experience.

Truth be told, the game is "big" -- Doom Resurrection could easily be ported to gaming-specific handhelds -- though it weighs in under 100 MB. The problem with the scope of the game, however, is the resultant long load times and an occasionally choppy framerate -- the length of time it takes to jump into the game make it something I don't want to play on my way here or there (full disclosure: I'm using an iPhone 3G and it may run significantly better on the 3GS).

Gallery: Doom Resurrection

Continue reading iPhone It In: Doom Resurrection

iPhone It In: Doom Resurrection originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carmack hopes Doom will kick off 'bigger' iPhone games in future

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:40:00 EST

While speaking with id Software's John Carmack and Escalation Studios' Tom Mustaine yesterday, we only briefly broached the subject of iPhone game pricing. Doom Resurrection's lofty (by App Store standards) $10 price tag puts it in a particularly prickly situation, with Carmack telling us that "convincing people who've been spending $1 on games to spend $10 is a real problem." We can imagine!

He's not entirely without hope, however, as he looks at Resurrection as a value proposition, trading higher production values for higher costs. In fact, Carmack's hoping to set a precedent with DR that will allow for "bigger iPhone games" in the future -- something he says he'd like to see a lot more of. "There's only so much you can do with games that cost two or three dollars -- there's only so much production value you can put into that," he told us. The clear answer: Make Doom-based alien flatulence apps.

Carmack hopes Doom will kick off 'bigger' iPhone games in future originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doom Resurrection getting DLC, 'possible' for other id titles [update]

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:45:00 EST

Though he didn't exactly spell out what it's going to be or when it's going to be hitting digital shelves, id Software's John Carmack told us his newest iPhone game will be getting DLC. He let slip yesterday morning during an interview about recently released Doom Resurrection that the game would be getting DLC "sometime soon" -- downloadable content just became an option for iPhone games, with the launch of OS 3.0.

When we pressed him on whether we'd see downloadable anything for the upcoming flood of id Software games coming to the iPhone, he kept his cards a bit closer to his chest, saying it's technically "possible" but nothing's set in stone yet. He also revealed that Resurrection will be getting multiplayer add-ons in the upcoming weeks, so for those of you who already took the $10 plunge, you may want to ask your best buddy to do so as well.

Update: We got some clarification on the DLC from id Software's John Carmack just now, saying, "There won't be any DLC until we have moved the projects to requiring 3.0, and we aren't sure exactly when that will be. Pretty much all of the titles are being set up for DLC in the future. We are prepping the "Spear of Destiny" levels for Wolfenstein 3D classic, and all the various classic games have sequels and mission packs that we can offer. For Resurrection, new content will have to be created from scratch. I expect we will know within a few weeks if the reception to the game is good enough to justify it."

Gallery: Doom Resurrection

Doom Resurrection getting DLC, 'possible' for other id titles [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Carmack 'very interested' in other id Software iPhone resurrections

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:35:00 EST

We already knew that recently bought by Bethesda company id Software are looking at a hefty lineup of upcoming iPhone games, but after speaking with company co-founder John Carmack this morning, we found out a little bit more about the potential for more classic reboots, like Doom Resurrection, in the future. "It really depends on how this one is received by consumers before we can make any plans, but I'm very interested in the prospect," Carmack told Joystiq.

Apparently, he's most interested in seeing this treatment for Quake, though he also noted that Quake 3 Arena is still "possible" on Apple's handheld. Why not Quake Live on Apple's OS X, Mr. Carmack? Unfortunately, we ran out of time before we could ask. It is high on his "high priority" list though, right? So we've got something then? John? Hello?

Please?

Gallery: Doom Resurrection

John Carmack 'very interested' in other id Software iPhone resurrections originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doom Resurrection started life on the Wii

Ben Gilbert — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:55:00 EST

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

Doom Resurrection started life on the Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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id Software bringing external development back in-house

Christopher Grant — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:00:00 EST

When Raven Software's long-in-development Wolfenstein (remember when it was an Xbox 360 timed exclusive back in 2005?) finally hits store shelves this August, it'll mark the end of an era ...

... oh no! Not of Wolfenstein games - there are plenty more of those coming - but of outside developers working on id Software's hallowed franchises. John Carmack told Joystiq today that bringing external development back in-house at id is "exactly what's going to be happening." Carmack says that while id's had some hits (Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory springs to mind) and some misses (Enemy Territory: Quake Wars springs to mind) the externally developed titles haven't "had the same record that our internally developed titles have." We'd have to agree with him there.

With the lead team cranking on Rage for EA Partners, they created a second development team to work on Doom 4, with a still-formative third team currently toiling away on Quake Live. "We'll have three teams," Carmack told us. "We'll have Wolfenstein, Doom, Quake, and Rage and one of them will be taking a vacation each cycle and that will depend on what we want to be doing each time." So don't worry, you'll have plenty of all of the above to go around.

id Software bringing external development back in-house originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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id brings all-new Doom Resurrection to the iPhone 'next week'

Christopher Grant — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:15:00 EST

Sure, the all-new iPhone 3G S was shown off to throngs of drooling consumers on Monday - wowing the geek-set with its newfound OpenGL ES 2.0 support (your lousy iPhone 3G only supports OpenGL ES 1.1!) - but don't expect id Software's just announced title, Doom Resurrection, to be a 3G S-exclusive. Id's John Carmack told VentureBeat that he's "happy with the faster iPhone 3G S" but "he is also focused on making sure that his games run on the widest number of iPhones." Translation: Doom Resurrection won't be 3G S-exclusive. (Speculation: id could make two versions of Resurrection: one 2.0-compatible and another 1.1-compatible).

But, where were we ... oh, yes! Doom Resurrection! This sure sounds like the "graphical tour de force" he promised to bring to the iPhone. Carmack & Co were able to reuse much of DOOM 3's assets (downsized for the iPhone's screen resolution, of course) and get the engine running at 30 frames per second on the latest iPod Touch. Wrapped around that fancy tech, they've built "eight full levels and about five hours of game play" - the future iPhone 3.0 OS release will also enable "peer-to-peer cooperative multiplayer" for some on-the-go Deathmatch.

One of the most notable takeaways from VB's interview: Carmack's assertion that the iPhone is "a real game platform, not a tiny little toy." He explains that "the iPhone should be better in performance than the Nintendo DS and the PlayStation Portable" in raw horsepower "but the truth is you can't exploit it all because of software inefficiencies." We imagine the newly Open GL ES 2.0-compliant iPhones (gallery below) will ameliorate much of Mr. Carmack's concerns. In the interim, check out how far he's gotten on today's hardware when Doom Resurrection shoots the AppStore in the face next week.

Gallery: iPhone 3G S

id brings all-new Doom Resurrection to the iPhone 'next week' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doom should come to iPhone next month

Justin McElroy — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:00:00 EST

We wish all devs were as forthcoming as id's John Carmack. His update on the status of the iPhone version of Doom (or Doom Classic, as he's calling it) is exhaustive, but it's also rich with information and insight into porting an old-school classic onto new tech ... and doing it well.

We've dug up a few nuggets for you, like the fact that Carmack says he should be able to submit the game to the App Store by next month and that the game will use the original Doom sprites, but you should really take a few minutes to read the whole thing, it's really interesting stuff.

[Via Shacknews]

Doom should come to iPhone next month originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 May 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doom, Heretic and Hexen: Now gibbing demons in-browser

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:30:00 EST

Hey, how's it going? Having a nice day? Got a busy schedule, huh? Lots of work to do, right? We're sorry to hear that -- see, here's how we see the next week or so playing out:

You'll fire up this recent, spot-on Flash port of Doom, Heretic and Hexen.
You'll play them until you're about to starve to death.
You'll eat.
You'll repeat steps 2 and 3 until, regrettably, you forget to do step 3.

Seriously, folks -- a Newgrounds Flash aficionado (simply named "Mike") has created one of the most accurate, free-est ports of three of id's gibbiest shooters (or wand-ers, in Heretic and Hexen's case). We highly suggest checking them out.

[Via Rock Paper Shotgun]

Doom, Heretic and Hexen: Now gibbing demons in-browser originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 May 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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American McGee says XBLA, PSN need to evolve

Jason Dobson — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EST

When it comes to digital distribution on consoles, American McGee feels that the model "still has some evolving to do." The game designer -- whose credits include Alice as well as Doom and Quake -- recently told Geek.com that while his ambitious 24-episode experiment Grimm could be ported over to such platforms as Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, the process needs some work before that would happen.

"Porting this sort of stuff is straightforward," claimed McGee, who added that "the biggest issue" sits with the platforms' content approval and distribution model. XBLA's certification process has long proved a cumbersome hurdle for developers, with McGee noting,"When a single title might take months to get through review and approval (take Braid, as an example), pushing 24 episodes through would translate to years of approval process."

McGee is currently spinning his creative wheels on the recently announced sequel to Alice, a property that's also been mentioned in movie circles for some time. The rights currently sit with producer Scott Faye, who was responsible for 2008's big screen take on Max Payne, a film McGee lambasted, saying, "I wasn't able to sit through the entire thing ... I just couldn't connect to the film version." You, sir, were not alone.

[Via 1UP]

American McGee says XBLA, PSN need to evolve originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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