Oh, those sly PC hardware manufacturers. As if it wasn't bad enough that they keep building better, more powerful rigs every six seconds, id Software's Todd Hollenshead believes they also secretly benefit from software piracy. No stranger to the public flogging of the illicit C:\ scourge, the CEO candidly told GamesIndustry.biz that manufacturers typically "line up on the wrong side of the argument."

"They have lots of reasons as to why they do that," he said, "but I think that there's been this dirty little secret among hardware manufacturers, which is that the perception of free content - even if you're supposed to pay for it on PCs - is some sort hidden benefit that you get when you buy a PC, like a right to download music for free or a right to download pirated movies and games." Hollenshead believes that this is what motivates manufacturers to stick up for the law-abiding minority when it comes to issues like peer-to-peer sharing.

"I think that if you went in and could see what's going on in their minds, though they may never say that stuff and I'm not saying there's some conspiracy or something like that - but I think the thing is they realise that trading content, copyrighted or not, is an expected benefit of owning a computer." Heck, the only reason we got one was to steal quotes from Tom Bramwell's interviews.

So, according to John Carmack, id has turned down offers from publishers who wanted to create massively multiplayer version of Quake. Why? Well, to put it pretty bluntly, Carmack (and, by extension, id) doesn't have any interest in making one.

So, what do you think the biggest news here is? Is it that this a Quake MMO isn't going to happen? We don't think so. We're far more concerned that some publisher somewhere thought that making a Quake MMO was a good idea. Dearest game publishers, please don't think that "MMO" actually stands for "Tons of Free Money." It's because of that kind of thinking that Richard Garriott had to pick up a second job at Toys 'R' Us.

After months of teasing us with crummy off-screen snaps of its forthcoming "post-apocalyptic open-world shooter," id Software has evidently heard us shouting "Show us your RAGE!" (in our best Raging Raven impersonation) and caved in. Behold: two nice, high-res screens of the game. Yep, two. But at least they're really purty.

Some on staff are wowed by the textures. Others are happy to see that Sloth from The Goonies is still getting work. Still another faction here at Joystiq HQ is frantically checking Pricewatch in hopes of scoring some good deals on the hardware upgrades they'll need to play this beast at 2 billion x 1 billion resolution on their PCs.

Whatever form the next game in the Doom saga takes, it will do so with a name other than simply Doom IV. id's Tim Willits told Big Download during this week's QuakeCon that the previously revealed Doom sequel will still have Doom in the title, but will adopt some form of hellish subtitle instead of a number, roman numeral or otherwise.

The designer noted that the decision was made, at least in part, because the fourth game in the series will not be a continuation of the events seen in Doom III and its expansion. As for what we can expect from the forthcoming Doom something something, who's to say, though it'll probably involve demons, a shotgun and -- if Doom III was any indication -- us wetting the bed.

First it was Quake Zero, then it became Quake Live, and now we have a fresh new look at Quake Arena, id's free-to-play, browser-based iteration of Quake III Arena. As you'd expect, the visuals are decidedly simple, but still stylish nonetheless. We noticed a few instances of gameshow-like billboards peppered throughout levels; while they simply read "Quake Live" in the video, it's likely these are placeholders for in-game advertising.

The trailer beckons viewers to QuakeLive.com for more info, but the site is still serving the sole purpose of a gateway for beta signups. From what's shown in the footage, it will eventually become a very robust matching and ranking component of the game. With QuakeCon kicking off in just a couple of weeks we expect to find out more details soon.

Hot on the (wolf?) tail of the ever-so-brief debut trailer for the game, Activision has unleashed a pack of first-ever Wolfenstein screens. Well, technically, they're of the new Wolfenstein ... not the original, although they share the same title (minus a "3D"). But we figured you'd guessed that after taking a gander at it above.

Oh, and to clear up any confusion, Activision has confirmed that the game will hit PCs as well as PS3 and Xbox 360. The only thing we need now is a date. (Our eagerness to crack some nazi skulls remains more than sufficient, thankyouverymuch.)

We've known about it for a while years, but it was nonetheless nice to see the next Wolfenstein formally announced for PS3 and Xbox 360 tonight. Activision, id, and Raven Software have finally shown a trailer showcasing the fruits of their collective labor – one that's over rat-a-tat-tat fast.

It was revealed that the game's most intriguing hook will be the ability to enlist the aid of underground resistance in combating a nigh-endless flood of nazis. Nazis who are attempting to rip open a hole between our dimension and one called "Shrell," which we assume is Raven's way around officially licensing "Hell."

id's Todd Hollenshead, who was on hand to introduce the quick clip, announced that more footage (and, we hope, details) will be dished out at QuakeCon on July 31.

EA pimped its partnership with id Software today by debuting a (somewhat) new trailer for Rage, the first spawn of the id Tech 5 engine. This is only the second brief glimpse we've caught of the shooter-with-wheels (and the first in nearly a year!), so it's a bit disappointing to see some of the same imagery being recycled these many months later. But damn, when a game is dripping with this much butter, we don't really mind the double dips.

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.

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.

"A Tale of Two (different) Ports" has reached its (anti-) climactic conclusion, as Enemy Territory: Quake Wars was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this week. Development of the console ports was fractured between two different studios, and when we checked in on the games six weeks ago, Underground Development's PS3 version was lagging behind -- yet refused to be delayed. And so, broken and stuttering, the port pushed on, crossing the finish line (into the retail market) hand in hand with its Xbox 360 counterpart. A tie then? Clearly not:

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.

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.

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."

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.