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Tag: id software

  • John Carmack Stepping Down As Oculus CTO To Focus On AI Research

    John Carmack Stepping Down As Oculus CTO To Focus On AI Research

    John Carmack is a legend in the video game community, having co-founded id Software and taken the lead on ground-breaking games such as Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein 3D, Rage and others. More recently, he has held the role of CTO at Oculus VR.

    Now, in a Facebook post, Carmack has announced he is resigning his position to pursue AI research. He plans on being a “consulting CTO” for Oculus, but only in a modest role.

    “Starting this week, I’m moving to a ‘Consulting CTO’ position with Oculus.

    “I will still have a voice in the development work, but it will only be consuming a modest slice of my time.

    “As for what I am going to be doing with the rest of my time: When I think back over everything I have done across games, aerospace, and VR, I have always felt that I had at least a vague ‘line of sight’ to the solutions, even if they were unconventional or unproven. I have sometimes wondered how I would fare with a problem where the solution really isn’t in sight. I decided that I should give it a try before I get too old.

    “I’m going to work on artificial general intelligence (AGI).

    “I think it is possible, enormously valuable, and that I have a non-negligible chance of making a difference there, so by a Pascal’s Mugging sort of logic, I should be working on it.

    “For the time being at least, I am going to be going about it ‘Victorian Gentleman Scientist’ style, pursuing my inquiries from home, and drafting my son into the work.

    Runner up for next project was cost effective nuclear fission reactors, which wouldn’t have been as suitable for that style of work. 😊”

    If Carmack’s new focus has even a fraction of the success he’s enjoyed in the gaming industry, the AI field will likely reap significant benefits from his participation.

  • John Carmack Gets A New Job At Oculus Rift

    John Carmack Gets A New Job At Oculus Rift

    John Carmack is what you might classify as a coding genius. His code powered the first-person revolution at id Software, and now he’s bringing his coding prowess to the world of virtual reality.

    Oculus Rift announced today that Carmack has joined the company as its Chief Technology Officer. The id Software co-founder said that he joined the company because he believes in a future where virtual reality is no longer just a gimmick:

    “I have fond memories of the development work that led to a lot of great things in modern gaming – the intensity of the first person experience, LAN and internet play, game mods, and so on. Duct taping a strap and hot gluing sensors onto Palmer’s early prototype Rift and writing the code to drive it ranks right up there. Now is a special time. I believe that VR will have a huge impact in the coming years, but everyone working today is a pioneer. The paradigms that everyone will take for granted in the future are being figured out today; probably by people reading this message. It’s certainly not there yet. There is a lot more work to do, and there are problems we don’t even know about that will need to be solved, but I am eager to work on them. It’s going to be awesome!”

    The announcement from Oculus Rift makes no mention of Carmack’s role at id Software so fans were obviously concerned that he would be leaving the legendary developer. In a statement to Polygon, Bethesda said that Carmack will continue to work at id Software as well.

    Other people probably couldn’t work two full time jobs, but Carmack could easily do it. It doesn’t hurt that Oculus Rift will be opening a new office in Dallas – the same city that id Software is located in. He also doesn’t have to do much at id as he is largely just in charge of coding. He’ll be able to work extensively on the Oculus Rift while providing “technical leadership” on Doom 4.

    [Image: Official GDC/flickr]

  • Can Wolfenstein: The New Order Just Be A Movie?

    I love Wolftenstein as much as the next guy, but even I’m starting to get tired of it. It just never really had the same allure as Doom or Quake. In other words, nazis get boring real quick.

    That rule may still stand, but the new trailer for Wolfenstein: The New Order at least helps to make nazis a little less cliche. The live action trailer goes with the tired what if scenario of Germany winning World War II, but it throws some fun little twists into the mix.

    We’re still not being shown any gameplay, but that trailer makes me realize that we don’t have nearly enough alternate World War II history movies. The New Order may end up being a cliche ridden first person shooter, but at least it will be remembered for it’s awesome E3 trailer.

  • Rage DLC “The Scorchers” Released

    Bethesda and id Software today released the new downloadable content (DLC) add-on package for Rage. Titled “The Scorchers,” the content will take players to new areas and includes features fans have been eagerly waiting for.

    The content is now available through Xbox LIVE or Steam for 400 Microsoft Points or $5. PlayStation 3 gamers will have to wait until later this afternoon in North America or tomorrow in Europe to download the add-on via the PlayStation Network.

    “The Scorchers” includes a new story, new enemies, six new areas for players to explore, and new characters to help “defend the Hager Settlement from a maniacal bandit clan known as The Scorchers.” In addition, players will get a new season of Mutant Bash TV, new mini-games, and new weapons, including the “overpowering and brutal” weapon called the Nailgun.

    New features with the download include a new hardest difficulty mode for the game: “Ultra-Nightmare.” Also, the much-anticipated “Extended Play” feature will allow players to continue playing past the game’s original ending. Players will now be able to continue collecting items and achievements without avoiding the ending. “Extended Play” is similar to a feature Bethesda included in a Fallout 3 DLC pack that also allowed players to continue playing past the ending.

  • Doom 3 BFG Edition Launches Today

    Doom 3 BFG Edition Launches Today

    If you’re exhausted from loot-heavy first person shooters like Borderlands 2 or the stealthy and morally ambiguous gameplay in Dishonored, perhaps it’s time to to revisit the roots of FPS gaming and simply shoot monsters.

    Bethesda today released Doom 3 BFG Edition, allowing gamers to relive the mayhem of the Doom franchise. All three Doom games and the Doom 3 add-on Resurrection of Evil are included in the package, but Doom 3 has been re-mastered and can now be played in 3D. In addition, Doom 3 now has improved rendering and lighting, 5.1 surround sound, a new checkpoint system, and achievements/trophies to earn.

    Aside from all the technical upgrades, Bethesda has included eight new Doom 3 levels titled “The Lost Mission.”

    Doom 3 BFG Edition is now available in the U.S. on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for $40 or on PC for $30. The package goes on sale in Europe on October 19.

    Check out the launch trailer below and see if you’re ready to take on the legions of hell once again:

  • Doom 3 BFG Edition Announced, Contains New Levels

    Doom 3 still remains one of my favorite shooters of all time. It created a perfect atmosphere that was true to the original games while bringing some new ideas to the table that made the game far scarier than it ever should have been. A lot of id fans have been waiting for Doom 4 since then, but today’s announcement will have to do.

    Bethesda announced on their blog today the existence of Doom 3 BFG Edition. As you can probably guess, it’s going to be one of those HD remakes that are all the rage these days. Of course, most HD remakes consist of just making the game look crisper on HD resolutions. id promises to make Doom 3 actually look and play better by adding a number of improvements to the game.

    The changes coming to the actual gameplay are welcomed after the initial game did have some disappointing low points. The annoyance of having to either wield a flashlight or a gun is now gone with an armor-mounted flashlight that allows for the player to illuminate the admittedly too dark hallways of the game while shooting every thing that moves. The game will also introduce a checkpoint save system so that players won’t get frustrated by having to start entire levels all over again.

    “DOOM 3 was enthusiastically embraced by gamers worldwide at its release,” said John Carmack, Technical Director at id Software. “Today, the full experience has been enhanced and extended to be better than ever, and is delivered across all the platforms with a silky smooth frame rate and highly responsive controls. New support for 3D TVs, monitors, and head mounted displays also allows players to experience the game with more depth than ever before. We think shooter fans everywhere will love it.”

    You heard that right, folks. Doom 3 BFG Edition will support head-mounted displays. If you have the cash and the wherewithal, you can truly play Doom 3 in first-person. The support for 3D TVs is a nice touch as well for those with even more cash.

    On top of all of the aforementioned features, Doom 3 BFG Edition will contain seven new levels in the form of a new expansion called “The Lost Mission.” It will be joined by the previous expansion “Resurrection of Evil.” Rounding out the set are copies of the original Doom and Doom 2.

    While I think that id could better spend their time making an expansion to Rage or Doom 4, making a new version of Doom 3 is a nice consolation prize. I’ll definitely buy it all over again just to experience Doom with modern gameplay conventions like an armor-mounted flashlight.

    Check out the first trailer that shows off the new visuals and expansion in action:

  • Wolfenstein 3D Turns 20, Becomes Playable In Your Browser

    I am Death incarnate!

    Want to feel incredibly old? Over the weekend, id Software’s influential First Person Shooter Wolfenstein 3D Google+Reader”>turned 20. That’s right, the first time that you sat down behind the eyes of B.J. Blazkowicz and began to blast away Nazis was on May 5th, 1992. If you remember playing Wolfenstein, you were around for the “grandfather” of FPSs. Although id Software’s next release (just a year later), Doom, might be better-remembered by some of the gaming masses, it was Wolfenstein 3D that made much of what we play today possible.

    And in celebration of the game’s two decades, you can now “relive all the glory of id’s seminal shooter with a free-to-play browser version of the game,” courtesy of Bethesda. Just head to wolfenstein.bethsoft.com, pick your level and your difficulty, and start your escape from Castle Wolfenstein.

    After you’ve gotten your fill playing the browser version of Wolfenstein 3D, check out this director’s commentary from id’s co-founder John Carmack courtesy the Bethesda Podcast:

    Oh, and one more thing. Remember that iOS app version of the game that launched in 2009? Well, in honor of the 20-year anniversary, you can download it free for a limited time.

  • Quake 4 Is Coming Back To The Xbox 360

    Quake 4 Is Coming Back To The Xbox 360

    I bought an Xbox 360 near launch which came with the usual problems of console launches – there are no good games. It was a little better with the launch of the Xbox 360 since there were Rare’s titles and a little game called Quake 4 to tide me over. I’ll be able to relive those days again in June with Bethesda reissuing Quake 4 on the Xbox 360.

    If you’re unfamiliar with Quake, think of it as Doom’s amped up little brother. Whereas DOOM was id Software’s slower, horror-based first-person shooter, Quake 4 featured high-octane shooter action punctuated by ridiculous alien weapons and gratuitous violence. Quake 4 continued this fine tradition with a campaign that pushed the violence quota for shooters while supplying a multiplayer that was fast and furious.

    Like all other Xbox 360 launch titles though, Quake 4 is a little hard to find these days. With id being bought up by Bethesda last year and RAGE being a bust, many people, including myself, just assumed Bethesda would ignore this little gem. That’s why it’s great news that Quake 4 will be seeing new life on the Xbox 360.

    It’s important to note to prospective new players that Quake 4 is not exactly a pretty game. It was a launch title on the Xbox 360 running on the Doom 3 engine. Don’t let that dissuade you though as developer Raven Software did id’s legacy proud.

    The reissue of Quake 4 will cost only $19.99 and release on June 19 in the U.S. and Europe, including Germany. It remains to be seen if Germany will still censor Quake 4’s most famous scene, the transformation of the lead character into a Strogg. It’s made even more impactful as the scene is done entirely from the first-person view.

    If you own a gaming PC, you can pick up Quake 4 on Steam right now. It’s definitely worth it. It’s not as fine of a game as Quake II, but it’s hard to go wrong with any of the Quake titles. Now we just need id Software to make a new DOOM and Quake, only then will the first-person shooter genre find balance.