id Tech 5 revealed at the WWDC
Wow, looks like everyone is missing their May E3 announcements. Joystiq is reporting that none other the id software's John Carmack unveiled their new 3D engine "id Tech 5" during the Apple WWDC show. Details are scarce and pictures are blurry, I hope we get more info later as the Apple junkies realise this is a lot more important than any iphone announcement!
So far the id Tech 5 engine appears to offer a modification of the mega-texture technology used in Enemy Territory:Quake Wars (you'd think I'd get the name the right way round). This enables massive amounts of unique texture data to be overlaid on map. The demo shown was noted has containing 20gig of unique textures and if you're familiar with the Crysis sandbox video the entire level can be reshaped and coloured in realtime.
Such evolution in engine design is quite normal with specific sections of code seeing updates and others getting total overhauls, Source still has traces of its old quake engine code deep down. What is exciting is that Carmack has always taken it as a personal challenge to push the envelope in a certain engine discipline. He also stated at last years Quakecon that he didn't think that the Doom3 engine had gone in entirely the right direction. id Tech 5 may be just what id software needs to put a few red faces on those who companies recently licensed Unreal 3 engines.
All major formats, including the Mac were quoted as having a version of the engine developed with the exception of the Wii. As stated in a previous interview, Carmack said the Wii couldn't hope to cope with a modern 3D engine but he didn't discount the option of id creating something Wii specific at some point.
No mention was made of id's new IP but it was confirmed that E3 would see more reveals and I am for sure looking forward to Quakecon this year where you just know Carmack is going to get all geeky on his new baby.
Check out joystiq for more pictures
UPDATE:
Here's the obligatory YouTube cam of the presentation. Damn I'm like about to spontaniously combust!
Kotaku has the press release and id Software's homepage as a little bit up there about it too.
So far the id Tech 5 engine appears to offer a modification of the mega-texture technology used in Enemy Territory:Quake Wars (you'd think I'd get the name the right way round). This enables massive amounts of unique texture data to be overlaid on map. The demo shown was noted has containing 20gig of unique textures and if you're familiar with the Crysis sandbox video the entire level can be reshaped and coloured in realtime.
Such evolution in engine design is quite normal with specific sections of code seeing updates and others getting total overhauls, Source still has traces of its old quake engine code deep down. What is exciting is that Carmack has always taken it as a personal challenge to push the envelope in a certain engine discipline. He also stated at last years Quakecon that he didn't think that the Doom3 engine had gone in entirely the right direction. id Tech 5 may be just what id software needs to put a few red faces on those who companies recently licensed Unreal 3 engines.
All major formats, including the Mac were quoted as having a version of the engine developed with the exception of the Wii. As stated in a previous interview, Carmack said the Wii couldn't hope to cope with a modern 3D engine but he didn't discount the option of id creating something Wii specific at some point.
No mention was made of id's new IP but it was confirmed that E3 would see more reveals and I am for sure looking forward to Quakecon this year where you just know Carmack is going to get all geeky on his new baby.
Check out joystiq for more pictures
UPDATE:
Here's the obligatory YouTube cam of the presentation. Damn I'm like about to spontaniously combust!
Kotaku has the press release and id Software's homepage as a little bit up there about it too.
4 comments:
Too bad there weren't any IP announcments. However, I agree that the new engine does sound very exciting ... hopefully, it will be used more efficiently than the Doom 3 engine was.
Although, you never know. If ET:QW does well enough, the engine might be salvageable yet. I can't wait for the game to hit shelves!
I guess with the IP they won't want to announce anything until they are pretty far along in development. I'd prefer this as teasing for several years just puts too much expectation on a title.
My ideal Quakecon would be something like this:
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ET:QW released late July and is central to Quakecon. I got my pre-order in the other day so now I just have to wait a little bit longer.
RTCW 2 is revealed with playable demos hitting the floor. Penciled in for 2008 release, RTCW 2's use of the modified Doom3 engine stuns everyone who doubted Doom3 Engine's viability.
Carmack keynote. Id Tech 5 is detailed as we'd expect, perhaps being renamed to that of the new IP. id's hardware support roadmap is covered including the Apple details.
Free Pizza for everyone.
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I really wonder if id are going to go with an RPG or even MMO style game for their new IP. Carmack was an uber D&D player back in the day and I'm shocked he's never broken away from the FPS genre to explore that with his engines.
F*ck E3, Quakecon is going to be where the action is this year! :)
Heh, an RPG from id. That would, indeed, be awesome. It'd blow Bioshock out of the water.
I see what you did there, very nice.
Pun Improvement Success Score 10/10. :)
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