During QuakeCon 2008, id Software held its annual press conference and keynote speech to highlight more than a half dozen titles in development, including Wolfenstein and Doom 4 as well as some tight-lipped new projects.

Marty Stratton, lead producer on the Quake Live project, got the ball rolling by explaining how Quake Live is a true extension of Quake III. Not only has id worked with beta testers (many of whom are longtime Quake III players) to ensure a quality title, but Quake Live will also use a similar map editor to Quake III, allowing custom maps to be effortlessly transferred between the two titles. While there is no set date on a software development kit release, this is no doubt positive news for longtime Quake fans who can quickly get their favorite custom maps up and running when the time comes.

Quake Live, currently in beta, will be a free multiplayer game.

After the Quake Live announcements, id CEO Todd Hollenshead showed a new extended trailer for Wolfenstein and revealed that users would be able to play as B.J. Blazkowicz, the single player campaigns protagonist. Hollenshead also touched on Doom 4, saying that the story is currently being laid out, but did not reveal if it would be a true sequel to Doom 3 or a new story in the Doom universe. As for both titles, they "will be ready when they're ready."

Id Mobile also made an appearance, with department head Katherine Anna Kang showing trailers for Doom II RPG and Wolfenstein RPG. Both games are being developed with EA and will be available in Java and Brew versions for respective carriers. While no specifics were released on id's plans for the iPhone, John Carmack, id co-founder and lead programmer, did reveal that there will be two iPhone titles; one will look similar to current mobile titles, and the other will be a graphics-intensive title. Carmack did not hide his feelings about working with the iPhone, either. "Compared to the iPhone, Java and Brew phones are amateur-ish," said Carmack. Because of the way the Apple App Store works, users could go to id's website and check out screenshots and videos of the game before clicking over to the App Store to buy it. On a traditional cell phone, you usually get one or two lines of description about a game.

Id showed off Wolfenstein's new look during QuakeCon 2008.

Carmack then went onto Rage and id Tech 5 engine, showing off a brand new trailer for the 60 frames-per-second title and declaring Rage was "in the home stretch." He also stressed that while the PlayStation creates a "lowest common denominator" issue when bringing games to consoles, Macs and PCs, Carmack also stated that Rage will look better on the PS3 than on the 360 due to optical capacity limits. To look as good as the PS3 version, Rage on the Xbox 360 would need three DVDs. A three-DVD title will likely not happen due to royalty costs for 360 discs, unless Microsoft makes some sort of concession agreement with id, said Carmack.

Rage, id Software's newest IP, will mix first-person shooter action with a post-apocalyptic setting.

Going back to Quake Live, Carmack touched on the longevity of the title, saying "If [Quake Live] has a successful following...we would want to keep people on this forever." As for the next generation of hardware and games, id has nothing in the works for a fifth Quake title, but Carmack did express interest in Doom 5. "If Doom 4 does well," he told the audience, "Doom 5 could be a launch title for the next generation of consoles, depending on where we are in a development cycle." Carmack also stated that Doom 4 will have a much larger multiplayer presence than Doom 3.

With Quake Live, Rage, and several mobile titles expected within the next year, id Software appears ready to bounce back after taking a few years off since 2005's Doom 3. Stay tuned for more on Quake Live and other id news on Tom's Games.

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