Doom 3 Source Code To Be Released This Year

[dlevere]

Posted by Michael Larabel on August 04, 2011

Just as suspected: the source-code to id Software's Doom 3 game will be publicly released this year!

This morning I wrote about What Should Linux Gamers Expect From QuakeCon 2011? In there, I mentioned the id Tech 4 engine source release was likely based upon past QuakeCon traditions and John Carmack previously promising the code's released upon the release of the RAGE game with id Tech 5.

This is indeed the case and just moments ago during John Carmack's QuakeCon 2011 keynote he confirmed the release this year of Doom 3.

The source-code to Doom 3 is definitely to be released this year, Zenimax (the company that acquired id Software) has been supportive of the process, and he has challenged other game developers to release old source-code too. Carmack says that releasing the code really helps the development community.

Rage is set to be released for the PC in October, so the Doom 3 source release will likely be at some point thereafter. Carmack has yet to comment on the Linux state of the id Tech 5 engine or a Rage Linux client, which is suspected at some point but likely not on launch-day.

[YoshiInAVoid]

Cool. But if developers start releasing source code then no one will pay for their games since they can download and compile it themselves.

[OldSchoolGamer]

Cool. But if developers start releasing source code then no one will pay for their games since they can download and compile it themselves.

I think they key word in their was OLD source code of old games. So they don't have to worry about people not paying for their games. It can be related to ROM dumps of NES/SNES/Genesis games. All those games have been dumped into ROMs and anyone can play them for free on an emulator. But it doesn't really hurt the makers of those video games because those games are so old that the game companies stopped selling them in stores. So the only people who lose out on money are third party companies/stores like GameStop that sell used NES/SNES/Genesis games.

[RyanfaeScotland]

I think they key word in their was OLD source code of old games. So they don't have to worry about people not paying for their games. It can be related to ROM dumps of NES/SNES/Genesis games. All those games have been dumped into ROMs and anyone can play them for free on an emulator. But it doesn't really hurt the makers of those video games because those games are so old that the game companies stopped selling them in stores. So the only people who lose out on money are third party companies/stores like GameStop that sell used NES/SNES/Genesis games.

And people like myself who collect the actually carts. Oh and the actually compaines since a lot of these games are being re-released on Xbox live and so on.

I am surprised they are releasing the source to Doom3 already though, I didn't think it was that old? I wish Bullfrog would follow suit (or EA, whatever they are part of now) because they have some great old games.

[dlevere]

Todd Hollenshead on the status of Doom 4

Aug. 5th, 2011 - By Rain Anderson

Doom 4 has been an elusive beast. Announced way back in 2008, we’ve heard the occasional bit info here and there, but still, three years after its announcement, nothing substantial is known of the title.

When, then, are we going to start hearing and seeing things of significance from the next entry to what’s one of the most famed first-person shooter franchises of them all? According to id Software president Todd Hollenshead, it’ll be a while yet.

“id Tech 5 is the basis for Doom 4, and I guess infer what you will…What we’re really focused on is getting Rage out the door,” Hollenshead said at QuakeCon. “Once we’re to that point, then we want to transition to how we’re going to present Doom 4, what are the talking points, how do we introduce it. Because that stuff hasn’t even been determined yet. We’re talking about that internally.”

“I know everybody’s interested,” he added. “I am too.”

[bungholio]

When they give out the source, they don't give you everything. For en example, Doom 1 & 2. The source code for the engine and stuff is available, but not the actual enemies, weapons, and other stuff, just the engine. You can easily grab everything in the .WAD file, but the file doesn't come with the source. The same with Quake 1, you get the engine, tools, and whatever else, but you don't get the enemies and all of the stuff that makes the game. You can easily grab that stuff from its files, but those don't come with the source. The engines are free, the game's aren't free though.