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Anyone Have any questions for Kevin Cloud or Paul Wedgwood?


Josh

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Kevin Cloud, co owner, ID SOFTWARE

 

Paul Wedgwood, president, Splash Damage

 

Have a meeting with them tomorrow to get a look at Quake wars, but wanted to see if anyone had any good questions for a brief interview. Anything you'd like to know? They've worked on some cool stuff in the past, and the new game is looking fun.

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They've been mum on console support for Quake Wars. Whether they are ready to announce it or not, it's time to let it out of the bag.

 

I'd love to get id's impression of themselves. Their drop from relevancy, so to speak, in terms of technical leadership and multiplayer gaming. The Unreal Engine has taken their engine business (among others) and Microsoft & MMO's now own the multiplayer innovation. Does id even want to approach their former glory in these category or is this an entirely new id today?

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They've been mum on console support for Quake Wars. Whether they are ready to announce it or not, it's time to let it out of the bag.

Do you mean to say that they need to announce further details about the game or that they need to acknowledge that console versions are coming? The reason I ask is because Quake Wars has been announced for both the Xbox 360 and PS3 (16 player multiplayer was the last thing I heard as opposed to 32 on the PC side). Nerve is handling the 360 port while Z-Axis is handling duties on the Playstation 3.

 

http://www.lcvg.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10375&highlight=Quake+Wars

 

-----------------------------------

 

My question would be more Quake Wars related and specifically about the online multiplayer for the console versions: Why the restriction down to 16 players? What is the technical limitation (if any) and if not what was the reasoning behind that decision?

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With consoles adopting some of the PC's best features (Online play, HD resolutions), game genres once exclusive to the PC now making their way to the consoles (FPS, RTS, MMO), and with cross-platform gaming (e.g. Shadowrun) emerging... where is the PC headed as both a unique and independent gaming platform, and as a complementary platform to consoles?

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Some early answers for you guys. I'm under an NDA/embargo, but here's what I can tell you (by the way, the game rocks and fans of Wolfenstein will go nuts over this):

 

Are there any plans for more of the older releases (Doom 2, original Quake, Quake 3 Arena, etc) to make it to Live Arcade?

 

While Kevin wasn't ready to talk about this, he did say that the Doom release was very successful.

 

Why the restriction down to 16 players? What is the technical limitation (if any) and if not what was the reasoning behind that decision?

 

It just runs better with all the Live and PSN overhead. If you want 32 players, try the PC/Mac/Linux clients (and yes, there will be clients for all those platforms).

 

Will Quake Wars continue id's longstanding tradition of supporting the Macintosh?

 

Yes, Linux, too.

 

....that's all I have as of now. More coming to me via e-mail.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Kevin finally got back to me with some answers:

 

1. Are there any plans for more of the older releases (Doom 2, original Quake, Quake 3 Arena, etc) to make it to Live Arcade?

 

I can't discuss anything that hasn't been announced, but certainly we'd love to bring more of these games to Live Arcade. DOOM Arcade was a fun project, and Brandon James with his team over at Nerve Software did a great job on the game with the addition of split screen and Xbox Live support. I think the success of Xbox Live has surprised Microsoft to some degree, so they are still trying to figure out exactly what the service is all about, but if the opportunity arises to bring another classic game to Live, I hope we'll be there.

 

1. What do you think of the new Live initiative on Vista from Microsoft & its restrictions?

I'm not sure exactly which restrictions you're asking about. I've read various articles about Live restrictions, but much of what I've read is incorrect. I would suggest Vista users try it for themselves instead of relying on early reviews of the beta software. In my opinion, giving the ability for PC and 360 users to communicate and play together is a great idea. In a competitive game like Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars, making it fun for PC players and console players to play against one another is not as simple as making the two platforms connect to the same game. However, it is just a matter of time before someone releases a great game that is designed to take advantage of this functionality. Until then, in my opinion, Live for Vista is primarily a way of extending the value of your Xbox 360 Live account. If I did not have an Xbox 360 Live account, it would be unlikely that I would purchase a Live for Vista Gold membership to take advantage of the functionality it offers by itself.

 

 

 

1. Online multiplayer for the console versions: Why the restriction down to 16 players? What is the technical limitation (if any) and if not what was the reasoning behind that decision?

The PS3, 360, and PC are in simultaneous development. All three teams are working together to make Enemy Territory fun to play and great looking on all three platforms.

 

Both of the consoles have plenty of horse power, but there are some networking differences between the console and the PC community that create limitations. Also, due to the differences between the console controllers and a mouse the game’s pace is different on the console.

 

From the beginning we've designed a game that is fun for different player counts whether it’s a 12-person tournament game or a 32-player public game. The combat is focused, concentrating the action into a single front line rather than spreading it across the map. Players making use of walkers, anti-personnel turrets, drones and missiles inside this focused area create an enormous amount of action.

 

1. Will any of the versions (PC, PS3, 360) have any extras the others will not?

 

Because all three platforms are in simultaneous development we do look at them as one game for three platforms. Nerve Software is working on the 360 while Activision Foster City is on the PS3, and both teams are doing a great job. They've been in simultaneous development for quite some time now with all three teams working together on content and solving common problems.

 

The first goal has been to make sure that the console games look as good and play as well as the PC version. This is a big undertaking given what is in the PC game. The 360 version will take advantage of the Xbox live functionality and both will offer VOIP solutions. However, any additional extras will be announced closer to the release of the game.

 

 

1. And here’s one from a Texan: Where do the id guys go for beers after a day of work and can I tag along (since I live 20 minutes away)?

The best beer is in my fridge where I can test my gaming skills against my six year old son. Still need to unlock Yoda's ghost!

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1. And here’s one from a Texan: Where do the id guys go for beers after a day of work and can I tag along (since I live 20 minutes away)?

The best beer is in my fridge where I can test my gaming skills against my six year old son. Still need to unlock Yoda's ghost!

 

He plays games with his son in his fridge? Cool.

 

Thanks Josh. Good stuff. I'll just have to keep stalking them. ;)

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