Back to the future for id Software, 'Wolfenstein'
— -- When Wolfenstein 3D first hit computers back in 1992, it was the first 3-D, first-person shooting video game — and you could set your sights on a classic enemy, the Nazis, to boot.
A fledgling game-design firm akin to a small independent film studio when id Software launched Wolfenstein 3D, the Mesquite, Texas, developer has gone on to push the limits of game technology and help shape the industry with its games Doom and Quake, selling more than $1 billion in games globally.
Now one of the industry giants, id is entering a new phase. Wolfenstein 3D's gung-ho hero, B.J. Blazkowicz, returns in Wolfenstein, out today on Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3 and PCs ($50-$60, rated Mature for ages 17-up).
The company executive-produced Wolfenstein, while longtime partner Raven Software (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) handled the game's development. Activision is publishing it. Meanwhile, id has tripled in size to 110 employees as it focuses on a new game called Rage and begins resurrecting another of its classic franchises in Doom 4.
And last month, id announced that it was being acquired by ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks (Fallout); ZeniMax will publish id's games. (Under a previous deal, Electronic Arts will publish Rage.)
"The idea is we will basically continue operating as id, as we have done, with just some better advantages and some access to things that we haven't had, being a small, independent team," says CEO Todd Hollenshead. "Ninety percent of the stuff is going to be exactly the same, and the 10% that is going to change will all be better."
A new phase for id should mean good news for its fans. Says Travis Moses, features editor for GamePro magazine: "(id) has all these great franchises that may seem outdated to the current player. I hope we see them all revitalized with today's better graphics, awesome new game engines and amazing advancements in game play."
As for Wolfenstein, he says, "the weapons, the environments and the graphics look really good. I was impressed, and I think fans of first-person shooters will enjoy it. ... It's all about the Nazi war machine and bringing it down."
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