back to article Id Dooms gamers to new shoot-'em-up sequel

Grand Theft Auto IV may have soaked up 90 per cent of gaming headlines for the past few weeks, but classic first-person shoot-‘em-up Doom is set to make a comeback. Version 4 is now in development. Doom The original Doom: ahh, the good old days Doom 4 is being produced by the game’s original creator, id Software, and the …

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  1. Andy Fletcher
    Thumb Up

    Can't wait

    Quite simply cannot wait. PS3? ID - for sanity's sake include keyboard & mouse support. I may never forgive Activision for this omission in Call of Duty 4. How hard can it be really

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Dead Vulture

    Disgusted by that screenshot..

    59% health and 0% armour?

    Just what sort of IT journalists are you??!!

    I have fond memories of weeks spent playing the original shareware version of Doom on my old 386 and later on the touch-sensitive whiteboard in the boardroom of the offices of my first real IT job.

    Spent wayyy too many days fighting with the level-editor too.

    Definately time for a good revamp.

    Random wish - get John Carpenter to do the music.

  3. Ash
    Joke

    Doom 4?

    Can we PLEASE have Duke Nukem Forever first?

    GET YOUR PRIORITIES RIGHT.

    Joke, because DNF will never be released. Ever.

  4. John Macintyre

    wii version tricky?

    I'm sure there's first person shooters on the wii already, such as that resident evil game? can't be that hard to do...

  5. Chris Morrison

    Wii

    Why would the Wii be tricky?

    would work pretty well with the wii blaster I reckon. And it would be a lot of fun with the chainsaw!!

  6. Michael

    A Wii version

    would probably make any weapon but the chainsaw redundant.

  7. Red Bren
    Linux

    And for completeness...

    "The latest version of the title will be available on just about every gaming platform, including the PC, Mac, Xbox 360 and PS3. Perhaps a Wii version would be a little tricky though?"

    Will there be a linux version?

  8. Stuart

    wii version

    John Carmack has been complaining about the PS3 only having 256 Megs of main memory, so I don't think they're gonna much like the wii's 88 megs - not so good for the "Mega texture" technology they've devloped :P Having said that, if anyone can make a 3d shooter that runs smooth and looks pretty on the wii, it would be ID.

  9. Eddie
    Happy

    I'll be buying it.

    I'll never forget the impact that Doom had when I first saw it flickering into its 320x200x256 glory on my friends 386DX240.

    No other fps game has come close to recreating the same atmosphere for me, persuading my boss we absolutely needed Novell Netware (for the IPX/SPX transport) to integrate the different machines (macs and windows boxes) - when all I knew was in the readme.txt it said that Novell was a suitable network for Doom - those first LAN parties when I borrowed the key of the office to do some "maintenance", and so on.

    Ah, the nostalgia.

    Of course, the new one won't have the same impact, but, I gotta have it....

  10. Steven Foster

    Can't wait

    Loved the original Dooms. Enjoyed Doom 3, despite some naysayers. Bring on Doom 4!

  11. michael

    re:Disgusted by that screenshot..

    maby he was playing on nightmare dificulty

    that was hard "completed doom2 of ultravaliont" gose on my cv ti took more time and effort than the a* gcse in maths

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Eh ?

    Snore-a-thon, you have to wonder what all these creative minds are up to when all they can come up with is another tired rehash of a game that is 15 years old.

    Change the record already.

  13. Mike Groombridge
    Go

    Resi Evil a FPS ?

    Resident Evil 4 isn't first person. but metroid prime was a wii version would just work as follows

    movement with the analogue on nunchuck and look would work by always trying to centre with where the remotes pointing B button shoot with secondary function on the chucks button easy.

    will look for the cheque from id for given them the blindingly obvious (and already used) idea.

    any one else ever wonder why you had to pick up bullets but never any fuel for the chain saw ??

  14. Steve Skipper
    Thumb Up

    I still play DOOM

    Albeit GLDOOM @1024x768 with mouse look, it is incredibly fast and playable and wait for it....it even works under Vista. I tend to pick a random level and try and complete it from scratch, otherwise it is too easy as you carry over the weapons and ammo from previous levels.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @Stuart

    360 has the same amount of memory, both systems 512MB. The PS3 has a hard split, 256/256 between GPU and CPU, and the GPU memory is insanely fast XDR memory with regular GDDR3 for GPU memory (NUMA), 360 has 512MB of GDDR3 in total, with variable split (UMA).

    The NUMA will provide better performance, mainly due to the extra bandwidth the XDR provides, the UMA is more flexible. Of course, there is also the fact that RSX can read/write the Cells memory and vice-versa, not something you would want to be permentantly doing, but something that removed some of the disadvantages of UMA.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Wii! Wii! Wii!

    Single-handed blaster shell with movement on the nunchuck in the second hand.

    When using a single-handed gun, the nunchuck hand is armed with a melee weapon (fist, knuckleduster, knife, etc) controlled by the motion detection.

    Of course, you should be able to stick a bayonet on a weapon (chainsaw bayonet, anyone?) for further close-combat mayhem...

    That would be crazy-mental-cool.

  17. Mark
    Linux

    More looking forward to Quake 5...

    But if Doom4 is out on Linux, even if it is as poor a showing as Doom3 was, I'll buy it.

  18. Daniel B.
    Thumb Up

    Doom4!!

    Ooooh yes, now THIS is what I've been waiting for! In fact, my current box and geForce 7600GT card were bought with Doom3 in mind. 'Twas DOOM the one that made me spend hours on my good ole 486 (and then my first Pentium) on hours at end. Began with the shareware version (the one that still had the swastika layout in e1m4), then bought Doom2, and finally that Doom Ultimate pack (Doom1 + 4th episode). I acknowledge Phobos Lab (e1m5) as the first level that truly inspired fear... everything so dark...

    By the way, I recognize that screenshot, that would be Deimos Anomaly (e2m1).

    Mine's the one with the BFG9000

  19. Liam
    Thumb Down

    wii

    i dont think they would need to update the gfx for the wii... will be about as good as it looks anyway.

    i will pass tho - i cant stand FPS on consoles and i just cant be arsed to sit and play on a pc after sitting infront of one for 9 hours a day!

    back to gta IV i think :)

  20. Vladimir Plouzhnikov

    Buy?

    I bet it will go out on Steam, so nobody will be able to buy it - only rent it.

  21. bothwell
    Happy

    @Mike Groombridge

    "any one else ever wonder why you had to pick up bullets but never any fuel for the chain saw ??"

    Future technology, innit. Perhaps it was an electric chainsaw that recharged itself using its own kinetic energy!

  22. Matt W
    Thumb Up

    @Mark and @Red

    Enemy Territory:Quake Wars runs very well indeed on Linux. developed on the Doom3 engine by Splash Damage here in London. I cannot see why a Doom4 on linux wouldn't be possible.

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Linux

    Chances are good for a linux version

    Should be available for linux, Carmack has a fondness for OpenGL (vs DirectX) and has made all previous versions available for linux. I'll take what I can get game-wise for linux, but I'd much rather see a linux version of ArmA 2.

  24. Steve Evans

    IDDQD IDKFA at the ready...

    I'm already loving the idea of a Wii chainsaw... Please do a Wii version!

  25. Rick Brasche
    Thumb Up

    ah, my introduction to network building

    learning how to network PCs so Doom could be played multiplayer. Having to learn what IP addresses did and making sure the right cards and drivers were installed...much better than "Networking For Dummies" for a crash course in peer to peer communications.

  26. paul
    Linux

    doom + quake on linux

    Bought them both, but both are registered as windows copies as there wasn't a linux retail box.

  27. Iain
    Joke

    Castle Wolfenstein? Castle Crapenstein more like!!!!!!!!

    I'm sorry, but Wolfenstein was crap. I understand there there have to be certain steps on the way to brilliance (Doom) but why oh why did they have to be published? Oh look, another brick lined corridor with bats in it. Shock. More excitement in original Pong (or whatever its first incarnation was called, can't remember, sold the box at a car boot, now kicking myself)

  28. Pyros
    Unhappy

    Not very sure of D4

    Still looks like the orignal, only with crisper texels.

    It's be a huge improvement if they did actual 3D character models for a change. Plus, a great deal could be done once the levels were given a good once-over as well.

    Ah, well... if only they'd do a systems mod for Duke Nukem 3D...

  29. Greg

    Time to get myself in trouble...

    I'm not really looking forward to this that much. Why? Well...

    Doom was crap. No, crap isn't strong enough. It was shit.

    Doom 2? That was shit.

    Doom 3? Not played it yet, but that's because I've been told not to waste my time.

    Sorry, but the Doom games were rubbish, and deep down you all know they were.

  30. Rob

    @michael

    But it looks like your English suffered... ;)

  31. Michael Law
    Happy

    Default Port

    I remember that port 666 was listed as an official port and I belive it still is to this day :)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_TCP_and_UDP_port_numbers

  32. Schultz

    Memory lane...

    First networked shooter, insanely fast on those 486s, pure adrenaline when the berserk kit was put to action. The jump and run routine to take out the rocket-launcher dude, the insane punch of a point blank shotgun blast and the chainsaw, ooh, the chainsaw feeling of domination / humiliation depending on where the sharp and was pointing.

    Too bad the modern games are physically realistic, the speed will never be the same!

  33. OrsonX
    Paris Hilton

    Doom3: Quest for the light switch...

    ...just couldn't find one anywhere in Doom3! I rapidly got fed up of wandering around lost in the dark so gave up!

    (and played BF2 instead)

    @Ash, me too for DNF, c'mon!

    "It's time to kick ass and chew bubble-gum, and I'm all out'a gum.."

    - Paris loves Duke too.

  34. Chris C

    Let's hope

    As much as I enjoyed the graphics and playability of DOOM 3, let's hope they don't require all of us to buy a new computer again just for a new game. Maybe I'm getting old, but I'm sick of buying a new $1200+ computer (which includes a $400+ video card) to play a $50-60 game.

    As for some of the negative comments here... You may very well have not liked the games of the past, and you're perfectly entitled to your opinion. I, however, think that both Wolftenstein 3D and DOOM were the pinnacles of their day. And no matter who you are, you cannot reasonably argue that video/computer games would be where they are today without those two.

    Sometimes it's nice just to reminisce about the old games... Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM, Duke Nukem 3D, Blake Stone, Corridor 7, One Must Fall, Raptor, Epic Pinball -- though I could never real get into Rise Of The Triad or Hexen. And of course, who could ever forget The 7th Guest.

  35. Jach

    I still have the original shareware version.

    And I'm quite happy with it. =P idspispopd idbeholdl, etc.

  36. Pyros

    @Chris C.

    Well, true, we like the eye candy, but we're actually hoping for actual improvements in the physics and graphics engines (like past material--I'm thinking of the newer Quake 3 and the UT series.)

    I did mention DN 3D, which is pretty much similar but with more fun in it. (Need Shadow Warrior, tho. Got Lo Wang, anyone?) Of course, I did enjoy all those older games, too--Raptor was really fun to muddle with, but you can only go so far after you've obtained the Odin laser.

    Hrmm... now where's that copy of DOS-Box? I feel like installing Noctropolis once more just to try that again.

  37. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    More Shades of Black?

    I remember the first time I played Doom3 being 'how can I make the computer room darker so I can see a single thing in the game?' My old card couldn't really handle it - thought it was funny that the game was slow because it was realistically rendering millions of polygons, all of them in the same shade of black. They went for spooky, I just got eye-strain.

    With more advances in GFX processing since then, there must be millions of shades of 'almost black', 'pretty black', 'midnight coal', 'pitch charcoal' and so on.

    Or maybe this time the hero will gaffer-tape his flashlight to his @#$ing head instead of having to carry it so you can see something occasionally.

    Black helicopters, because they might show up in the game, and you might even be able to see them this time.

  38. EnigmaForce
    Flame

    Never liked it...

    Samey enemies, samey level design, ultimately boring gameplay. Pity, because the quasi-satanic aspect of it had the potential to create tons of atmosphere. Quake was much the same, as was Wolfenstein 3D.

    Dark Forces in terms of level design and variation was much superior IMO.

  39. Andy Worth

    Wii Doom

    If they just port the original Doom to the Wii and allow for the control system changes then the graphics will match most of the other Wii games without any other improvements. :p

    Not that I'm particularly looking forward to this game, as Doom 3 was (in my opinion) rubbish. Everyone raved about it at the time, but I found it shallow and uninspiring. Sure it made me jump a few times, but the story was rubbish and it didn't do anything "new". They need to look at making it much more interesting and preferably non-linear, but from past experience, they'll just concentrate on making graphics that will detract from the dull nature of the plot and gameplay.

    I'm sure I'll get flamed for this as there are plenty of "Doom Fanboys" around, but it seems to me like it'll be nothing spectacular. However, if past experience is anything to go by, it'll be due for release in late 2009 initially, and eventually be released in around 2012.

  40. regadpellagru
    Thumb Up

    bring it on !

    As a number of people here, I've been really disappointed by Doom 3. Yeah, "quest for the light switch" LOL. Didn't buy it, after seeing critics and the demo, and went for the largely superior Quake 4, which had relinked to the Quake 2 storyline, after Q3 which was an arena game.

    I also love the doom series, 1 and 2 were superb and I'm really looking forward to see Doom 4, hopefully on the tracks of the first 2 in terms of atmosphere. And light :-)

    Also, if it's a good title and is avail on the Wii, it might very well put an end to my anti-console religion.

  41. Rich

    Not a huge fan of Doom 3

    Infact I never completed the game, I got so bored very early on. Graphics were OK but not as mind boggling as they were trying to make it out to be. FarCry was far superior IMHO and much more enjoyable.

    I however, loved the original games and the only game that has come close to the original Dooms is PainKiller. However, PainKiller lacked all the multiplayer functionality that Doom, Hexen, Heritic and DN3D had. I have never seen a game since with such multiplayer and singleplayer scope. Please make Doom 4 worth while in both areas, its been done before but not since.

  42. pctechxp

    not had the balls to play Doom 3 yet

    played the origianl doom and downloaded the demo of doom 3 which I ran on a crap spec machine.

    Even with the software rendered graphics it looked really creepy, one sight of them spider type things and I was reaching for alt+tab.

    I know have a 3D enabled monster and haven't had the balls to install the doom 3 demo.

  43. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Gamma

    Guys, if you have trouble with dark scenes, just adjust the gamma in your graphics card settings (changes mid tones without affecting shadows and highlights)

    Kapow! The lights go up a notch.

  44. Chris P

    Re: And for completeness...

    Red Bren said: Will there be a linux version?

    There is, kind of - the Mac was already mentioned........

  45. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @ Chris C

    You never played Marathon then, because that kicked Doom's arse out of the ballpark.

  46. me
    Paris Hilton

    I liked heretic too

    I still play Doom I/II, Heretic and Hexen (all derivatives of the Doom engine). It plays very well under Win XP using Zdoom, including networking! DOS LIVES! Viva DOS! (I didn't say that, did I?)

    Paris, cause it's so hard to choose.

  47. Keith

    Glory days - I for one am looking forward to v4.............

    Eddie "No other fps game has come close to recreating the same atmosphere for me" I can only second that opinion, and over the years I've played 'em all!

    Many of the newer gamers just don't realise what a huge step forward the first DOOM game represented; I remember getting the first level demo, PCformat I think, all of 6(?) floppies !! - incredible. I can't imagine how many copies I passed on, on the negative side it heralded the hardware upgrade cycle, straight from a 386 to an overclocked 486/33, and oops an additional Cirrus Logic Vesa card for around £100 - worth every penny for the hours spent on this game.

    I reckon my 3 Son's and I had one of the first home networks playing DOOM in the South East - we owned 1 PC and "borrowed" the others... from the office.

    Glory days - I for one am looking forward to v4, I just hope it's better than v3.

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