What's that? You want to join the party? Why didn't you just say so? Push play below and come on in -- and no snickering, remember it's 1996:
Fifteen years ago id Software, the studio that created the first-person shooter genre with Wolfenstein 3D, brought online multiplayer to the world with Quake, an innovative step forward in gaming that would lead to the creation of this website. Yup, GameSpy originally got its start as QuakeSpy, a website dedicated to helping Quake players find Quake servers – see, there were no fancy server browsers back in those days (and yes, we had to walk uphill both ways to get to school, too). That's why we're particularly pumped about the launch of id's first new franchise since Quake broke new ground all those years ago.
But, like a child that's grown to recognize a parent as a normal, flawed human being, we can't help but feel nervous. Id hasn't stepped outside of its Wolfenstein-Doom-Quake comfort zone for a looong time. And as amazing as the Megatexture-infused, id Tech 5-powered, post-apocalyptic shooter looks, we've also got a handful of serious questions/concerns about Rage.
Not PC first? But I just built this new rig...
Rage Question/Concern No. 1: It's not PC first. The studio that still has a loyal legion of PC gaming followers – see the annual QuakeCon – is launching its first new franchise in 15 years as a multiplatform release on an engine designed specifically for making PC and console games. Will Rage introduce id Software to a whole new generation of console gamers while simultaneously giving PC gamers the enhanced tech, tools, and controls they love? Or in its effort to appeal to a wider audience will the studio neglect the platform that got it to where it is today?
Preliminary Verdict: When we scampered into id's private booth at E3 this year to play Rage, we were stunned to discover not a single PC station was available. Not because there were other gaming journalists hogging all the Rage PC action, but because there weren't any PCs. There were plenty of Xbox 360s and PlayStation 3s, but not one computer to demo the PC version of Rage on. We're officially raising a red flag about this one. However, id Software has confirmed Rage will have modding tools on day one, so we're lowering that flag to about waist high.
With views like this in Rage, you can't help but stop and stare.
Rage Question/Concern No. 2: Rage won't be an innovative game. In some ways, we've already seen how Rage will push the graphical boundaries thanks to id Tech 5's ability to create "Megatexture" visuals. When you see Rage live and in-person for the first time, your eyes go saucer wide and the corners of your mouth curl into a smile. You can't help but stare in wonder, looking around at the amazingly detailed world. There is no denying Rage is a visual knockout. But beyond its looks, will the game bring anything new and innovative to a genre swarming with me-toos?
Preliminary Verdict: John Carmack himself was recently asked about the phenom that is Call of Duty and the franchise's annual-sequel, more-of-the-same formula. He replied: "It's almost as if, if it's popular, it's not good. And that's just not true. If they buy the next Call of Duty, it's because they loved the last one and they want more of it. So I am pretty down on people who take the sort of creative auteurs' perspective. It's like 'Oh, we're not being creative.' But we're creating value for people -- that's our job! It's not to do something that nobody's ever seen before. It's to do something that people love so much they're willing to give us money for."
Reading those words from the head of the studio that created the first-person shooter genre and online multiplayer gaming -- innovations that created the modern era of gaming as we know it -- our hearts hit an iceberg and go down like the Titanic. See, we do want something that nobody's ever seen before, and we had our fingers crossed we'd get that something from id in Rage.
You can do this online, you just can't shoot your friends in the face.
Rage Question/Concern No. 3: It doesn't have an FPS multiplayer mode. Yup, we're contradicting ourselves here a bit. We just said we want Rage to be innovative, and now we're whining because it won't have team deathmatch – an online mode that exists in just about every shooter out there. And to clarify: Rage will have an online multiplayer mode for its dune buggy combat/racing, just not for its FPS combat. That said, we feel like id Software is pulling a fast one. You mean to tell us the studio that created team deathmatch won't have a shooter multiplayer mode that will blow our socks off in its new game? Yeah, right. But it's true; Rage will not have team deathmatch.
Preliminary Verdict: No deathmatch in Rage makes us feel like we're getting a birthday cake without any icing on top. Say it ain't so, John! But wait, we're looking into our crystal ball, and we see glowing review scores for Rage, with every one of those reviews mentioning a glaring omission: team deathmatch. We also see the PC gaming community loving Rage, wanting a true multiplayer, and the modding community taking it upon itself to create an awesome online shooter experience that will be downloaded countless times. Based on the success of that mod, we also see id Software creating its own multiplayer FPS mode for Rage 2 and eventually admitting, "Yup, we should have just done it in the first game."
The Masters of Doom! Can the remaining members of this legendary band still rock?
Our Biggest Rage Question/Concern: Is id Software still relevant? Just writing that line hurts. These are The Masters of Doom we're talking about! But with a storyline pulled straight from Fallout, shooting mechanics we've seen and played countless times, a mix of vehicle combat we've already played in Borderlands, fairly linear level design, and nothing truly innovative beyond the graphics, we're worried that id is busy playing catch-up with Rage and not stepping out ahead of the pack. And for a generation of gamers who haven't the slightest clue what the name id Software really means in the history of gaming, we fear Rage, with its lengthy development cycle and new tech, will struggle to make a sizable profit and become a disappointment for id and, in particular, its new parent company, Zenimax Media.
Preliminary Verdict: Make no mistake, the launch of the first new franchise from id since 1996 is a huge deal for thousands upon thousands gamers – us included. And from what we've seen and played of the game, we do think Rage will be a hit that will eventually take its rightful place among the pantheon of Doom, Wolfenstein, and Quake. Rage has its flaws and omissions, as outlined above, but what it does do, it does it extremely well.
As the site formerly known as QuakeSpy, we can't help but bite our fingernails in anticipation and hope that the aging rock star that is id Software is ready to stand center stage once again, embrace the spotlight, and belt out a performance that makes us throw up the double viking horns. We'll find out in less than a month when Rage ships on October 4. In the meantime, if you'll excuse us, we're going back to 1996 to play some Quake -- and put big bucks on Green Bay to win the Super Bowl. Hey, it worked for Biff.