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id Tech 5 Rage Engine No Longer Up For External Licensing
by Kris Graft [Console/PC, Programming]
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August 13, 2010
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id Software has been known to license its internally-developed game engines to other companies, but studio CEO Todd Hollenshead said that id would not be licensing the new id Tech 5 engine to developers outside of parent ZeniMax Media.
"It's going to be used within ZeniMax, so we're not going to license it to external parties," Hollenshead told Eurogamer at this week's QuakeCon fan event in Dallas, TX.
Shortly after Tech 5's unveiling in 2007, id creative director and co-owner Kevin Cloud along with business director Steve Nix told Gamasutra that the company was "absolutely" ramping up licensing efforts for the multiplatform engine.
Over the years, a large amount of third-party developers have used previous id Tech engines, including Splash Damage, Gray Matter Interactive, Electronic Arts and Infinity Ward, to name a few. Nix told Gamasutra in 2007, "We've had a very successful technology licensing history going way back. I think the first Doom had some licensees even."
But id's acquisition by Bethesda Softworks parent ZeniMax Media changed the licensing strategy. Hollenshead's opinion now is that Tech 5 is a "competitive advantage and we want to keep it within games we publish -- not necessarily exclusively to id or id titles, but if you're going to make a game with id Tech 5 then it needs to be published by Bethesda, which I think is a fair thing."
Hollenshead's comments come during QuakeCon, where ZeniMax announced that it acquired France-based Arx Fatalis developer Arkane Studios, which also has offices in Texas.
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Sadness.
Sadness. [2]
I am starting to hate bethesda more than I already hated for their buggy games, stupid releases (just visit the fallout 3 forums every time they release a expansion and you will get it), and use of Games For Windows Live
This article officially marked the end of id as it was known for... id is no more the indie spearhead that helped everyone licensing new tech and opensourcing old tech.
I guess this leaves Epic as the lone soldier on the licensing front. I would not have seen this coming, ever.
Lone soldier? Do you forget about Gamebryo, Jupiter Ex and maybe some others i don't remember right now (from big known developers at least - because otherwise a visit to 3DEngine DB will find you a swamp full of licensable engines).
Id Software hasn't changed, at least from a consumer and fellow developers perspective (I'm sure on some level the workings of Id have changed, but their core values and strengths appear to remain intact).
So far I haven't seen a studio that Zenimax consumed and turned to rubble, Bethesda has continued to deliver fantastic products, and Id seems to continue that tradition. If they continue to let developers do what they do best (which includes letting crazy talented people like Carmack release the source code for their games), then I'm sure they will be a powerful publishing company that great development houses will want to work with.