Company
Another licensee has been announced for locally developed MMO server technology and tools suite, BigWorld Tech. A company called Slipgate Ironworks is a game development company founded by none other than John Romero (of id software, and Daikatana fame). He and his team are using BigWorld for a project that is "major in scope" and for a "worldwide audience". Romero had this to say at Gamasutra...
"The BigWorld solution enables a streamlined production period which brings our game to market sooner," said John Romero. "We are extremely pleased with the technology offering and support BigWorld is providing on this MMO."
I wouldn't hold my breath for this one. Romero jumped the shark a long time ago...
Everything he's had worked on since doom has been a failure or disaster. Daikatana, Gauntlet.
Everything since Doom? What about Quake?! Quake was a landmark title!
Isn't disagreement on quake what prompted the romeo split from id?
Read the book, masters of doom, and I think you will find you have a newfound respect for John Romero. Most amazing programer and level designer and we all have alot to thank him for, I'm sure he will recover and make good on an amazing new game...
Seriously, the book is very cool and a must read for anyone interested in games and the evolution of games, I could'nt put it down.
Read the post mortem for Daikatana and you should lose whatever respect you have for him.
Speaking of 'Masters of Doom'.. Has anyone other than myself noticed the link between Romero starting a company that is doing an MMO and only a few years back getting permission from carmack to use Quake in a persistent world setting? The name of the company, 'Slipgate Ironworks', even hints at a Quake MMO... I've search the web, yet it seems no-one is picking up on this?
I've never read anywhere that he got permission from Carmack to use Quake as a setting, although what you're saying would make sense. Considering how he originally described the idea of Quake, as opposed to what was created, it wouldn't surprise me that he'd be yearning to do a MMO.
What I'm really surprised that no-one's picked up yet is that Romero plus millions in outside investment is a recipe for disaster. It's happened time and again, why doesn't anyone get the hint?
Well, its only happened once, Ion Storm, and you can attribute most of that to the fact that he gave non-professionals the task of doing an entire AAA game (well, 4x the usual size game) when most had only ever done a level or small mod. In my opinion, it was a risk he took and got burned for, anyone who has downloaded the diakatana beta/alpha and looked through the assets can tell that most of the guys there really were completely clueless when it came to doing a "real" game.
As for the permission, its in the final (or 2nd last?) chapter of 'Masters of Doom'. Anyone who hasn't read it should, it gives alot of history to carmack and romero.
Only happened once? Did you see the mess that Romero made of Gauntlet before he "resigned"?
I heard rumours from people who worked for Midway Adelaide (aka Ratbag) that they heard bad stories about Romero and Guantlet. (so story of a story :))
I read most of Masters of Doom, but didn't get around to the last couple of chapters, as I was reading it while I had spare time during my visits to the State Library. I did enjoy it though, it was a good read, and I have no doubt that Romero was a maverick programmer and level designer during his Wolfenstein and Doom days. For that, I have great respect and gratitude.
I also respect the fact he was taking many risks when he founded Ion Storm, but if you're going to take risks, make you have a plan in place to mitigate the backlash should you fail. If you're given a cash advance of millions, don't spend it on your office space. If you're going to create an ambitious game, don't schedule seven months for its completion. You get the idea.
Romero's exploits don't stop with Ion Storm either. He went on to co-found Monkeystone Games, which made a stack of very forgettable mobile games (not all of Romero's doing, I'll admit). He then went onto Midway to screw up Gauntlet, as Zax has also pointed out. Now it's Slipgate Ironworks and a possible Quake MMO.
If that's what he is working on, I'm praying to whatever deity may be out there that he'll do it right.
I used to chat with Romero and the other developers of Doom on IRC, at the time they were developing it. Carmac didn't get on, too busy working and didn't chat to people much. Romero would be on taking credit for everything Doom. The others working on the game saying he did stuff all, a couple of levels and some QA.
I would suspect that anonymous coward #13 works for melbourne house.
Not a hard guess given they were the only studio in Australia at the time.
Hmmm, there are only two other people who about the Romero and co chats. Foobar? Or, sorry, forgot your name, the guy from Briabane...
Come on, the guy DID do Doom. Remember Doom- was really, really good.
Mind you... that first level of Daikatana.... cyber flies and suicidal AI? What the hell where they thinking?
Anyway, everone needs a second chance- and if they helped bring Doom to my world, they deserve it.
Well, that's what I am saying. The only one who said at the time that he had a large part in Doom was himself, his fellow work mates said otherwise.
Apparently Foobsr works for Bigworld now or something.