id's Carmack wants to make Kinect title

By Fred Dutton Published 18 November, 2010

But "can't use Kinect for our real games."

id Software boss John Carmack wants to make a Kinect game – but it won't be a lift of one of its current FPS titles.

The Quake creator told Joystiq, "I have an itch to make a Kinect title for Xbox Live."

However, he's short on a concept right now. "I don't even know what I'd want to do yet," he explained.

"I can't use Kinect for our real games; there just isn't a place for our current FPSes on there," Carmack explained. "But it's an interesting technology, and an Xbox Live game would be the perfect platform to do something like that on, at about the same scale of [a game for] an iOS device."

Next up from Carmack and id Software is post-apocalyptic FPS Rage, due next year for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. While you're waiting, an impressive iOS rail shooter spin-off called Rage: Mutant Bash TV hit the App Store earlier today.

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (40) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • coolbritannia #1 2 years ago

    Misleading fanboy baiting subtitle is misleading....

  • DrStrangelove #2 2 years ago

    Why not make some sort of Kinectimals of Hell with Imps and Cacodemons?

    If they'd do that, I'd consider buying the Xbox with Kinect.

  • Pasco #3 2 years ago

    How about something like the Mario & Luigi RPGs but with a more ...demonic theme? An RPG light where you have to give input with movement now and then in battles.

  • GrizzleBoy #4 2 years ago

    @coolbritannia

    What exactly is misleading about it the subtitle?

    Its a word for word quote from the developer himself and the article content matches both the title and subtitle content, so where's the problem?

  • coolbritannia #5 2 years ago

    A less misleading subtitle would be 'can't use Kinect for our (existing) games'. You've never heard anyone say Kinect isn't for proper games/gamers before? Really?
    Edited by coolbritannia at 19/11/10 @ 00:49

  • StooMonster #6 2 years ago

    Wish Apple would fully implement OpenGL 3.x in OSX, rather than simply continuing to use 2.1, then I would only have to use Windows for a few games rather than all of them; wouldn't it be amazing if the implemented OpenGL 4, the DirectX 11 feature matching version, although at this rate that'll happen in 2018.

  • GrizzleBoy #7 2 years ago

    @coolbritannia

    Did you actually read the article?

    Whether someone has said it before has no relevance in terms of whether it is misleading or not, nor does whether they're talking about existing or prospective titles.

    The dev already distingiushed between what types of games he feels he can make with Kinect by using the term "proper" games.

    Also, the fact he classes games that use Kinect as non "proper" games (which is what not what he makes), means that even if he madea "proper" game in the future, it probably still wont use Kinect.

    Therefore your argument that Eurogamer should have stated he meant current titles is completely irrelevant and would have been an unnecessary edit to a direct statement that people understand anyway.

  • firef7y #8 2 years ago

    @coolbritannia

    How on earth is this misleading? The only fanboy baiting is your comment.


    Rge HD oniphobes may look gorgeous but u found the controls to be really awkward. I think it's because I'm used to using the gyroscope for FPSs and for some reason, this doesn't use them.

  • vmanb #9 2 years ago

    Oh look another kinect article, great

  • SG79 #10 2 years ago

    I think he was contemplating making a Wii game a while back too, but nothing happened. Still though, Carmack is a genius when it comes to technology but game design wise, the ghost of Romero is still around id. Rage will be their first new IP in more than a decade without Romero.

  • frazzl #11 2 years ago

    +1 to Dr. Strangelove :D

  • Dave52 #12 2 years ago

    "I can't use Kinect for our real games"

    This.

  • mazzl #13 2 years ago

    common do it! make the first p0rn game! on kinect

  • anomagnus #14 2 years ago

    Well, to be fair, i have been saying this a alot. Kinnect is just technology, its up to the developers to come up with something amazing with it. The more AAA developers you have on board, the more likely it is someone will come up with a good idea.

    However, the very real danger is, shoval ware makers will produce tat, leading to a process where only tat gets made, and the big developers leave it.

    If kinnect is to have any chance, then MS needs to ruthlessly enforce a quality check on every game being made, so as not to dilute the kinnect brand. After 5 years of the wii, does the nintendo seal of quality mean anything any more?

  • BuddyChrist #15 2 years ago

    Implement it in hardcore games, force the players to shake their feet for blood circulation after 3 hours of constant play.

    Not a fan

  • coolbritannia #16 2 years ago

    Grizzleboy, no, didn't read the article, just took a wild guess what the content would be for comment 1, then I must have just got uber lucky in comment 2 as it actually covers the real meaning of what Carmack is saying. Seriously, lady luck must be with me today....

  • patch #17 2 years ago

    This is the kind of Kinect story I like to see - feedback from the people who make games for it. I'm still undecided as to whether it gets my £140, anecdotally people have been telling me it's great fun. What's holding me back is knowing whether or not it'll get support from developers who make the kinds of games I like to play.

    If they can make Kinect do a Fallout 3, or an Arkham Asylum, or even LittleBigPlanet, I'm sold. When I read articles like this it makes me think they won't be able to (or won't want to take the risk and try?).

    And yes, I know I might be asking a lot, but if it can't give me what I want, I don't want what it can give :)

  • lennon #18 2 years ago

    What the hell is a real game? Makes him sound like some of the dick heads on here.

  • twyford #19 2 years ago

    Perhaps it's just me, but I read it very simply as meaning that he can't see beyond their current catalogue of franchises (which are all just variations on a theme anyway) and has no original idea.

    The problem for Kinect was always going to be that it requires the game makers to actually invent something new, they don't seem to like doing that, much more cost effective to relentless flog the dead horse (just ask EA Sports). Carmack needs to stop looking at applying any of their current IP's to Kinect and concentrate on coming up with something new that could be designed to take advantage of the system.

  • Gregolution #20 2 years ago

    That is classic. He reckons a game on the same level as iOS is perfect for kinect. Kinect doodle jump and angry birds incoming!

  • Dizzy #21 2 years ago

    "That is classic. He reckons a game on the same level as iOS is perfect for kinect. Kinect doodle jump and angry birds incoming! "

    Is that so bad?

    I can imagine a lot of "iOS" games that would be awesome and quite playable on Kinect. Osmos for one would be great.

  • Ninou #22 2 years ago

    And another non-news story hot off the presses...

    Eurogamer forum thread participant Ninou has told himself "I'd like to make 10 million pounds by the end of next year"

    However, he's short on a concept right now. "I don't even know how I'd do it yet," he explained.

  • mcmonkeyplc #23 2 years ago

    Man! Kinect articles just make the SDF froth at the mouth. I love it.

  • handsonhips101 #24 2 years ago

    I'm pretty sure move could do a nice I'd shoot 'em up.

    What with it having excellent tracking capabilities and buttons.

    Oops.

    *runs.....*

  • Dizzy #25 2 years ago

    >What with it having excellent tracking capabilities and buttons.

    Wait? Don't I have something like that connected to my console? A "pad" or something... or a "mouse/keyboard" maybe?

  • handsonhips101 #26 2 years ago

    Yeah, my analogue pad is super accurate for aiming in fps etc, and my mouse and keyboard, sat on my lap in my lounge is compatible with all my console games.

    Well no. Just one, unreal tournament 3.

  • dadrester #27 2 years ago

    Rge HD oniphobes may look gorgeous but u found the controls to be really awkward. I think it's because I'm used to using the gyroscope for FPSs and for some reason, this doesn't use them.

    you can switch control methods in the options menu.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #28 2 years ago

    God damn it, I've been searching for Mutant Bash TV on the app store all this time and finding nothing, and they've called it RAGE and RAGE HD.

    I'm raging!

  • Ranger101 #29 2 years ago

    If there's one person, other than Shigero Miyamoto who is responsible for the success of the video game industry, it is John Carmack.

    Miyamoto is the Design God of Games, Carmack is the Technical God of Games. The guy knows what he's talking about. I suggest those of you implying Carmack is a troll should do some background reading on him.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #30 2 years ago

    Kinect doodle jump and angry birds incoming!

    Angry Birds is supposed to be coming to the app store. Kinect support could work really quite nicely for it.

  • darleysam #31 2 years ago

    I'm sure everyone will jump on the 'real' games bit, but I'm really excited by this. Carmack just does things other developers can't, and this could be awesome.

  • kangarootoo #32 2 years ago

    @coolbritannia

    That wouldn't be a less misleading title, it would be a completely different title.

    Carmack said "I can't use Kinect for our real games", and the subtitle said "can't use Kinect for our real games". And it said it in quotation marks!

    You are mad.

  • kangarootoo #33 2 years ago

    @coolbritannia

    "Grizzleboy, no, didn't read the article, just took a wild guess what the content would be for comment 1, then I must have just got uber lucky in comment 2 as it actually covers the real meaning of what Carmack is saying. Seriously, lady luck must be with me today.... "

    This is getting embarassing.

  • GooseUK #34 2 years ago

    Wow, that it a SERIOUS put down

  • Machiavellian #35 2 years ago

    Grizzleboy, no, didn't read the article, just took a wild guess what the content would be for comment 1, then I must have just got uber lucky in comment 2 as it actually covers the real meaning of what Carmack is saying. Seriously, lady luck must be with me today....

    I can tell you coolbritannia what your comment shows. First, it shows that you do not understand id or Carmack. If you did, then you would understand why Kinect doesn't work for ids real games. Think about all the games that have come out of id software. Look at Rage that is coming out next and tell me how much change have you seen from Doom to Rage.

    Once you have come to that conclusion, then you will fully understand why your comment is not as important as you wish it to me.

  • bell_801 #36 2 years ago

    coolbritannia retard comment destroyed.

  • coolbritannia #37 2 years ago

    Destroyed by whom, trolls and retards? The article says: '"I can't use Kinect for our real games; there just isn't a place for our current FPSes on there,"

    It's misleading, which is why it was used instead of a pun.

  • funkateer #38 2 years ago

    If he'd make a new Doom where I have to physically fight off some imps with Kinect when I run out of ammo, I'd be right back buying a 360 again (+Kinect) for sure.

  • louyfitz #39 2 years ago

    Well if anyone can code a good kinect game it'll be Carmack.

    Shame he hasn't gone for his usual approach of "will Doom or Q3A work on this?" *Begins coding*

    Fresh IP from Id is usually welcomed with open arms by the gaming community, rage is getting a lot of coverage these days.

    Doom 4 is probably deep in development by now, should be a scorcher when that sees the light of day.

    Would be dumb of us to think that nothing is happening with the Quake franchise either, I would image that somewhere there's either a new quake title be tinkered with or if not some major updates for Quake Live.

    Id and Carmack have been very busy of late, can only be a good thing for us FPS loving motherfraggers!
    Edited by louyfitz at 20/11/10 @ 14:01

  • kangarootoo #40 2 years ago

    @coolbritannia

    You are blaming EG for quoting Carmack accurrately. If your issue is with what Carmack said, take it up with him. EG aren't agreeing with Carmack, they are reporting his words.


    "Destroyed by whom, trolls and retards?"

    By common sense and basic logic.