Id Software has two iPhone projects

By Tom Bramwell Published 1 August, 2008

One will be "graphical tour de force".

Id Software is "vaguely" working on a pair of iPhone projects according to technical director and co-founder John Carmack.

"We're probably going to be making some moves to do some iPhone development," Carmack told the audience at QuakeCon 2008 during his keynote address.

"We have two different projects that are at least vaguely in the works for the iPhone," he said. The first is "an extension of our mobile stuff", he said, but the other is "the graphical tour de force" and "unexpectedly exciting".

Carmack had a lot of good things to say about the iPhone, although he joked that it's "a rollercoaster ride with Apple as always". "They'll make nice with me when they want me to come out and do a keynote," he said. But he clearly likes it.

"I'm really saddened that we don't have an iPhone product out now, because I think Apple is doing so many things well right now and I think they're going to be a really positive force."

Id Software had looked at porting Orcs & Elves to iPhone, said Carmack, but decided against it in the end because the small company couldn't spare the resource. Carmack estimated that it would have taken "three man months" to do.

Apple doesn't "really, deeply get games", he said, but he approves of the iTunes App Store. "You can actually show people why the hell they should buy your game," he pointed out, which puts it at odds with other platforms.

He also respects the hardware, pointing out that you could conceivably make a USD 10 million game for it. "It's more powerful than the PSP and DS put together," he told the audience.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (16) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • jiveguy #1 4 years ago

    I was hoping that was a typo on the front page and they were making a cycling game :(

  • ps3owner #2 4 years ago

    who has got an iPhone anyway? is even more expensive than a PS3.

  • Madafunkola #3 4 years ago

    The iPhone already has more games than the PS3...

    O NO HE DIDN'T!!!!

    /runs

  • m0thr4 #4 4 years ago

    who has got an iPhone anyway? is even more expensive than a PS3.

    About 6 million iPhones have been sold so far according to Apple. 1 million of those are the new 3G model. All iPhones can run the 800+ apps you can download from iTunes Store, as can the iPod Touch which is now being given away free with new Apple Macs. The graphics are way in excess of any other mobile phone I've seen and the tilt mechanism is streets ahead of the PS3 controller. All in all, I think it is a perfectly viable handheld games platform.

    As of the cost, I'm not sure why you would want to compare a phone/iPod to a games machine, but it's a lot cheaper than a PS3. My PS3 cost £429 at launch, whereas my iPhone 3G only cost £159. The line rental cost is a bit less than what I spend on PS3 games every year.

  • ps3owner #5 4 years ago

    I don't spend £30 a month on games for my ps3 and it's not because of what Madafunkola has said. I just don't play 10 games at a time. one is plenty ;). and the PS3 has plenty of games. but some ppl just don't want to believe that anyway.

    + you (or your parents) obviously have to much disposable income on your hands anyway. PS3 + iPhone... not bad ;).

    my SEW810i does exactly what I need. I can make phone calls. that's enough ;). It's a mobile after all.

    Edit: agree mouse, sorry. Fanboy statement has been rectified.
    Edited by 1 at 01/08/08 @ 11:02

  • mouse Verified Graphic designer, Eurogamer Network #6 4 years ago

    Heh, how does simply saying something contrary to your point make him a fanboy? That's a pretty tiresome attitude.
    Edited by 1 at 01/08/08 @ 10:43

  • penhalion #7 4 years ago

    @m0thr4

    No way do you only spend 30 quid a month on your IPhone tariff. The contracts are 18 months and with calls are coming to around the 40 to 50 quid a month level (even more if you use it for work as well as it's gps features and downloads).

    The reason it didn't take off dispite what apple would have you believe, was because people worked out that with ATT it was costing them 1800 dollars to own one for the length of the contract. In the UK it costs from 0 - 150 depending on the base tariff and over the course of 18 months around £1000 average in usage and tariff costs.

    Such rediculous costs to own the latest apple kit are why most normal people think apple followers are idiots (even if they own an ipod).

  • AhSoul #8 4 years ago

    Erm I'm on the £35 tariff and never spend more than that. 10 hours of calls for that price. I'm surprised the average user would need more than that per month (unless you're using it for work in which case I doubt you're footing the bill anyway).

    It's a reasonable price considering you're getting unlimited data also, and I don't remember them charging to use the GPS.

    But hey no doubt I'm just another fanboy.......

  • siksik6 #9 4 years ago

    @penhalion

    The charge per month includes loads of free calls and texts, plus unlimited data. Paying for GPS? LOL

    I think people that think people that like Apple products are idiots, are in fact idiots!

  • ps3owner #10 4 years ago

    @siksik6

    sorry, loads of minutes and txt's I suppose (not free data)

    on a £30 contract you can have LOADS of free minutes... like. 125 TXT messages and 75 minutes... wow. immense stuff. considering that txting on the iphone is very straight forward and a pleasure to do... (i've tried it).

    I actually just changed my contract from about £20 a month to a £10 pay as you go contract (which I can cancel at any time) and guess what, I have 250 txt and 75 minutes.... hm... strange that.

  • Mudo #11 4 years ago

    Everyone should just buy an iPod Touch rather than an iPhone. All of the games, none of the monthly costs/contracts.
    Of course, you can't make phone calls with it, but otherwise it's an admirable alternative.

  • siksik6 #12 4 years ago

    Fucking hell, you lot really need to do your homework! You get inclusive data with the bundles.

    @waxbrazillian; stop being a judgemental twat. I have one because I like it more than any other handset, as do most of my iPhone owning friends.

    Oh, and if you can't type on it then you're clearly a moron, it's so easy!

    (posted from my iPhone!)

  • dryden555 #13 4 years ago

    could carmack have been anymore vague? Why release this info to the press at all? Pointless PR from ID.

  • ps3owner #14 4 years ago

    hey siksik6, does your iPhone support flash yet?

    I am sure that will be introduced next year, called iPhone 3.5G with Flash support and copy and paste :)

    only half the price then...

    ah well, if you are happy with it then fair enough. I wouldn't spend that much on a phone, unless I needed it for business purposes. but then, I am not to sure about the iPhone's business credentials...

  • siksik6 #15 4 years ago

    heh, that would be nice :)

    I'm not either, I suspect it needs a while to mature on that front.

  • schnide #16 3 years ago

    So id have two projects on the go, do they?

    One will be a port of Quake, still living off their major past glory, and the other will be a technical showcase with a limited colour palette, dull gameplay and a contrived storyline.

    At some point in development, Carmack will slag off every other platform that isn't the one he's working on, and then complain the game was misunderstood when it comes out and doesn't sell.

    Et voila!