Doom 3 Source Code To Be Released This Year [Slashdot]

[DP ServBot]

An anonymous reader writes "John Carmack just confirmed during his QuakeCon 2011 keynote that the source code to Doom 3 will be released this year. The source drop will follow the release of their Rage game in October. Carmack has also challenged other game developers to release their old source code."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.






More...

[Ze_ro]

I love id. Most companies are too afraid of their stuff being stolen or pirated to do stuff like this, and I've got a lot of respect for Carmack for sticking to this.

It would be nice to see them release the source code to some of their earlier games, like Commander Keen (Though we do have CloneKeen at least).

--Zero

[kedawa]

It's in id's best interests to release the source code. Now others can port the engine to new platforms and id can sell a few more copies of their older games.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I can see it now:

A fan-made patch that adds lighting to ALL THE MAPS IN THE GAME.

[APE992]

I can see it now:

A fan-made patch that adds lighting to ALL THE MAPS IN THE GAME.

Completely ruining it rendering it about as entertaining as Silent Hill without the fog. You can see how well that move worked for the series (after 3 the series arguably went to shit).

[Jorpho]

It would be nice to see them release the source code to some of their earlier games, like Commander Keen (Though we do have CloneKeen at least).

I reckon that source code must be hopelessly lost at this point.

[Emperor Megas]

Completely ruining it rendering it about as entertaining as Silent Hill without the fog. You can see how well that move worked for the series (after 3 the series arguably went to shit).

There's nothing "arguable" about it. The series sucked shit after 3.

[E Nice]

I can see it now:

A fan-made patch that adds lighting to ALL THE MAPS IN THE GAME.

Didn't the 360 port have an option for adjusting the lighting that took away the shadows in the game at full brightness?

[Ze_ro]

I reckon that source code must be hopelessly lost at this point.

Someone on Slashdot said they tried to contact Carmack about it, but he didn't have the files anymore. He then contacted John Romero, and it turned out that he DID have the files, but wasn't sure if what he had was complete. That was about as far as he got.

Not sure if Romero is still on good terms with Carmack or not.

--Zero

[Kitsune Sniper]

Didn't the 360 port have an option for adjusting the lighting that took away the shadows in the game at full brightness?

No idea, I was just making a joke.

Someone on Slashdot said they tried to contact Carmack about it, but he didn't have the files anymore. He then contacted John Romero, and it turned out that he DID have the files, but wasn't sure if what he had was complete. That was about as far as he got.

Not sure if Romero is still on good terms with Carmack or not.

--Zero

They may or may not like each other, but Romero's not one to withhold source code from the masses over disagreements or fights. It's probably a legal issue. If Romero has part of the source code somewhere then he'll release it sooner or later.

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

What's funny is I was just talking to a co-worker about the Keen series at work last night and about the release of the Wolfenstein and Doom source code. Commander Keen and Duke Dukem were some of my first forays into PC gaming. Well, that and Sierra's Space Quest. :-) I would love to see a new release in that series although it probably just wouldn't be the same.

JY

[Sysop]

I reckon that source code must be hopelessly lost at this point.

I believe the most likely reason the source code hasn't been released is because it would result in the game itself being released for free due to how the code is most likely laid out. It's like Doom/Duke Nukem 3D which had source port releases, but still required you to own the game to run them.

[Jorpho]

As level editors (and completely new level sets) have been made for Keen 4, the level data is probably not deeply intertwined with the game code, if that's what you mean.

[Zing]

It would be nice to see them release the source code to some of their earlier games, like Commander Keen

It's possible the game contains too much licensed code to make it worthwhile. For example, the sound code for Doom had to be removed prior to the source release due to it being licensed from another company.