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Could Doom 3 be a Xbox Exclusive?

acehole writes "Doom III, id's latest and greatest in the realm of first-person shooters, may be coming out as an Xbox exclusive... if Microsoft has its way." This story is very brief, has no real evidence, and should be treated as entirely speculative. I'd be sad if Doom 3 required me to use the X-Box's controller. It's just not right without a mouse!

17 of 402 comments (clear)

  1. I agree with you by RolandGunslinger · · Score: 2, Interesting

    It's quite obvious where Id's market lies...not with Microsoft products...I don't think this posting was necessary on Slashdot, it insults the reader's intelligence.

  2. Re:Does this seem weird? by Techiegeeks · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Sony did that with GTA3. Bought the exclusive console rights. No one seems to have a problem with that.

  3. Re:Does this seem weird? by villain170 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If you own an Xbox, you do. :)

    It just seems like saying that companies have done it in the past isn't a good argument of why it should be allowed. Just because something is the way it is doesn't make it right or proper even if it is good business practice.

    I guess we should just let Microsoft be and buy up all the companies and rights that they want to.

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  4. Sure, just like Halo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I'm sure Doom3 will come out for the PC. But if Monopolysoft gets it as an X-Box "exclusive", will the PC version be released after a long delay, just like Halo?

    Personally I don't think Carmack would allow that to happen. Microsoft on the other hand, would LOVE for that to happen..

  5. This story was meant to be a April Fools Joke! by Utopia · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Too bad GamePro, Slashdot and other sites feel for it.



  6. Re:hmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Metroid Prime proves that the Gamecube easily is up to par with the XBox, but frankly, I don't think that any of the consoles will be able to do an adequate job with a Doom 3 port.

    Give me the PC version... And the Linux port. ;)

  7. Re:Well... by drzhivago · · Score: 4, Interesting

    But this rumor isn't that they are buying id Software, it is that Microsoft wants Doom 3 exclusive to the Xbox. It would be no small coup if it happens, either.

    This happens ALL the time in the console world. Sony is particularly fond of this tactic, paying off companies like Square and Eidos (Tomb Raider) so that these companies' games will be released first for the Playstation/PS2 and 6-months later if at all for competitors' systems.

    In fact, I'm pretty sure that Microsoft has already engaged in this practice with Konami for Metal Gear Solid 2:Substance. Just now is the game being released for Playstation 2, yet it has been available for the Xbox for a long time.

  8. itd be beter on teh CUBE anyways by paradesign · · Score: 2, Interesting
    the cube has better texture support, and doom 3 relys heavily on texturing for its graphics. also the ppc architechture of the cube would make it more efficient for running the game, better than that x86 generocrap in the xbox.

    /ends fanboy rant

    i dont plan on buying it for console, but i will purchase both the OSX and PC versions, cause you DO need a mouse and keyboard.

    --
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  9. Re:Still MS-Exclusive by OldMiner · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Does it make sense for id to create software for one console, when there are several choices out there? Microsoft would have to pony up a lot of cash to make up for lost revenue from other consoles, which we are all well aware that they can certainly do.

    Having not pried into the numbers of this field which are what ultimately determine whether any of your or my points are valid, allow me to offer a converse assertion.

    Porting costs can be very high. Each additional platform Doom3 goes on will require (1) rewriting potentially large chunks of graphics code, if not other things if it turns out some things have to be squeezed a little extra to fit inside the console; (2) perhaps more expensive, extensive play testing to confirm the new hardware doesn't cause strange new problems; (3) creating a production line for creating media and packaging; (4) negotiating with stores shelf-space for an additional title; (5) providing tech support for yet another platform.

    You seem to assert that for every additional platform the game is available for will mean more incoming revenue. Whether you meant this or not, it is not the case. Many people have multiple platforms -- XBox and a PC, PS2 and a GameCube, etc. Once more, some people may buy a new console simply for the newst, hot game out. And Doom3 will be coming out with a rather large amount of fan fare. If these two groups are a significant portion of the purchasers of Doom3, you start seeing diminishing returns very quicly -- perhaps even after supporting only two platforms (e.g. Windows and XBox)

    Further, the game is already going to run in a Windows environment, doubtlessly. This means that XBox will be the easiest to port to, both because of a minimal amount of code rewrite being necessary and because the mostly stock hardware means that not as much XBox specific testing would be necessary.

    --
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  10. Re:hmm by MWelchUK · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You only read the first article and no further huh?

    From the link in the article:

    The PC version of Doom III was running all over the QuakeCon floor on 2.3GHz Pentium 4 systems equipped with ATI's next-gen Radeon 9700 card. However, Carmack commented that the game was designed more for the GeForce2 generation of cards and will likely require a 1GHz machine at the very least.

    So the XBox's graphics engine will probably (unfortunately) be sufficient and the processor no doubt will be able to cope once the code has been stream-lined especially for the XBox architecture.

    However I will be more interested as to whether there will be a Linux port.

  11. OpenGL by alphapartic1e · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Umm... id Software games have always been OpenGL based. Seeing how the XBox only supports Direct3D, and I don't seen why John Carmack would waste the time porting the entire codebase to Direct3D.

  12. Re:Here are Carmack's own words by Jagasian · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It would be smart for Id to sit on Doom 3 until the XBOX port is done because they will still be making money, cuz Microsoft is paying them, AND during that time, they can tweak, fix bugs, and add more polish to the PC version of Doom 3. It would be bad to delay the game for a long peroid of time, but if it is just a few months... Microsoft is basically paying them to add more polish to the PC version of Doom 3.

  13. I'd still say no.. Never support Microsoft... by Viewsonic · · Score: 2, Interesting

    If anything, i'd ask Nintendo or Sony if they want to give me money for the rights just to stuff it in Microsofts monopolistic face. Carmack has enough sense to see the poor monopoly marketing MS is doing with the XBox (Selling at a huge loss, posting lame announcements bashing other consoles whenever possible, giving away free consoles everywhere trying to artificially inflate their numbers, etc) .. He knows if he gives them exclusive rights he'll be directly supporting a monopoly.

  14. Re:Ok Taco by operagost · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The PS2's tech is about a year behind XBox, so I would expect it to at least look worse.

    --

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  15. Re:Ok Taco by Mupp252 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I believe he's trying to point out that one could read the article and be deceived into thinking that the game is only going to the Xbox especially with the "It's just not the same with the mouse" statement. I think we should be asking Taco if he read the article.

  16. Re:hmm by drew · · Score: 2, Interesting

    3. A NV20 (GeForce 3) will be able to run Doom3 at 30FPS with max detail at 1024x768. It's a single-player game as well, so 60FPS+ isn't that big of a concern.

    not to mention, if you're playing Doom3 on an XBox, you're probably only playing at around 500x350 resolution at 60Hz, seeing as that is your standard TV resolution. you get a HUGE performance increase in games like that by cutting the resolution in half...

    --
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  17. Consider a Linux-only port by Trogre · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I wonder what the outcome would be if iD released Doom3 exclusivly for Linux.

    I know that Linux ports have never been profitable for iD in the past, but that seems to be primarily because there was a more accepted alternative: buy the Windows version and then patch it to run on Linux.

    It's a given that Doom3 is going to be immensly popular when it comes out, regardless of what platform it's, so I would reason that this move would cause a massive surge in popularity of Linux among gamers.

    It would be a good way for Carmack to give MS the big finger once and for all.

    Besides, I'm not sure how OpenGL compliant the XBox drivers are. The only OGL software I've seen on the XBox is under Linux (which of course doesn't require the MS drivers). Wouldn't that be a kicker - you can play Doom3 on the XBox, but only if you install Linux on it.

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