Fred Nilsson Leaves id Software

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Fred Nilsson Leaves id Software

Posted by Zonk on Tuesday November 9, 2004 @04:32AM from the take-a-bow-fredo dept.

Rogerpq3 writes "id Software animator Fred Nilsson has decided to leave the company and head back to Hollywood to work for Dreamworks. Fred joined id Software during the development of the Quake III mission pack "Team Arena", but his main work at id concentrated around the animation for their blockbuster hit DOOM III. Unlike the rest of the id crew, Fred could regularly be found on Quake3 game servers and he always hangs on IRC. In 1995 he moved out to Northern California to work at a company called PDI/Dreamworks. He worked on such films as The Arrival, Antz and Shrek. "Fredo", as he's known online, was a prominent figure at the QuakeCon 2003 and 2004 events. In 2003 he was one of the id Software employees taking part in the Quake3 id challenge tourney and in 2004 he participated in a Doom3 id challenge contest. In a interview with PlanetQuake3.net a few years back, Fred discussed how he went about getting his job at id. The entire id Software fan base wishes Fred the best with his new job and thanks him for all his hard work."

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Fired? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-09 04:42 · Score: 3, Funny

Unlike the rest of the id crew, Fred could regularly be found on Quake3 game servers and he always hangs on IRC.

Maybe he got the sack for wasting too much time at work :)
1. Re:Fired? by robnauta · 2004-11-10 00:27 · Score: 1
  
  Agreed, only on slashdot is 'always hangs on irc' a positive comment. Not something anyone would put on their resume I guess.
take his experience by Sv-Manowar · 2004-11-09 05:01 · Score: 4, Funny

i hope to see some nice grenade launching in Shrek 3 now he's gone to dreamworks

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Business Voyeur
Sinister by HansF · 2004-11-09 05:20 · Score: 1

This post reads like an obituary.

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--> Insert Funny Sig Here
Not A BlockBuster by EngineeringMarvel · 2004-11-09 05:31 · Score: 1, Funny

"blockbuster hit DOOM III"

I don't think Doom III was much of a blockbuster. I'm sure they had some decent intial sales, but the game was a major disappointment. I don't forsee Doom III making too much more money.

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I couldn't think of anything witty to say, so...you're stuck with this.
1. Re:Not A BlockBuster by Makarakalax · 2004-11-09 05:34 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Major disappointment my arse. It was slightly disappointing, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm sure they'll make plenty enough money. Also I'm sure blockbuster hit is a perfectly reasonable description. From what I've read it was a bestseller in many countries.
2. Re:Not A BlockBuster by gnarlin · 2004-11-09 05:39 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  Oh, I'm sure that Doom3 won't make all that much money, but the engine that drives it, thats where the real dough is. ID has always made a bundle by licensing their engines.
  
  --
  A bad analogy is like a leaky screwdriver.
3. Re:Not A BlockBuster by Diomedes+Tydeus · 2004-11-09 05:43 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  I haven't been able to find recent sales charts, but according to this article it topped world wide sales charts. http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200408/N04. 0825.1015.29165.htm -Diomedes
  
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  As for Diomedes, you could not say whether he was more among the Achaeans or the Trojans.
4. Re:Not A BlockBuster by irc.goatse.cx+troll · 2004-11-09 06:05 · Score: 1
  
  It sold, but it was forgotten about.
  Gamespys list of multiplayer games
  
  You'll find it way down there at the bottom, below all the demos of games from 1999-2002.
  
  Sad, I really dont mind the 4 player limit (More than enough to duel, and thats what ID games are best at), but something about the game just didnt work. Maybe Q4 will be better, maybe not. we'll see.
  
  --
  Pain lasts, kid. Its how you know you're alive. Sometimes I think this growing up thing is just pain management-TheMaxx
5. Re:Not A BlockBuster by Rico_Suave · 2004-11-09 06:33 · Score: 1
  
  Geez, I wish this rumor would die. id themselves have said engine licensing only accounts for 20% of their revenue.
  
  http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.05/doom.ht ml ?pg=2&topic=&topic_set=
6. Re:Not A BlockBuster by T-Ranger · 2004-11-09 08:22 · Score: 1
  
  That may be true, but that 20% is all profit.
7. Re:Not A BlockBuster by IntergalacticWalrus · 2004-11-09 08:23 · Score: 1
  
  Did it ever occur to you that DOOM III was (gasp!) NOT made to be a multiplayer game? Saying a SINGLE PLAYER FOCUSED GAME bombed because it ranks lower in the online ratings is just stupid.
8. Re:Not A BlockBuster by irc.goatse.cx+troll · 2004-11-09 08:39 · Score: 1
  
  Well, I don't have any charts handy for how many times I've heard people talk about how fucking horrible the SP game was. (repetitive level design and monsters, repetitive gameplay (OOH ANOTHER PDA, I WONDER IF THERES A LOCKER ACCES CODE IN IT.. THERE IS!) etc).
  
  --
  Pain lasts, kid. Its how you know you're alive. Sometimes I think this growing up thing is just pain management-TheMaxx
Re:WTF? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-09 05:32 · Score: 2, Interesting

Why is this news? Eh?

Maybe if Carmack left iD or something then that might be newsworthy.

Are we going to report every shmuck that changes jobs now? Fred Nil who? Wha? He's a newbie with iD, who the fuck cares what the hell he does.

that's not flamebait, it's true

slashdot... built for morons
say it ain't so by BortQ · 2004-11-09 05:46 · Score: 2, Funny

Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedoooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!
[falls down on knees and cries]

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A Multiplayer Strategy Game for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux
he's not dead, right? by gabe · 2004-11-09 06:13 · Score: 1

That reads like an obituary. He didn't die, he just left id.

Or are those one and the same?

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Gabriel Ricard
The Doom III zombies look like dead gray Shreks by The-Bus · 2004-11-09 06:30 · Score: 1

It makes sense. iD is a small niche studio which by all accounts is at the top of their game. Dreamworks, however, is now going to face increased competition not only from Pixar, which will now be flush with cash and little creative restrictions, as well as Disney. They need all the help they can get.

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Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.
So a quick question.... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-09 06:37 · Score: 0

Who cares?
Latest victim... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-09 14:10 · Score: 0

Probably the latest victim of the id politics. The infighting amongst the big guys at id (The Carmacks, Kevin Cloud) etc. tends to get to the majority of their employees. Most however learn to shut their mouths and just go with it when those big ol' royalty checks get plopped in their laps every quarter, and those that don't end up like Paul Steed.

Other than the founders, the company has a rather high turnover rate when you realize they never really employ more than 20 or so full time employees at any given time.