Activision, the publisher of id software, has announced to license the Unreal3 engine for one yet unannounced action game.

I don't remember they licensed tech from epic before, so I thought it might be an interesting heads up.

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/45880

you would think that having ID in their pocket they would not need to licence the unreal engine? Does this mean they have lost faith in ID engines? What does it all mean (pure speculation of course)

blushing_bride wrote:

you would think that having ID in their pocket they would not need to licence the unreal engine? Does this mean they have lost faith in ID engines? What does it all mean (pure speculation of course)

Hardly, they just need to make more money by broadening their development base.

im assuming its for a game studio that has experience with unreal engines mostly so it would be a logical choice rather then switching to doom technology

also it might be for a type of game that the doom technology doesnt really suit. Dont as me what though, theres others that would know more about that

blushing_bride wrote:

you would think that having ID in their pocket they would not need to licence the unreal engine?

Well, they don't really have them in their pocket - they're "just" the publisher and they sure have a long lasting track record.

What they do have in their pocket are id software engine specialist game development studios like Raven.

Activision's HUGE. Heck, they could of gotten a dev from Ubisoft who use a LOT of UT tech. Could also be a PS3/360 game. That's starting to be the new HD-console engine "whore."

but IF people want to start making conspiracy's.... at Q-con last year, when asked about id making products for Nintendo, JC said that they wouldn't directly deal with Nintendo, but use a publisher, like EA.

If there IS a little "friction" between Activision & id that caused this, that could very well be the first sign (I, personally, thought it was wierd JC didn't mention Activision).

Also, id could of very well said they aren't doing ANY liscencing with their new engine just yet. Look at D3/Q4/Prey/QW. Every new engine from D3 people said "Wow, D3 sucks compared to this variant!". Perhaps they don't want that.

The Happy Friar wrote:

but IF people want to start making conspiracy's.... at Q-con last year, when asked about id making products for Nintendo, JC said that they wouldn't directly deal with Nintendo, but use a publisher, like EA.

If there IS a little "friction" between Activision & id that caused this, that could very well be the first sign (I, personally, thought it was wierd JC didn't mention Activision).

EA already publishes id's Orcs & Elves so it's not that unlikely that they'd use EA to port to the "third, less powerful next-gen console".

Orcs & Elves isn't a direct, id game though, it's done by JC's wife's company, isn't it?

Still why NOT use activision? They deal with nintendo all the time. The biggest EA titles for Nintendo are the Sports games (let's not forget that Raven does console work for EA too.. the latest is the Marvel game for Wii, PS3 & 360).

The Happy Friar wrote:

Orcs & Elves isn't a direct, id game though, it's done by JC's wife's company, isn't it?

It's still an id game like Quake 4 and Quake Wars though.

also it might be for a type of game that the doom technology doesnt really suit. <this is most likely

I'd guess the terrain stuff in Unreal.

ergonaut wrote:

also it might be for a type of game that the doom technology doesnt really suit. <this is most likely

I'd guess the terrain stuff in Unreal.

I guarantee you it's much less about the gaming engine and more about the integrated development environment.