The id.sdk website has been updated, offering an updated release of the DOOM 3 SDK for Windows as well as Linux. Among other things, v2 of the SDK now supports vehicles.

As reported by our buddy Chris Morris at CNN in the comments... The recent Activision investor conference call reveals a timeline for the release of the just announced DOOM 3 expansion pack:

This just in from the Activision conference call. They're expecting the Doom 3 expansion pack (DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil ) to come out at the "end of the March quarter".

Obviously, id makes the call on this and the date is tenuous at best, but FYI...

This press release announces the development of Resurrection of Evil, the first expansion pack for DOOM 3. Co-developed by Nerve Software and id Software, the expansion comes with a new singleplayer campaign as well as new multiplayer maps with support for up to 8 players.

Following the events of DOOM 3 and featuring new locations, characters and weapons, including the return of the double-barreled shotgun, DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil expands the terrifying action that fans and critics have been raving about

As you would expect from an id Software game, no release date is mentioned.

id CEO Todd Hollenshead updated his .plan file mentioning an unofficial id Software tattoo contest. Todd is looking for people with the best id Software related tattoos (preferably you have one already and aren't gonna get one placed just for this), the winner getting a signed copy of DOOM 3 + the strategy guide + new "Making Of DOOM 3" book. "If we get enough cool entries, the idea is that we'll compile and frame all the photos and put them in a big frame to hang on the wall here at id." Check for more details here.

The promised 'stopgap' release of the DOOM 3 [CC] mod is now available. With this mod, all audio logs become available as emails on your PDA to help out deaf and hearing impaired gamers.

Through the id.sdk website, the long awaited DOOM 3 mod SDK is finally available. Thanks eskimo spy.

Even though the DOOM 3 SDK is still missing in action, the DOOM3[CC] guys are gearing up to release the first version of their mod which will offer full text transcription of every piece of audio in the game for deaf / hearing impared gamers. Though the eventual idea is providing closed captioning, the early version of the mod will make an addition email appear on the PDA for every audio log and video disk.

id Software has released Linux client & server binaries for DOOM 3, allowing Penguin powered computers to run the game. A Linux version of the demo is available as well. Thanks Crusader.

Planet DOOM has a story up about a possible bug in the DOOM 3 1.1 patch installer, as it doesn't seem to overwrite the Doom3ded.exe included with the 1.05 beta. Server administrators should check the date on the file, which should be 9/16 and not 9/02.

Activision sends along a new DOOM 3 patch, which is no longer beta and now updates the game to version 1.1. The change list is pretty much identical to the 1.05 beta one, but there is an extra singleplayer fix which people had been asking for: "Fixed issue when switching between flashlight and previous weapon after using the PDA" - and unlike in the beta patch, the shadow and specular cvars are NOT cheat protected. As before, the update resets your progress in a saved game, so you'll have to play whatever level you're on from the beginning.

This Sunday morning unexpectedly brings us the long awaited DOOM 3 demo. The 461mb download includes the three level Mars City mission from id Software's horror first person shooter which was released last month.

[ DOWNLOAD THE DEMO ]

According to this Variety story throug Yahoo News, the original director of the upcoming DOOM movie has left the project "due to personal reasons". Replacing Enda McCallion will be Andrzej Bartkowiak, who previously directed movies like Cradle 2 the Grave, Exit Wounds and Romeo Must Die. Movie production is still scheduled to start mid-October.

id Software has decided that they want to do a beta run of the DOOM3 patch before sending it out into wide release. Given that Shackers are oh so known for giving lots of feedback they decided that a release through Shacknews/FileShack was a good place to start. Here are a few highlights of the changes in the 18meg patch, hottest being widescreen support!

GENERAL
- Updated some cvar docs

INTERFACE
- Added toggle functionality to movement commands (i.e. toggle crouch as opposed to holding the button down) - Added in_togglecrouch, in_togglerun, & in_togglezoom
- Fixed g_voteFlags so that spectator and nextmap could be individually toggled
- Made print screen bindable.
- Added mouse wheel scrolling to server list (gui list boxes).

NETWORKING/MULTIPLAYER
- Bumped damage up on rocket jumping in multiplayer
- Decreased damage from chaingun to 25 in multiplayer
- Exploding barrels to full damage to attacker in multiplayer
- Increased height for falling damage in multiplayer
- Made r_skipNewAmbient, r_skipSpecular, r_skipBump, and r_shadows cheat protected
- Made g_fov modifiable in mutiplayer from 90 to 110
- Changed server protocol version from 1.33 to 1.34
- Fixed rocket launcher dealing no splash damage to player at certain angle in Edge 2
- Added join messages when players join an MP game.
- Fixed players stuck spectating when no spectators vote is passed.

RENDERING
- r_aspectRatio now uses 0, 1, or 2 (4:3, 16:9, 16:10)
- Fixed in-game videos disappearing if you go to the menu and return

Duffy's .plan update also mentions that the DOOM 3 demo is due out in a few days, and will contain 3 levels from the game (SP only). The SDK and Linux dedicated server will be released once this patch goes final.

XGR Radio has posted an audio interview with Chris Vrenna aka Tweaker, as he talks about his work as a sound designer on DOOM 3. BitTorrent is required to download the file.

GameDaily conducted a DOOM movie Q&A with Todd Hollenshead which you can read about here. The id Software CEO is asked about the current status of the project, the story, budget and movie franchise plans. After many years, it looks like we'll finally get the DOOM movie.

GD: What are your hopes and goals in terms of bringing Doom to the big screen?
TH: I want to see the movie be true to what the legacy of the DOOM games mean to fans. Scary, intense, lots of action, and consistent with what we've done in the games. However, movies and games are different media, so some things will and should be different. I'm not looking for "DOOM 3: The Movie" and that's not what it will be. The script is not based on the DOOM 3 story, but is based on the DOOM universe, so fans will see plenty in the movie that they will recognize from the game.

NVNews is offering up a DOOM3 tweak guide for those of you trying to squeeze a little more performance out of DOOM3. A bunch of console commands and help with benchmarking to make sure you're getting results.

A couple of retailers are offering DOOM3 bundled with videocards. NVidia's website mentions the CompUSA deal and I believe BestBuy is offering something similar.

Tech-Report has put together their hardware guide for DOOM3 that you should take a look at if you're still speccing out your system for DOOM3 fun.

A couple of bits from QuakeCon and the id Software guys after a brief discussion I had with Tim Willits as well as this CNN article that you should also check out:

- DOOM3 demo is at least a couple of weeks away.
- DOOM3 patch is of course in the works addressing a couple of minor multiplayer bugs
- DOOM3 expansion pack in the works by a separate developer
- DOOM3 sales for the first week are possibly the highest ever for a PC game, Activision is investigating to be sure

Also, I talked to Tim a little more about the choice of a 4 player multiplayer cap which was interesting. The choice really boiled down to Carmack but given that within hours of the game hitting shelves we are seeing servers with 8-12 players on them I guess the whole thing is moot. Aye?

Just can't figure out the respawn time for weapons, ammo and items in DOOM 3 multiplayer? Shacker stelth has whipped up this guide to help you out. DOOM3 Xtreme has a Teamspeak tweaking guide, and there's a map guide here.