The first title out of famed Doom and Quake creator id to be simultaneously developed for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Mac, Rage almost immediately re-ignited the Blu-ray vs. DVD debate between PS3 and Xbox 360 loyalists when it was first revealed.

And as that debate raged on, PC gamers were dragged into another one after the once PC-centric developer said that the platform was "more of the junior partner."

Even the debut of actual gameplay details did little to quell the vocal internet mob, with concerns about regenerating health, the game's keyboard and mouse controls being tainted by console controllers, and well, just about everything.

However, this doesn't seem to have fazed the folks at id. "The stuff that we've done before, I'm not worried about, and people shouldn't worry about that either," creative director Tim Willits told me after a demonstration of the game... Read more

All things considered, the interview was progressing normally. id CEO Todd Hollenshead and I were sitting across from each other in the QuakeCon Press Lounge. I had just asked when id's next game, Rage, was coming out. I didn't expect a straight answer.

Nor did I get one, but that's beyond the point. Because, as Todd was explaining why id is so reluctant to provide a date--"we don't work to a time, we work to a quality level"--fate intervened in the form of an extremely inquisitive mystery woman. She wanted to know what kind of press would cover video games. And if we were from Game Informer.

The result? An interview that I, and most likely Todd, won't forget any time soon.

Todd Hollenshead: The next Wolfenstein is going to be internal at id. The next big Quake game is going to be internally developed at id. Rage, obviously, and the next Rage, and Doom as well. ...Read more

Hot off the QuakeCon presses are four new Rage screenshots, showing the stars of id software's PC, Xbox 360 and PS3-bound shooter--guns, cars, and misshapen mutants.

Stay tuned for our Rage preview, coming soon to a Shack near you. In the meantime, have a gander at the freaks, guns and gearheads in motion with yesterday's new trailer.

Those hoping id Software would today reveal more information about the next Doom entry are bound to be disappointed, as CEO Todd Hollenshead used this year's QuakeCon press conference to promise more details at next year's event.

"When we show it to you, you're gonna love it," he promised the clamoring crowd.

Studio technical director John Carmack later added that the project represents "the most tightly managed approach" that the company has ever used, as, thanks to continuing work on the id Tech 5 engine and Rage, some of the development tools and technology for Doom 4 already exist and will not need to be crafted in tandem with the game.

The 2009 QuakeCon convention is underway, and id Software has debuted a new Rage trailer during its opening day press conference.

Check out the video below in streaming format, or download it directly from FileShack.

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An Xbox Live Arcade version of id software's 1994 shooter Doom II: Hell on Earth is being shown on the floor at QuakeCon, expected to be officially announced later today.

A whole new episode will be included, along with all of Doom 2's original content. Four-player split-screen multiplayer will be available in addition to online play.

Neither release date nor price are currently known for the port, which is being handled by Doom XBLA porter Nerve Software.

With QuakeCon less than a week away, event organizer id has provided a schedule of the major happenings, including the first public showings of id's Rage, Splash Damage's Brink, and the annual keynote from id's technical wizard John Carmack.

The so-called "Woodstock of Gaming," QuakeCon spans four days this year--August 13 through August 16, 2009--at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. As always, attendance is free. The full schedule of events follows below:

THURSDAY, AUGUST 13:

12:00pm - 1:00pm - Exhibit Hall Event Stage
Ventrilo Ultimate Power-up Contest, Shelby GT500 Unveiling
Come see the unveiling of the 2010 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 Coupe to be given away in the Ventrilo Ultimate... Read more

It's been a while since we've heard anything new regarding id's post-apocalyptic shooter Rage, but recent events and some new media (below) suggest that's about to change.

With the developer's annual QuakeCon event exactly one month away, the studio has launched a new teaser site and created a dedicated Twitter account for Rage, with "plenty of gameplay details" promised in the August 2009 issue of Game Informer.

id has long maintained that Rage will only be released "when it's fun and when it's done," which will definitely not be in 2009. In the past, project lead Tim Willits has suggested that the PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Mac title would arrive by 2010 at the latest.

Though the exact details of what will be shown at QuakeCon remain uncertain, "exclusive looks at id Software's own anticipated games Wolfenstein and RAGE" are promised. In the wake of id's recent acquisition by Bethesda owner ZeniMax, Rage will still be published by EA Partners, with Bethesda publishing future id games, such as Doom 4.

id Software's annual celebration of its beloved franchises and the fans thereof will no longer take place at the usual Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas, the studio said today.

Instead, QuakeCon 2009 will now occur at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas on the same dates, August 13-16, 2009. QuakeCon reservations for the Anatole will be automatically canceled, with attendees required to make new reservations at the Gaylord Texan. However, these new reservations are said to provide "an equal or lesser rate."

The new hotel is said to begin taking QuakeCon 2009 reservations "very shortly."

"The Gaylord Texan is a perfect venue for QuakeCon and we're excited to have even more space and greater resources to deliver a bigger BYOC, better exhibitor area, and totally new events and entertainment for everyone that joins in the excitement," said id Software president Todd Hollenshead. "We know the magnitude of this announcement, but we haven't lost a step in planning for the biggest and best QuakeCon yet."

"The Gaylord Hotel was the site of the two largest previous QuakeCon events in 2004 and 2005," id noted in its announcement, adding that attendees will be able to net "exclusive looks at id Software's own anticipated games Wolfenstein and RAGE."

id Software today announced that QuakeCon 2009, the free annual gathering of id Software and hardcore videogame fans, will take place on August 13-16, 2009.

The event will be situated at the usual Hilton Anatole venue in Dallas, Texas. The hotel is now taking reservations through its custom QuakeCon page.

id also notes that this year's tournaments will again feature the company's web-based shooter Quake Live.

Online registration for QuakeCon will begin at 9:30pm EST on March 6, 2009 on the event's official website.