Will Doom 3 revive the struggling PC Gaming Industry?

CNN:Money ^ | July 14, 2004 | Chris Morris

[Paradox]

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Since 2000, developer id Software has told the world the next installment of "Doom," the game that kicked off the action genre, would ship "when it's done."

Good news, gamers: It's done. In the lexicon of the industry, "Doom 3" has gone gold.That means with id Software's work done, publisher Activision is duplicating copies to ship to retail. What it all boils down to is you'll be able to pick up a copy at retail on Aug. 5, though some stores could start selling the game as early as Aug. 3.

[Xenalyte]

August 2 is the date - it will ship in 18 days! Oh, the glory that will be ours!

[Smogger]

I meant: "Nothing comes close to the intensity of a well crafted multiplayer first-person-shooter on a computer"

[Dog Gone]

so looks like I get a new machine next month.

Mine arrived on Tuesday. Doom III was the driving force behind the decision, but don't tell my wife. She thinks my old computer was just worn out and I had no choice.

[SaveTheChief]

Half-Life 2 . . . we need only wait 18 more agonizing, gut-wrenching days. August 2 is THE date!

It's been a year since I started drooling at the big E3 demo of Half Life 2. Looks like I am going to be buying a couple of games soon.

[fr_freak]

I've been known to kill a few hours on multiuser PC Halo. Halo 2 is coming in November.

Hehe - I've been playing Halo ever since I upgraded to Windows XP and my Quake III stopped working correctly (I have to have my FPS fix, you know). Nothing like hopping in a warthog and driving over every person you see. I need to upgrade my system though if I want to be competitive.

[Badeye]

There has been a purge of PC gaming software producers. I strongly suspect it has more to do with Xbox, PS 2 and the like than anything else.

I've read somewhere the average PS 2 user is 28 years old.

[hchutch]

And what's wrong with having $$$ and too much time on our hands?

[Skooz]

Reminds of a time a friend and I were playing Doom 2 via dialup.

I was loaded up with weapons, and I hid directly behind a doorway waiting for him to open it. I had him. He was dead, but didn't know it yet. I could have used the pistol or knife, but NO, I had to choose the BFG (I really wanted to blow him away).

He had no idea where I was. When he finally open the door, I laughed and fired the BFG, but before it got him, he killed me with some small weapon. Totally ticked me off! The BFG took so long to load, he had time to shoot me 3-5 times before I could get him.

I can't believe I still remember that after 8 years.

[Give Piece A Chance]

Console games are for kids. Counter-Strike/Condition Zero/Doom III are for men with $$$ and too much time on their hands.

True, but those kids have parents who are buying $200 consoles instead of $1000 PCs. That is probably the market segment where the industry has been hurting since the golden era of Quake 3/Half-Life et al.

[Incorrigible]

Must... resist... urge... to get... CD... from... drawer... on... other side... of house...

Must... be... productive...

[corkoman]

Half-Life 2 will be almost as popular as Doom III

[antiRepublicrat]

. I would get kinda sick too, from the 3D immersion effect or something. I called it "getting Doomed".

Doctors had a name for it, "Doom-Induced Motion Sickness."

[Bacon Man]

Oh yea Doom 3 is gonna be gorgeous. I anticipate visuals at least as pretty as Far Cry and bad guys as tough as the fatboys from the same game.

[Mr. Jeeves]

If you have never played Morrowind, go out NOW and get it.

Thanks for the tip! I'll go look for it.

[Sloth]

Sloth, is your assassin a solo or a multiplayer character? My claw assassin Ralla had lots of trouble with Duriel - claws were not the way to go for him.

Solo. I haven't played D2 multiplayer.

Here's what I did. Ralla still had her rogue archer mercenary from Act I. She also had a couple points in Burst of Speed. We Bursted, then entered Duriel's lair and immediately set up a Town Portal (I have it hot-keyed to F1). Ralla had a few points in the first fire trap - can't remember the name - and she lobbed them at Duriel until the rogue got slaughtered. Then she'd TP back to town, resurrect the rogue, and repeat.

Hmmm, I guess I'll give that a try. I don't have any points in Burst of Speed, but I've got lots in the Fire Blast, and I think I have some magic items that increase speed anyway.

[RightWhale]

I hope my video card is sufficient for this game. I spent some fun hours setting up a couple levels for the entertainment of myself and others. Ha, ha, ha, some were disgusted when they realized they would have to jump or fall into the pit of blood to exit the level.

[dts32041]

I can't even use that as an excuse, I am still running a machine that started out as a 486 dx 33, in 1992.

Of course it is now an amd 256 with 128 mb ram, so I can build my own machines.

Still think about doing that.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Yes, but you can stress your finger. Click, Click, Click.

I'm playing a Necromancer right now - he doesn't have to do much of anything but stand back and sip tea while his minions work over the bad guys. My Barbarian did give me finger stress, though. Spellcasters are more fun to play.

[Textide]

Anyone freepers play Star Wars Galaxies? If so, send me a /tell on Lowca. I'm addicted...have been crafting in my sleep lately.

[BigBlueJon]

I'm not much of a PC gamer. PS2/XBox is what I've got. Halo is Awesome. Halo 2 is supposed to blow our minds. I cannot wait for its release.