id Software is an American video game developer based in Richardson, Texas. It was founded in February 1991 by four members of the software company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack. The founders, along with business manager Jay Wilbur, had previously developed the 1990 PC game Commander Keen in Invasion of the Vorticons as "Ideas from the Deep" while still employees of Softdisk.[1] After its founding, id developed further shareware computer games in the Commander Keen series for Apogee Software, as well as a series of small games for Softdisk, before releasing the "grandfather of first-person shooters", Wolfenstein 3D, in 1992 through both shareware and retail.[2] It was followed by Doom (1993), considered one of the most significant and influential titles in video game history, which id self-published in shareware before releasing for retail through GT Interactive.[3][4][5] GT Interactive published a sequel, Doom II (1994) and the two companies split publishing duties on id's final self-published or shareware game, Quake (1996).[6][7]
The company has focused primarily on further computer and mobile games in the Doom and Quake series since 1993, with the addition of the Rage series: Rage: Mutant Bash TV (2010), Rage (2011), and Rage 2 (2019). Additionally, it co-developed a set of mobile phone games with Fountainhead Entertainment in 2005–2009, including Orcs & Elves (2006), Orcs & Elves II (2007), and Wolfenstein RPG (2008). It has released eight Doom games and five Quake titles in total. These games have been published through retail primarily by Activision, EA Mobile, and Bethesda Softworks. Additionally, id published three games in the Heretic series by Raven Software in 1994–1997, before ceasing its publishing operations.[8][9][10] In 2009, id was purchased by ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda.[11] The company's latest release is the first-person shooter Quake Champions (2022).[12]
Divided into three episodes: "Marooned on Mars", "The Earth Explodes", and "Keen Must Die!"
Developed as by "Ideas from the Deep" and published as shareware by Apogee Software: "Marooned on Mars" was released for free, with the other two episodes available for purchase[13]
Included in the id Anthology (1996), Commander Keen (1998), Commander Keen Combo CD (2001), Commander Keen Complete Pack (2007), and 3D Realms Anthology (2014) compilations[14][15][16]
Android port (2013) developed by Super Fighter Team;[21] Windows, Linux, and MacOS ports (2015–16) developed by Hard Disk Publishing,[22] Nintendo Switch port developed by Lone Wolf Technology[23]
Included in The Lost Game Collection of Id Software (1992) and id Anthology (1996) compilations[14][19]
Divided into two episodes: "Secret of the Oracle" and "The Armageddon Machine"
Published as shareware by Apogee Software: "Secret of the Oracle" was released for free, with the other episode available for purchase[24]
Included in the id Anthology (1996), Commander Keen (1998), Commander Keen Combo CD (2001), Commander Keen Complete Pack (2007), and 3D Realms Anthology (2014) compilations[14][15][16]
Divided into two sets of three episodes: "Escape from Castle Wolfenstein", "Operation: Eisenfaust", and "Die, Führer, Die!", followed by "A Dark Secret", "Trail of the Madman", and "Confrontation"
Published as shareware by Apogee: "Escape from Castle Wolfenstein" was released for free, with the other episodes available for purchase[25]
An additional episode, "Spear of Destiny" (1992), was published as a retail game by FormGen; two further episodes, "Return to Danger" and "Ultimate Challenge" (1994), were developed and published by Formgen[34]
The first six episodes were published together as a retail title by GT Interactive (1993)[34]
The three FormGen episodes were published together as a retail title by FormGen as the "Spear of Destiny Super CD Package" (1994)[34]
All nine episodes were published together as a retail title by Activision (1998)[34]
Included in the id Anthology (1996) and 3D Realms Anthology (2014) compilations[14][16]
Divided into three episodes: "Knee-Deep in the Dead", "The Shores of Hell", and "Inferno"
Self-published as shareware by id Software; after release, also published as a retail title by GT Interactive[6]
An upgraded version titled The Ultimate Doom (1995) includes a fourth episode, "Thy Flesh Consumed"[41]
Ported to nearly every possible console and platform, both officially and unofficially, including esotera such as smart thermostats and oscilloscopes; variations on "It runs Doom" or "Can it run Doom?" are long-running phrases about the widespread porting of the game[42][43][44]
Included in the id Anthology (1996) compilation[14]
Release years by system: 1994 – MS-DOS, Mac OS[b][46] 1995 – PlayStation[47] 2002 – Game Boy Advance[46] 2003 – Tapwave Zodiac[46] 2005 – Xbox[39] 2010 – Xbox 360[46] 2012 – PlayStation 3[39]
An expansion pack titled Master Levels for Doom II (1995), created by id, includes 21 commissioned levels and over 3000 user-created levels for Doom and Doom II[48]
An expansion pack titled No Rest for the Living (2010), created by Nerve Software for the Xbox 360 version, includes nine additional levels; it was included in the PlayStation 3 version (2012)[46][39]
Two sets of Doom II levels by different amateur map-making teams were released together by id as Final Doom (1996), a standalone title for DOS, PlayStation, and Mac OS[49][50]
Included in the id Anthology (1996) compilation[14]
Release years by system: 1996 – MS-DOS[52] 1997 – Mac OS, Sega Saturn[52] 1998 – Nintendo 64, AmigaOS[52][53] 1999 – Linux[c][55] 2005 – Mobile phones[56]
Notes:
First-person shooter
Self-published as shareware by id Software; also published as a retail title by GT Interactive[7]
Two official expansion packs were released in 1997: Quake Mission Pack No. 1: Scourge of Armagon, developed by Hipnotic Interactive, and Quake Mission Pack No. 2: Dissolution of Eternity, developed by Rogue Entertainment.[57][58] An unofficial third expansion pack, Abyss of Pandemonium (1998), was licensed and developed by Impel Development Team, and a fourth expansion pack, Episode 5: Dimension of the Past, was developed by MachineGames and released for free by ZeniMax Media in 2016[59][60]
The two official expansion packs were released in a bundle with the original game as Quake: The Offering (1998)[61]
An official map collection, Q!ZONE, was developed at published in 1996 by WizardWorks[62]
Included in the id Anthology (1996) and Ultimate Quake (2001) compilations[14][63]
Two official expansion packs were released in 1998: Quake II Mission Pack: The Reckoning, developed by Xatrix Entertainment, and Quake II Mission Pack: Ground Zero, developed by Rogue Entertainment[68][69]
The two expansion packs were released in a bundle with the original game as Quake II: Quad Damage (1999)[70]
An official collection of mods, Quake II Netpack I: Extremities, was collected by id and published by Activision in 1998[71]
Included in the Ultimate Quake (2001) compilation[63]
A remastered version of the game, Doom 3: BFG Edition, was released in 2012, including Resurrection of Evil and a new expansion pack The Lost Mission, along with Doom, Doom II and its No Rest For The Living expansion[39]
Published as a retail title by Bethesda Softworks[93]
Three downloadable content packs released: "Unto the Evil" (2016), "Hell Followed" (2017), and "Bloodfall" (2017), as well as several smaller downloadable pieces[94]
Published as an early access title by Bethesda Softworks in 2017; transitioned to a free-to-play title in 2018 while remaining in early access.[102][103] Moved out of early access in 2022.[101]
Proposed system release: 2025 – Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Notes:
First-person shooter
To be published by Bethesda Softworks
Published games
Shortly after the release of its sole self-published game, Doom, in 1993, id briefly moved into publishing works by other developers. The only titles it published were a trilogy of games by Raven Software, which use modified versions of game engines developed by id and featured id employees as producers. A fourth game, Strife, was briefly under development by Cygnus Studios and was to be published by id; after a few months it was cancelled.[104] It was later finished by Rogue Entertainment and published by Velocity in 1996.[105]
Release years by system: 1994 – MS-DOS[8] 1999 – Mac OS[106]
Notes:
First-person shooter
Divided into three episodes: "City of the Damned", "Hell's Maw", and "The Dome of D'Sparil"
Developed by Raven Software and published as shareware by id Software: "City of the Damned" was released for free, with the other two episodes available for purchase[8]
Published as a retail title by GT Interactive as Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders in 1996, with two additional episodes: "The Ossuary" and "The Stagnant Demesne"[107]
Included in the Towers of Darkness: Heretic, Hexen and Beyond (1997) compilation[108]
Release years by system: 1997 – Windows[10] 2002 – macOS[111]
Notes:
First-person shooter
Developed by Raven Software and published as a retail title by id Software through Activision[10][111]
An expansion pack, Hexen II Mission Pack: Portal of Praevus, was published by Activision in 1998[112]
Notes
^ abcdefghAs Ideas from the Deep developed Commander Keen in Invasion of the Vorticons while still employees of Softdisk using Softdisk computers, after id Software was founded they agreed to develop nine games for the company. One, ScubaVenture: The Search for Pirate's Treasure, was developed on their behalf by Apogee Software instead.[17]
^ abUnofficial ports of Doom and Doom II to Linux were released by id programmer Dave Taylor in 1994; they were hosted by id but not supported or made official.[37]
^An unofficial port of Quake to Linux was released by former id programmer Dave Taylor in 1996.[54]