About id
As one of the world's most respected developers and technology innovators, id Software is driven to set new standards with each game we create. id's iconic brands such as DOOM, QUAKE, and Wolfenstein are staples of popular culture for generations of gamers, and have been a spark of inspiration for countless designers, artists and programmers working throughout the industry today. With a development legacy spanning nearly two decades, and technology that has powered some of the most popular first person games ever released, id Software not only created the modern first person shooter genre, but has used this immersive canvas to deliver some of the most imaginative, terrifying and vivid adventures in gaming. From a fantastical Nazi Germany during World War II and an epic war-of-worlds battle against the Strogg, to the horrific depths of Hell itself, id strives with every game to deliver the experiences that define the genre. id Software is a ZeniMax Media company.
Notable First Person Shooter Breakthroughs
An individual game doesn’t need to be innovative to be successful, but the gaming industry needs innovations if it hopes to continue to improve and grow. Over the past 17 years id Software has chosen to lead rather than follow and as a result is credited with many notable achievements.
- Invented “First Person Shooter” Genre
- Invented Multiplayer “Deathmatch”
- First to Release Source and Tools to the Community
- First using Light Maps
- First using full 3D Hardware Acceleration
- First using full 3D Rendering Technology
- First using Unified Dynamic Per-Pixel Lighting
- First using Universal Unique Texturing
Selected Awards and Honors
Emmy received for engine technology for DOOM (2007)
Emmy received for engine technology for QUAKE (2007)
Mobile Game of the Year, Orcs & Elves, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (2007)
Best Shooting Game, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars, IGN E3 (2006)
Best PC Game, Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars, GameSpot E3 (2006)
Mobile Game of the Year, DOOM RPG, 1UP (2005)
Game of the Year, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, GameSpy (2003)
Best Action Game, DOOM 3, E3 Game Critics (2002)
Computer Action Game of Year, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Academy of Int. Arts & Sciences (2002)
Multiplayer Game of the Year, QUAKE III, GameSpot (2001)
Computer Action Game of the Year, QUAKE II, Academy of Int. Arts & Sciences (1998)
Action Game of the Year, QUAKE II, Computer Gaming World (1998)
Action Game of the Year, QUAKE, Computer Gaming World (1997)
Best Computer Game, DOOM II, Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design (1994)
Best Action Adventure Game, DOOM, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (1994)
Game of the Year, DOOM, Computer Gaming World (1994)
Action Game of the Year, Wolfenstein 3D, Computer Gaming World (1993)
Best Action Game, Wolfenstein 3D: Spear of Destiny, PC Games (1992)
Id Technology
Games using id’s technology have been some of the most successful first person shooters in the industry and collectively have generated well over one billion dollars in revenue. Here are just a few of the most notable titles.
- Half-Life
- Counter-Strike
- Medal of Honor
- Call of Duty
- Prey
- James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire
- Star Trek: Elite Force II
- Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
- Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force
