The wizards at id Software have a reputation for great engines, matched to maybe not so great games. Rage, id’s latest offering, is a fine example. A troubled game launch, combined with a post-apocalyptic theme that was sucked dry by Fallout 3 and Borderlands before it, broke the gaming community’s enthusiasm for the new game. The technical engine behind Rage, however, is still a fascinating piece of design. So how did Rage come into being? Check out this article about the thoughts and ideas that went into transforming a code trick into a major game release. Gamasutra has the story.
One of the many bits of good advice in this article is, “create a game that the team can make.” It’s easy to set down lofty goals with no way to reach them. That advice seems especially useful now, with the downfall of 38 Studios in the news after they failed to follow this rule.