FPS General

While the game might be over two years old, id Software isn't done with RAGE just yet. After releasing The Scorchers DLC at the tail end of 2012, the studio has announced that they will be releasing a full suite of mod tools for the game later today.

The RAGE Tool Kit will include the very same world building tool that id Software used, called idStudio as well as game maps and assets to help you on your way. RAGE was the first idTech 5 game so this is the first change that the modding community has had to really get under the hood and see what the software is capable of from a modding perspective. The download is pretty decent at 35+GB so make sure you set aside a nice chunk of time to get the Tool Kit on your computer.

idStudio 5 sounds nothing short of amazing if the official description is anything to go off of:

idStudio is your main world building tool -- it includes a multitude of components to get your new RAGE mod up and running. Use it to get an overview of the editing environment, or to learn about the various browsers and windows you will use while creating your masterpiece. You can also check out some of the toolbars you will encounter, or view the master list of key commands.

Once you are familiar with idStudio and its features, take a look at the tutorials for a few step-by-step lessons on building environments.

Check out RAGE on Steam at http://store.steampowered.com/ and make sure you stay tuned later today when the RAGE Tool Kit becomes available!

Source: Bethesda Blog

Back in April, Bethesda Softworks announced that they would be re-releasing Quake 4 on Xbox 360. This isn't the first time that the game has hit Microsoft's home gaming console, but that was nearly seven years ago and a new generation of gamers is out there, just waiting to get their hands on one of the game's responsible for the FPS genre that we hold so dear.

Quake 4 is available at Gamestop for just $19.99 and your purchase also gets you an exclusive Quake 4 poster and a t-shirt for your Xbox Live avatar. If you haven't played Quake 4 before, we highly recommend jumping on this deal as it is one of the great iconic shooters and Quake really helped pave the way for things like Call of Duty, Halo and Battlefield.

Our genre owes a great deal to id Software and their early franchises, and at $19.99, this is a steal! If you're not into the home console scene, you can grab Quake 4 on Steam for the same price!

If you play first-person shooters, you owe it to yourself and to this genre that we hold so dearly to play Wolfenstein 3D. Without id Software and Wolfenstein 3D, there would be no Call of Duty. No Battlefield. The FPS genre as we know it owes its very existence to Wolfenstein 3D, so it is with great happiness that we share the news of the game's 20th anniversary!

Bethesda Softworks, who came into stewardship of the property after its parent company acquired id Software in 2009, has announced that Wolfenstein 3D is now playable in a free to play browser-based form. The game is fully playable in your browser by visiting http://wolfenstein.bethsoft.com/ or even on Facebook, if that's your preferred method of browser gaming.

Before you jump headlong into Wolfenstein 3D, be sure to check out the Director's Commentary above from id Software co-founder John Carmack. Happy Anniversary, Wolfenstein 3D!