#Quake online browser series#

For example, the old game had a “rail gun” that a skillful player could use to take out a rival with one shot. The new game also attempts to level the field. Getting the skill-matching right in this game is critical because hardcore players are likely to be playing alongside “weekend warriors” whose skills have atrophied. With matchmaking in general, it’s easy to jump into online games where other players will just “throttle” you, Hollenshead said. That’s something that Microsoft offers with its Xbox Live multiplayer games. Hollenshead said the team tweaked the match-making system so that players with similar skills can easily play together. While the game is based on Quake III, the company did a lot to refashion it for the mass market. These ad placements should drive multiple page views for every game session. It’s set in a tournament-style arena where you can see ads on the virtual walls, as well as alongside the border of the browser window, and at the end of the game when you’re viewing your stats. But the advantage of going that route is that the game should be able to run on any PC. While id prides itself on realism, Quake Live game will feature graphics from a decade ago. “This is a test of a new twist on an old way of doing business,” said Todd Hollenshead, chief executive of id, in an interview.

This latest experiment shows that even one of the oldest game development companies around can try on a new business model. In doing so, it is joining the ranks of game publishers worldwide that are experimenting with new ways to hook players, particularly as the recession makes premium games less affordable. With Quake Live, the company is re-releasing its vintage Quake III arena game (which originally debuted in 1999) as a new and improved free web game.

#Quake online browser series#

The company went on to release a series of high-end computer and console games - costing as much as $60 each - that earned the company millions of loyal fans.