Speaking during an interview with USA Today, John Carmack explained why he left id Software, the company he co-founded, to join up with Oculus VR, a company pioneering virtual reality gaming headsets.
The bottom line: id Software parent company ZeniMax Media would not allow id Software games to be integrated with the Oculus Rift support.
Carmack was keen to bring titles such as the Wolfenstein: The New Order and the inevitable Doom 4 to the Oculus Rift.
“I would have been content probably staying there working with the people and technology that I know and the work we were doing. But they couldn’t come together on that, which made me really sad. It was just unfortunate. When it became clear that I wasn’t going to have the opportunity to do any work on VR while at id software, I decided to not renew my contract,” said Carmack.
John Carmack wearing an Oculus Rift prototype
Carmack joined the Oculus VR team back in August 2013, acting in the role of chief technology officer. He left id Software in November 2013.
More news
Sony PS4 virtual reality headset is a real reality
Virtual reality headset Oculus Rift for mobiles
Is AMD’s Mantle a game-changer?
Virtual Reality tech has a long way to go
Forum discussion
Join the conversation