Interviews// id Software's Peter Sokal and Steve Nix on Wolfenstein

SPOnG: Can you tell us anything about the multiplayer mode, or are you holding out details on us until a later date?

Peter Sokal: (Laughs) We're not saying an awful lot right now - what I will say is that if you enjoyed the multiplayer in Return to Castle Wolfenstein, then this will be a mode that will feel very familiar. But we've also added the use of veil powers in the multiplayer as well, so... stay tuned.


SPOnG: Raven Software is developing the title, and id has obviously put a lot of trust into them to make Wolfenstein as great as it can be. Even though you're taking a back seat on development, do you feel that this project is as much your game as it is Raven's?

Steve Nix: Absolutely. Kevin Cloud, the executive producer for this game, has been at id since Wolfenstein 3D and was heavily involved in Return to Castle Wolfenstein so id are very much part of the process of this game's development. We test the multiplayer aspect and we give Raven feedback on how they're doing and things. I mean, it's a two-way conversation between id and Raven and they're left to create a lot of cool new things, but we have our share of the input too.


SPOnG: Times have changed since Wolfenstein 3D was released and the PC market isn't quite seen as the thriving creative pool it once was. What do you think of the state of the PC market today?

Steve Nix: id's always been a strong supporter of the PC market, but it's hard to ignore the console market today. Especially when you consider how much games cost to make. Our approach is to release on multiple platforms and make sure we provide a great experience for everyone.


SPOnG: Do you think the PC market is particularly healthy right now though? I mean, every five minutes some guy is marking the death of PC gaming and other such things, do you guys agree with that?

Steve Nix: It's probably changing right now. We have our back catalogue of games on Steam and that's generally done well for us. The market is probably looking towards digital distribution to sustain itself in the future. I mean, if you didn't have multiplatform releases these days, it would be very difficult to release a single-player solitary experience on the PC these days without providing some sort of network play.


SPOnG: Thanks for your time today.