John Carmack has issued an apology to Quake co-designer Sandy Petersen, acknowledging the immense strain the development of the seminal 1996 shooter placed on id Software and its employees. The sentiments emerged around Quake's 30th anniversary, prompting reflections from key figures involved in its creation.
Petersen initiated the discussion, stating on X that "Quake ruined id Software." While praising the game as "an amazing feat of art, programming, and design," he noted the intense workload "broke us spiritually." Petersen detailed how many core members, including himself, John Romero, Shawn Green, Dave Taylor, Mike Abrash, and American McGee, departed id Software within a couple of years of Quake's completion. He attributed these departures not to a lack of talent, but to severe burnout after the demanding project. Petersen suggested that id Software never truly recovered its former glory, considering only Quake III Arena as another great game from the studio, and even then, not at the level of its pre-Quake titles.
Despite the personal cost, Petersen affirmed that Quake was worth the sacrifice, calling it "an iconic titan of the gaming world," though he lamented that the company could not have managed the team better to retain its talent. IMAGE4
Carmack responded to Petersen's reflections, admitting that Quake was "overly ambitious technically." He proposed that id Software could have achieved its advanced multiplayer and modding capabilities using an enhanced Doom engine, providing a more stable foundation for designers instead of constant overhauls. Carmack confessed to pushing the team too hard, failing to recognize the need for more flexibility in a maturing company and the detrimental effects of sustained "startup intensity." He also acknowledged his own personal limits during the development, working at an unsustainable pace.
Carmack also pointed to the original corporate stock arrangement as a mistake, creating poor incentives. While he defended the high expectations for Quake's level designers, crediting Romero for setting that bar, he conceded that better early collaboration between artists and designers was needed. He also alluded to internal conflicts among designers, where visual artists sometimes disparaged those less adept at graphics. Ultimately, Carmack directly apologized to Petersen, stating, "Sorry, Sandy."
Romero, the other prominent "John" from id's early days, echoed some of Carmack's sentiments. He agreed that a Doom++ approach might have been more prudent and that the team pushed themselves beyond reasonable limits, a common practice at id. Romero specifically praised American McGee's contributions to level design, a notable remark given McGee's contentious departure from the studio. Romero suggested that countless decisions could have been different, but the team did their best with the knowledge they possessed, also mentioning that the surrounding media attention did not help. He concluded that id Software's enduring legacy through franchises like Wolfenstein, Doom, and Quake was a significant achievement.
The exchange concluded on a positive note, with an understanding that the individuals involved were younger and operating in a different era. Petersen stated he did not blame Carmack for the eventual outcomes, and Romero thanked Petersen for initiating the conversation, calling Quake "a hell of a game."