Electronics Arts has announced an agreement with id Software to publish the upcoming Rage, the first game to make use of the id Tech 5 engine. Combining elements of racing games with first person shooters, Rage will pit players against an oppressive government in a post-apocalyptic world.

From IGN:

Carmack said that early in development the company received a sight-unseen offer from Activision to publish the game, but id decided to hold off until it could develop the game further. That way, it could better gauge the game's potential and value. The company then shopped it around to various publishers and received bids. id had worked with EA on the Orcs & Elves mobile games, and those connections helped develop a relationship that led to signing the deal for Rage.

This a short-term deal based solely on Rage, but it's clear that both companies are treating this as a test for possible future collaboration. David DiMartini, the head of EA Partners, said that EA would love to publish future id games.

Meanwhile, Carmack noted that it didn't leave Activision in a lurch. He said that id maintains a strong relationship with Activision, noting that the two companies have a deal to work on the next Wolfenstein game together.

id Software

Rage: Campaign Edition

Electronic Arts

IGN: EA's Rage Deal

GameSpot: John Carmack Q&A

Buy Rage: Campaign Edition

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