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by **tonylongjohn** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 3:31 am

Ok, it is really official that it is gold and it will be widely available on August 5th. Just to clear this all up.

by **cubase** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 4:11 am

tonylongjohn wrote:Ok, it is really official that it is gold and it will be widely available on August 5th. Just to clear this all up.

Correct!

Doom 3 has officially gone gold and will be ready to ship 3rd August (North America) and 13th August (Europe)... as for Australia, I have no idea!

Some interesting info has coupled the hype, and the official countdown website is available for those who like to have the UAC deadline breathing down their neck!

Good times ahead! I have not pre-ordered personally... so I plan to get in as soon as I can when it is released here.

-Cub. =o)

by **cubase** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 12:43 pm

An apparent e-mail response from Id Software CEO Todd Hollenshead reads as follows in regards to the 'goldening'...

Name: Todd Hollenshead
Email:
Description: CEO
Project:
Last Updated: 07/14/2004 12:36:49 (Central Standard Time)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7-14-2004 11:52 AM CDT

IT'S DONE!!!!!!!

Yes, this is the official word that DOOM 3 has been code released and has been approved for manufacturing!
It won't be long now until the anticipation ends and the PH34R begins ;-)

We literally just hung up with
Activision and have confirmed that our latest release candidate has been mutually approved and is finally
GOLD. Thanks to everyone for their patience (yeah right! =) and for everyone at id, Activision and our
numerous partners for helping us create what I believe is absolutely the best game we have ever made.

So, the next question is release dates. Retailers in the States will be allowed to pick up games starting
at 12:01 AM on August 3rd. The official street date is actually August 5th in the U.S.A., but some of
your favorite stores will probably have it early for those of you who have to have it first. Check with
your local retailer for that information.

Internationally, the game will take a few more days to make it to the store shelves. The UK will probably get it first, on or about August 6th. Everywhere else will probably be Friday, August 13th (que Twilight Zone Theme) or close to that date, with just a few exceptions (e.g. Russia and Poland). This isn't
because we don't have love for you folks outside the U.S., but the localization and manufacturing process
takes a bit longer outside the U.S. where we will have JVC run 24/7 to get the units built. I guess the
European manufacturers prefer to give their employees nights and weekends off. Go figure!

The champagne is flowing here at id and smiles abound!

I'll update again with some DOOM 3 preparation tips (not what hardware to buy - you'll have to wait for
a programmer for that sort of thing). In the meantime, I want to see those "DOOM 3 GOLD!!!" threads set
new records for swamping message board servers, destroying productivity, and post counts ;-)

Recapping today's headlines....DOOM 3 GOLD!!!

SOURCE

September issue of PC Gamer contains the first review of Doom 3. They give it a 94%!

PC Gamer says:

Highs: Extraordinary graphics and sound; incredible tension, atmosphere, and mayhem.

Lows: Some stabs at humor fall a bit flat.

Bottom Line: Just as we'd hoped, it's a non-stop ride of tension, carnage and terror. A new classic.

Picture of the first cover!

Picture of the second cover!

*Update on Prices*

EBworld ($55)

Gamestop ($55)

Best Buy ($60)

*2nd Update*

Also, I found this interesting: Teh Bootay!

*3rd update*

Its strange that everyone all at once has changed their release dates to 8/3.
shacknews and Bluesnews

Things are definatly heating up... and I am just about ready to burn the hole in my pocket! :twisted:

Hey, you know what... for once I was able to provide enough information to reach the calibur of Busy's posts... but then again, a lot of this info is thanks to the boys over at AnandTech... regardless, i'm seriously thinking of placing a down payment.

-Cub. =o)

by **tonylongjohn** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 1:58 pm

Yes cub, this is alot of info. I probably won't go and buy it right away, they are making a demo that will come out after they release it. I need to make sure I'm going to enjoy for more than the graphics.

by **cubase** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 4:57 am

The Doom 3 website has gone LIVE

...and I must say... WOW!

-Cub. =o)

by **busylover** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 5:28 am

Thxx cube for the info

I say : WOW!! x 2 !

by **tonylongjohn** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 5:44 pm

It's about freaking time.

by **cubase** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 2:40 pm

Okay, here's the latest guide for upgrading your system for Doom 3 (if you so need it), but I am sure a lot of us are right in the zone anyway, but for those who aren't and do not know where to start:

Todd Hollenshead, id's chief executive, said Doom 3 will require:

• A 1.5-gigahertz Intel Pentium 4 chip or AMD Athlon 1500.
• 384 megabytes of memory.
• Two gigabytes of hard drive space.
• An nVidia GeForce 3 graphics card or better; or an ATI Technologies 8500 or better.
If your existing rig doesn't meet these specs, here's a guide to beefing it up to play Doom 3 in all its gory glory.

• Graphics card. This is the best upgrade you can make for Doom 3. It's also where computer makers, looking to cut corners on mainstream systems, often wimp out.
Here's hoping the PC you own doesn't have a graphics adapter that borrows memory from the main system. So-called shared graphics notoriously choke on high-end games, and most budget systems don't include an AGP slot that lets you install a better card.

ATI Technologies and nVidia are the two biggest providers of graphics cards. As you move up either company's set of offerings, the results will improve. Cards at the top of the heap — nVidia's GeForce FX and newer 6800 series, or ATI's Radeon 9800 or newer X series — will provide the best experience and cost the most.

If you're upgrading, look for at least 128 MB of video memory in a card with Direct X 9.0 capability that installs into an AGP slot. Cards in the $150 to $200 range — such as a GeForce 5900XT or a Radeon 9600XT — will be a sweet spot.

• Memory. The 384 MB minimum may trip up a lot of systems. Many mainstream PCs in the last few years have come with 128 or 256 MB of memory. If you want to play Doom 3, more memory is better. I'd recommend 512 MB, and adding up to a gigabyte would be smart.

Check with the maker of your PC to see what type of memory it requires. Prices varies depending on the source and type, but use $50 per 128 MB as a benchmark.

• Hard drive. This is one category that may not require an upgrade at all — just some spring cleaning on your part.

If your hard drive is nearing capacity, take some time to clear off at least twice as much space as the game requires. That means you'll need at least 4 GB free.

Of course, if you're down to your last few gigs, you probably should buy a new drive. Get the biggest you can afford, with at least 7,200 revolutions per minute. You'll pay in the $80 range for a 120-GB Enhanced IDE drive or around $95 for a Serial ATA model.

• Processor. Although this is harder to upgrade, it's key to your Doom 3 experience. The minimum may be 1.5 GHz, but you'll probably want at least a 2-GHz Intel Pentium or equivalent AMD Athlon chip. The ideal is 3 GHz or better.

But if you do need a new chip, unless you take joy in swapping out a motherboard or building your own system, Doom 3 is probably as good an excuse as any to buy a new PC.

Thanks to the Houston Chronicle for providing this info!

-Cub. =o)

by **tonylongjohn** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 12:18 am

I should be set, my AMD 2400+ and 9800 pro should do alright. But when I get some money I might do a huge overhaul.

by **cubase** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 4:55 am

tonylongjohn wrote:I should be set, my AMD 2400+ and 9800 pro should do alright. But when I get some money I might do a huge overhaul.

...yeah ditto, but i really cannot decide with so many options coming up in terms of processors.

I just dont feel totally secure with my 2400+ working at only 2118Mhz...

A good dual Opteron splurge should do the trick in the ideal world in which I shall be waking up from any minute now!

-Cub. =o)

by **tonylongjohn** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 8:40 pm

Well this might make things interesting

Doom 3 Benches

by **cubase** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 3:35 am

Nice find TLJ... no guesses as to why I like it :dance02:

Any benchies of the previous generation (9800 & 5900) caus really, thats what I think a lot of people would be playing the game on...

-Cub. =o)

by **tonylongjohn** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 2:05 pm

Well those will be coming out in a few weeks. It's kind of depressing, not because I'm an ATI owner but because of the systems they were using just to get those frame rates. I mean 2 GB of ram in the "more mainstream" system is rediculus. I'm going to wait til the demo comes out to see if it's even worth my time.

by **Tilo** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 4:29 pm

I may have to add Doom 3 to my wedding registry...

by **cubase** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 4:40 pm

cubase wrote:Any benchies of the previous generation (9800 & 5900) caus really, thats what I think a lot of people would be playing the game on...

...I missed them towards the end of that review :oops:

Well, it looks like not surpisingly the 9800XT has the edge, but the 5950U seems to dominate in the high quality sector. Either way, both cards will do just fine.

Do you think the reason why Doom 3 runs so much better on the Nvidia cards is due to the fact that D3 is OpenGL?... NV cards ultimately having better OpenGL perfromance overall?

I think Half-Life 2 will have a much different story...

-Cub. =o)

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