A long time ago there was a game called Quake, a FPS that would stand next to Wolfenstein and Doom as one of the original gems of the genre. It was developed by id software and four sequels were made. teh third sequel, Quake 4, had id aided by another established, yet unqualified devloper, Raven Software. After Q4 the two were left sitting on a street corner for quite some time.
Then Bethesda Softworks, fresh from Shivering Isles and looking for something to follow-up Fallout 3, picked up the idea from id and published their new game RAGE.
Raven sat on the street corner for some time, trying again and again to get back on the high road but never getting it done, even trying to revitalize an old FPS classic, wolfenstein, to its former glory, but was unsuccessful.
After teh legal battles with Infinity Ward, Activision set up a division of itself, called it Sledgehammer, and checked through its black book for a B+ developer to help continue the Modern Warfare series. Hearing rumor about a new high-profile FPS to be a part of, Raven Software got the job.
All teh while Bungie has been wandering around looking for a new ip to shock the world with. On the other end of the city, Infinity Ward does the same. Meanwhile both are looking up at teh giant skyscraper looming over the FPS genre. DICE's Battlefield 3 is coming soon and if the two developers want to ever compete in the genre again against this awoken beast, they'll have to settle their differences and get along for the sake of a better FPS genre.
That's the current setting of the FPS world, so what do you think? Will Soap MacTavish ever make a cameo in Azeroth? Will we one day have a new Marathon for our console generation? Will Raven do to Modern Warfare 3 as what its done to other FPS franchises? Under the tutelage of Bethesda, will id deliver on RAGE?
I think we're either totally screwed, or in the opening hours of a true video game golden age
