id CEO: "Epic has a philosophy to license to everyone they can"

With id Software slowly unveiling more of its internal projects, including the Mad Max-esque Rage and the id Tech 5 engine that powers it, the studio that once led the PC engine licensing game is sending a clear message that it intends a return to form. As part of a longer discussion at QuakeCon, the rest of which will be published on Shacknews in the coming days, I spoke with id Software CEO Todd Hollenshead about his company's revitalized push into the high-end tech licensing world--a world most would agree is currently largely occupied by Epic and its widely-licensed Unreal Engine 3.

The CEO spoke on the flexibility of the technology, id's changing attitude towards developer support and tools, when the engine will be ready--and he even painted a striking contrast to rival Epic, which has been in the news lately for licensing-related matters.