[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/idlogo.png]]
[[http://idsoftware.com id Software LLC]] is a Texas-based developer/publisher, best known for [[TropeCodifier popularizing]] the FirstPersonShooter genre.

After programmer Creator/JohnCarmack and three of his fellow Softdisk employees -- Creator/JohnRomero, Adrian Carmack (no relation to John), and Tom Hall -- developed a ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' mockup around a PlatformGame engine he'd created (called ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj4HJkeQSg0 Dangerous Dave in Copyright Infringement]]''), the group struck out on their own and founded id Software. They were major supporters of the {{Shareware}} distribution model, and it paid off; at one point in the early '90s, the first episode of ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' was on more hard drives than Microsoft Windows.

John Carmack was the last of the original founders to remain with the company, finally leaving a month shy of twenty years to the day ''Doom'' was released. In his time with id, he has earned a reputation as one of the industry's most brilliant programmers. As a result of his "programming first" mentality -- he once commented notoriously that stories in video games are like stories in porn; [[ExcusePlot they're expected to be there, but aren't important]] -- many id releases are {{tech demo game}}s that show off the features in a new engine, which they then license out to other developers.

It's worth noting that, whenever a new id Tech engine is built, the previous one is released under the open-source GNU General Public License, thus continuing id's legacy in ''VideoGame/{{Warsow}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Nexuiz}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Xonotic}}'', ''Alien Arena'', ''VideoGame/UrbanTerror'' (previously a ''VideoGame/QuakeIIIArena'' GameMod) and ''VideoGame/OpenArena'', among others.

In June 2009, id Software became part of Zenimax Media (who also houses developers [[Creator/{{Bethesda}} Bethesda Game Studios]], creators of ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' saga, [[Creator/ShinjiMikami Tango Gameworks]], {{Creator/MachineGames}}, and others). In 2011, id announced that it would no longer be licensing out its id Tech engines, though still releasing previous versions. Carmack, ever in search of new challenges, is now working for the Occulus Rift project. In 2020, it was announced that id Software, as part of Microsoft's acquisition of [=ZeniMax=] Media, would become a member of Creator/XboxGameStudios.

id has frequently worked together with Creator/RavenSoftware, Nerve Software, and Splash Damage.

For the record, it's pronounced as one syllable ("ihd", with a short i, not "eye-dee"), after the [[UsefulNotes/IdSuperegoAndEgo part of the Freudian psyche]] that deals with instinct and pleasure-seeking. In other words, perfect for a company making games.
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!! Among the games id Software has developed or published or produced:
[[index]]
* ''[[VideoGame/CatacombFantasyTrilogy Catacomb 3D A New Dimension]]''
* ''VideoGame/CommanderKeen'' series
* ''VideoGame/DangerousDave''
** ''VideoGame/DangerousDaveInTheHauntedMansion''
* ''Franchise/{{Doom}}'' series
** ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}''
** ''VideoGame/DoomII''
** ''VideoGame/FinalDoom''
** ''VideoGame/Doom3''
** ''VideoGame/Doom2016''
** ''VideoGame/DoomEternal''
* ''VideoGame/{{Heretic}}''
* ''VideoGame/{{Hexen}}'' and ''Hexen II''
* ''VideoGame/Hovertank3D''
* ''Id Anthology'' (consists of 19 games id Software has made [[note]]''VideoGame/{{Heretic}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Hexen}}'' are not included in this package, as they were co-developed with Raven Software.[[/note]] and many collectible items)
* ''VideoGame/OrcsAndElves''
* ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'' series
** ''VideoGame/{{Quake|I}}''
** ''VideoGame/QuakeII''
** ''VideoGame/QuakeIIIArena'' (Also includes ''Quake Live'')
** ''VideoGame/QuakeChampions''
%% Quake IV and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars were developed by Raven Software.
* ''VideoGame/Rage2011''
** ''VideoGame/Rage2''
* ''VideoGame/RescueRover''
* ''Rescue Rover 2'' (See ''VideoGame/{{Dognapped}}!'')
* ''Shadow Knights''
* ''VideoGame/{{Wolfenstein}}'' series
** ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D''
** ''VideoGame/ReturnToCastleWolfenstein''
%% Wolfenstein (2009) was developed by Raven Software.
[[/index]]
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