Doom III announced

Activision and id Software have officially announced Doom III, the next game in the popular Doom action game series. The companies will present the PC game at the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles later this month.

Doom III will feature a powerful 3D engine that supports real-time lighting and shadows and photo-realistic character and monster models. Although little information about the game's story and setting has been revealed, the video footage released so far indicates that the game will have a dark, sci-fi horror theme.

"Doom III will change what people expect to see and experience in a PC game," said Todd Hollenshead, CEO of id Software, the studio that created the previous Doom games and the successful Quake action game series. "We couldn't be more psyched about Doom III, and are thrilled to debut the title at E3 with Activision. Get ready to be terrified."

"We are excited to continue our successful and long-standing relationship with id," said Larry Goldberg, executive vice president of Activision Worldwide Studios. "I'm sure that id fans and action gamers alike share our anticipation for the latest incarnation of Doom, which is one of the most important franchises in PC gaming history. There is no doubt that Doom III will be at the top of every gamer's most wanted list."

The original Doom, which was released in 1993, is considered by many to be one of the most important games in the evolution of the first-person shooter genre and in PC gaming in general. Doom III has been in development at id Software for approximately two years. No official release date has been announced. For more information, take a look at our in-depth preview of the game.