Sure, There's QuakeCon in August. But Sure to Be All the Rage? Id's Long-Awaited Rage.

For about a year, this is all folks have seen of id's new Rage, which will likely debut at QuakeCon.

At last year's QuakeCon, held at the Hilton Anatole, id Software's John Carmack made a few announcements considered quite major at the time, among them word that the Mesquite-based developer was looking at getting in the iPhone bidness whilst updating such classic titles as Doom and Castle Wolfenstein. But on the eve of this year's QuakeCon -- to be held August 13-16 at the Gaylord Texan (sorry, Harlan Crow) -- there's word that the new Wolfenstein, expected to hit shelves August 4, has been delayed for two weeks. And that's for all versions: PC, XBox 360 and PlayStation 3. No problems, though -- merely a holding pattern so Activision can roll out "a simultaneous global release."

In March, id did start selling Wolfenstein 3D Classic for the iPhone; in short, it's well worth the $2.99. And a few weeks ago, DOOM Resurrection made its debut as an Apple app. (Reviews are mixed for the latter.)

Wendy Zaas, the New York-based publicist who sent this morning's reminder concerning the annual QuakeCon, says Carmack will again deliver the keynote. "And a lot of big announcements are coming this year," she says. "And a couple of different people will be up there as well," though she wouldn't say who or why, but of course. But one thing sure to be the subject of much discussion this year is the long-awaited release of id's post-apocalyptic-set Rage, which the company apparently plans to bow at the Gaylord two years after first hinting at the shoot-'em-up.