"Since we're a single title company...we're constrained to do something that has a high probability of success," said Carmack. "It's unlikely id will come out with something that's off the wall."

That's not to say it plans another remake with its next game. While work continues on "Doom 3" and the team is supervising Raven Software's work on the upcoming "Quake 4," id is already kicking around ideas for its next project.

"We're not doing another sequel next," said Carmack. "We will do a new title. It will be a shooter, with a different antagonist and protagonist. ... People who have been working in the company for a long time don't want to continually rehash their old work."