About this episode

This episode explores the development and impact of the game Quake and the challenges faced by the team at id Software.

In 1996, id Software released Quake , one of the most influential games ever made, and one that nearly destroyed the team behind it. In this episode, David and Rob Kassin trace the full arc of how Quake came to be, starting with a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, running through a year of engine development that left designers with nothing to do but wait, and ending with a shareholder confrontation, a last minute redesign, and a launch day that one man spent alone in an empty office. Along the way, they explore what the game was supposed to be, what it became, and what it cost the people who built it, on today's trip down Memory Card Lane. Read transcript

People in this episode

Hosts: David Kassin, Robert Kassin

Topics covered

• video game history
• Quake
• id Software
• game development
• creative challenges
• team dynamics

Keywords

• Quake
• id Software
• game development
• 1996
• Dungeons and Dragons
• creative fracture
• video games

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: id Software

Books & works: Quake

More episodes of A Trip Down Memory Card Lane

• Ep.307 – The World That Argued Back: Alternate Reality - The City and the Contract That Broke Its Creator · July 16, 2026 · 60 min
• Ep.306 – No Rainbow, No Gender, No Sequel: The Stubborn Vision Behind NiGHTS into Dreams · July 9, 2026 · 1h 1m
• Ep.305 – Three Wishes: How the Game Genie Took on Nintendo and Won · July 2, 2026 · 57 min
• Ep.303 – Sunny Days: How Sesame Street Brought Its Classroom to the Console · June 18, 2026 · 59 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the A Trip Down Memory Card Lane podcast page.