Dave "Zoid" Kirsch, contract programmer at id Software and author of Threewave CTF for Quake, Quake II, and Quake III Arena, has updated his .plan to announce that he will be leaving id to start a new job at Retro Studios, a company developing games for Nintendo’s next generation game console, codenamed Dolphin. Here's the scoop:

In September of 1996, I made a small modification to the popular id Software game Quake and called it ThreeWave Capture the Flag. That simple modification grew into the last three and a half years of working with id Software and the Quake community. The job that id Software gave me over this period has been very rewarding. It has also been a lot of fun. I have enjoyed watching the community grow. I was also overwhelmed at having been able to work on a series of some of the most amazing games ever created. But, like all good things, it must come to an end.

I feel that I have learned a lot in my time with id, but I find myself looking for new challenges. I have decided that in order to pursue them, I must leave my association with id Software. Having done so, I plan on exploring new opportunities.

My contract with id terminates at the end of this month (Feb). My zoid@idsoftware.com address will probably stop forwarding to my permanent address shortly after that. My permanent address is zoid@threewave.com for people that wish to reach me.

I would like to thank id Software (and especially John Carmack) for giving me such great opportunities, and allowing me to work with all the talented people there. I am going to miss it.

In March, I will begin a new position at Retro Studios, http://www.retrostudios.com/. I look forward to joining the team there and working on some exciting new projects.

So long and thanks for all the captures.