Video game pioneer now eyes space flight.

Byline: Alexandra Witze

DALLAS _ Millionaire programmer John Carmack turned the hood of his Ferrari F50 into a place to lay machine shop books.

The gleaming sports car in his Rockwall, Texas, garage had to share its space with more-appealing equipment _ a giant lathe where he churns out rocket parts.

At 34, Carmack is outgrowing speed driving and turning instead to high flying. As the leader of Mesquite, Texas-based Armadillo Aerospace, he's a respected force behind the push to develop cheaper, easier access to space.

The role of space revolutionary fits well a man who, almost single-handedly, transformed the video gaming industry. No matter what he does in aerospace, to legions of gaming fans he will always remain "Carmack the Magnificent," the legendary programmer behind the hugely popular games "Doom" and "Quake."

For most people, being famous and rich would be enough. Not so for John Carmack. An intensely intelligent and introspective man, he seems remarkably immune to the adoration that swirls around him.

"I'm not bothered much by what people say about me," he says. "My social graces leave a lot to be desired, but almost all of my motivations are internal."

Given a choice, he'd rather be in his rocket workshop or at his computer, tackling an engineering problem in a new and different way.

"The things that motivate John are the things that put him out on the edge of discovery," says Phil Eaton, one of his Armadillo co-workers. "Thinking of ways to get there, that's what challenges him the most."

Until problems with launch licensing and fuel suppliers temporarily derailed the group,…