Doom
1993 · Shooter · PC/DOS
Overview
Doom popularised the first-person shooter genre with shareware distribution that put its first episode into the hands of millions for free. Players fought through demonic hordes using shotguns, rocket launchers, and chainsaws in technology that moved faster and looked better than any contemporary competitor. Doom became a cultural phenomenon and a moral panic simultaneously.
Deep Dive
Doom was developed by id Software — John Carmack on engine programming, John Romero on level design, American McGee and Sandy Petersen as additional designers, Adrian Carmack and Kevin Cloud on art. The engine extended Wolfenstein 3D's approach to support variable ceiling heights, lighting sectors, and non-orthogonal wall angles. The shareware distribution model — episode 1 free, full game purchased — made Doom ubiquitous. The game's violence made it a reference point in congressional hearings that led to the ESRB rating system.
Developer Story
Doom was developed by id Software in approximately one year, following the commercial success of Wolfenstein 3D. John Carmack's engine development ran in parallel with John Romero's level design. The game was released as shareware in December 1993 and spread through BBS networks within days.
Did You Know?
- Doom's shareware distribution was estimated to have reached 10 million copies — the largest distribution of any software product by early 1994.
- id Software received so much mail about Doom that they hired a full-time person to handle correspondence — the volume was comparable to a major entertainment company.
- The BFG 9000 — Big Friendly Gun — was named internally; the name was retained because id knew it would become the game's most quoted item name.
- Doom's level design was not random — John Romero designed the game's spaces as architectural spaces rather than abstract game levels, influenced by Dungeons and Dragons dungeon mapping.
