Doom — PC/DOS
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?
- The BFG 9000's initials famously stand for a profane 'Big F— Gun'; the manual offered the politer 'Big Freaking Gun'.
- 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.
Sources & further reading
- Doom (1993 video game) — Wikipedia
