‘Doom’ Guy John Romero Is the Literal Opposite of His Brutal Creation
John Romero was the first rock star of video games: a long-haired, high-tech artist who repeatedly revolutionized the industry with his innovative triumphs, including the Nazi-slaughtering Wolfenstein 3D and medieval-themed Quake. It was 1993’s Doom, however, that forever cemented his legacy as a PC gaming legend. With Doom, Romero ushered in the age of first-person shooters (FPS), defined by fast, brutal violence and chaotic, kill-or-be-killed multiplayer deathmatches. Doom transformed interactive entertainment forever, and even today, it remains one of the most popular—and significant—titles in gaming history, spawning not only sequels and remakes but even a (not-very-good) 2005 movie starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
With his gung-ho enthusiasm, brash attitude, and fondness for heavy metal, Romero looked and acted the rebel part. He recounts his rags-to-riches saga in Doom Guy: Life in First Person, a candid autobiography (July 18) that traces his path from crime-plagued poverty to the forefront of indie (and then mainstream) gaming celebrity. His rise, though, was followed by a fall: After breaking free from id Software—the company he co-founded—due to a contentious and rumor-plagued fallout with lead programmer John Carmack, Romero struck out on his own, only to stumble with his subsequent Ion Storm studio and its heavily hyped FPS, Daikatana.
The infamous ad for that game claimed that “John Romero’s About To Make You His Bitch....Suck It Down,” and it did not go over well with the public, who viewed it as proof that Romero’s head had grown too big for his famously large mane. Still, no amount of professional or personal embarrassment could diminish Romero’s impact on the medium. His contributions include not only creating FPS and deathmatches, but also inventing the concept of speedruns (seeing how fast you can complete a game); spearheading online multiplayer and the use of “game engines” (foundational programming tools used to build games); and encouraging modding, which allowed players devise their own custom levels and features for mass-market games. Few boast a resume with so many trailblazing accomplishments.