A nostalgic interaction took place over the weekend in celebration of DOOM’s 30th anniversary. On a live Twitch stream moderated by author and documentary filmmaker David Craddock, developers John Romero and John Carmack reunited to celebrate the legendary FPS game that changed everything. The duo answered questions from Craddock and the Twitch chat, congratulating gamers for making DOOM an indispensable part of video gaming history.
ID Software’s DOOM is among the few games that turned the PC into a serious gaming platform. Before that, games on PCs were seen mostly as novelty software for what was predominantly a work machine. The interaction on Twitch was largely celebratory and heartwarming, though the two Johns were also surprisingly critical of their work.
Significant Takeaways
Carmack alluded to flashier and potentially riskier graphical effects he wished to have built into DOOM’s engine. He said that over time, the grounded military sci-fi aesthetic of the first episode had aged better than the abstract hellscapes later in the game.
Romero contrasted DOOM with ID Software’s games before and after. He said it represented a sweet spot before Quake and full 3D acceleration started to seriously complicate development and limit how many enemies could be fitted on screen. He also praised DOOM’s engine for allowing more complex maps than Wolfenstein.
Both Romero and Carmack fondly reminisced about the technical limitations of the time. Carmack said even though he thought they could sell DOOM in just a brown paper bag off its quality alone, he was glad that they went the extra mile with its iconic box art and marketing. Romero recollected getting multiplayer working for the first time shortly before DOOM’s release and feeling like it was going to be “The coolest f***ing game the planet had ever seen.”
Carmack shared that he is not a very sentimental person but confided how the old days were quite good. “I’m very proud of the things that we built back then and that they have this legacy that’s lasted to this day,” he said. Romero echoed a similar sentiment while thanking Carmack for the years they worked together. He also extended his appreciation to the players who have kept coming back to the game.
The stream is a little longer than an hour. Still, it is well worth your time if you’re a fan of the game or interested in DOOM. You can check out the conversation in its entirety on Romero’s Twitch channel.
Launch of SIGIL II
To mark DOOM’s 30th anniversary, Romero surprised everyone with the release of SIGIL II. It is the unofficial sixth episode of the original game. Due to commercial restrictions, the WAD files for SIGIL and SIGIL II are available free of cost. However, you can still support Romero’s work by buying unique merchandise like the soundtrack developed by Buckethead and Thor, and a variety of collectible boxes.
About DOOM
After its release in 1993, DOOM jump-started FPS as a popular videogame genre. Its first shareware mission is the most widely distributed PC game in history. Its paid full version still sells to this day on Steam, with Bethesda having designed a modern game executable.
DOOM is also one of the most popular game franchises, with almost a dozen titles across platforms. With Bethesda’s acquisition of Zenimax, the franchise even got to enjoy a second stint through the 2010s – with DOOM (2016) and then the smash hit DOOM Eternal.
If you’ve not kept up with DOOM in recent years, it was re-released alongside DOOM II on mobile, console, and PC platforms, offering official add-on support and many modern features. The iOS version supports 120fps gameplay as well. About a week ago, ID Software introduced another official add-on called The Troopers’ Playground for both DOOM and DOOM II.
If you own either of the new versions of the game on iOS, Android, console, or PC platforms, you can grab the arrival add-on for free. However, you need to sign into your Bethesda.net account to be able to access this and any other add-ons.
For more updates on the latest iOS games, you can check some of our other news like Echocalypse: The Scarlet Covenant Set for Official Release on December 14.