I
n the early days, id Software was all about ego.
It wasn’t unique in that regard: like practically
all of its contemporaries, id was founded by
kids of the late ’70s and early ’80s, for whom
game development had started as a bedroom
hobby. Without university courses or internships,
theirs had been a self-directed education – driven by
the thrill of getting light to move across a screen.Knowledge was shared, through computer clubs and
magazines, but games of the time were not made through
teamwork – instead they were the godlike act of an
individual typing the most efficient, creative and accurate
code into an Apple II keyboard.
Thanks to the accessibility and simplicity of the tech,
John Romero had developed dozens of published games
before working on Wolfenstein 3D. His story was no
exception – id’s other founding members, John Carmack,
Adrian Carmack (no relation) and Tom Hall, had each
spent their most formative decade in self-imposed solitary
confinement, programming game after game.
It’s no surprise, then, that this history seeped into the
culture of the studio. Though id Software worked
together to create Wolfenstein 3D, Doom and Quake, its
process wasn’t exactly collaborative by today’s standards.
In the beginning, John Carmack would work solo to
develop the next innovation in 3D graphics and AI. Then
Romero and his fellow designers would build stages alone,
placing every door, light and monster by hand.SINGLE PLAYER
That autonomy defines the flavour of early id games:
every level has an author, and reflects their personalities.
While Romero favoured firepower and flow, you could tell
a Sandy Petersen creation by its scant resources and
Lovecraftian horror. Throughout, the tricks and secrets of
a Doom level ensured you felt the presence of its designer.But that individualism had its downsides.
Communication broke down within id as the team burned
out on the protracted development of Quake. Romero left
to form Ion Storm, and the remaining founders never
seemed to rebuild their rapport. Working in separate
offices, they made Quake III as a multiplayer-only game- allowing them to effectively work together, but apart.
Romero had quit over frustration with John Carmack’s
belief that tech should come first, not play. And in the
Doom designer’s absence, that approach came to shape
the company, for good and ill. With nobody left to
challenge and redirect Carmack’s focus, the id releases
of this middle period were showcases for his genius - moreso than they were enjoyable shooters.
Doom 3 doubled down on the potential for horror
Petersen had discovered, and boasted some bold
DOOM SCROLL
How id Software reclaimed its history by losing its leaders
TERMS OF EN-TEAR-MENT
How to refer to Doom’s protagonist
“DOOM MARINE”
Grounded, human, American. But is
he American? He never speaks, so we
can’t be sure.“DOOMGUY”
Overfamiliar and, frankly,
disrespectful. This ‘guy’ could beat
you to death with your own arm.“DOOM SLAYER”
It’s high fantasy, it’s heavy metal.
It’s a bit daft and pretentious. It’s
modern Doom.design touches – namely the
controversial flashlight that
required you to put away your
weapon in order to clear the
corners of its Mars research facility.
But its slower pace and cramped
corridors prioritised Carmack’s
distinctive stencil shadowing over
fun. For a year or two, Doom 3
screenshots were inescapable in
the pages of this magazine, and
promised an impossibly moody
future for PC gaming that wasBELOW: Can’t shoot
a Pinky in the face
any more – they’re
armoured up front.BOTTOM: Marty
Stratton worked
on id’s Quake
team before
rebooting Doom.NEWS | OPINION | DEVELOPMENT