Older gamers will immediately recognize John Romero by his luscious long locks, but even if you’re too young to recognize one of the Masters of Doom, you’ve no doubt come in contact with one of his many contributions to the video game industry. With a portfolio of iconic titles, including Doom, Doom II: Hell on Earth, Wolfenstein 3D, and Quake, John Romero and the folks at id Software crafted what we now know as the modern first-person shooter, and along with it, normalized online multiplayer action, modding, and an entire lexicon of terms found in just about every game today. Yes, you can even thank him for the term “deathmatch”.
We at PCMag are no strangers to Doom—in fact, we’ve written about it extensively, recalling long love affairs in its hellish halls. Although much has been written about the meteoric rise of the original id Software team and its eventual breakup, this time new information is coming directly from Romero himself.
Our very own Neil Rubenking keeps the original game close by. (Credit: Neil Rubenking)In the autobiography Doom Guy: Life in First Person, Romero pulls back the veil to reveal the man behind the myth, recalling his tumultuous early life, his storied career at id Software, and all of the missteps and successes along the way (and after, too).
Written in a matter-of-fact manner and with a sharp eye for detail, Romero’s book acts as a genuine historical document. It's sure to resonate with video game historians, hardcore fans, aspiring designers and programmers, and anyone curious about the hype around Romero and the groundbreaking first-person shooters he crafted.
John Romero's new book Doom Guy: Life in First Person next to The Pop-Off host Jordan Minor's Video Game of the Year (Credit: Jordan Minor)In this episode of The Pop-Off, John Romero joins us to talk about his new autobiography, iconic games, and spectacular failures. We even chat about what’s next for the gaming legend. Grab your double-barrel shotgun and strap in, because John Romero’s about to make you his...friend.