Doom (Video Game)
1993 AD · 20th Century
Released on December 10, 1993, Doom was a first-person shooter developed by id Software for MS-DOS. Programmed by John Carmack with design by John Romero, it introduced networked multiplayer deathmatch mode and a modular WAD file system that enabled user-created content. Distributed via shareware, the first episode reached an estimated 15 to 20 million players within two years. Its engine advanced 3D rendering beyond id's earlier Wolfenstein 3D and established design conventions adopted across the games industry.
Key Figures
John CarmackJohn RomeroAdrian CarmackBobby Prince
Locations
Mesquite, TexasTown East Tower
Topics
pcgameFirst Person Shooterid Softwaregaming1990s
Connected Events — 4 Connections
Doom established FPS genre and networked multiplayer deathmatch; its engine lineage led directly to Counter-Strike Counter-Strike Released
Doom pioneered networked multiplayer gaming and its deathmatch mode created the mass market for online PC gaming that Blizzard scaled to millions with WoW World of Warcraft (Video Game)
Internet infrastructure enabled Doom shareware distribution model that reached 15-20 million players The Birth of the World Wide Web
id Software Wolfenstein 3D engine directly preceded Doom; Carmack built the Doom engine as a successor incorporating height differences and variable lighting that Wolfenstein raycaster could not support Wolfenstein 3D Released
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