Upon its release, Doom established itself as a bluep?rint for the then-new first-person shooter genre. Going on to become one of the most iconic PC games in all existence, id Software's FPS retains its legacy as it turns 30 years old.

To celebrate the occasion, John Carmack and John Romero �both of whom played a pivotal role in the game's development �reflect on their time spent working on Doom. As you can imagine, it holds a lot of ??fond memories for ?the pair, who some have described as gaming's equivalent of Lennon and McCartney.

During one section of the Twitch video (which was moderated by writer David L Craddock), Carmack acknowledged that the original Doom was pretty influential in getting people in the '90s interested in PC networking. Encouraging fans to understand about upgrading hardware, some have even gone on to become professio??nals in network engineering, the pair say.

How times have changed

Having just released SIGIL II �a free WAD file for Doom �Romero is aware of how the game is changing all the time, thanks to a dedicated community. A few months back, he played through the MyHouse WAD, a custom story built by a fan that generated a lot of attention due to its House of Leaves-style narrative.

Of course, both Johns have seen how the industry has changed over the last three decades. While advances in AI are making it possible to have smarter enemies in games, Carmack doesn't believe it's always for the best. He said he much preferred to have the player be the focus, and intelligent enemies that have independence would not have worked in Doom.

He also laments the loss of game manuals. With how deep some releases are in terms of their lore and mechanics, it's surprising that manuals aren't still a thing. Romero even mentions Ultima 5, which has more than one.

A lot may have changed, but the legacy of Doom is unwavering. The series is still going pretty strong, but the OG releases from the '90s will always be praised due to ?their influence. Here's to another 30 years of demon slaying!

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The original DOOM is 30 years old now. That means it has been a little over thirty years since Nintendo turned down Id's offer to port the?ir games to the PC and began a chain reaction that would result in Carmack, Romero, and co. creating the FPS genre. Thanks, Nintendo!

I should also thank John Romero since the co-creator and level designer of the original DOOM has just released SIGIL II, an all-new unofficial DOOM campaign completely free of charge. I still haven't had the time to experience the sequel, but, if it is anything like the original SIGIL, chances are that any DOOM fan will enjoy it qui??te a bit. It's a treat to all fans of the original game, but it also adds a lot of new flavor that even newer players are bou?nd to enjoy.

SIGIL II, unofficial DOOM 2 episode, is available now

SIGIL II acts as ?a new episode in a series, meaning that it features actual story beats. It also features nine new levels, eight new multiplayer aren?as, a new OST composed by James Paddock, and new art.

On top of this new release, Romero will also be hosting a live Twitch event today, where he will be joining DOOM's other John co-creat?or, John Carmack, to discuss the original game.

It's great to see that DOOM has survived for so long, and not just because of the latest games in the series. The older games are very much alive as well. Just this year, we also saw the release of one of the greatest mods of all time. I'm of course talking about Myhouse.WAD for DOOM II, which I'm just gonna r??ecommend you try getting into fully blind.

If you own the original DOOM, you can now download SIGIL and SIGIL II for free, or buy their incredibly rad old-school big box versions here.

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Back in the '90s, id Software was the gaming company, responsible for bringing the world Doom and Quake. Two of the founding members of that company were John Carmack and John Romero, both now considered giants in their field.

However, since Romero's departure from id in 1996 (post-Quake 1), the two Johns have never come together to work on another project. And if you were hoping they would reform and ??create something together, Carmack has pretty much shot that idea down.

//twitter.com/ID_AA_Carmack/status/16835421??91350661120

In a post on his Twitter page recently, the former Doom developer praised Romero on the recent publication of his autobiography Doom Guy: A Life in First Person. Carmack then pre-empted an inevi?table question about whether?? the two programmers would make anything together again.

And never the Johns shall meet

Unfortunate??ly, the answer is no. He pretty much spells it out in black and white: "we aren’t planning to make a new game together." It's said in a good-natured way, though, a?nd there doesn't appear to be any bad blood between the two.

It's possible that many were hopeful that something Doom-esque (or anything from the two legendary developers) would eventually come to fruition, thanks to a recent Reddit AMA from Romero.

In response to one question, Romero says the pair "could have stayed working together if we did things differently at the start of Quake."?? He also added that he and Carmack have talked abo?ut options, which features in his book.

John Romero is still active in the development world (it looks like he's in talks for a new FPS through a major publisher). Conversely, John Carmack has pretty much left video game creation behind, having been a major player at Oculus VR up until 2022, and now works on AGI—artificial general intelligence—under Keen Technologies.

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Will it ever happen?

Older gamers will recall legendary developer John Romero's immortal words when he was promoting his new game (new for 2000, at least) Daikatana. Sadly (or perhaps not), no one was made to feel like the Doom co-creators "bitch," and his first release after lea??ving id Software proved to be a flop.

Was it the worst game launch in history? It's probably up there, but it's largely been clouded by much more contemporary titles like No Man's Sky, Cyberpunk 2077, and Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy �The Definitive Edition.

//www.?reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/15303b5/john_romero_ama_featuring_doom_guy_life_in_first/

However, according to a recent Reddit AMA, Romero would quite happily see Daikatana make a return at some point. In response to a question about the aged FPS, he said he would "support a remake." Replying to a similar question further down, Romero adds that, if it were to be remade, Daikatana "??could be an exciting game, [more so] than the original."

A Daikatana remake is just a pipe dream, so far

This doesn't mean a remake or reboot is on the horizon, as far as we know. Plus, Romero did specify that he wouldn't be involved in such a project, though he would possibly be onboard as a consultant of some kind. We already know that he's working on a new FPS with a major publisher, which he restates in the Reddit thread. Pretty much nothing i??s known about this project, and the man himself even says he can't say anything about?? it.

John Romero is something of an icon in the video game industry. While he's been making games since the early 80s, it was 1993's Doom that helped set the scene for the early days of the first-person shooter. These days, he is still active in the gaming world, even making some new maps for Doom. As such, it'll be interesting to see what he's currently working on, and whether Daikatana will ever get a second chance.

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Imagine Doom's creator playing your Doom map

If you haven't been keeping up with the Doom community ??lately, thenyou may have missed the unsettling .WAD file simply ca??lled "MyHouse." This has been doing the rounds on a number of YouTube channels, as fans work their way through this bizarre, unofficial map.

Now, the custom level has found its way to John Romero's computer. As the co-creator of the original Doom and Doom 2, Romero is something of a celebrity in the video game world. Helping to establish the early days of the FPS ??genre through a young id Software, the designer an?d programmer is as notable for his contribution to development as he is for his legendary long hair.

//youtu.be/gIl_TqFJNO8

Seeing Romero play the "MyHouse" WAD file is an interesting spectacle, especially once he gets into the meat of the level. Without spoiling too much, MyHouse.WAD, created by Steve "Veddge" Nelson, is a rather unique take on classic Doom. Beginning as an innocent enough-looking mod that features the o??riginal game's iconic monsters, things soon take a bizarre turn.

Throughout the playthrough, which lasts just over an hour, Romero makes a few comments about the map, saying the word "cool" a helluva lot. It takes him a while to get going as he searches the titular house to make sure he's seen everything. Once it all kicks off, he seems very impressed with what Veddge has put together. Romero particularly likes the way th??e music alters as he progresses through the level.

While you could argue that he hasn't made as much of an impact since the early days of Doom and Quake, John Romero is still making games. In fact, he's still tinkering with Doom, having released the SIGIL episode in 2019 as well as working on SIGIL 2.

You can download MyHouse.WAD from Doom World if you want to try it for yourself (which we recommend you do). Note: you will need GZDoom in order to run it.

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Romero Games is staffing up for an Unreal Engine 5 first-person shooter

Romero Games is currently hiring for a new video game, and while details are light as can be, I'm already intrigued based on who's involved. It's going to be a new FPS from Doom co-creator and industry icon John Romero, in collaboration with a "major publisher.??"

"Our team is expanding, and we're looking for talented people for all positions and at all experience levels, particularly those with Unreal Engine 5," the studio tweeted.

Based out of Galway, Ireland, Romero Games is looking for a l??ead level designer?, senior multiplayer programmer, and lead character artist, among other roles.

"This is an unprecedented opportunity to join a thriving independent development s?tudio and work on a high-profile title that will be playe??d by millions of gamers worldwide."

"Our team brings decades of experience to the table with significant leadership roles on games like DOOM, Quake, Wolfenstein 3D, SIGIL, Far Cry, Watch Dogs, Forza, Sniper Elite VR, The Division 1 & 2, Crysis, and many others," according to the studio. "We’ve been fortunate to craft genres and create great games, and we have l?earned powerful lessons from those that didn’t hit the mark, all of which makes us better developers."

[caption id="attachment_335604" align="alignnone" width="2200"] _{Yes, skeletons *are* cool.}[/caption]

A new dawn for Romero Games

You'll surely recognize those games, but SIGIL is worth a special spotlight �it's Romero's unofficial fifth episode of DOOM, and it's available in Megawad form. More recently, in 2020, Romero Games released Empire of Sin �a mobster str??ategy game designed by Brenda Ro?mero �under Paradox Interactive. That said, it's a "new dawn."

"We are 10??0% focused on first-person shooters, the foundation that built our careers, o??ur studio, and a genre," the studio's landing page now reads.

The FAQ doesn't have much more to say about the new FPS �"it’s way too early to share any other information on it" �but the page does have some sick skeletons, as shown above. It mostly covers job-related info, including a w??ord about paid internships and not needing a college degree to work at Romero Games. "If you spent all your time coding while others went to college, that’s fine. It’s what John Romero did, to??o."

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All of the new level's proceeds will go towards humanitarian aid for Ukraine

Doom co-creator John Romero is raising support for Ukraine on a brand-new level. Romero has a new level for Doom 2, and all proceeds from it will go towards aiding humanitarian efforts?? in Ukraine.

Called "One Humanity," this is Romero's first Doom 2 level since the original came out in 1994. The level, also known as the .WAD, requires an original copy of Doom 2 and a modern source port to play.

All the proceeds from the � Doom 2 level will go towards the people of Ukraine, aiding the efforts of the Red Cr??oss and UN Central Emergency ??Response Fund.

//twitter.com/romero/status/1499172470330437633

It's pretty easy and cheap to get a copy of Doom 2, alongside i??ts predecessor, these days. And now you can play new content ?for it while helping humanitarian aid where it's needed.

Many game developers and publishers have been calling for support and releasing statements on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. From donating game sales to making donations, many been putting their? support behind the citizens of U??kraine.

Others, meanwhile, have been pulling their content away from Russia. EA Sports has removed the Russian national teams and clubs from two of its games, echoing decisions made by their real-life counterparts. And CD Projekt, the group that publishes CD Projekt Red games like Cyberpunk 2077 and also owns digital gaming platform GOG, announced that it will be halting digital and physical sales in Russia ??and Belarus to call attention to the invasion of Ukraine??.

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