Today is an important day for anyone who has ever played a video game. 25 years ago today, the world of video games was forever changed by four men in Mesquite, Texas. John Romero, John Carmack, Tom Hall, and Adrian Carmack unleashed a brand new title that no one was ready for, in all forms of alleyways and avenues. A game that once it launched, multiple Universities and Establishments were attempting to ban it because their servers were overwhelmed with people trying to connect online to play with others at the same time, taking down network simultaneously. This was Doom, arguably the most revolutionary First-Person Shooter to ever release, and it was glorious, bloody, hellish triumph. Today, we celebrate 25 years of Doom.
Despite how it looks compared to today’s standards, this was the epitome of video game visuals in 1993. We had never seen such a smooth moving camera in a game before, as well as the immaculate art design and gameplay. Soon after, multiple developers tried to replicate the success of Doom, and those games were often referred to as Doom Clones. Ironically, two of those clones would go onto become successful in their own right, Star Wars: Dark Forces and Duke Nukem.
On top of that, Doom also gave way to another form of entertainment, where modders would find a way to move the in-game camera around the level while they were in a match or a level. This would become known as Machinima, and the medium is still used to this day. This was the level of influence and power that Doom had.
To further celebrate this, Bethesda has declared 2019 the Year of Doom, and released a special Doom 25 Anniversary trailer showcasing clips from all of the games in the Doom franchise, all the way to the upcoming Doom Eternal. In addition, the company has also set up special Zombie Doom Slayer Skin for Doom Eternal once it launches. All you have to do is go to SlayersClub.com and sign up.
Speaking of the original Doom, one of the creators and founders of id Software, John Romero, has announced spiritual successor to it. Romero teased the announcement yesterday with the statement “Prepare for 5” referencing Ultimate Doom, which was a compilation of the original game with the additional 4th episode that Romero made himself. This was confirmed today when Romero announced Sigil, which is essentially the 5th episode add-on for Doom.
Packed with nine single player levels and nine deathmatch maps, this is a huge love letter for anyone who played the original Doom. While this is basically a free Mod for the game, you’ll have to own Doom itself to install it. Romero also revealed an insane collector’s edition of Sigil, and what a sight it is. This version is being released by Limited Run Games, and comes in a demonic box housing a plethora of Doom inspired collectibles, including a USB Drive stylized into a 16 GB floppy disk just like the one Doom was released on in 1993. This collector’s edition is only available from today until December 24, so if you want this beast of a box, you can check it out here.
Games have changed so much over the years, and while a lot of them have been forgotten and lost, Doom is without a doubt one of the few that stands the test of time. Video games wouldn’t be where they are without the guys at id Software and their daring ways. They took a huge chance on something because they weren’t afraid to challenge the norm, because they believed in their vision. 25 years later, Doom is held as the gold standard for First Person Shooters, and video gaming in general. Just like the tagline they made, Doom is Eternal. Here’s to another 25 years of glorious gaming!
Disclaimer: The following videos have a good amount of blood and gore.
You can check out the Doom 25 Anniversary Video here:
You can also check out John Romero playing some of Sigil’s levels here:
Watch John Romero’s Twitch Stream from TheRomero on www.twitch.tv