Gamers celebrate 30 years of DOOM
In celebration of DOOM's 30th anniversary, gamers have been looking back at the last three decades and how the franchise pioneered an entire genre.
10th Dec 2023 22:50
Images via id Software
Gamers celebrate 30 years of DOOM
In celebration of DOOM's 30th anniversary, gamers have been looking back at the last three decades and how the franchise pioneered an entire genre.
10th Dec 2023 22:50
Images via id Software
DOOM is a first-person shooter which was released on 10 December 1993.
Since then, it has gone on to become one of the most beloved franchises with a devoted fan base.
In celebration of the games 30th anniversary, gamers have been looking back at the last three decades and how the franchise pioneered an entire genre.
Fans have been celebrating three decades of DOOM
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of DOOM, players have been reminiscing online about their experiences with the game.
Whether it was being given the game by accident as a child, downloading it everywhere you could think to, or playing it over and over again throughout the years, plenty of fans have stories to share.
One said: “I didn't just play it. I installed it everywhere I could for some poor bored soul to find. Libraries, school, friends computers, grandma's computer.”
“I remember my cousin showing me DOOM two when I was young,” another Reddit user said. “I thought it was the coolest game in the world. however traumatised my little brain was from the gore, I was fascinated by the world, and thought it was the coolest thing ever.”
A third Reddit user shared: “I remember when an older relative of mine copied me the floppy discs and I played for the first time. I thought, this is a dream, a nightmare. Such a hard game for me and I loved each hour.”
One thing that almost everyone can agree on is that DOOM made its mark in the world of gaming.
DOOM allowed players to mod the game, popularised LAN gameplay with friends, and let players take in the story at their own pace, amongst other genre-shaping things.
One DOOM fan wrote: “DOOM’s legacy is unprecedented. It pioneered the first-person shooter genre and delivered fast-paced gameplay and iconic demonic adversaries.
“It shaped the gaming industry for decades, set a benchmark for immersive, adrenaline-fueled experiences... and the underlying tech and graphics. John Carmack's a legend!”
Another player simply added: “DOOM changed everything about gaming.”
A new DOOM chapter has been released to celebrate the anniversary
It isn’t only the fans of DOOM who are celebrating it’s anniversary, however.
John Romero, the co-creator of the original DOOM game, has released Sigil 2 today to commemorate the day.
Sigil 2 is the sequel to Sigil, which was released in 2019, which was extremely well-received by players.
This morning, Romero surprised fans by simply tweeting, "Free WAD for SIGIL II is up" alongside a link.
While today has been largely positive for DOOM fans, a leaker has recently suggested that DOOM Year Zero, a game which was leaked previously through now outdated documents, is not happening any more.
Though it is yet to be seen whether or not this future DOOM game could still come to light, there is plenty to celebrate in regard to the game today.
First-person shooters would almost definitely not be in the position they are in now without DOOM and its legacy.
About The Author
Megan Cooke
Megan is GGRecon's Evening & Weekend News Writer. She has an undergraduate degree in Creative Writing and is working towards finishing her masters in Journalism. When she isn’t writing about games she can be found reading romance novels or playing cosy games like Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, APICO, and Disney Dreamlight Valley.