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DOOM (1993): THE FIRST-PERSON SHOOTER TAKES CONTROL
On December 10, 1993, the “Two Johns”—John Carmack and John Romero1—unveiled the infamous Doom for PC,2 described in its manual as “a lightning-fast virtual reality adventure where you're the toughest space trooper ever to suck vacuum.” The game was an instant success, catapulting Carmack and Romero's company, id Software, to the short list of the world's most eminent shareware game developers. It also spawned a genre now labeled the “first-person shooter” (FPS) or just “shooter,” a genre that is still dominating the industry. Doom offered gamers visceral 3D-like graphics and intense, arcade-like action that could be soloed or enjoyed simultaneously against their friends in a mode affectionately ...
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