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Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture

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Americans spend more money on electronic games than they do on movie tickets. Much of the enthusiasm for the games comes from "Doom" which was released ten years ago. Every gamer knows about Doom, and every parent who had not already worried about it was able to worry about it after it was blamed for inspiring the Columbine murderers. Doom was the brainchild of two gamers and computer geeks who are among the army of dweebs changing the way the world does things electronically. Its huge success merits study and understanding, and in _Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture_ (Random House) by David Kushner, it gets just the sort of exciting and weird history that ought to bring enchantment to gamers, envy to investors, and enjoyment to anyone interested in our modern ways of amusing ourselves.

Their many fans call them "The Two Johns," John Carmack and John Romero. They were both products of broken homes, and of the years when video games were enjoyed in arcades only. Both of them were better at playing video games and writing programs than they were at making grades or making friends. They came up with real innovations, now taken for granted, like side scrolling for the PC or rooms with skewed walls. All were steps to make the games look better, of course, but the overall effect was to make them more involving, increasing the illusion that "You are not just playing the game, you're inhabiting it." They also increased the blood; monsters or bad guys that were killed did not simply vanish when brought into the sights and fired upon. These were not the only innovations; Doom, released in 1993, featured the "Deathmatch" in which players could play together or against each other. There might be mutants afoot, generated by the game, but players could also plot with or against each other, and blow each other away. Doom (and their follow-up, Quake) proved to be so addictive and involving that players would be glued to their computers, even if they were suffering motion sickness induced by the realistic visions on the screen.

The book's concentration on the tale of the two gamers, Carmack the programmer and Romero the designer, will make it a pleasure to read even for those who know nothing about computers. The eventual split between them, fuelled by millions of dollars, is, of course, a classic business parable. Their company changed computer games, and in some ways, the computer industry, forever. _Masters of Doom_ is an impressive documentation of how games got to be the way they are now, as well as a social history of the lives and times of two key game makers. Kushner wisely does not go into deep sociological examination of the effects of the games' violence, but of course the two Johns weren't interested in any moral implications of their wares. "Doom was cowboys and Indians with better special effects," Kushner explains, and though this might be too light an analysis, it is much more fitting than blaming Doom for Columbine. The games may be suitable subjects for moral disdain, but that will make no difference to those who get a rush from spending time in this way, and more importantly, it will make no difference in the millions of dollars spent on games that will probably get more and more like being in a movie, and thus will continue to push computing limits. Carmack and Romero have forever changed people's ability to live out dreams of escape and power, and have changed people's ideas of what computers can do.

I cannot give this book any higher praise than I will now attempt to bestow.

This is a fascinating account of perhaps the most intriguing story in the world of computer gaming: the story of id Software's rise to prominence through the development of Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake, as well as the highly publicized split between the two men most responsible for these blockbusters, the two Johns: John Carmack and John Romero.

The book is not only an entertaining blow-by-blow account of the events that transpired in this story, but is also a cunningly crafted and penetrating look inside the psyche and personality of two fascinating human beings, and the wild initial success of colloboration followed by the bitter conflict bred by the polar forces that drove them. As such, its appeal transcends that of the video gaming community; it is a marvelous case study in sociology as well as a chronicle of the creation of computer games.

Masters of Doom is ultimately a "rise and fall" tale, in a sense. id Software, John Carmack, and John Romero will likely never reach the heights they achieved in the glory days following the release of Doom, but it is arguable that no single company or individual developer will ever do so again either.

The book is uncompromising in its account of the conflicts, and assesses blame only through the eyes of the people involved, without sounding preachy. Kushner assumes a neutral role and presents a remarkably balanced portrayal of the events, siding with neither Romero nor Carmack on the critical issues, leaving the reader with the accurate perception that both were right in their own way.

As a budding game programmer, I found the accounts of Carmack's technological breakthroughs (complete with rudimentary technical explanations as to how they were achieved) fascinating and inspiring. As a game enthusiast who largely cut his teeth on games like Wolfenstein and Doom, I found the story behind the creation of these masterpieces enthralling. And as a human being, I found Kushner's penetrating account of two personalities and the fruits and poisons of their collaboration positively enlightening.

David Kushner, you have done the gaming world an enormous service writing this book, and I strongly urge you to write others of its ilk.

In this book, David Kushner documents the lives of two influential game programmers, John Romero and John Carmack - the guys who created Doom and id Software. It chronicles the lives, the company, the gaming industry, and the impact of these two young computer geniuses. It's a quick, fluid read that is not only entertaining, but is awe inspiring as well.

This is a fascinating book on many fronts. It describes how two kids got into games from the early childhoods, describes their fascination with computers in general, and their dreams. It goes from a tale of two kids with ideas, to their technological innovations, to business start, to their monumental growth, and finally to their fallout. It sheds light not only independent game programming, but of the type of people who develop and play these first person shooters like Doom.

Not only is this a biography, or a game book, it's also sort of the "startup.com" of the gaming world. With a good mixture of business, gaming, with unique and individual characters, it indirectly describes the world of gaming companies and what it takes to make a good, and bad, company.

While a good book for all, it's a must for anyone who loves games or is into software development.

I've been a virtual slave to gaming since I was big enough to pick up a Joystick (remember those things), however, when the PC became a platform to play on (back 'round 86), gaming had a new venue to "get serious". Graphics, immersion, networking with other players; most all of these important aspects of the game playing experience were pushed furthest out by the PC, and those coders that were at the front line of that innovation is what this book is all about.

The PC/Console gaming industry has already eclipsed that of the movie business, but in my opinion it's only just begun. Masters of Doom paints a colorful and detailed picture of the "garage and dorm-room" origins of game coding, on through to the big business, big money industry it is today.

I would reccomend this book highly to all interested in gaming, business, or good ol fashion American success stories.

Enjoy...

What a gripping glimpse behind the curtain! Even if you don't like video games, you can't ignore the human drama in this story: two towering personalities who transcend their work; office politics for huge stakes; the birth of a multi-billion dollar industry; a blast of creative spirit so strong it still gets my heart going.

The story is perfectly readable for a "non-fan", and I'd bet a game-hating girlfriend or wife would enjoy this book and maybe even feel a connection. The game developers at "id" were like snotty kids who created a huge fad, only to discover they had talent and the fad wasn't going away. John Carmack was the brains and John Romero the heart, an incredible partnership of opposites that created (or at least cemented) an new form of entertainment, only to break up at the height of their success. Like the Beatles, fans have argued who had the greatest impact, but in truth the magic was lost and never really regained.

By now their story has been ground into the dirt by the gaming press. At the time, the events seemed very one-dimensional with clear losers (first Carmack, then Romero), but author Kushner points out enough obvious contributions that I was reminded of the greatness of the partnership, not their egos. Hardcore fans will find all kinds of "So THAT's what happened" moments, lots of cameos and observations from famous id employees, and the all important history of the "Two Johns" after their break-up. The story of Ion Storm is included but too brief to feel authentic (ion deserves it's own book) and Kushner follows the conflicts within id after Romero left.

I don't have enough good things to say. This book isn't perfect, but the subject is so fascinating I couldn't put it down. Buy it, now.

Kushner's book is a "Behind the Music" type of story detailing what drove these young men to devote their lives to making some of the world's greatest video games. You'll especially love it, if like me, you played Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM, and Quake in the 80s and 90s, and wondered how id software could revolutionize gaming every few years. The author gives a great inside scoop on how Carmack created graphics engines that turned the PC into a gaming machine, which at that point in time seemed almost unthinkable. Romero, in the early days, was the perfect complement to Carmack's skills, creating the first level editing tools to develop levels for Commander Keen and Wolfenstein. And the rest of the people at id software--Adrian Carmack, Tom Hall, etc., their stories are detailed, as well as people like DWANGO Bob, who made money off networked DOOM servers before the Internet came along. My only wish was that the book had pictures so we could visualize what everyone looked like at the time!

David Kushner has done an excellent job of bringing the personalities at id to life. This book is not just about a game or "the two Johns." "Masters of Doom" is about a group of driven men who helped create a culture--and the book does a great job of explaining the technological and sociological sides of the Doom phemonenon.

As good as his topic was, Kushner also proved himself more than equal to the task as a writer. The prose in this book hook you from page one and keep you on track for the entire roller coaster ride.

As a computer science major and video game player this had quite the impact. I was 13 when i started playing wolfenstein 3-D and doom but did not make me realize the effect it had on the world around me. This book is awesome, it details just about everything that went on in the lives of romero and carmack leading up to the games they had published. If you have any interest in the life of two kids who took the videogame industry by storm read this book.

An EXCELLENT book for true gamers. The two Johns, the two legends, exposed for everyone to see. From their early life, like Carmack breaking in to a library to play games, or Romero's abusive step-father who would explode if he found Romero playing Video-Games. The best part is that for retro gamers, like me. Being only a teenager, it was a GREAT surprise to read all about them creating old-school games, like Commander Keen and Dangerous Dave, and especially Wolfenstein. If you're a true gamer, this book will be a must-read. This book recieves my highest recomendation.

Masters of Doom has, admittedly, a limited audience. Kids playing their XBox or PS2 will gloss over it. For those whom the Atari 2600 was the height of interactive entertainment, it will come off as an example of the pretentiousness of kids in the 90's.

For people like me, though, this book describes the world in which I lived--in which I grew up, went to college, and started my life. MoD isn't just about the two Johns--it's about the decade that pushed the PC from somewhat useable business tool to household appliance. It's about the evolution of an industry. And it's about the humanity that brought it all about.

Kushner's writing makes the tale of id Software, the Johns, the programmers they recruited, and, of course, Doom itself, unfold like a drama right before your eyes. It's history, yet you find yourself rooting for the underdog, dreading the eventual falling out, or just LOL-ing at the ridiculous situations that the egos of the day created. If you're just the right age to look back fondly on the first LAN parties, playing Doom in your dorm room until your computer started smoking (true story), then this book is a must read.