Beginning with Commander Keen and continuing on with Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake, id Software was one of the most prolific video game developers in the 1990’s. The company’s games revolutionized the industry in such a way that ripples of that very wave are still felt to this day. Out of all of id’s employees, none were more integral to its success as the brilliant programmer John Carmack and groundbreaking designer John Romero. Masters of Doom by David Kushner tells the story of these two Johns and how their games changed the world.
The book begins as far back as possible by describing both boys’ childhoods and families, and continuing on with their lives from there. We learn how the two meet, about their early games, the beginning of id Software, and the triumphs and struggles through developing their critical and commercial darlings. The drama slowly builds as the company becomes more successful, and it actually feels like you’re there watching it unfold before your eyes all the way until these two partners go their separate ways.
Masters of Doom is painstakingly researched, as it took the author six years to conduct interviews in order to get the information found within these pages. Even though such a large amount of journalism is in this thing, it reads more like a novel, with dialogue interspersed throughout. It’s also obvious that the author is a fan of games and technology himself, as he does an excellent job of describing anything that may be unfamiliar to the reader. Kushner’s portrayals of these people are also well done. Carmack is shown as a bit of a quirky yet hardworking and exceedingly intelligent individual, where Romero is an impressive designer with the attitude of a rock star. After reading this book, you feel like you really know these men and understand them.
What is also focused on is how id’s games fit into the larger video game industry, and beyond that, pop culture and American society. There are huge amounts of fascinating information for those who care about video games and technology as a whole. Doom’s influence on pop culture is also focused on, and things even get political as controversies such as the Columbine shooting are discussed. Kushner really ties everything together and the result is a good look at how Doom and its peers fit into what we see as America today.
For gamers interested in history behind their favorite industry, Masters of Doom is a must read. It’s loaded fascination. Even if you aren’t a fan of Doom or any of id’s games, it’s still important to see how they shaped the video game industry. If you play games today, chances are they were impacted by id Software. I walked away with an even greater appreciation and understanding of games and those who make them, and I wish that more books focusing on specific game companies and developers existed.