Pioneering Gaming Technology

This chapter delves into the historical advancements in gaming technology, emphasizing the shift from basic first-person views to dynamic 3D graphics. It highlights the innovations by a groundbreaking gaming company and their challenges in achieving smoother gameplay, as well as the importance of scoping and effective communication in game development. Through discussions on iconic titles like Wolfenstein 3D, the chapter illustrates how design choices influenced player experience and gameplay dynamics.

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Computer and video game legend John Romero (@romero) has designed and published more than 130 games since his first sale at the age of 16. A teenage programming prodigy, his major achievements include co-inventing a series of revolutionary computer games—DOOM, Quake, Wolfenstein 3-D, and Commander Keen—that launched the industry’s most popular genre, the first-person shooter.

The memoir DOOM GUY: Life in First Person is his first book.

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[07:39] Childhood.

[11:30] Aggressor Squadron.

[14:55] John’s first exposure to computers and coding.

[21:34] Early innovations in 3D gaming.

[26:01] The id Software team.

[28:00] Side-scrolling games.

[30:41] Developing 13 games in one year. How?

[37:28] Designing with movable and removable parts in mind.

[42:45] Warning the world of its inevitable DOOM.

[53:04] Hyperthymesia.

[59:49] Working on two games at once.

[1:02:34] When John realized DOOM would be a hit.