Publishers Weekly
05/29/2023
Video game designer Romero, best known as the creator of Doom, catalogs his personal and professional challenges in this surprisingly moving autobiography. In the 1960s and ’70s, Romero’s family was involved in the drug trade, and his father, who was addicted to “everything from cocaine to alcohol,” abused Romero, his mother, and his younger brother. Romero found refuge in early video games, including Space Invaders, which led him, at age 11, to learn computer programming. He walks readers through the details of his career, from his first gig at the Texas-based Origin Systems when he was 20 up through his triumphs at id Software and Ion Storm in the 1990s. It’s then that Romero developed Doom, realizing his vision for “the fastest, most violent, most immersive computer game in history” and innovating the archiving of gamers’ keystrokes as video files and other advances that changed online gaming. Though some passages get a little too technical (including one on video buffers’ bit depths), Romero mostly manages to appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike with this celebration of triumphing over adversity. Creatives of all stripes will be satisfied. Agent: Marcus Hoffman, Regal Hoffman & Assoc. (July)
From the Publisher
John Romero’s remarkable memory called up names and events that I hadn’t thought about in a very long time, taking me back to the stress and joy of throwing everything we had at projects that truly did break new ground and touched millions of people. It was an amaz- ing mad dash from humble beginnings to the well-known classics Wolfenstein 3-D, DOOM, and Quake, filled with exploration, learning, and the sharing of knowledge. For years, I thought that I had been born too late and missed out on participating in the heroic eras of computing. Only much later did I realize that Romero and I were at the nexus of a new era—the 3D game hackers.—John Carmack, cofounder of id Software and founder of Keen Technologies
DOOM made gaming cool and transformed game developers from nerds into rock stars, and John Romero’s brazen public persona defined the era. Reconciling the legend of John Romero with the warm, supportive game designer with whom I met as an unknown young programmer is a mystery that this book finally reveals in a wonderful narrative following Romero from modest game programming roots to the apex of video game stardom.—Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games
A fascinating deep dive into one of the game industry’s greatest success stories, Romero’s autobiography does for aspiring game designers what Stephen King’s On Writing did for budding writers. DOOM Guy is an engaging account of Romero’s extraordinary life and career. A must for industry professionals, newcomers, and enthusiasts.—Rhianna Pratchett, writer
John Romero is a gaming legend and seminal figure in video game history, known for his prodigious technical and design skills. In DOOM Guy, John offers valuable game design lessons, but as important he introduces readers to a man with a real commitment to helping others achieve their dreams. Deus Ex, the game I always dreamed of making, wouldn’t have been possible if John hadn’t lived up to every promise he made to me (a story you’ll read about in the pages of DOOM Guy). John’s games have inspired countless gamers and game developers. In his memoir you’ll learn that his life is as inspirational as his work.—Warren Spector, creator of Deus Ex
You know John as the designer of seminal games Wolfenstein 3-D, DOOM, and Quake, but this memoir also captures the essence of John as an innovator and business leader. While John tells the behind-the-scenes stories about making many elements of today’s gaming industry—first-person shooting style games, multiplayer games, free-to-play games, to name just a few—it’s the personal stories about his challenges, his choices, and his relationships that I love in this book.—Reggie Fils-Aimé, former president and COO of Nintendo of America
“The video game–creating legend recounts a life in the programming trenches…Students of game-making and business alike will find useful, sometimes rueful lessons.”—Kirkus
“[a] surprisingly moving autobiography…[Romero] manages to appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike with this celebration of triumphing over adversity.”—Publisher's Weekly
“DOOM GUY: Life in First Person is the best piece of historical nonfiction that has been written about video games to date and everyone should read it.”—Screenrant
“a straight-talking insider account of an inspiring self-made career marked by amazing highs and difficult lows.”—Daily Beast
"Romero’s Doom Guy: Life in First Person is not only among the most interesting windows into the rapidly evolving videogame scene of the 80s and 90s–it’s arguably the best non-fiction gaming book of all time, giving a unique insight into one of the industry’s most transformative eras through the eyes of one of its groundbreaking pioneers.”—Forbes
“Enthralling, informative, entertaining, exciting, mesmerizing, jaw-dropping, a wild ride, brilliant, well-written, fun, and so much more. These are just some of the terms I can use when describing John Romero’s new book.”—Native Viewpoint
“[a] highly entertaining and thoughtful memoir”—The Wall Street Journal
“[an] exuberant firsthand account” —Wired.com
“DOOM GUY: Life in First Person is the best piece of historical nonfiction that has been written about video games to date and everyone should read it.”—ScreenRant
“Doom Guy tells the fascinating story of the life and times of one of the greatest PC game developers of them all.”—New York Journal of Books
“It’s this openness that makes Doom Guy absolutely necessary reading for anyone with even a passing interest in the history of the video game medium.”—Comic Book Video Games
The Wall Street Journal
[a] highly entertaining and thoughtful memoir
Native Viewpoint
Enthralling, informative, entertaining, exciting, mesmerizing, jaw-dropping, a wild ride, brilliant, well-written, fun, and so much more. These are just some of the terms I can use when describing John Romero’s new book.
Comic Book Video Games
It’s this openness that makes Doom Guy absolutely necessary reading for anyone with even a passing interest in the history of the video game medium.
Rhianna Pratchett
A fascinating deep dive into one of the game industry’s greatest success stories, Romero’s autobiography does for aspiring game designers what Stephen King’s On Writing did for budding writers. DOOM Guy is an engaging account of Romero’s extraordinary life and career. A must for industry professionals, newcomers, and enthusiasts.
ScreenRant
DOOM GUY: Life in First Person is the best piece of historical nonfiction that has been written about video games to date and everyone should read it.
Screenrant
DOOM GUY: Life in First Person is the best piece of historical nonfiction that has been written about video games to date and everyone should read it.
Forbes
"Romero’s Doom Guy: Life in First Person is not only among the most interesting windows into the rapidly evolving videogame scene of the 80s and 90s–it’s arguably the best non-fiction gaming book of all time, giving a unique insight into one of the industry’s most transformative eras through the eyes of one of its groundbreaking pioneers.
Reggie Fils-Aimé
You know John as the designer of seminal games Wolfenstein 3-D, DOOM, and Quake, but this memoir also captures the essence of John as an innovator and business leader. While John tells the behind-the-scenes stories about making many elements of today’s gaming industry—first-person shooting style games, multiplayer games, free-to-play games, to name just a few—it’s the personal stories about his challenges, his choices, and his relationships that I love in this book.
Tim Sweeney
DOOM made gaming cool and transformed game developers from nerds into rock stars, and John Romero’s brazen public persona defined the era. Reconciling the legend of John Romero with the warm, supportive game designer with whom I met as an unknown young programmer is a mystery that this book finally reveals in a wonderful narrative following Romero from modest game programming roots to the apex of video game stardom.
John Carmack
John Romero’s remarkable memory called up names and events that I hadn’t thought about in a very long time, taking me back to the stress and joy of throwing everything we had at projects that truly did break new ground and touched millions of people. It was an amaz- ing mad dash from humble beginnings to the well-known classics Wolfenstein 3-D, DOOM, and Quake, filled with exploration, learning, and the sharing of knowledge. For years, I thought that I had been born too late and missed out on participating in the heroic eras of computing. Only much later did I realize that Romero and I were at the nexus of a new era—the 3D game hackers.
Wired.com
[an] exuberant firsthand account”
Daily Beast
“a straight-talking insider account of an inspiring self-made career marked by amazing highs and difficult lows.
New York Journal of Books
“Doom Guy tells the fascinating story of the life and times of one of the greatest PC game developers of them all.
Warren Spector
John Romero is a gaming legend and seminal figure in video game history, known for his prodigious technical and design skills. In DOOM Guy, John offers valuable game design lessons, but as important he introduces readers to a man with a real commitment to helping others achieve their dreams. Deus Ex, the game I always dreamed of making, wouldn’t have been possible if John hadn’t lived up to every promise he made to me (a story you’ll read about in the pages of DOOM Guy). John’s games have inspired countless gamers and game developers. In his memoir you’ll learn that his life is as inspirational as his work.
creator of Deus Ex Warren Spector
John’s games have inspired countless gamers and game developers. In his memoir you’ll learn that his life is as inspirational as his work.”
CEO of Epic Games Tim Sweeney
DOOM made gaming cool and transformed game developers from nerds into rock stars, and John Romero’s brazen public persona defined the era. Reconciling the legend of John Romero with the warm, supportive game designer with whom I met as an unknown young programmer is a mystery that this book finally reveals in a wonderful narrative following Romero from modest game programming roots to the apex of video game stardom.”
former president and COO of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aimé
While John tells the behind-the-scenes stories about making many elements of today’s gaming industry…it’s the personal stories about his challenges, his choices, and his relationships that I love in this book.”
cofounder of id Software and founder of Keen Techn John Carmack
John Romero’s remarkable memory called up names and events that I hadn’t thought about in a very long time, taking me back to the stress and joy of throwing everything we had at projects that truly did break new ground and touched millions of people. It was an amaz - ing mad dash from humble beginnings to the well-known classics Wolfenstein 3-D, DOOM, and Quake, filled with exploration, learning, and the sharing of knowledge. For years, I thought that I had been born too late and missed out on participating in the heroic eras of computing. Only much later did I realize that Romero and I were at the nexus of a new era—the 3D game hackers.”
Kirkus Reviews
2023-05-09
The video game–creating legend recounts a life in the programming trenches.
“Rip enemies’ heads off and take them to a sacrificial altar to power yourself up.” Thus a feature dangled as an enticement for potential buyers of the iconic first-person-shooter game Quake, introduced in 1996. Born into a chaotic, dysfunctional family, Romero found refuge in games such as Dungeons & Dragons and then fell in love with computers and coding and put his deep intelligence to work mastering things like Assembly language and CP/M. In the workaday world of game writing, the chaos continued; projects were canceled in midstream, office politics proved ruinous, and technology frequently outpaced the programs he was writing. Still, with like-minded friends and later outside hires, “amped on cans of Coke and fueled by pizza,” Romero built up his chops and founded id Software, maker of blood-and-mayhem classics such as Wolfenstein, Spear of Destiny, and the Doom series. Alas, though the money rolled in and Ferraris followed, compromises of vision and clashes of personality did, too, and Romero left at just about the time Quake appeared. The author is candid in his discussion of the Columbine shooters, who were addicts of his blood-soaked scenarios, rejecting the commonplace accusation that violent games lead to violence in real life. Confessing failures as well as triumphs, Romero counsels, “Don’t hype what you don’t have,” and “never insult your fans, even in jest.” The author has plenty of advice to dispense—too much, at times: Near the beginning of his memoir, Romero announces, “I have hyperthymesia,” or total recall, and if his book has an overarching fault, it’s that it’s overstuffed. As the author allows, “In writing this book, I put everything I could think of into it.” Were the book as streamlined as the storied graphic engine in Doom, it would have been a little less unwieldy.
Students of game-making and business alike will find useful, sometimes rueful lessons.
