#681: Doom Legend John Romero — The Path to Prolific Innovation and Making 130+ Games, How to Find the Soul of the Work, Audacious Ambition, and Building in Monk Mode

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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.


Please enjoy!


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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.


[1:10:25] Why John moved on from id Software.


[1:14:25] What is a game engine?


[1:20:05] Starting a new company.


[1:21:25] What prompted John to write DOOM Guy: Life in First
Person?


[1:23:42] The origin of DOOM‘s name.


[1:24:27] Parting thoughts.


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