Doom Guy - by John Romero (Paperback)

About the Book

"John Romero, gaming's original rock star, is the cocreator of Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein 3-D, some of the biggest video games of all time. Considered the godfather of the first-person shooter, a genre that continues to dominate the market today, he holds a unique place in gaming history. In Doom Guy: Life in First Person, Romero chronicles, for the first time, his difficult childhood and storied career, beginning with his early days submitting Apple II game code to computer magazines and sneaking computers out the back door of his day job to write code at night. Industry-redefining breakthroughs in design and tech during Romero's time at id Software made Doom and Quake cultural phenomena, and this thrilling story recounts every step of the process, from collaborative, heavy metal-fueled days spent crafting the industry's most revolutionary and cutting-edge games to a high-profile falling-out with id cofounder John Carmack"--

Book Synopsis

The inspiring, long-awaited autobiography of video-game designer and DOOM cocreator John Romero―"a highly entertaining and thoughtful memoir" (Wall Street Journal)

​After years in the gaming spotlight, Romero is now telling his story--the whole story--shedding new light on the development of his games and his business partnerships, from the highest highs to the lowest lows, sharing insights about design, code, the industry, and his career right up to today. Sharing gratitude for a lifetime in games, Romero reveals the twists and turns that led him, ultimately, to be called DOOM Guy.

John Romero, gaming's original rock star, is the cocreator of DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein 3-D, some of the biggest video games of all time. Considered the godfather of the first-person shooter, a genre that continues to dominate the market today, he holds a unique place in gaming history.

In DOOM Guy: Life in First Person, Romero chronicles, for the first time, his difficult childhood and storied career, beginning with his early days submitting Apple II game code to computer magazines and sneaking computers out the back door of his day job to write code at night.

Industry-redefining breakthroughs in design and tech during Romero's time at id Software made DOOM and Quake cultural phenomena, and this thrilling story recounts every step of the process, from collaborative, heavy metal-fueled days spent crafting the industry's most revolutionary and cutting-edge games to a high-profile falling-out with id cofounder John Carmack.

Review Quotes

​​"A straight-talking insider account of an inspiring self-made career marked by amazing highs and difficult lows."-- "Daily Beast" (7/18/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"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 highly entertaining and thoughtful memoir"-- "The Wall Street Journal" (7/26/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"A surprisingly moving autobiography... [Romero] manages to appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike with this celebration of triumphing over adversity."-- "Publisher's Weekly" (5/16/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"An exuberant firsthand account."
-- "Wired.com"

"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" (7/20/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"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"

"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" (7/19/2023 12:00:00 AM)

"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" (5/9/2023 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Computer and video game legend John Romero has designed and published more than 130 games since his first sale as a teenage programming prodigy at the age of sixteen. His major achievements include coinventing a series of revolutionary computer games that launched the industry's most popular genre, the first-person shooter. He lives in Galway, Ireland.