Even now, after 22 years, the original Doom still holds up. What is it about the series that has helped it stand the test of time?
I think it just feels like a solid game and plays really well. It’s still challenging for pros but easy for beginners. It retains the fear factor when you’re exploring in the dark and are low on health and ammo. The gameplay is very fast and enables high levels of skill, yet the enemies all move pretty slowly.
Doom is often credited with starting the FPS genre, which is now (in many ways) the genre one immediately thinks of when videogames come up in conversation. What is it about shooting things in the face that resonates with such a broad audience?
I think it’s the viewpoint that helps the player feel immersion and that they are in the game. Also, we experimented with various ways of vanquishing enemies in our games prior to Wolfenstein 3D and found that guns are just far more fun than anything else. So, guns won. Shooting things in the face lets you release aggression in a safe place, the computer, as opposed to on the streets.
Every year there seems to be yet another round of complaints from a slightly bigger slice of the audience saying the FPS genre is stagnating. Do you think developers are running out of ways to reinvent the shooter?
I agree that there should be more experimentation in FPS stories and settings. There was a World War II glut for a long time. Established franchises have also entrenched themselves by nature of their setting in time. Call Of Duty was WWII for a long time before they switched to modern warfare. Halo is always sci-fi and the first three games repeated a similar format.
With the release of the Xbox One and PS4, not to mention the advancements we are seeing in the PC space, do you think development has become too reliant on technology?
Development has always been reliant on technology. There will always be newer, faster computers to make games for. This has been a trend since home computers arrived in the late 70s.
Have you seen much of the upcoming Doom from id Software? If so, do you think it’s heading in the right direction?
I haven’t seen much of Doom 4 since the video released online. The graphics look great. I have no idea how it plays and won’t know until I have it.
A lot has been said about Doom’s violence over the years, do you think this gets blown out of proportion, or is it a legitimate concern?
It’s topical for a bit after the game comes out, then another game’s violence pulls the focus away. I think its violence is overrated. The new Doom 4 looks like it’s vying with Mortal Kombat X for over-the-top gore. In a few years it’ll be ho-hum compared to the latest game.
What are you working on next – the world needs a little more Romero in it!
I’m working on a new shooter, an FPS. Can’t say anything about it yet!
For a celebration of all things with big guns and bigger kills you should read Trigger Happy, our special edition of features and interviews with some of the FPS greats.
Please, make a HD remake of ‘Deus Ex’!