John Romero, one of the masterminds behind Doom, recently took to social media to clarify a few details regarding the iconic game’s backstory. He addressed claims made by his former colleague Sandy Petersen, contesting Petersen’s assertion that he was the one who penned the original backstory. Over the years, Romero has actively sought to correct perceived inaccuracies about Doom’s development, intending to set the record straight on the historical narrative of the groundbreaking game.
For those unfamiliar, Doom is much more than just a classic; it’s a pivotal piece of gaming history. Launched in the 1990s, this pioneering first-person shooter didn’t just captivate players worldwide—it revolutionized the genre and set a precedent for future developments in the industry. At the core of its success were John Carmack and John Romero, whose vision brought Doom to life. With decades having passed since its debut, Romero remains devoted to clarifying its backstory, especially when discrepancies arise.
The conversation took place on Twitter, where Romero openly challenged Sandy Petersen’s version of events. Petersen had initially responded to criticisms about Doom’s original lore, suggesting it was much simpler compared to contemporary iterations, and claimed credit for writing the backstory himself. In response, Romero, perhaps a bit tersely, corrected him by stating that Tom Hall, another co-founder of id Software, was the actual author of Doom’s backstory.
Romero elaborated further, noting that Kevin Cloud was the one who prepared the Doom manual on NeXTSTEP, utilizing Tom Hall’s backstory. When a Twitter user engaged in the conversation, Petersen argued that he had no access to the Doom Bible while drafting the manual’s digested backstory. Despite Petersen’s recollections, Romero firmly refuted his claims.
In light of this, it’s not the first time Romero has felt compelled to correct historical inaccuracies about Doom. As Romero shared in follow-up exchanges, he views the preservation of video game history as of “critical importance,” particularly for games as impactful as Doom. He has even described such historical disputes as attempts to retroactively alter credits.
Despite ongoing debates about its past, Doom remains a beloved classic, consistently drawing players back. Its legacy continues to be celebrated, especially with recent updates that enhance its longevity by adding features like multiplayer and mod support to various platforms. However, whether Romero and Petersen will ever completely agree on their roles in Doom’s creation still remains an open question.
