The inspiring,long-awaited autobiography of video game designer and DOOM cocreator John Romero
DOOM Guy: Life in First Person is the long-awaited autobiography of John Romero,gaming's original rock star and the cocreator of DOOM,Quake,and Wolfenstein-some of the most recognizable and important titles in video game history. Credited with the invention of the first-person shooter,a genre that continues to dominate the market today,he is gaming royalty.
Told in remarkable detail,a byproduct of his hyperthymesia,Romero recounts his storied career-from his early days submitting Apple II code to computer magazines and sneaking computers out of the back door of his day job to do programming projects at night in his garage to a high-profile falling out with his id Software cofounder John Carmack,as well as his continued role in the gaming industry today as the managing director of Romero Games Ltd.
His story is truly one of a self-made man,founding multiple companies after a childhood filled with violence and abuse drove him to video game design,where he could create new worlds and places to escape to. An alcoholic father,a racist grandfather who did not approve of Romero's parents'mixed-race coupling,and a grandmother who once ran a brothel in Mexico combine for an illuminating story his youth-a story that has never before been revealed.
After years in the gaming spotlight,Romero is now telling his story-THE WHOLE STORY-in his own words.
Publisher: AbramsISBN: 9781419758119Dimensions: 229 x 152 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
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.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.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.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.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."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.""(a) surprisingly moving autobiography...(Romero) manages to appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike with this celebration of triumphing over adversity.""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.""a straight-talking insider account of an inspiring self-made career marked by amazing highs and difficult lows.""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.""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.""(a) highly entertaining and thoughtful memoir""(an) exuberant firsthand account""Doom Guy tells the fascinating story of the life and times of one of the greatest PC game developers of them all.""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."
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