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Doom (series)
Encyclopedia
Doom is a series of first-person shooter
video games developed by id Software
. The series focuses on the exploits of an unnamed space marine operating under the UAC
(Union Aerospace Corp.), who fights hordes of undead and demons in order to survive. The series was widely considered as one of the pioneering first-person shooter series in the video game industry, introducing features such as 3D graphics
, true third dimension spatiality, networked multiplayer gameplay, and support for player-created expansions with the Doom WAD
format. Since Doom, which was released in 1993, the series has spawned four sequels, numerous expansions and a film
.
A set of four novels
based on Doom were written with permission of id Software
by Dafydd Ab Hugh
and Brad Linaweaver
. The books, listed in order, are titled Knee Deep in the Dead, Hell on Earth, Infernal Sky and Endgame. All were published between June 1995 and January 1996 by Pocket Books
. Some in the Doom community started calling the unnamed marine in the games "Flynn Taggart", after the main character of the novels, at least for a time. The first two books featured recognizable locations and situations from the first two games.
Additionally, a comic book was issued in May 1996, produced by Tom Grindberg
of Marvel Comics
as a giveaway for a video game convention, and original art from that project was put up for auction on eBay
in April 2004. It was criticized for ridiculous dialogue and a poor story, as well as erroneous representations of some weapons from the game. In September 2005, a member of the Doom community released an unofficial "dramatic rendition" of the lines from the comic, with music and sound effects, for comedic effect. Notable lines include "Now I'm radioactive! That can't be good!", "Sweet Christmas! Big-mouthed floating thingies! It's always something!", and (pictured below) the infamous "Rip and tear your guts! You are huge! That means you have huge guts!".
On January 31, 2005, a board game
resembling the classic Space Hulk
was released, entitled Doom: The Boardgame
.
An eponymous film based loosely on Doom
was released in 2005.
id Software CEO Todd Hollenshead
has stated in an interview that another Doom movie, possibly based on Doom 4, might be made.
Strategy guides released in printed editions include:
, which features a minigame in which the Swedish Chef
takes on giant killer vegetables with various kitchenware. The Doomguy appears as a playable character in the PC release of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
. Doom is shown being played in the film Congo
, episodes of Friends
and ER
, and a commercial for Mystery Science Theatre 3000. The game was also referenced in the film Wild Hogs
.
The game is shown briefly during an episode of Family Guy
, where Stewie Griffin
drives his Big Wheel through various pop culture references, which includes going through the fifth level of Doom running over an Imp. An episode of The Simpsons, "Midnight Rx
" shows a career consultant playing Doom at his desk.
The sound effects are heard in a number of songs. "Where Boys Fear to Tread" from the album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
by The Smashing Pumpkins
features a rocket launcher to point to the relationship between Doom and The Smashing Pumpkins in the SPISPOPD joke. Rotten Sound
's album Murderworks has a song called "Doom", in which one of the beginnings it is possible to hear some Doom sound effects, like monsters yelling and weapons firing. MF Doom
, under alias Metal Fingers, sampled sound effects from Doom 64
gameplay on the song "Styrax Gum" off the album Special Herbs, Vol. 4
. The song ends with the player's death. Wollt Ihr Das Bett In Flamen Sehen by Rammstein uses the player death sound from the original series several times.
Doom is often noted for its connection to satanic and unholy symbolism: the imagery, hard sound themes, and game plot. For example, when exiting the shareware version of the game, you will see a screen with more info about what is in the full registered version. Here's what a section of it says:
"... Sure, don't order DOOM. Sit back with your milk and cookies and let the universe go to Hell. Don't face the onslaught of demons and spectres that await you on The Shores of Hell. Avoid the terrifying confrontations with cacodemons and lost souls that infest Inferno.
Or, act like a man! Slap a few shells into your shotgun and let's kick some demonic butt. Order the entire DOOM trilogy now! After all, you'll probably end up in Hell eventually. Shouldn't you know your way around before you make the extended visit? ..."
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
video games developed by id Software
Id Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
. The series focuses on the exploits of an unnamed space marine operating under the UAC
Union Aerospace Corporation
The Union Aerospace Corporation is a fictional conglomerate focused on military-industrial research in id Software's science fiction video game series Doom. The corporation is depicted to be involved in advanced weapons development, biological research, space exploration and teleportation. The...
(Union Aerospace Corp.), who fights hordes of undead and demons in order to survive. The series was widely considered as one of the pioneering first-person shooter series in the video game industry, introducing features such as 3D graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
, true third dimension spatiality, networked multiplayer gameplay, and support for player-created expansions with the Doom WAD
Doom WAD
Doom WAD format is default format of package files for the video game Doom or its sequel Doom II, that are containing sprites, levels, and game data. WAD stands for Where's All the Data?...
format. Since Doom, which was released in 1993, the series has spawned four sequels, numerous expansions and a film
Doom (film)
Doom is a 2005 science fiction horror film, loosely based on the Doom series of video games created by id Software. It was directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak....
.
Games
- Doom
- Doom II: Hell on Earth
- Final DoomFinal DoomFinal Doom is a first-person shooter video game that uses the game engine, items and characters from Doom II. It consists of two 32-level megawads , The Plutonia Experiment by the Casali brothers, and TNT: Evilution by TeamTNT. Final Doom was released in 1996 and distributed as an official id...
- Doom 64Doom 64Doom 64 is a video game for the Nintendo 64 released by Midway Games in April 4, 1997. It is part of the Doom first-person shooter video game series.-Features:Key differences from the computer games in the series include:*32 exclusive new levels....
- Doom 3Doom 3Doom 3 is a science fiction horror video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. An example of the first-person shooter genre, Doom 3 was first released for Microsoft Windows on August 3, 2004. The game was later adapted for Linux, as well as being ported by Aspyr Media for Mac...
- Doom RPGDoom RPGDoom RPG is a mobile phone game developed by Fountainhead Entertainment. It combines the Doom first-person shooter franchise with role-playing elements. The storyline incorporates many of the events of Doom 3, but involves different characters than those in the computer version...
- Doom ResurrectionDoom ResurrectionDoom Resurrection is a first-person shooter survival horror game developed by Escalation Studios for the iOS and published by id Software. It was released on 26 June 2009. John Carmack led the development team...
- Doom II RPGDoom II RPGDoom II RPG is the sequel of Wolfenstein RPG, set before Doom RPG. It was released for mobile phones on November 23, 2009 and for iPhones on February 8, 2010. It uses the Wolfenstein RPG mobile engine. It was developed by id partners Fountainhead Entertainment via the merger id Mobile...
- Doom 4Doom 4Doom 4 is the upcoming multi-platform installment of the Doom series by id Software. The game will use the company's new id Tech 5 engine and is slated for simultaneous release on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...
Other media
Doom novels
The Doom novel series is a series of four near-future science fiction novels co-written by Dafydd ab Hugh and Brad Linaweaver; Knee-Deep in the Dead, Hell on Earth, Infernal Sky, and Endgame...
based on Doom were written with permission of id Software
Id Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
by Dafydd Ab Hugh
Dafydd ab Hugh
Dafydd ab Hugh is a U.S. science fiction author.Ab Hugh is most noted for writing fiction in media franchises in the 1990's, including several novels for the Star Trek franchise. He also co-wrote four novels associated with the game Doom with fellow science fiction author Brad Linaweaver...
and Brad Linaweaver
Brad Linaweaver
Bradford Swain Linaweaver is a science fiction writer and screenwriting for low budget movies.The novella version of his novel 'Moon of Ice' was a Nebula Award finalist and the novel length version won a Prometheus Award....
. The books, listed in order, are titled Knee Deep in the Dead, Hell on Earth, Infernal Sky and Endgame. All were published between June 1995 and January 1996 by Pocket Books
Pocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry...
. Some in the Doom community started calling the unnamed marine in the games "Flynn Taggart", after the main character of the novels, at least for a time. The first two books featured recognizable locations and situations from the first two games.
Additionally, a comic book was issued in May 1996, produced by Tom Grindberg
Tom Grindberg
Tom Grindberg is a comic book illustrator.His British comic book work includes 2000 A.D. Presents #16-19 and Judge Dredd #10-11 for Fleetway in 1987....
of Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
as a giveaway for a video game convention, and original art from that project was put up for auction on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
in April 2004. It was criticized for ridiculous dialogue and a poor story, as well as erroneous representations of some weapons from the game. In September 2005, a member of the Doom community released an unofficial "dramatic rendition" of the lines from the comic, with music and sound effects, for comedic effect. Notable lines include "Now I'm radioactive! That can't be good!", "Sweet Christmas! Big-mouthed floating thingies! It's always something!", and (pictured below) the infamous "Rip and tear your guts! You are huge! That means you have huge guts!".
On January 31, 2005, a board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
resembling the classic Space Hulk
Space Hulk
Space Hulk is a board game by Games Workshop, first released in 1989 and re-released in 2009. The game is set in their Warhammer 40,000 universe and draws a certain degree of inspiration from the Alien movies....
was released, entitled Doom: The Boardgame
Doom: The Boardgame
Doom: The Boardgame is an adventure board game for two to four players designed by Kevin Wilson and published by Fantasy Flight Games in 2004...
.
An eponymous film based loosely on Doom
Doom (film)
Doom is a 2005 science fiction horror film, loosely based on the Doom series of video games created by id Software. It was directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak....
was released in 2005.
id Software CEO Todd Hollenshead
Todd Hollenshead
Todd Hollenshead is the co-owner and CEO of id Software. He formerly worked as a tax consultant at Arthur Andersen.- References :* Kushner, David . Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture, New York: Random House. ISBN 0-375-50524-5.- External links :* ...
has stated in an interview that another Doom movie, possibly based on Doom 4, might be made.
Strategy guides released in printed editions include:
- Robert Waring: Doom: Totally Unauthorized Tips & Secrets, Brady Publishing
- Jonathan Mao Mendoza: The Official Doom Survival Guide, ISBN 0-7821-1546-2
- Rick Barba: Doom Battlebook: Secrets of the Games series, Prima Publishing, ISBN 1-55958-651-6
In popular culture
The series has been parodied in The Simpsons: Virtual Springfield, which features a minigame in which Apu fights off squishee-throwing bullies in his shop with a broom, shotgun, and a weapon similar to the BFG, causing them to explode in a bloody mess, and Muppets InsideMuppets Inside
The Muppet CD-ROM: Muppets Inside is a PC computer game produced by Starwave in 1996. The title is a play on Intel's advertising slogan, "Intel Inside," meaning that one could find an Intel processor inside a computer marked with its sticker. The plot of Muppets Inside involves several Muppet...
, which features a minigame in which the Swedish Chef
Swedish Chef
The Swedish Chef is a Muppet that appeared on The Muppet Show. He was operated by Jim Henson and Frank Oz simultaneously and is now puppeteered by Bill Barretta.-Character:...
takes on giant killer vegetables with various kitchenware. The Doomguy appears as a playable character in the PC release of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, often abbreviated to THPS3, is a skateboarding video game in the Tony Hawk's series. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision in 2001 for the Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation. In 2002, it was published for the...
. Doom is shown being played in the film Congo
Congo (film)
Congo is a 1995 action adventure film, based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. It was directed by Frank Marshall and stars Laura Linney, Dylan Walsh, Tim Curry, Ernie Hudson, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Grant Heslov, and Joe Don Baker. The film was released on June 9, 1995 by...
, episodes of Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
and ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, and a commercial for Mystery Science Theatre 3000. The game was also referenced in the film Wild Hogs
Wild Hogs
Wild Hogs is a 2007 comedy film directed by Walt Becker and starring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, and William H. Macy. It was released nationwide in the United States and Canada on March 2, 2007, though preview film screenings were held in select areas on February 24, 2007.-Plot:Doug...
.
The game is shown briefly during an episode of Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, where Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. Once obsessed with world domination and matricide, Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin, and the brother of Chris and Meg....
drives his Big Wheel through various pop culture references, which includes going through the fifth level of Doom running over an Imp. An episode of The Simpsons, "Midnight Rx
Midnight Rx
"Midnight Rx" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons sixteenth season. It was the first new episode of 2005.-Plot:Mr. Burns reserves the Springfield Air and Space Museum for a plant company party. While there, Burns acts strangely kind to all of his employees. At the end of the party, Burns announces...
" shows a career consultant playing Doom at his desk.
The sound effects are heard in a number of songs. "Where Boys Fear to Tread" from the album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is the third album by American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins, released October 24, 1995 on Virgin Records. Produced by frontman Billy Corgan with Flood and Alan Moulder, the twenty-eight-track album was released as a two-disc CD and triple LP...
by The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
features a rocket launcher to point to the relationship between Doom and The Smashing Pumpkins in the SPISPOPD joke. Rotten Sound
Rotten Sound
Rotten Sound is a grindcore band from Vaasa, Finland, formed in 1993. The band comprises vocalist Keijo Niinimaa, guitarist Mika Aalto, bassist Kristian Toivainen and drummer Sami Latva...
's album Murderworks has a song called "Doom", in which one of the beginnings it is possible to hear some Doom sound effects, like monsters yelling and weapons firing. MF Doom
MF Doom
Daniel Dumile is a hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most notably MF DOOM, where the "MF" stands for metal face, and for tracks he has produced, metal fingers...
, under alias Metal Fingers, sampled sound effects from Doom 64
Doom 64
Doom 64 is a video game for the Nintendo 64 released by Midway Games in April 4, 1997. It is part of the Doom first-person shooter video game series.-Features:Key differences from the computer games in the series include:*32 exclusive new levels....
gameplay on the song "Styrax Gum" off the album Special Herbs, Vol. 4
Special Herbs, Vol. 4
Special Herbs, Vol. 4 is an album of instrumental works released by Daniel Dumile under the Metal Fingers moniker, the fourth part of his Special Herbs series...
. The song ends with the player's death. Wollt Ihr Das Bett In Flamen Sehen by Rammstein uses the player death sound from the original series several times.
Doom is often noted for its connection to satanic and unholy symbolism: the imagery, hard sound themes, and game plot. For example, when exiting the shareware version of the game, you will see a screen with more info about what is in the full registered version. Here's what a section of it says:
"... Sure, don't order DOOM. Sit back with your milk and cookies and let the universe go to Hell. Don't face the onslaught of demons and spectres that await you on The Shores of Hell. Avoid the terrifying confrontations with cacodemons and lost souls that infest Inferno.
Or, act like a man! Slap a few shells into your shotgun and let's kick some demonic butt. Order the entire DOOM trilogy now! After all, you'll probably end up in Hell eventually. Shouldn't you know your way around before you make the extended visit? ..."