Review - Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created An Empire and Transformed Pop Culture

So here we are. Obviously, if you're reading this, you either saw my rant last week or you're a hard-to-the-core gamer. If you fit in any of these categories this book is for you! WHY ARE YOU STILL READING THIS!?! MOVE, MOVE, MOVE! Time waits for no man!!! Well you're curious eh? Wanna know more eh? Well congratulations you just stepped into the Twilight Zone. Whats so strange? The fact that someone could get gamers off their butts, away from TV, and in the books. In a world where games and books collide (scary) David Kushner has written the book any gamer would love to write a report on! So guess what. You know that book report you've been dreading? Time to show the teachers a thing or two because they expect you to write about something like "Moby Dick" but you're gonna too busy reading about one of the most controversial games in history and, if you're lucky, show that games are more than toys but a phenomenon. And gamers? Diamond in the rough genusies. Or at least some of 'em.

This book, so well written by David Kushner, does more than just talk about Doom. Its more about the guys who made it. Who are they? Well John Carmack and John Romero of course! The Two Johns. Its amazing just how much of a story is behind these guys! I didn't believe I would ever say a game designers and programmers rags-to-riches story could be a cinematic blowout. Or at least a nice nod to the guys who changed pop culture. Not one to give away the details the roots of the two are, simply put, very moving. For any kid who sat in front of the TV saying "I CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!" For any hacker whoever dreamed of turning their skills into a (legal) virtual money wagon. For any bored "Normal" guy with a normal job who wants to wear a t-shirt and jeans to work, chat about games, and shot the virtual heck out of his boss. This ones for you! It proves ANYONE can break into the industry and have a hell of alot of fun. Get paid. Buy a Ferrari. Repeat. of course this is a rare story so do our homework first. Memorable moments like melting the glass to steal the school computers, having the dough to give away a custom Ferrari, and enrage a whole generation of parents on the way? Its all there. Ahhh the American dream! It really makes you respect where id came from. So you may say "Ok we know the memorable moments and all but what about plot? Is it a simple rags-to-riches story?" No way.

It begins when John Carmack and John Romero meet at a small company called Softdisk making sort of "mini-games" for people to suscribe for to get ever month or two. Afterwards they get sick of the not-so-gamer-friendly enviroment, pack the guys, the computers, and move to a small home in the middle of no where. There they make innovations like never before. Side scrolling on PC? They did it. Expose the wonder of Shareware? They did it. And pretty well. They made their first blockbuster a kiddy game call Comander Keen. A trilogy sold over Shareware (by the way if you don't know what Shareware is Google it) that made them millions. Then a sequel trilogy. Well they move from the crappy small town up north where the snow doesn't stop. PERIOD. They move the office to a mediocre apartment where they form id Software. The small group of gamers (and non-gamers) REALLY kick off the business with Return to Wolfenstein 3D. Once again sold over Shareware the games a hit. They move to Texas.There they create Doom. One of the biggest franchises ever! And they create online multiplayer. What we now expect in just every game first began with Doom. This is not where the controversay begins. At least not outside the ofice. Inside is another story. The fame has gotten to Romeros head and the guys don't think he is working hard enough. Well they go on to make Quake I&II before kicking Romero out of the team. Of course who can forget Columbine? The event that the press and politics blame Doom for. Why? Well it doesn't have anything to with the fact that before the shootings he recorded a video, shotgun in hand, and said "ITS GONNA BE LIKE A F---ING DOOM!!!" or the fact that he modded Doom II with a map disturbingly inpired (and really close to exact) by Columbine includng all the students he hated the most as enemies, if thats what you're thinking. No way. Romero goes to make Ion Storm and Daikatana. A flop. Ion Storm is shut down. To make a long story short they actually end up partnering again for Doom 3.

The story is amazing. The way its told is amazing. And I mean look at what these guys have done:

• Brought NES-type side scrolling to the PC.
• Became the innovators of 3D.
• Took lighting effects to the next level by using colored lighs.
• Inspired millions.
• Innovated the internet in awesome ways.
• Really pionered the FPS genre and high end PC games altogether.
• Made a would be politician a Playboy model!

And thats just the beginning. This book is just AMAZING! Period! Buy it! Borrow it! Get it from the library! I DON'T CARE! JUST READ IT!!!!

9.7/10