I'm not one for biographies really as I find them either too broad, often lacking detail, like a poor Wikipedia page, or I find them sensationalist with exaggerated detail, like a Wikipedia page. However having heard amazing things about Masters of Doom by David Kushner, I thought I'd give it a whirl and downloaded the audiobook read by Wil Wheaton on Audible.

The biography is focused on the creation of the iconic game Doom through exploring the history and unique working dynamic between its creators John Romero and John Carmack, or the 'Two Johns' as they are known.

The book starts off with Romero's tough upbringing at the hands of his military step-dad and cowed mother, his escape being the arcades and Dungeons and Dragons. We also hear about Carmack struggling with mainstream education as it was too boring and uninteresting for his analytical mind. We learn how both fell in love with coding and programming, how they created their own games for video game magazine covers and then the American Dream is realized as they recognise a kindred spirit in the other. With their coding prowess and outsider status granting them a certain amount of creative freedom, they decided to create their own video game company.

Initially this meant borrowing equipment from the company they were both working at but, once rumbled, they forged their own path creating Id Software and releasing games such as Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Quake 1, 2 and 3- all revolutionary games that created and then iterated on the FPS formula they helped create.

However, like all tales of fast success there is the downfall which is brought about by a heady cocktail of arrogance, hubris and jealousy. The 'Two Johns' find their personalities and visions for the future are different and as such they split, with Romero leaving the company to create his own studio Ion Software, creators of Deus Ex (yay) and Daikatana (Boo) whilst Carmack iterated with Doom 2 and 3 and Quake 2 and 3. The book end with the 'Two Johns' kind of reconciliating and moving on with their lives.

Masters of Doom is a fascinating read about the heady days of programming and the crazy crunch that the team put themselves through to realize their vision. Their pioneering method of releasing Doom as shareware shook the established publishing world and offered a glimpse of a halcyon future where creators and audiences could connect whilst avoiding the middle men of publishing. By interviewing and meticulously researching video game magazines and resources from the time, Kushner offers us a real insight into a period of seismic gaming shift where video games had 'matured' and took over the world.

This book is a great and compelling read for anyone interested in this rock n roll period of game development when anything seemed possible. Alongside Leigh Alexander's 'Breathing Machine', where the author creates a memoir of sorts about 'Growing up internet', the book is a great reflective read of this unique time when video games were no longer just for kids but took over the world and brought the gaming community through LAN parties. A highly recommended read!

LINK: Blood, Sweat and Pixels- Book Review

LINK- The Offworld Collection- Book Review

LINK- Uncharted 4- Video Games As Art

LINK: Japan: My Journey to the East

LINK: Breathing Machine- Book Review