2018-12-12: DOOM Turns Twenty Five

DOOM Turned 25 Today. John Carmack's Magnum Opus. If you consider yourself a programmer, software-engineer, computer-engineer, or computer scientist, you should read its source code. But Fr8train, why the fuck are you writing about video-games now?

Because DOOM represents an intersection of several important historical milestones, especially in transitioning from the 20th to the 21st century!

Consider that DOOM's original binary is smaller today's average webpage! Idle Hands has an original page that discusses in better detail how the "Software Treadmill" continually churns shit that we don't need. You thought planned obsolesence was just for hardware!

And if you thought I was just limiting my writing to tech, you were wrong again! DOOM is also important for showing us who would rather blame video games instead of the any other societal ill that made more sense. DOOM wasn't the first to be attacked, (Mortal Kombat and NightTrap came under scrutiny earlier) but certainly was the first time someone tried to link video games with a school shooting.

Back to technology. The US Military includes DOOM as a landmark in its progression of simulations for training and tactical research. A rudimentary search reveals that it was many web publication's first report.

DOOM was also part of the short list of games to be part of the Games Canon. Unfortunately, the MOMA hasn't taken efforts to acquire DOOM. To be fair, any aesthetic qualities of DOOM haven't aged well.

But that's only because DOOM runs on anything

2018, Fr8train

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.