Knowledge was shared, through computer clubs and magazines, but games of the time were not made through teamwork – instead they were the godlike act of an individual typing the most efficient, creative and accurate code into an Apple II keyboard.
Thanks to the accessibility and simplicity of the tech, John Romero had developed dozens of published games before working on Wolfenstein 3D. His story was no exception – id’s other founding members, John Carmack, Adrian Carmack (no relation) and Tom Hall, had each spent their most formative decade in self-imposed solitary confinement, programming game after game.
It’s no surprise, then, that this history seeped into the culture of the studio. Though id Software worked together to create Wolfenstein 3D, Doom and Quake, its process wasn’t exactly collaborative by today’s standards. In the beginning, John Carmack would work solo to develop the next innovation in 3D graphics and AI. Then Romero and his fellow designers would build stages alone, placing every door, light and monster by hand.
SINGLE PLAYER
This story is from the January 2021 edition of PC Gamer.
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This story is from the January 2021 edition of PC Gamer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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