John Romero on DOOM’s Legacy, Doom: The Dark Ages & His Next FPS | XEP Interview

Video Description

#Doom #JohnRomero #doomthedarkages John Romero — co-creator of DOOM, Quake, Wolfenstein 3D and Hexen — joins Luke Lohr (The Insipid Ghost) to talk DOOM’s legacy, Doom: The Dark Ages, boomer shooters, Balatro, Game Pass, and the massive evolution of game development. He also opens up about hyperthymesia (his extraordinary memory), why he loves open modding, and what he can share about his new Unreal Engine 5 first-person shooter at Romero Games. We dig into the early id Software days, how DOOM’s design still echoes through modern shooters, why “can it run DOOM?” became a meme, and what today’s aspiring game developers really need to break into the industry. In this interview, we discuss: • Doom: The Dark Ages and how the series evolves • Reimagining Doom through Doom 2016 and Eternal • Sigil & Sigil 2 — designing new Doom with 1993 tools • Boomer shooters, movement shooters & the retro-FPS revival • Balatro, Minecraft & how indies reinvent core mechanics • AAA scope, budgets & the future of massive game development • Quake, Trent Reznor & building atmosphere • Open modding, WADs & how modders get hired • Hyperthymesia and Romero’s design mindset • Romero Games’ new Unreal Engine 5 FPS • Advice for new game developers 📅 Chapters are listed below 🎧 Join us live every Saturday on YouTube 💬 Share your thoughts in the comments — we read them all. 00:00 – Intro & Welcome 01:03 – Doom: The Dark Ages & Modern Doom Discussion 07:00 – Classic Doom, Sigil, and id Software’s Early Development 12:00 – The Rise of AAA Budgets, Scope, and Team Size 17:00 – Indie Innovation, Retro FPS, and Modern Design Trends 22:00 – Modding, Sharing Ideas, and the “Can It Run Doom?” Legacy 26:00 – Romero’s Memory (Hyperthymesia) & Early Programming Influences 34:00 – Creating Doom Levels: Process, Atmosphere & Tools 39:00 – The D&D Origins of Doom & Evolution of the Series 44:00 – Sound Design, Quake Atmosphere & Hopes for a Quake Reboot 58:00 – Microsoft, Game Pass, and the Future of Game Distribution 01:04:00 – Diversity, Romero Games, and His New Unreal Engine 5 FPS 01:10:00 – Advice for Developers & Closing Thoughts