John Romero facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Romero
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Romero at the Game Developers Conference in 2022
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| Born |
Alfonso John Romero
October 28, 1967 |
| Occupation | Video game designer, programmer |
| Known for | id Software, Ion Storm, Romero Games |
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Notable work
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| Spouse(s) |
Kelly Mitchell
(m. 1987; div. 1989)Elizabeth Ann McCall
(m. 1990; div. 1998)Raluca Alexandra Pleșca
(m. 2004; div. 2011)Brenda Romero
(m. 2012) |
| Partner(s) | Stevie Case (1998–2003) |
| Children | 3 |
Alfonso John Romero (born October 28, 1967) is an American video game developer. He is famous for helping create many popular video games. He co-founded a company called id Software. There, he designed early games like Wolfenstein 3D (1992), Doom (1993), and Quake (1996).
Romero's game designs and tools, along with programming from John Carmack, made the first-person shooter (FPS) game style very popular. An FPS game lets you see the game world through the eyes of the main character. Romero also came up with the multiplayer term "deathmatch". This is a game mode where players fight each other until only one is left.
After some disagreements, Romero left id Software in 1996. He then started a new company called Ion Storm. He directed an FPS game called Daikatana (2000). This game was not very successful. Romero left Ion Storm in 2001. Later, he co-founded other game companies like Monkeystone Games and Gazillion Entertainment. In 2015, he and his wife Brenda Romero started Romero Games.
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John Romero's Early Life and Inspirations
John Romero was born on October 28, 1967, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was born six weeks early. His grandparents were from Mexican, Yaqui, and Cherokee backgrounds. His mother, Ginny, and father, Alfonso, moved to Colorado hoping for a more accepting place for their mixed-race family.
How Video Games Inspired John
Romero became interested in video games after playing the arcade game Space Invaders (1978). This game involved shooting aliens. The game Pac-Man (1980) had the biggest impact on him. It was the first game that made him think about how games are designed.
He was also inspired by programmers like Nasir Gebelli and Bill Budge. Gebelli's fast 3D programming for Apple II games, like Horizon V (1981), influenced Romero's later work. Other games that inspired him include Super Mario games and fighting games like Street Fighter II.
Starting His Programming Journey
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John Romero started programming games on an Apple II computer he got in 1980. His first published game, Scout Search, appeared in inCider magazine in 1984. His first company was called Capitol Ideas Software. He even made the cover of Nibble magazine three years in a row.
Romero's first job in the game industry was at Origin Systems in 1987. He worked on porting games, which means changing a game to work on a different computer system. He later co-founded Inside Out Software. He also helped start a company called Ideas from the Deep with his friend Lane Roathe.
Creating First-Person Shooters at id Software
In 1989, Romero moved to Louisiana and joined a company called Softdisk. He helped start a PC games division there called Gamer's Edge. He hired John D. Carmack and Adrian Carmack and got Tom Hall to help with game design. In February 1991, Romero and the others left Softdisk to form id Software.
Making Gaming History
Romero worked at id Software from 1991 to 1996. He helped create many important games. These include Commander Keen, Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake. He also helped produce Heretic and Hexen.
He designed many levels for these games. He also wrote many of the tools used to create them. For example, he made DoomEd and QuakeEd, which are level editors. Romero created 28 games in just 5.5 years with a small team of fewer than 10 developers. He also came up with the multiplayer term "deathmatch".
A Secret in Doom II
In level 30 of Doom II, called "Icon of Sin", the final boss is a giant demon head. When you first see the demon, a strange, distorted message plays. This message is actually John Romero saying, "To win the game, you must kill me, John Romero!" It's played backward and distorted to sound demonic.
To defeat the boss, players shoot rockets into its exposed brain. Romero's head acts as the weak spot. When his "head" is hit enough, the boss is defeated, and the game ends. This was a fun inside joke among the game's creators.
Leaving id Software
During the making of Quake, Romero and John Carmack had different ideas for the game. Romero wanted to stick to his big vision, but Carmack wanted to finish the game faster. This caused tension, and Romero eventually left id Software. He said it was the right choice to leave after finishing a successful game. Both Romero and Carmack are now on good terms.
After id Software: New Companies and Challenges
After leaving id Software, Romero co-founded Ion Storm in Dallas, Texas. He designed and produced the first-person shooter Daikatana.
The Daikatana Story
Daikatana was announced in 1997 and was supposed to be released that Christmas. However, the release date kept getting pushed back. The game also got some bad attention because of a controversial advertisement. The ad was seen as aggressive and caused a lot of discussion.
When Daikatana finally came out in April 2000, it received poor reviews. Many people listed it as one of the worst games ever. After Daikatana and another game called Anachronox were released, Romero left Ion Storm in 2001.
New Adventures in Gaming
In July 2001, Romero and Tom Hall started Monkeystone Games. They focused on making games for mobile devices. Monkeystone released about 15 games. Some of their games included Hyperspace Delivery Boy! and a mobile version of Red Faction.
In 2003, Romero joined Midway Games to work on Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows. He later became the creative director. In 2005, he left Midway Games and started a new studio called Slipgate Ironworks. This company later became part of Gazillion Entertainment. Romero left Gazillion in 2010 to form a social game company called Loot Drop with Brenda Brathwaite.
Romero was also the Chairman of the Board for the Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL) for ten years. He announced a new FPS project for the CPL called Severity, but it was later canceled because it couldn't get funding.
Recent Work and Doom II Level
In 2014, Romero said he planned to make a new FPS game. In 2016, he announced Blackroom with former id artist Adrian Carmack. They tried to raise money for it through Kickstarter, but the campaign was canceled. The game was later fully canceled.
In 2017, Romero won the Bizkaia Award at the Fun & Serious Game Festival. On August 11, 2015, Romero and his wife Brenda Romero started Romero Games. They have released games like Gunman Taco Truck (2017), SIGIL (2019), and Empire of Sin (2020).
In March 2022, Romero created a new level for Doom II to help people affected by the conflict in Ukraine. He sold the level on his website and donated all the money to the Ukrainian Red Cross and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund.
John Romero's Personal Life
John Romero has been married four times. He married Raluca Alexandra Pleșca in 2004, and they divorced in 2011. He became engaged to game developer Brenda Brathwaite in 2012, and they married later that year. They have worked together on games like Ravenwood Fair and Ghost Recon Commander. Romero has three children from his earlier marriages: Michael, Steven, and Lillia Antoinette.
His Famous Long Hair
Romero's long hair has been a well-known part of his image. In 2002, he cut his hair short and donated it to Locks of Love, a charity that makes wigs for children. However, he started growing it back in 2003. In 2022, Romero shared on Twitter that he wears his hair long as a proud Yaqui and Cherokee man.
Favorite Games and Beliefs
In 2000, Romero listed Chrono Trigger as his favorite game. In 2017, he said World of Warcraft and Minecraft were his favorites. Romero's favorite programming language is Lua. He also says he has hyperthymesia, which means he can remember many details from his past. Romero is an atheist. In 2023, he became an Irish citizen after living there for about eight years.
Romero was even mentioned in the 2020 video game Doom Eternal as King Ormero.
Awards and Recognition
John Romero has received many awards for his work in video games:
- 2023: Lifetime Achievement Award at GDC.
- 2017: Bizkaia Award at the Fun & Serious Game Festival.
- 2017: Development Legend at Develop:Brighton.
- 2016: Cacoward for a new Doom level.
- 2012: Included in the Tech Hall of Fame.
- 2012: Apple II Forever Award for contributions to the Apple II community.
- 2011: Named #1 Most Influential Person in Facebook and Social Games by Games.com.
- 1999: MIT Technology Review TR100 (Innovators Under 35).
- 1998: Time Magazine's Cyber Elite 50 (#36).
- 1998: Top 20 Texans of the Year by Texas Monthly.
- 1997: Time Magazine's Cyber Elite 50 (#40).
- 1996: Named #7 on GameSpot's "Most Influential People in Computer Gaming of All Time" list.
Images for kids
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Romero at the Game Developers Conference in 2022
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The Apple II owned by John Romero on display at The Strong National Museum of Play
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Romero and other game developers at a BAFTA event in Los Angeles in 2011. From left: Rod Humble, Louis Castle, David Perry, Brenda Romero, John Romero, Will Wright, Tim Schafer, Chris Hecker.
See also
In Spanish: John Romero para niños
