Shareware Demon

In 1993, a small team of misfits in Mesquite, Texas, unleashed a piece of software that changed the world. It was violent, it was fast, and it was technically impossible. It was called Doom. "The Shareware Demon" tells the adrenaline-fueled story of Id Software, focusing on the volatile partnership between the coding genius John Carmack and the design rockstar John Romero. The book explores the revolutionary business model of "Shareware"—giving away the first episode for free to get players hooked—which led to Doom being installed on more computers than Windows 95. It details the technical wizardry of the Doom engine, which brought 3D graphics to the masses, and the cultural panic it incited among parents and politicians who feared it was a "murder simulator." From the deathmatch parties that crashed university networks to the Ferrari-driving excess of the founders, this is the definitive history of the First Person Shooter. It is a story of brilliance, ego, and the chainsaw that carved a path for the entire video game industry.