Back page article on Romero by Robert Coffey, the latest CGW

[(Insert clever username)]

Got this in the mail today.

I'll type it out later if anyone's curious to read it.  A few of his facts are a little wrong.

[Des]

cool.. please do..

[youspeakmylanguage]

Got this in the mail today.

I'll type it out later if anyone's curious to read it.  A few of his facts are a little wrong.

I guess it depends on whether or not it's a decent article or a smear job, although I don't know why anyone in the computer gaming press would want to kick The Big Man at this particular moment.

[(Insert clever username)]

I heart John Romero....and you should, too.

"OH HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN!"

That seems to be the subtext to much of the online reaction regarding John Romero's departure from Midway.  Granted, by the time you read this, it's old news - but it's only yesterday's news as I write this.  Really, Romero's saga has been kind of an ongoing news ticker of sorts, running for years along the periphery of the gaming community and pausing only for brief Derek Smart updates.  Now, some four years after Ion Storm Dallas burned up upon reentry to reality, the incredibly public face of that legendary debacle has either left or been let go from Midway and the Gauntlet:  Seven Sorrows team.  Commence the gloating, the self-satisfied tsk-tsks, the smug "he had it coming" and all the other anti-Romero sentiment.  But ask yourself, what did this guy ever do to you?

Sure he made Daikatana.  But judging from the so-horrible-it-barely-counts-as-pathetic sales numbers, it would seem most people not only dodged that bullet, but also weren't even on the same continent when that cap gun was fired.  Look, I reviewed that flaming bag of turds for this magazine, and I'm not all Lord of the Dance street-jiggling over this bit of news.  Why?  A couple of reasons actually:  First, I know that the truly ingenius hidden pleasure of Daikatana actually lies in singing it to the Knack's "My Sharona".  Second, I know that the ingenius hidden truth of John Romero is that he's a generally nice guy.  Why celebrate his misfortune?

And I feel this despite the fact that I know John Romero would like nothing more than to see me run over by a bus stuffed full of morbidly obese people wearing flaming tricorner hats made of bullets.  This goes back to my less than glowing Daikatana review, where a little bit of hyberbole (which stated something along the lines of "that game made me want to punch every Daikatana team member in the face") was misconstrued as an actual threat of physical violence.  For the record, no faces have been harmed by me (discounting, of course, the faulty DNA I have passed along to my pitiable offspring).

So, what was John Romero's crime?  Why are people taking pleasure in his latest career setback?  A big part of it is easy:  hubris.  The whole "Suck it down" and "John Romero is going to make you his bitch" career missteps have been too thoroughly documented, and if you've missed those reports, I guess it behooves me to tell you that you polish your shoes with Shinola.

But I think there's more to it than that.  Of all the people who were part of the Do-it-Yourself Suddenly Rich Club in the early heyday of gaming, Romero was most like you and me:  A regular guy you could identify with, gleefully enjoying his success.  The other prominent faces from that time - many of them arguably both more gifted and crucial to gaming's early growth - weren't so easy to see yourself in.  John Carmack is some kind of crazy genius who discusses actual rocket science recreationally, Dan Bunten Berry became Dani Bunten Berry, and Richard Garriott has that whole fey "Lord British" shtick.  But Romero?  He was the kid drawing violent comics in the back of his notebook like you, the kid with the long hair you only dreame you could pull off, the dude sneaking his own face into Doom II, the guy happily dropping a ton of money on a car you drooled over and vowed to buy for yourself as soon as you won the lottery.  If he could do it, why couldn't you?  Wealth and fame suddenly seemed attainable.

But the vast majority of those gaming dreamers never got their fame and fortune...while Romero kept his, got more, and worked in ludicrously decked-out penthouse offices that were initially celebrated by gamers long before being universally derided and ridiculed.  There was arrogance in Romero, and he definitely and nakedly courted celebrity.  Still, it takes an audience to make someone a rock star, and gamers were holding up their lighters for a good long while.

And then we (and I'm including myself here) turned on Romero once it dawned on us that maybe he didn't deserve all this acclaim.  It's a lot easier to make fun of a scapegoat and distance yourself than to admit you made the same mistake of valuing flash over substance.

Everything that we initially celebrated became fodder for ridicule...but if Romero was an ass, well then so was every previously envious geek lusting after the cars, clothes, and hawt gamer girlfriends.  And who wants to be an ass?  Judging from our actions - then and now - apparently a lot of us do.

/Robert Coffey

[AssKoala]

Nothing wrong in that article that is of any significance.

I actually like it.  Don't know what John would say about it.

[(Insert clever username)]

Well, for one, Romero didn't insert his own face into Doom 2.

Second, according to John he had nothing to do with the "Bitch" marketing slogan.

[AssKoala]

Well, for one, Romero didn't insert his own face into Doom 2.

Second, according to John he had nothing to do with the "Bitch" marketing slogan.

Yes, but those have no bearing on the overall purpose of the article, hence why I said they aren't of any significance.

As for the "bitch" marketing slogan, regardless of whether he made it or not (and I know he didn't), the public eye thinks he did.

[Josh1billion]

I love that slogan.  It's badass.

[Brick_Sledge]

"John Romero will break into your house in the middle of the night and murder your family" would have been cooler.

[(Insert clever username)]

Kinda on topic.  I've been reading his column every month, and I have to say that Robert Coffey is an entertaining writer, to say the least.

I thought it was kinda cool that he admitted to jumping on the bandwagon.

[The Romero]

Well, i actually like the article.  I *do* think it's a little ridiculous to have my every move published on the net and in magazines, though.  I definitely disliked Robert Coffey when he made that statement in his DK review - it's too bad most people didn't play past the first level because i'm pretty proud of level E1M2 on.

It's very frustrating to see people get their facts wrong:
* I did not come up with the Suck It Down slogan
* Daikatana took 3 years from concept to store shelves. This is hardly a long dev cycle.  DOOM3 took 5 years, Half Life 2 took 7, Duke Forever is on year 9.
* The Dallas Observer article came about because of a political situation with an ex-employee who wanted revenge
* The Ion 8 leaving happened because of an ex-employee wanting revenge
* I worked hard on the game - 9 months of crunch mode at the end

But, hey, Daikatana's old, old news now.  Like, over 5 years ago.  And the fact that everyone remembers that particular game instead of the dozens of other games I've made just shows how negatively slanted the media is - negativity sells.

<evil>When news of my new game somehow gets out, i think everyone will be a bit shocked.</evil>

For the record, i'm co-founder of a new game company in the bay area and am much better off in many ways than i was at Midway.  Much happier now.

[RHALUKA]

That's funny.. The thing is people go nuts and "hate" John  because he had cool cars, cool houses and hot gf's, which they wish they had themselves so they're really just jealous.
 But they forget the fact that he's just a normal person and he worked really hard for everything.
Oh and i can't believe that guy is a game reviewer or whatever he is and he doesn't even know the facts about games..even i knew that John's face was in doom2 because of the other guys from id ( John didn't had anything to do with it - except the fact he found that out while testing the game ..so he put that sentence with "If you wanna win this game you gotta beat me, John Romero!" in there ).. and the marketing thing which it wasn't his idea also...  I think people should start being more objective about his work and less subjective.

[Yurnero]

<evil>When news of my new game somehow gets out, i think everyone will be a bit shocked.</evil>

Holy crap!!! I really wanna know what´s it!!!

And John, you have people who likes your work, and know how to appreciate it.

I like Daikatana, however, I think the first stage a little boring. =(

[DI-MeisterM]

For the record, i'm co-founder of a new game company in the bay area and am much better off in many ways than i was at Midway.  Much happier now.

Please make a first person shooter with next gen tech John!

[youspeakmylanguage]

But, hey, Daikatana's old, old news now.  Like, over 5 years ago.  And the fact that everyone remembers that particular game instead of the dozens of other games I've made just shows how negatively slanted the media is - negativity sells.

I have a degree in Print Journalism and while I was in college I interned at a daily newspaper. I was published almost daily and even did front page features, which was unheard of for an intern. But after that experience I turned my back on journalism and never looked back. I'm not exactly working in a job I love, but I'm certain I'm happier doing this than working as a "reporter". Someday I'll write again, once I figure out what I want to say and how exactly I want to say it.

Negativity does sell, but journalists are, for the most part, bitter, jaded people who produce negative work. And genre journalists are usually "never were"s' - people who wanted to be the pro athlete or the game designer, but never succeeded. Usually the snarkier they are in print, the more bitter and unhappy they are in real life.

I've always wondered why, if gaming journalists had the secret formula of what makes a great game and what makes a horrible game, they aren't working for gaming companies as game designers, where they could double or even triple their incomes? Is it because they really don't know what makes a great game, or are they afraid of failure? Or is it a little of both?

Anyway, John, f*ck em' all. You're the one that succeeded, and you're the one that still lives your dream. Good luck with your new venture.