Alfonso John Romero Computer game programmer and designer Date of Birth: 28.10.1967 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Career
2. Professional Development
3. Founding Ideas From The Deep and Softdisk
4. Establishing id Software and the Creation of Doom
5. Career Trajectory After id Software
6. Mobile Gaming and Secret Project
7. Loot Drop and Cloudforest Exploration
8. Personal Life

Early Life and Career

John Romero, a notable video game programmer and designer, began his programming journey in 1984 by sketching out an interactive project on paper. His work was featured in the popular magazine inCider, and he triumphed in a programming competition held by A+ magazine.

Professional Development

In 1987, Romero entered the realm of professional game development at Origin Systems, assisting in the Commodore 64 adaptation of "2400 A.D." However, the project's cancellation led him to work on Paul Neurath's "Space Rogue." Subsequently, Romero was offered a position at Blue Sky Productions (later Looking Glass Technologies) but declined to establish Inside Out Software with other talented programmers. There, he oversaw the porting of "Might & Magic II" from Apple II to Commodore 64.

Founding Ideas From The Deep and Softdisk

In partnership with Lane Roathe, Romero founded Ideas From The Deep. They developed "Zappa Roids" for various platforms and designed a graphical interface for Apple II gaming applications. Romero's time there was brief as he moved to Softdisk in 1989, where he crossed paths with John Carmack. However, his tenure at Softdisk was equally short-lived, and he left within a year.

Establishing id Software and the Creation of Doom

In 1991, Romero, Carmack, and Tom Hall collaborated to found id Software. Romero's likeness became the inspiration for the protagonist on the cover of "Doom." Initially, a professional model struggled to grasp Romero's vision for the cover image. In frustration, Romero demonstrated the desired pose and exclaimed, "This is what I mean!" This became the final concept for the cover art.

Career Trajectory After id Software

After several successful years at id Software, Romero and Carmack encountered significant disagreements, leading to their separation. Carmack remained with id until 2013, while Romero founded several companies and embarked on various endeavors. His first venture was Ion Storm, which gained notoriety for the underwhelming "Daikatana." Despite its initial sales due to aggressive marketing, the game faced harsh criticism and left Romero deeply disappointed.

Mobile Gaming and Secret Project

Following the icy reception of "Daikatana," Romero temporarily retreated from PC gaming and focused on mobile and handheld entertainment. He established Monkeystone Games, which released "Red Faction" for Nokia N-Gage and the humorous arcade game "Hyperspace Delivery Boy."

Amid rumors of a "secret" console and PC FPS project, Romero remained tight-lipped. In 2008, reports emerged of the project's cancellation, but Tom Mustaine later refuted these claims.

Loot Drop and Cloudforest Exploration

In 2010, Romero founded Loot Drop with former Sir-Tech employees Brenda Braithwaite and Robert Sirotek to develop casual games for Facebook. Tom Hall also joined the team. Their first game, "Cloudforest Exploration," was scheduled for release in 2011.

Personal Life

Romero has had a multifaceted personal life. He married Kelly Mitchell in 1987, and they had two sons together. In 1990, he met and married Elizabeth Ann McColl, with whom he had a daughter. From 1998 to 2003, he was in a relationship with gamer Stevie Case. In 2004, Romero tied the knot with Raluca Alexandra Plessa. After their divorce in 2010, he has been in a relationship with Loot Drop colleague Brenda Garno Braithwaite.