id Software's History Parallels the Seven Ages of Man and the History of PC Gaming

[Yahtzee Croshaw]

id Software's History Parallels the Seven Ages of Man and the History of PC Gaming

id Software is a venerable developer, and their history can easily be used to represent the seven ages of man.

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[Gul]

Actually, in the first Commander Keen trilogy, you're using a lethal gun.

Yes, this was the most important thing I could say about this topic.

 

[GrumbleGrump]

[...]If you've ever spent the holidays with elderly relatives and had to listen to their opinions on other races and alternative sexualities, then you'll agree that being old is all about no longer having to give a shit.

I have to ask, is this a common thing? Or just some isolated phenomenon from the Bog of Misery (Britain)?

 

[Avnger]

[...]If you've ever spent the holidays with elderly relatives and had to listen to their opinions on other races and alternative sexualities, then you'll agree that being old is all about no longer having to give a shit.

I have to ask, is this a common thing? Or just some isolated phenomenon from the Bog of Misery (Britain)?

It's definitely a thing in the US. Take a look at who represents nearly the entirety of audiences that Trump, Cruz, and other Republican politicians draw in. The large majority are old white men.

Now, to be fair, I'm not quite sure if whether the act of growing old leads to such opinions or if it simply the fact that those opinions were the default and normal as they were growing up. The old people never changed; the world changed around them as they aged.

 

[Thanatos2k]

Hopefully it doesn't mean the next step is id's demise.

 

[darkrage6]

[...]If you've ever spent the holidays with elderly relatives and had to listen to their opinions on other races and alternative sexualities, then you'll agree that being old is all about no longer having to give a shit.

I have to ask, is this a common thing? Or just some isolated phenomenon from the Bog of Misery (Britain)?

It's definitely a thing in the US. Take a look at who represents nearly the entirety of audiences that Trump, Cruz, and other Republican politicians draw in. The large majority are old white men.

Now, to be fair, I'm not quite sure if whether the act of growing old leads to such opinions or if it simply the fact that those opinions were the default and normal as they were growing up. The old people never changed; the world changed around them as they aged.

I'm sure Yahtzee talking about all the old people that voted for Brexit(many of whom admitted they hadn't voted since the 80s).

 

[Transdude1996]

[...]If you've ever spent the holidays with elderly relatives and had to listen to their opinions on other races and alternative sexualities, then you'll agree that being old is all about no longer having to give a shit.

I have to ask, is this a common thing? Or just some isolated phenomenon from the Bog of Misery (Britain)?

It's definitely a thing in the US. Take a look at who represents nearly the entirety of audiences that Trump, Cruz, and other Republican politicians draw in. The large majority are old white men.

Now, to be fair, I'm not quite sure if whether the act of growing old leads to such opinions or if it simply the fact that those opinions were the default and normal as they were growing up. The old people never changed; the world changed around them as they aged.

One of the things you have to realize about the world is that nothing ever changes. All that happens is tech becomes more advanced and we give things fancier names than previously used. Outside of that, systems stay the same, social structures stay the same, prejudices stay the same, ignorance stays the same...

Heck, we have instant worldwide communication and information transference, and, yet, the average induhvidual cannot be bother to search up the events surrounding a news story before pledging to go on a "protest" march.

As for the old people and their opinions, those who are 40 years and older have developed their views based on the multiple wars and events that they've seen happen. Those of us in our 30s and under only have the invasion of the Middle-East to go off of, which nearly everyone agrees was a mistake, and the after effects of it (E.G. Look at Europe). Also, it doesn't help when the current leaders, and most of the people with some amount of political power, care more about making money than actually using it.

 

[moosemaimer]

But... Return to Castle Wolfenstein is godlike ...

Yeah, but that was made by Gray Matter, the Redneck Rampage people.

 

[Orga777]

[...]If you've ever spent the holidays with elderly relatives and had to listen to their opinions on other races and alternative sexualities, then you'll agree that being old is all about no longer having to give a shit.

I have to ask, is this a common thing? Or just some isolated phenomenon from the Bog of Misery (Britain)?

It's definitely a thing in the US. Take a look at who represents nearly the entirety of audiences that Trump, Cruz, and other Republican politicians draw in. The large majority are old white men.

Now, to be fair, I'm not quite sure if whether the act of growing old leads to such opinions or if it simply the fact that those opinions were the default and normal as they were growing up. The old people never changed; the world changed around them as they aged.

It is a little more complicated than that. It also has to deal with many people who feel completely left behind by the system. Blue collar or former blue collar workers that can no longer find a job that pays them what they used to be able to make. People who feel threatened by low-wage workers, things made over seas, government regulation, and automation. These are the main reasons Trump is able to draw in such support from groups like this. It is the same reason why someone like Bernie Sanders was only able to get young white adults to support him. He tapped into their frustration of high student debt, trouble finding good work out of college, and outsourcing over seas that take their entry level positions. It isn't only about views on racism or whatever. It is all about the current economic environment, and how people view it for them.

 

[Darth_Payn]

"...the inevitable tedious entry-level job straight out of school where we first sacrifice a piece of our soul for the sake of security and stability and kick off years of self-loathing."
Oh, how I wish hat were true. Other than that, a very astute observation and clever comparison. And I learned there were more Ages of Man than just kid, teenager, adult, and old. But where does Wolfenstein: The New Order fit in?

 

[KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime]

Actually, in the first Commander Keen trilogy, you're using a lethal gun.

Yes, this was the most important thing I could say about this topic.

I have all of the Commander Keen games, the gun is non-leathal in all of them. You might be thinking of Blake Stone series. Which was made by Apogee who also made Rise of the Triad, and would later become 3DRealms and give us Duke Nukem 3D.

 

[kimiyoribaka]

Actually, in the first Commander Keen trilogy, you're using a lethal gun.

Yes, this was the most important thing I could say about this topic.

I have all of the Commander Keen games, the gun is non-leathal in all of them. You might be thinking of Blake Stone series. Which was made by Apogee who also made Rise of the Triad, and would later become 3DRealms and give us Duke Nukem 3D.

Read the wall of text that is the story for the second part of the original trilogy again. It states that Keen grabbed a standard galactic pistol once he boarded the vorticon ship. Also, in the ending for the third part there's a line mentioning the vorticons Keen slaughtered.

That's also putting aside the clear killing of women and children in the third part, with the children sometimes being killed by their own fire-breathing mothers because said mothers can't aim properly.

Also, on the topic of Id's old games, Yahtzee glossed over the fact that Rescue Rover (which was made by the founders of Id, but before they founded Id as I recall) contained the ability to kill the dog, and that the later Dangerous Dave games were as violent as Doom, just without as good of graphics. Not that that disproves his point. On the contrary, Id's childhood was one full of genocides and magnifying glasses.

 

[Atratzu]

"but their most lasting and memorable property from this time was undoubtedly Commander Keen". GAH! I knew id Software sounded familiar somehow! I actually recently went back to play some Commader Keen on steam.

"Children are mean little bastards who will happily wage genocide on the insect community given half a chance and a magnifying glass." my childhood in a nuttshell. Thus why I never really thought "Sid Phillips" from Toy Story was really a "bad kid", he seemed pretty cool actually.

" then you'll agree that being old is all about no longer having to give a shit." I wan't to disagree... but can't really disagree because you have a point.

Interesting Article, thanks Yahtzee.

 

[SweetShark]

I don't get why he think Quake 2 is boring.....
Sure, Lovecraftians beings are always fun, but cyborgs are cool too. Also the environment is more cooler from the loveable brown he love.

 

[Kahani]

One of the things you have to realize about the world is that nothing ever changes.

Especially war.

As for the topic, it's worth considering how old the people involved actually are - early 20s when id was founded and hitting their 50s now. Replace the child stage with "childlike exuberance at being pioneers in a new form of media" and this isn't an analogy comparing their games to the ages of man, it's simply a dry description of their actual careers.

 

[step1999]

"...the inevitable tedious entry-level job straight out of school where we first sacrifice a piece of our soul for the sake of security and stability and kick off years of self-loathing."
Oh, how I wish hat were true. Other than that, a very astute observation and clever comparison. And I learned there were more Ages of Man than just kid, teenager, adult, and old. But where does Wolfenstein: The New Order fit in?

The only Wolfenstein games made by id are 3D and Spear of Destiny, the rest are other developers.

 

[Worgen]

The new Doom is the midlife crisis. Trying to capture the magic of ones youth while somewhat missing the point. And Rage is... That first job you get, it seems perfect at the time but all the bullshit adds up to something that just doesn't quite work out for you.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Hey if DOOM is indicative of getting old and not giving a shit I can't wait for more developers to become crotchety old racists.