3 ms·
The Iliad was the crowning achievement of a literary society with hundreds of years of tradition. Doom was a simple and early innovator. At best, it will be rem
by c3534l 6y ago
The Iliad was the crowning achievement of a literary society with hundreds of years of tradition. Doom was a simple and early innovator. At best, it will be remembered in the way that some fairy tales are: the beginning of a trope, or right of passage. Even that I'm doubtful of. I suspect it will be remembered like checkers and and the game of Ur: historical curiosities of early games. But not a cultural achievement. I'm not sure what it says about us that we think Doom has the same level of literary merit as the Iliad. It's a fun game, but it has neither the depth of chess or go, nor the narrative achievement of even a sitcom or cheap dimestore novel.
- abraae 6y agoI vividly remember when Doom swamped the large Oracle facility where I worked. For literally 3 days productivity nose dived as it seemed the entire company was playing this game which had graphics that seemed absolutely impossible on the hardware of the day. To write Doom of as being akin to a "cheap dimestore novel" feels a little like some elitist attitude where creativity doesn't count unless it's in crusty old print.
- dahart 6y agoNobody claimed Doom has the same literary merit as the Iliad; but it’s a fact that it has a lot of cultural merit. The Wright brothers built an airplane that was a simple and early innovation, yet will always be remembered. Henry Ford build a simple and early car that will always be remembered. There’s evidence that simple and early innovations are lasting and culturally important. Who knows if it’ll be remembered in a millennium? No one here, and maybe it will or maybe it won’t, but it already stands above most computer games ever made as an important milestone, it’s place in video game history is pretty solid. No reason to doubt a legacy is possible.