Taking its name from Freud's primal, instinct-driven face of the human psyche, id Software is, by general acknowledgement, the coolest game shop in the world.
Responsible for some of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed video games of all time, id's ferociously independent staff of artists, programmers and designers have been rocking the gaming world from Mesquite, Texas since 1991. Ushering in a new era of interactive entertainment with genre-defining blockbusters like Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM and QUAKE, id has secured itself a place in gaming history as one of the fathers of the modern video game.
id's games go beyond state-of-the-art, delivering stunning graphics, liquid-smooth Internet action and countless forward-thinking technical, artistic, and gameplay refinements. From legitimizing the shareware distribution model and establishing the PC as a formidable gaming platform, to giving birth to the mod community and introducing to fans Internet-based multiplayer gaming, id has, and continues to lead the interactive entertainment world by example.
It all began on May 5, 1991, when id Software, fresh off the heels of its success with the Commander Keen series of titles, gave the PC gaming world a glimpse of the future with the shareware release of Wolfenstein 3D. A shot of pure adrenaline, Wolfenstein 3D thrust gamers into a frenetic first-person universe of relentless action that would forever change the face of gaming.
Widely recognized as the original first-person shooter, Wolfenstein 3D was later inducted into the Computer Gaming World "Hall of Fame" for shaping the overall direction of the video game industry.
Then, on December 10, 1994, id unleashed DOOM on the world. A technically stunning opus of heart-stopping action, unspeakable horror and pure gaming bliss, DOOM heralded a paradigm shift in video games. Hardcore PC games were going mainstream.
Selling millions of copies and chalking up tens of millions of downloads as shareware, DOOM remains one of the most popular PC games ever. And the title's impact on the gaming world is still felt today.
With DOOM, id Software put the shareware distribution model on the map, with the game's runaway success owing a debt to the growth of Internet distribution. The company has continued to support shareware and other non-traditional means of distribution, influencing the way companies market and sell video games.
