DOOM Devs on Why Some People Like New DOOM but Not New Star Wars

In this month's episode of IGN Unfiltered, Ryan McCaffrey sat down with id Software Executive Producer Marty Stratton and DOOM Eternal Director Hugo Martin to talk about the lasting appeal of DOOM, and how it compares (and sometimes contrasts) to other major properties like Star Wars. "I think, when you see brands, and they struggle a little bit... Like, some of the new Star Wars films, a lot of the fans aren't happy, it's because I don't think that they're cooking with the same ingredients," Martin said. "And the real fans can pick up on that, and that means they won't go with you... on the journey that you're trying to take them on." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/03/the-first-10-minutes-of-doom-eternal-gameplay-4k60fps-ign-first"] When asked how id managed to both recapture the iconic feel of the original DOOM and satisfy modern gamer's expectations when crafting the 2016 reboot, Martin said, "[We were] cooking with the same ingredients." "A big part of good design, it doesn't matter what it is... a car, a movie, or anything... you've gotta evaluate it in the 50,000-foot view and be able to distill it down to the core elements that make it great. A lot of that stuff is kind of operating at a subconscious level and I think our job... the fun part of our job... is to really ask, 'Why do they like that?' The science of what makes something appealing is what makes the job of a designer, and what I find to be endlessly interesting. It's really, really compelling work. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=doom-eternal-january-2019-screenshots&captions=true"] "Once you can figure that out, like, 'Why do people like Star Wars?' Why does someone look at the new Corvette C8 and just have the reaction, 'God, that's gorgeous?' I can tell you, for a fact, that the work that went into that was tremendous. If you understand what makes something tick, it's that, 'Oh my god, that is just awesome!' That means we really got you, regardless of whatever it is." According to Martin, that approach was essential when developing the new DOOM. "A lot of time was spent working to figure out, 'What are the core elements of the DOOM brand?' Not just DOOM the game, or [DOOM] 1, or 2, or 3, or 64, but the DOOM brand as a whole. The metal element, the sense of irreverence, power, all these different things. Figuring out what those ingredients are so, that way, everything we do... make sure that it utilizes those core principles, and then the fans will accept it and go along with you." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/07/doom-eternal-45-brutal-glory-kills-in-2-minutes-ign-first"] Catch up on every episode of IGN Unfiltered here to witness conversations with Respawn Director Stig Asmussen, Remedy writer Sam Lake, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, Halo boss Bonnie Ross, and so many more!

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Brian Barnett writes news, features, wiki guides, deals posts, and much more for IGN. You can get your fix of Brian's antics on Twitter and Instagram (@Ribnax).