Doom

id Software briefly negotiated to make Doom an Aliens licensed game before pulling out to retain creative control. Carmack then suggested replacing the xenomorphs with demons, proposing a cross between Aliens and Evil Dead II for the concept.

“Originally, we wanted to do a game based on the Aliens license and we actually were in negotiations to do it and at the last minute we bailed out because we wanted total creative control and that was not going to happen with a licensed property.”

id Software conceived Doom as a hybrid of Aliens and Evil Dead II, the team's favorite B-movie. The film's over-the-top weaponry, particularly the chainsaw and shotgun combo, shaped the game's arsenal design.

“Doom was then imagined as a cross between Aliens and the team's favorite B-grade horror movie, Evil Dead II.”

The concept of demons invading a planet came from the id team's D&D campaign, which had ended with demons overrunning an entire world. This became the template for Doom's hell invasion premise.

“That decision may have also been slightly influenced by the aftermath of our last D&D campaign, the end of which came about because demons had overrun the entire planet and destroyed the whole game”

The deathmatch mode emerged from the team's obsession with arcade fighting games during development breaks. Romero said Japanese fighting games fueled the creative impulse to create deathmatch, translating competitive one-on-one combat into shooter form.

“Romero later stated that "you could say that Japanese fighting games fueled the creative impulse to create deathmatch in our shooters".”

Bobby Prince composed the soundtrack using tapes Romero gave him as rough guides for the metal sound id wanted. The tapes included Tony Martin-era Black Sabbath, shaping Doom's heavy metal score.

“For inspiration Romero handed Prince tapes with what he calls "Tony Martin-era Black Sabbath", to serve as rough guides for "what we are looking for".”

Bobby Prince took inspiration from a pile of heavy metal CDs loaned by John Romero during composition. The collection included seminal Pantera albums alongside Alice in Chains and Metallica records.

“For "Doom," Prince took inspiration from a pile of CDs loaned by the game's chief designer, John Romero, including seminal works by Alice in Chains, Pantera and Metallica.”

Doom built directly on technology and team expertise from id's previous game. John Carmack developed the new engine while the rest of the team worked on Wolfenstein's sequel Spear of Destiny, then applied that engine to Doom.

“Following the successful release of Wolfenstein 3D in May 1992, most of the id Software team worked on the sequel, Spear of Destiny.”