Fiction Writer Graham Joyce Joins up with id Software

With Doom 4 announced last May, many fans are anxious to find out exactly what id Software has in store. Besides a brief Quakecon preview, things are sill very much under wraps. So, it’s nice to hear that Graham Joyce, the well-known English fiction writer, has been chosen to help drive the story and lore behind Doom 4.

Best known for his fantasy novel, Dreamside (1991), Joyce has many other published works, and has received several literary awards. Despite any distance separating the two realms, literature and video games are indeed two mediums that both seek to tell a story. Though, most gamers are now wondering if Doom really needs a story to match its award-winning, combat-heavy experience.

Certainly, fans of such an influential epic as Doom have remained divided over recent installments of the series, namely Doom 3 — alongside its arguably mediocre adaptation to cinema in 2005. Regardless, both in technology and gameplay, Doom has unquestionably pushed the limits of the gaming industry, making the FPS genre what it is today. It’s a goddamn classic, to say the least.

However, some fans are concerned that too much story may interfere with its fundamental gameplay — that is, vanquishing hell-spawn with extreme prejudice. A similar reaction occurred a few years back when Doom reclaimed its spotlight, emerging as a vastly more complex, scarier creation in Doom 3. Contrasted with these complaints, some feel that an improved story can’t hurt the series.

Differences aside, both groups seem to be genuinely excited about the current development of Doom 4. Having stated that “Doom is part of the id Software DNA and demands the greatest talent and brightest minds. . . to bring the next installment of our flagship franchise to Earth,” id Software truly has high ambitions for the future — and rightfully so.

As development continues, fans will hopefully be able to see Joyce’s specific impact on the title. Whether a hardcore believer in the series or not, welcoming authors into the game development industry shows its unrivaled ability to evolve and constantly surprise any and all naysayers.