Wolfenstein 3D is a first-person shooter game developed by id Software in 1992. The game was originally released for MS-DOS. In 1993 id Software would go on to develop and release DOOM, one of greatest first-person shooter games ever made. While DOOM often receives the accolades (and deservingly so) for propelling the first-person shooter genre forward, the impact of Wolfenstein 3D on gaming a year earlier cannot be denied.
Wolfenstein 3D was one of the original first-person shooters. The core game mechanics helped define the genre, and are still widely used today. Lightning fast movement. Tight, responsive controls. A game camera through the character’s eyes. Wolfenstein 3D was much different from the top-down and side scrolling shooters that came before it. It was a totally new and immersive gaming experience from a fresh perspective. Over the last 30 years the first-person shooter genre has become one of the most dominant in the gaming industry. While the graphics have changed, the core design formula that Wolfenstein 3D established remains the standard.
Not only was Wolfenstein 3D groundbreaking in terms of gameplay, but the sales were pretty good too. The developers originally used a shareware distribution model for the game. Players could download the first episode of the game for free, and purchase the remaining episodes if they enjoyed it. And enjoy it they did. Wolfenstein 3D would soon become a massive commercial hit, downloaded by players around the world. The ‘free demo’ distribution of the game was incredibly lucrative, and something that has become commonplace for many publishers in the business today.
Wolfenstein 3D was so successful and adored by players that it prompted a strong mod-building community to emerge. And the developers took notice. They would later go on to release the Wolfenstein 3D Super Upgrades pack, featuring over 800 fan-made levels and a map editor. Up to this point, most map editors were created by players and fans. Optimized mod-building tools released by a developer was a big deal at the time. This type of game-specific toolset allows players to create and get their content up and running much faster. Thanks to Wolfenstein 3D, map editors included with first-person shooter games would soon become the norm.
While sometimes overlooked, Wolfenstein 3D marked the beginning of commercial success for the first-person shooter game genre. Frantic gameplay paired with tight controls, the ‘free demo’ distribution model, and user-content creation tools are still staples in the genre today. Almost three decades ago, Wolfenstein 3D set the gold standard for what a first-person shooter should be. It brought something new and exciting to the table, and games have never been the same since.
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