Series of computer games Doom, the first-person shooter genre, represents the logo in the form of a name that matches the game’s concept. The style and shape of the Doom logo have remained unchanged for many years and reflect the intense atmosphere of the game and its essence. Each game series has its distinctive mark.
Doom: Brand overview
Founded: | 1993 |
Founder: | id Software |
Headquarters: |
U.S. |
Doom is a first-person shooter video game presented in a single series format. Its first issue is dated 1993, the last – 2020. It was created by a group of like-minded programmers and is owned by ZeniMax Media. Its developers include John Romero, John Carmack, Tom Hall, Kevin Cloud, and Adrian Carmack.
The main gaming character is an unnamed Space Marine working for the Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC). He confronts hordes of demons and monsters to prevent the takeover of Earth. Events take place on the planet Mars, as well as on its closest satellites and in two laboratories. The computer shooter has three-dimensional graphics, multiplayer mode, and support for individual modifications.It all started in 1992 when id Software launched the game, which brought in a lot of profit, gaining recognition among gamers and critics alike. It was Wolfenstein 3D. After its release, John Carmack, a programmer, got carried away with the study of progressive technologies. At the same time, the rest of the team worked in parallel on another video game. As a result, he proposed a new engine. Kevin Cloud immediately appreciated the advantages discovered and wanted to combine it with fresh developments for the new game they were doing. The team began to implement the idea immediately after the launch of Spear of Destiny.
But at the very start of implementation, programmers and designers thought about the name, which later became the basis for the shooter’s general emblem. One of the employees suggested the word “Doom,” which is pronounced by the character Tom Cruise in the ending of the movie “The Color of Money.” It fit perfectly into the concept of the plot, as it contained several meanings – “fate,” “doom,” “rock.”
It took a year to develop. Like the studio’s previous video game, it was first distributed shareware: the first episode was free, it also served as a demo. This version was released by id Software itself. GT Interactive published the copies. The initial part appeared on the BBS only in December 1993. The next version (augmented) was launched in 1995. The last episode was released in 2020 under the name Doom Eternal. Generally speaking, for a given period, one version of the game was launched every year – the main or additional.
Meaning and History
All Doom logos contain the name of this video game series. The word was always written in capital letters, creating a sense of danger and tension due to visually massive lines with many angles. Moreover, the inscription in outline resembles the teeth on the upper jaw – not ordinary, but sharp, like those of a predatory animal. After the redesign, the shape of the emblem remained almost unchanged: the developers paid attention to the color, replacing the colorful “brick” ornament with a solid black fill.
The debut game is divided into three episodes with eight levels each (+ one secret). In further versions, this division is not used. The plot is presented in different ways, depending on the part: it can be text inserts, notes, notes, videos. Moreover, all series have a distinctive mark. Mostly it is related to content and reflects a character (mainly undead, monsters, demons). The only thing that is invariable in it is the style and form of the name. It is this that is the basic detail of the logos.
What is Doom?
Doom – is a multimedia franchise created based on the eponymous video game that first appeared in 1993. It exists in the form of comics, novels, sequels, board games, and various adaptations. Its creators are Tom Hall, Kevin Cloud, Adrian Carmack, John Romero, and John Carmack.
1993 – 2016
This Doom logo was designed by prominent artist Donald Ivan Punchatz, known for his illustrations in magazines and sci-fi publications. He presented the game’s title in a brutal style, “hanging” a massive inscription over the space. This effect is created due to the shape of the letters: they are aligned horizontally from above, and at the bottom, they protrude with sharp peaks. Even both “O” s have corners, which are shaped like asymmetrical heptagons. The “D” on the left and the “M” on the right is stretched down, making the word look like an arch.
To enhance the impression of “archedness,” the artist decorated the lower part of the letters with a brown brick ornament. At the same time, the top of the inscription looks completely different: it is decorated with a gray pattern of pipes and lights, which resembles some complex mechanism. This design speaks to the diversity of Doom locations. And the intra-letter gaps “D” and “O” look like corridors going into the distance.
2016 – today
Modern designers have simplified the logo by making the name of the computer games black and two-dimensional. They removed the side edges – those that protruded along the edges – and cleared the space inside the “D” and “O.” The outer letters retained sharp serifs, while both “O” s retained their original heptagonal shape. But now, the word “Doom” looks more symmetrical because it corrected the broken proportions. At least the border between the two “O’s” runs exactly in the center of the inscription.
Font and Colors
The main symbol of Doom is a beveled inscription with letters of different sizes. Even though this is a text, the signs in it are individual. The center “O” has pointed corners and chopped off top edges. “D” and “M” have opposite sides equally stretched, so the letters appear to be mirrored identical. They are shaped like a guillotine blade. They also have two serifs: small at the bottom and large at the top.
The font used for the shooter emblem is as close as possible to the Amazdoom font created by Amazingmax. They have similarly pointed letters with elongated elements. The color of the logo is variable and depends on the series.
Doom color codes
Black | Hex color: | #000000 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 0 0 0 | |
CMYK: | 0 0 0 100 | |
Pantone: | PMS Process Black C |