When John and Adrian Carmack, Tom Hall, and John Romero created Doom in 1993, it catapulted id Software to instant rock star status and Romero became the studio's poster boy. While the Carmacks and Hall preferred to avoid the limelight, Romero reveled in his king gamer status.
A quarter-century later, Romero might be having some regrets about all those video game ads he lent his face to.
Especially these Doom ads, where Romero's likeness can be seen shilling for several joystick companies. These days, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone using a joystick outside of Microsoft Flight Simulator or Elite Dangerous, but using a joystick for a first-person shooter? Utterly inconceivable, and no one is more acutely aware of how ridiculous these '90s ads look than Romero himself.
"I can confirm that I am horrified and am having a strong talk with my 1998 self," wrote Romero, as well he should be. Not only did Romero have the hubris to wear a crown back in 1998, but that Panther XL he’s shilling for? It’s got a trackball. You show me a single Doom player that needs a trackball and I’ll eat my mouse (don’t actually show me someone playing Doom with a trackball--I like my mouse).
In the same thread, Romero admits there were some hard lessons learned from his early days at id Software, especially when it comes to the moniker of "id Software Stud."
But it doesn't get any more '90s than this ad for a Logitech Wingman Warrior where Romero is very clearly channeling his inner Slash. That's another '90s reference for you.
I'm sure the word "studly" is the first word that comes to mind when you see how high those jeans are hiked.