Think about the video games we play today – the stunning graphics, the fluid movement, the feeling of being right there in the action. It’s easy to take all that for granted, but back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, PC gaming was a very different beast. Computers were powerful for their time, but they struggled with things we consider basic now, like smooth scrolling. Most games on a personal computer would update the screen in jerky, noticeable steps, making the world feel stiff and artificial. This was a huge hurdle for developers who dreamed of creating games that felt as exciting and seamless as those on dedicated game consoles, where custom hardware made things a bit easier.
This is where a group of incredibly talented, young programmers and artists, the future stars of id Software, came into the picture. They were hungry to push boundaries, but they faced this exact problem: how to make a PC game scroll with the buttery smoothness of a Nintendo title. Their solution wasn’t for an epic space opera or a dark fantasy; it was for a colorful platformer called *Commander Keen in Goodbye Galaxy!* John Carmack, the genius programmer, cracked the code, inventing a technique that let the computer redraw only the parts of the screen that changed, making the background glide by effortlessly. And when John Romero, another co-founder, saw it for the first time, he famously exclaimed, “That was just one of the craziest things in a videogame I’d ever seen,” before literally falling out of his chair in pure astonishment.
Now, let’s talk about that $5,000. *Commander Keen* wasn’t an FPS (first-person shooter) in the way *Doom* is, but it was id Software’s second major release and a crucial step. The game was distributed using something called “shareware,” a brilliant model where you could try the first part of a game for free, and if you liked it, you’d pay a small fee to unlock the rest. That initial $5,000 figure likely represents the very early days of people actually sending in money for the full game. It wasn’t a fortune, especially for a company with big dreams, but it was enough to show them that their games could sell, that their shareware model worked, and most importantly, that their technological breakthroughs were resonating with players. It gave them just enough fuel to keep going, to keep experimenting, and to chase those wild ideas.
Here’s the interesting part: while *Commander Keen* was a fantastic platformer, the true magic wasn’t just the game itself, but the technology powering that smooth scrolling. The moment Romero fell out of his chair wasn’t just about a cute alien kid hopping around; it was about the realization that a PC could finally handle console-level movement. The developers started asking themselves, “If we can make a 2D world scroll this well, what about a 3D one?” This “what if” question was the spark that ignited a revolution. The same programming wizardry that made Keen glide through his levels could, with some clever adjustments, be applied to a three-dimensional environment, creating the illusion of moving through a complex, real-time world on a PC.
This direct lineage from a cartoon platformer to a gritty shooter might sound unbelievable, but it’s the absolute truth. The smooth scrolling tech developed for *Commander Keen* became the bedrock upon which *Wolfenstein 3D* was built. Imagine taking that feeling of fluid movement and applying it to a castle full of Nazis, where you’re seeing the world through the eyes of a character, shooting and exploring. *Wolfenstein 3D*, released in 1992, wasn’t just a game; it was a phenomenon, proving that fast-paced, first-person action was not only possible on a PC but incredibly fun. This success then directly paved the way for *Doom* in 1993, a game that didn’t just push boundaries, it obliterated them, defining the FPS genre for decades to come and forever changing how people thought about interactive entertainment.
Think about the ripple effect of that one moment, that single, chair-toppling display of awe. If id Software hadn’t pushed past the technical limitations of the time for *Commander Keen*, if that smooth scrolling hadn’t blown Romero away, would they have ever dared to tackle a 3D world? It’s a massive “what if” for the entire gaming industry. We might never have seen the birth of the modern FPS, the genre that now dominates esports and generates billions. id Software’s journey, celebrating 35 years, is a powerful reminder that sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from unexpected places, from solving a seemingly small problem that unlocks a universe of possibilities.
The reality is, the gaming landscape we inhabit today owes an incredible debt to those early days at id Software. It wasn’t just about making games; it was about breaking down walls, challenging what was thought possible, and doing it all with a spirit of innovation that continues to inspire. From a modest $5,000 initial take for a shareware game and a developer literally falling out of his chair, grew a studio that would define entire genres and leave an indelible mark on popular culture. It’s a testament to creativity, perseverance, and the sheer power of a truly mind-blowing technological leap.