Romero forges Slipgate Ironworks

Storied game designer reveals new company via casting call for designers for his new MMOG.

In February, notorious game designer John Romero revealed that he was working on a massively multiplayer online role-playing game on this official blog, www.Rome.ro. "Many people already knew I was making an MMO for about the past 4-5 months but evidently there are a lot more who didn't know," wrote the self-confident Daikatana creator. "The torrent of diarrhea from people's posts on the Net about it confirms just how out-of-date most people's knowledge of my history is after the id or Ion era."

Now, the famous--or infamous, depending on one's opinion--game designer has revealed the name of his new company. Without fanfare, this week the Web site for Slipgate Ironworks went live. Still in its early stages, the site consists primarily of job listings, including solicitations for a senior 3D artist midlevel tools programmer, concept artist, and senior game designer. No platform or title for the game has yet been announced.

"My executive cabal and I are very excited to build an amazing development team," wrote the ever-effusive Romero on slipg8.com's one and only page. The site describes Slipgate as a "newly founded and funded MMO game company in the Bay Area," adding that it's working on "developing a Super Secret Mystery Project that will be revealed to only the most qualified candidates!" Those interested in applying for positions can e-mail Romero directly at john@slipg8.com.

Slipgate is the latest startup from Romero since he left id Software, which he cofounded. In 2001, he formed the mobile-focused developer Monkeystone Games with fellow id cofounder Tom Hall. In late 2003, Hall and Romero left the company for a brief stint at Midway Games' San Diego studio, where they helped develop Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows. However, both exited the studio months before the game was released in December 2005 to poor reviews.

37 Comments

  • komradandre

    Posted Apr 9, 2007 11:45 am PT

    well, at least he lost the pony tail.

  • Ima_Grey

    Posted Jul 11, 2006 11:37 am PT

    Cool! Another company Romero can run into the ground!!

  • Stiler

    Posted Jul 11, 2006 11:12 am PT

    "Btw for those thinking that Romero is good because of past ID games, Romero is a Level designer, those games that ID made, he was a level designer for, he was a programmer infrequently (Dangerous dave) .

    If you honestly thought he had talent and played Daikatana you'd understand."

    Uhh, no, he was a co founder of ID and a LEAD designer, while carmack was the lead programmer, of course there were others involved with the games aswell, he wasn't just a lv designer...

    He did a lot more besides help design lv's and such for many of those games.

  • Joshua250

    Posted Jul 11, 2006 8:51 am PT

    John Romero needs to get back with another good company like id.

  • kinglink2

    Posted Jul 11, 2006 8:11 am PT

    Btw for those thinking that Romero is good because of past ID games, Romero is a Level designer, those games that ID made, he was a level designer for, he was a programmer infrequently (Dangerous dave) .

    If you honestly thought he had talent and played Daikatana you'd understand.

  • kinglink2

    Posted Jul 11, 2006 8:10 am PT

    DAIKATANA ONLINE!!!

    Yes, something to take more ridicule away from Duke Nukem Forever.

  • skemaal

    Posted Jul 11, 2006 8:07 am PT

    Romero who!???

    Did he make an impact in gaming history? Yes! Has he become full of himself and lazy that no one wants to work with him? Yes! Do we really need another MMO.......NOOOOO !!!! . Decent games made in almost a decade.? None. Nuff...said

  • 4esth

    Posted Jul 11, 2006 8:01 am PT

    "Why does everyone think about Daikatana and forget about the hugeeeeee games like Heretic, Commander Keen, Doom, Wolfenstein, Quake, etc?"

    Hah I didn't forget. I still remember picking up a shareware floppy of wolfenstein from the rack in the mall. Brought it home and played on my 486 66mhz. Awesome times. Come back Apogee!

  • dioditto

    Posted Jul 11, 2006 7:13 am PT

    This must be the age of LAST MAN. I applaude Romero's attempt at becoming Übermensch, while spitting on this forum of spitful apathetic creatures who darest to even speak.

  • roadrunner1178

    Posted Jul 11, 2006 5:40 am PT

    Have to wait and see if it can impact like Doom or Wolfenstein, probably not though.

  • Hellisunreal

    Posted Jul 11, 2006 3:26 am PT

    let's c wat happens

  • Scarabus

    Posted Jul 11, 2006 12:28 am PT

    Romero can start ten dozen companies for all I care, as long as he's not designing.

  • Redsyrup

    Posted Jul 11, 2006 12:22 am PT

    To all the guys who point to programming celebs, get a clue that it takes team work to make a game work.

  • ketsuatama

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 11:15 pm PT

    I bet Romero is somehow involved with the Duke Nukem Forever fiasco as well!

  • shortyx777

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 9:39 pm PT

    This picture makes him look like Keanu Reeves.

  • RoboWizard

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 9:13 pm PT

    I am totally down with DIAKATANA ONLINE!!!!!

  • Propbuddha

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 8:38 pm PT

    Hey Romero, make a good game or actually finish one you start and then we may give a flying **** about your MMO.

    And, BTW we don't need another MMO.

  • manyflawz

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 8:18 pm PT

    umm ok

  • PlanoPunisher

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 7:38 pm PT

    John Romero's father is Cesar Romero, who played The Joker in the 1960s BATMAN TV show.

  • diablusx

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 7:36 pm PT

    Best of luck

  • Stiler

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 7:33 pm PT

    People give John way too much crap for Daikatana.

    GET OVER IT PEOPLE, holy crap every developer makes mistake (True some more/bigger then others) but it was ONE FREAKING GAME.

    Why does everyone think about Daikatana and forget about the hugeeeeee games like Heretic, Commander Keen, Doom, Wolfenstein, Quake, etc?

    I don't know about you, but out of all those games he was bound to have a dud somewhere.

    I think people give him way too much crap for one bad game and won't even give him another chance even though he's responsible for a ton of great games.

  • Auricom_Pilot

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 7:22 pm PT

    Go J Ro!

  • rynmls

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 6:38 pm PT

    who the hell this guy is, does he created a good game at least...

  • VegetaMaelstrom

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 6:19 pm PT

    The only good thing the guy did since leaving id is bang Stevie Chase. Bada-bing!

  • MC_Hammerty

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 6:01 pm PT

    Number of good games he's made since id: 0

    Number of games he's made since id: Too damn much.5

    We really ought to tell him that the times has changed and he is a D-list celebrity in the gaming world. The population must rise and say "We're about to make John Romero our *****."

  • drsquid

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 6:00 pm PT

    errr it obvious (to me) what it is.....

    my bets are on the MMORPG that is to coincide with James Cameron's new film 'Avatar' that is I think a 2008 release film...

    its a sci-fi film that is supposed to have a MMO game tie-in

  • BxMxS2004

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 6:00 pm PT

    anyone else get excited expecting this news to be about GEORGE Romero?

  • EyeNixon

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 5:56 pm PT

    I just hope you guys realize that he dropped out of the Daikatana project pretty early in its development, it couldn't have been all his fault.

    Or maybe he just tainted it beyond all repair.

    DAMN YOU ROMERO! DAMN YOU TO HEEEEELLL!!!!!

  • dsm_guy

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 5:54 pm PT

    Poor John Romero. As the wise man MC Hammer once sang: "Da Da Da Da Naaa....I'ts over!"

  • ScentedNinja

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 5:53 pm PT

    This will only end in tears.

  • Jin

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 5:10 pm PT

    I think someone should tell him he's not a big shot anymore.

  • Xanog1

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 4:48 pm PT

    Possible Daikatana MMO?

    It'll be the best MMO ever!

  • rgsniper1

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 4:44 pm PT

    I just can't see myself letting J.Romero making me his *****.
    - disclamier - If you're old school you'll get this.

  • Rmadilo

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 4:43 pm PT

    Given his history of moving from one company to another with little success, why would any "most qualified candidate" want to work for John Romero?

  • smiley17O

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 4:40 pm PT

    yup um..

  • Xerran

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 4:36 pm PT

    John Romero $uck$ @$$

    Daikatana & Gauntlet sequel; enough said.

  • hemakm3

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 4:32 pm PT

    Sounds cool.

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