“Marine Doom” — one of the first computer games for military training

In the mid-1990s, unexpected software became part of the U.S. Marine Corps training program — the computer game Doom. Initially developed in 1993 by the company Id Software, created by legendary game developers John Carmack and John Romero, the game introduced a groundbreaking first-person shooter in which a player could navigate dark corridors and shoot demonic and alien enemies.

With its advanced graphics engine, which provided a realistic sense of movement, and its fast-paced gameplay, Doom quickly became one of the most popular games of the 1990s. It set the standard for many other contemporary shooting games. Doom also became a pop culture phenomenon in the U.S., spreading rapidly worldwide.

Part of the game’s popularity stemmed from its intense and addictive gameplay. Playing over a network allowed multiple players to engage in multiplayer gaming. This networking feature made the game particularly suitable for military training, where cooperation and communication are crucial in combat. This, in turn, sparked interest in the game within the U.S. Marine Corps.

From Apartment Rooms to Military Training Fields

Why did the Marine Corps choose a video game to train its soldiers? The answer lies partly in limited resources and the need for innovation. In the 1990s, the U.S. Marine Corps faced several budget cuts, making conducting large and expensive exercises difficult. The solution was to find cheaper alternatives, and some officers began considering video games.

With its simple graphics and multiplayer capabilities, Doom was seen as a cost-effective solution for training smaller Marine units such as squads and platoons. Under the leadership of Colonel Paul Hanover and a team of technical specialists at the Quantico base, Doom was adapted for military purposes. They replaced the game’s demons with hostile soldiers and created several missions where standard Marine Corps weapons, like the M-16 assault rifle, replaced Doom’s original weapons. In this way, the game Marine Doom was created.

The Game in Service of the Corps

What made Marine Doom important for the Marine Corps was its ability to simulate real combat scenarios. Players were divided into four-man teams in the game, just like in real-life situations. Each player had a specific role: team leader, automatic rifleman, or machine gunner. Together, they practiced covering each other’s positions, conducting offensive and defensive maneuvers, and communicating under pressure.

A typical mission in Marine Doom could involve securing a building or advancing through enemy-held territory. During these digital missions, soldiers learned to think tactically and make split-second decisions — skills critical in actual combat. One of the most important aspects was that players learned the value of trusting each other and operating as a cohesive unit.

Nostalgia and the Future

Despite its simple graphics and relatively limited features, Marine Doom succeeded within the Marine Corps during the 1990s. It inspired the development of other military training games, most notably America’s Army, which is still used today as a recruitment tool. Marine Doom became available to the public and has since achieved cult status among military history enthusiasts and gaming fans.

Even today, the game is an early example of how gaming technology has been used for real-world physical training. For soldiers, the game offered a new way to train in tactical scenarios where mistakes could be made safely, providing valuable learning opportunities. With Marine Doom, “the line was blurred” between games and reality.

In an era where war games are a significant part of our pop culture, it’s fascinating to see how a game was once used to train real soldiers. Although no longer in use, Marine Doom remains a unique example of how digital tools can significantly impact different contexts.

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