John Romero, co-creator of DOOM, has pushed back on claims that piracy harmed id Software, arguing that DOOM's first episode was intentionally designed for free distribution as a shareware model — not piracy. He disputed Sandy Petersen's assertion that 70-90% of DOOM players pirated the game, noting the 20 million shareware installs were a deliberate promotional strategy. Romero acknowledged that free distribution can sometimes make a game impossible to ignore, while still urging players to buy games they love. The exchange is part of an ongoing public disagreement between the two designers, with broader context provided by examples of how other studios handle piracy today.
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