Doom: The Dark Ages and the challenges of finding new players

BBC News

17-05-2025

Few names are as synonymous with video games as Doom.First launched in 1993, the first-person shooter (FPS) remains one of the most influential - and popular - series in the industry.But even it and its superhuman protagonist, The Doom Slayer, have to contend with the pressures of the games industry in 2025.Attracting new players, competing with the new titans on the scene and the rising cost of making - and selling - blockbuster titles. BBC Newsbeat spoke to the project leaders of the latest instalment, Doom: The Dark Ages, about navigating some of these challenges.
'You know exactly what you're getting'
While the Doom series is famous for pitting players against colossal enemies, there are other behemoths it has to face."There's so much stuff competing for our attention these days, whether it's games, movies, or whatever," says executive producer Marty Stratton.Free-to-play (F2P) games, such as Fortnite and Roblox, and annually updated series such as Call of Duty and EA FC regularly dominate most-played charts.There's evidence to suggest players, particularly younger ones, are spending most of their time on these titles - sometimes referred to as "forever games".In the latest Online Nation report by UK regulator Ofcom, five of the top ten games among UK players were F2P. Fortnite recorded about 2.65m active UK users in May 2024, and Roblox 1.22m, according to the report, and global figures are much higher.Drawing those players to premium titles can be a challenge but Marty argues games such as Doom, which can be completed in under 20 hours, can "fit into those habits"."It doesn't have to become your obsession for the next two years," he says.
The Doom series - developed by Dallas-based ID Software - has an advantage over others because it's so well-known and has a large, loyal fanbase.But, as industry expert Rhys Elliot, from Alinea Analytics, tells Newsbeat, it's getting harder to rely solely on your hardcore players.Overall, he says, the number of people playing premium titles isn't increasing, but the cost of making them is."The people who make games - they still need to make revenues each year because, you know, capitalism," he says.One way of doing this is by attracting new players.Doom's director Hugo Martin says the response to Doom: The Dark Age's previews were encouraging - something he puts down in part to its new "Medieval sci-fi" setting and altered gameplay style."We see it in the comments - a lot of people are saying 'I think this is going to be my first Doom', and that's exciting for us," he says.The games industry has also leaned into customisation in recent years, giving players the power to finely tweak different elements and aspects of difficulty - something that's been incorporated into The Dark Ages."In that regard I think it's going to be a great first-time experience for a lot of fans," says Hugo.But there's still the small matter of the cost of entry.
The debate over prices has been a feature of gaming discourse for years.In 2010, a new game cost roughly £40 in the UK - and players had plenty to say about it at the time.If you take into account inflation (using this Bank of England tool), that would be about £60 in today's money. Doom: The Dark Ages itself costs £69.99 for a standard edition or almost £100 for a limited Premium Edition with extras included."When you look at the history of game pricing... it really hasn't skyrocketed," says Marty.The issue has been thrown back into the spotlight thanks to worries over Donald Trump's tariff plans and price announcements from the three major console makers.That could make competitors such as Fortnite - which don't require new, specialised hardware to run - even more appealing for cash-strapped players.But Doom producer Marty argues that "free" games can end up costing players more in the long run, while there are "no unknown expenses" with a one-off purchase such as Doom."You're not going to be asked to pay anything else, two hours in," he says.F2P games generate cash with in-game purchases, ranging from "microtransactions" equivalent to a handful of change or, in some cases, hundreds of pounds.Those costs can mount up, and a recent poll of 2,001 gamers by British bank TSB suggested dedicated players can spend about £22 a month on those transactions.That's still less than a tentpole new release, but Doom's director Hugo also believes people are happy to pay more for a "curated experience" with "replay value"."Typically, if you just make a really good game then people will want to play it again," he says.
Analyst Rhys believes we're going to see more "fiddling with prices" and surcharges "to see what customers are willing to pay" and a wider range of RRPs for new releases."Hopefully there'll be more competition there. It's good for consumers," he says.Doom is also available on PC and Xbox via Game Pass - Microsoft's Netflix-style subscription priced at £14.99 a month.There's evidence more people are turning to this, as well as Sony's PlayStation Plus - raising questions over whether they put players off paying full price.Game Pass players could pay a £34.99/$34.99 upgrade fee to access the game two days early and receive bonus content.Hasan Piker: Streamer says he was detained at US airportWhat have we learned from Grand Theft Auto 6's second trailer?Clair Obscur: How a passion project became 2025's most talked-about gameRhys says we are likely to see more of these sorts of offers are aimed at "superfans" who want to keep up with the latest releases. For everyone else, waiting is an option."You can pick up the first 2016 Doom game for like £4 right now," says Rhys.Doom's makers, perhaps unsurprisingly, believe their latest is worth jumping into."We think about price when we're developing it - we obviously want the value to be there for players," says Marty."Ultimately, it's a market. Players will determine what they want to spend.""I think it's there's obviously still a place for a good, premium, highly polished, fun single-player game," adds Hugo.
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