FANS LIVE WITH DOOM AS QUAKE APPROACHES.

Byline: Katie Fairbank Associated Press 

The creator of Doom, id Software Inc., which gained corporate fame by sharing the incredibly popular game free to all comers on the Internet, is having to fight off its own creation.

Eager to see id Software's latest offering, thousands of impatient Doom fans are ready for their next fix - and are telling the company to hurry and release Quake, one of the most-anticipated new Internet games for this year.

``I've never seen a game before with entire news groups and Web sites dedicated to it,'' said Todd Copilevitz, a columnist who examines and critiques software for The Dallas Morning News. ``They've really got their work cut out.''

The Doom popularity began in late 1993 when it was released as shareware. Parts of a shareware game or program are made available free to anyone who logs on to the Internet site.

By giving away the first part of Doom free, the company hooked many people on the game and then sold new accessories to the original. Doom has become one of the most popular games of all time, the company said.

Lots of gore goes into Doom, which has the player making a hellish journey through various levels of rooms and mazes to save mankind from homicidal mutants.

Along with its sequel, Doom II: Hell on Earth, and Heretic, a collaboration between id Software and Raven Software that turns Doom into a medieval nightmare, the game has helped rake in sales worth $7.5 million for the company in 1994 and $14 million in 1995.

And the Doom craze didn't stop on the Internet. There are Doom-based paperbacks. Universal Pictures has secured the movie rights.

With the Doom hype now in its third year, fans are looking for new challenges in Quake, scheduled to be released this spring as shareware.

To get the game up and started, id Software developers are working around the clock, eating at their desks and really pushing.

``The official release date for all id games is `as soon as it's finished,' '' said co-owner Jay Wilbur. ``Nobody hears the `maybe,' the `might,' if I give you a date and it doesn't turn out to be true.''

This month, the company put out a test version, which contains three maps, mystical-type weapons and no visible monsters. It also has a translucent feel, with new types of sound and light.

Much of the initial reaction to Quake has been negative, with many fans complaining that the technology is not up to par.

Some posted comments on the Internet included: ``This looks like Doom with a make-over,'' and ``I hope they are NOT done, and that's why id didn't include (the monsters).''

But some industry watchers caution that Quake should not be judged by its test run.

``It's too early to write off Quake,'' said Fredric Paul, editor in chief of PC Entertainment magazine in San Mateo.

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Photo

Photo: Jay Wilbur co-owns hte company that created the game Doom.

Associated Press