Product: Doom 3 Price: $280 Pros: Stunning graphics and potentially nightmare-inducing scenes Cons: Limited multi-player options
The Doom series of interactive computer games has had a long history that has helped spawn a large and loyal fan base worldwide.
Texas-based id Software unleashed the first version of Doom on the world in 1994. The game and its sequel sold millions of copies and chalked up tens of millions of internet downloads as shareware. The company has since continued to support shareware and other non-traditional means of distribution, which has influenced the way other firms market and sell video games.
Doom's source code was subsequently made available to its fan base, encouraging would-be game designers to modify the game and create their own levels, or 'mods'. Fans were free to distribute their mods of the game as long as the updates were offered free of charge to other enthusiasts.
After four years in development, the three-dimensional, interactive computer game Doom 3 was released worldwide last month.
The game pits the player or players against the forces of evil. It also borrows heavily from the Hollywood movie franchise Alien's sinister scenario of corporate interest in slimy monsters and its horrific results.