BBC Newsbeat<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Few names are as synonymous with video games as Doom.<\/p>\n First launched in 1993, the first-person shooter (FPS) remains one of the most influential – and popular – series in the industry.<\/p>\n But even it and its superhuman protagonist, The Doom Slayer, have to contend with the pressures of the games industry in 2025.<\/p>\n Attracting new players, competing with the new titans on the scene and the rising cost of making – and selling – blockbuster titles. <\/p>\n BBC Newsbeat spoke to the project leaders of the latest instalment, Doom: The Dark Ages, about navigating some of these challenges.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n While the Doom series is famous for pitting players against colossal enemies, there are other behemoths it has to face.<\/p>\n “There’s so much stuff competing for our attention these days, whether it’s games, movies, or whatever,” says executive producer Marty Stratton.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n There’s evidence to suggest players, particularly younger ones, are spending most of their time on these titles – sometimes referred to as “forever games”.<\/p>\n In the latest Online Nation report<\/a> by UK regulator Ofcom, five of the top ten games among UK players were F2P. <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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”.<\/p>\n “It doesn’t have to become your obsession for the next two years,” he says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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.<\/p>\n But, as industry expert Rhys Elliot, from Alinea Analytics, tells Newsbeat, it’s getting harder to rely solely on your hardcore players.<\/p>\n Overall, he says, the number of people playing premium titles isn’t increasing, but the cost of making them is.<\/p>\n “The people who make games – they still need to make revenues each year because, you know, capitalism,” he says.<\/p>\n One way of doing this is by attracting new players.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n “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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n “In that regard I think it’s going to be a great first-time experience for a lot of fans,” says Hugo.<\/p>\n But there’s still the small matter of the cost of entry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The debate over prices has been a feature of gaming discourse for years.<\/p>\n In 2010, a new game cost roughly \u00a340 in the UK – and players had plenty to say about it at the time.<\/p>\n If you take into account inflation (using this Bank of England tool<\/a>), that would be about \u00a360 in today’s money. <\/p>\n Doom: The Dark Ages itself costs \u00a369.99 for a standard edition or almost \u00a3100 for a limited Premium Edition with extras included.<\/p>\n “When you look at the history of game pricing… it really hasn’t skyrocketed,” says Marty.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n That could make competitors such as Fortnite – which don’t require new, specialised hardware to run – even more appealing for cash-strapped players.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n “You’re not going to be asked to pay anything else, two hours in,” he says.<\/p>\n F2P games generate cash with in-game purchases, ranging from “microtransactions” equivalent to a handful of change or, in some cases, hundreds of pounds.<\/p>\n Those costs can mount up, and a recent poll<\/a> of 2,001 gamers by British bank TSB suggested dedicated players can spend about \u00a322 a month on those transactions.<\/p>\n 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”.<\/p>\n “Typically, if you just make a really good game then people will want to play it again,” he says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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.<\/p>\n “Hopefully there’ll be more competition there. It’s good for consumers,” he says.<\/p>\n Doom is also available on PC and Xbox via Game Pass – Microsoft’s Netflix-style subscription priced at \u00a314.99 a month.<\/p>\n![\"Bethesda](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/78bb\/live\/ed7ac1a0-326b-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp\")
Bethesda<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n‘You know exactly what you’re getting’<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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Bethesda<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Bethesda](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/1917\/live\/93040ac0-30a8-11f0-a620-b132f633f1b3.jpg.webp\")
Bethesda<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/adab\/live\/3d584bb0-30a1-11f0-ad02-b95db8a5d645.jpg.webp\")
Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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