It Started With ‘Doom:’ How Texas Became A Gaming Powerhouse

Major studios and indie developers find gaming gold in the Lone Star State.

By Alain StephensAugust 3, 2017 6:49 pm,

Texas is known for the role it has played in the growth of the tech industry, but many people aren’t aware that developers in the Lone Star State have had a big hand in creating some of the most influential video games around. That includes the classic, 90s game, Doom, a pioneer in 3-D graphics and multiplayer capability. The early first-person shooter sold 10 million copies. Doom was developed in Texas.

Digital savant Omar Gallaga of the Austin American-Statesman’s 512 Tech says there are a lot of places Texans can go to remember and learn about the history of gaming. These include the National Videogame Museum in Frisco, and the Classic Game Fest, held in Austin in July, and scheduled to return in 2018. “Pong to Pokémon” is an exhibit at Austin’s Bob Bullock Texas History Museum that covers 50 years of Texas video game history.

Gaming isn’t just a part of history, though. Gallaga says a lot of game developers call Texas home.

“Texas is typically second or third behind California,” he says. “We have 5,000-6,000 employees in the gaming industry. It’s really a vibrant and growing industry in Texas.”

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– What Texas has to do with MMORPGs

– Why game developers choose Texas

– What Texas game studios are working today

Written by Shelly Brisbin.