Doom and Wolfenstein 3D composer Bobby Prince dies aged 81

Bobby Prince’s score for Doom was inducted into the US National Recording Registry last month

Bobby Prince, the composer behind the iconic score for 1993’s original Doom, has died at the age of 81. 

The original Doom is one of the most influential games of all time, and a big part of its magic was the soundtrack. 

Developed by id Software, the 1993 title is widely regarded as the ‘father’ of first-person shooters, and its rock-inspired soundtrack went a long way to setting the grisly, aggressive tone of the entire franchise. 

As confirmed by his family earlier this week, Doom’s original composer, Robert Caskin ‘Bobby’ Prince III, has died at the age of 81. He passed away ‘peacefully’ on Tuesday, June 16. 

Prince collaborated with id Software on several other titles, including its sequel Doom 2, Catacomb 3-D, Wolfenstein 3D, and various games in the Commander Keen series. 

Beyond id Software, his other game credits include Rise Of The Triad: Dark War, Duke Nukem 3D, and Blake Stone. His last game soundtrack was for 2014’s Wrack. 

John Romero, co-designer on the original Doom, paid tribute on X, writing: ‘Everyone at Romero Games is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Bobby Prince. He left an incredible mark on games and on my life.’

George Broussard, who collaborated with Prince at Apogee Software (now 3D Realms) on Duke Nukem 3D and other titles, described him as the ‘epitome of a southern gentleman’. 

‘Bobby would often fly down for a week at a time on large projects (like Duke Nukem 3D) because he thought it was important to be in the office and mingle with the team and talk to people and dial in what sort of music was appropriate,’ he wrote on X. 

‘Bobby could often be found with a recorder going around the office recording sounds for a game. It was a joy to have him in the office and he felt like every other team member.’

Prior to his work in video games, Prince served in the US army during the Vietnam war as a platoon leader, and also pursued careers in counselling and law. In 2006, he was given a Lifetime Achievement award at the G.A.N.G. (Game Audio Network Guild) Awards. 

Last month, the Doom soundtrack was inducted into the US National Recording Registry, which preserves recordings that are considered ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically important’. It’s only the third time a game soundtrack has been added to the registry, following Super Mario Bros. and Minecraft. 

A true classic (Bethesda)

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