SPISPOPD (an abbreviation for Smashing Pumpkins Into Small Piles Of Putrid Debris) is part of a joke relating to the computer game Doom. A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ... Doom (or DOOM)[1] is a 1993 computer game by id Software that is among the landmark titles in the first-person shooter genre. ...

Its origin can be traced back to the following Usenet post by Eli S. Bingham in early December, 1993, from the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action newsgroup: Usenet (USEr NETwork) is a global, distributed bulletin board system (BBS). ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... A newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users at different locations. ...

 Listen up, ID Software! Next time you have an impending release of a much anticipated game, make sure its name is not so cool-sounding as DOOM and much longer to eliminate all of the casual "Where can I get xxx" posts. How about "Smashing Pumpkins Into Small Piles Of Putrid Debris" for the next game? 

This initial quip was carried on, and a parody of the Doom FAQ was written called the SPISPOPD FAQ. The FAQ described a 3D game that ran on a computer with minimal specifications. FAQ is an abbreviation for Frequently Asked Question(s). The term refers to listed questions and answers, all supposed to be frequently asked in some context, and pertaining to a particular topic. ...

id Software gave a nod to the joke by planting it as a cheat code in the game. Typing "idspispopd" activates "no clipping" mode, which allows the player to walk through walls. id Software (IPA: officially, though originally ) is an American computer game developer based in Mesquite, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. ... Noclip mode, short for no clipping mode, is a state in computer and video games whereupon the players character is granted the ability to walk through walls and other obstacles. ...

A second reference apparently sponsored by id Software appeared in the 1995 novelization of the video game series. The first book "Knee-Deep In The Dead" contains a passage in which one of the two major characters says "Smashing pumpkins into small pieces of putrid debris."

Two computer games were created based on the joke. Smashing Pumpkins into Small Piles of Putrid Debris is a 2D action game from Jamul Software (which later became Hamumu Software) where you collect candles and smash pumpkins with a red hammer. It was reportedly developed in 48 hours to capitalize on the joke. Hamumu Software later created a similar game called Amazin' SPISPOPD. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Hamumu Software (commonly called Hamumu) is an independant American computer game company founded by Mike Hommel (commonly called Jamul). ...

In Master of Magic, there is an item named The Idspispopd, based on the Doom cheat code. Master of Magic (MoM) is a turn-based fantasy strategic computer game published by Microprose in 1994 and developed by Steve Barcia (Simtex), who also wrote the better-known Master of Orion. ...

References

• Mike Hommel (1993). Smashing Pumpkins into Small Piles of Putrid Debris. Hamumu Software. Retrieved on February 6, 2006.
• Mike Hommel (1999). The History Of Hamumu Software. Hamumu Software. Retrieved on February 6, 2006.
• Dafydd ab Hugh (1995) Knee-Deep in the Dead (Pocket Books, 1995), pg. 138.

February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• SPISPOPD FAQ
• Original Usenet Post
• Hamumu Software