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Softdisk
Softdisk was a software and Internet company based in Shreveport, Louisiana. Founded in 1981, its original products were disk magazines (which they termed "magazettes", for "magazine on diskette"). It was affiliated and partly owned by paper magazine ''Softalk'' at founding, but survived its demise. The company has been known by a variety of names, including ''Softdisk Magazette'', ''Softdisk Publishing'', ''Softdisk, Inc.'', ''Softdisk Internet Services'', ''Softdisk, L.L.C.'', and ''Magazines On Disk''. Softdisk is most well known for being the former workplace of several of the founders of id Software. Publications Publications included '' Softdisk'' for the Apple II; '' Loadstar'' for the Commodore 64; ''Big Blue Disk'', ''The Gamer’s Edge'', and ''PC Business Disk'' for the IBM PC; '' Diskworld'' (later ''Softdisk for Mac'') and ''DTPublisher'' (specializing in desktop publishing) for the Apple Macintosh; '' Softdisk G-S'' for the Apple IIGS; ''Softdisk for Windows'' f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Carmack
John D. Carmack II (born August 20, 1970) is an American computer programmer and video game developer. He co-founded the video game company id Software and was the lead programmer of its 1990s games ''Commander Keen'', ''Wolfenstein 3D'', ''Doom (1993 video game), Doom'', ''Quake (video game), Quake'', and their sequels. Carmack made innovations in 3D computer graphics, such as his Carmack's Reverse algorithm for shadow volumes. In 2013, he resigned from id Software to work full-time at Oculus VR as their Chief technology officer, CTO. In 2019, he reduced his role to Consulting CTO so he could allocate more time toward artificial general intelligence (AGI). In 2022, he left Oculus to work on his startup, Keen Technologies. Biography Early life Carmack was born in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, the son of local television news reporter Stan Carmack. He grew up in the Kansas City metropolitan area, where he became interested in computers at an early age. He attended Shawnee Mission Eas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Commander Keen
''Commander Keen'' is a series of side-scrolling platform video games developed primarily by id Software. The series consists of six main episodes, a "lost" episode, and a final game; all but the final game were originally released for MS-DOS in 1990 and 1991, while the 2001 '' Commander Keen'' was released for the Game Boy Color. The series follows the eponymous Commander Keen, the secret identity of the eight-year-old genius Billy Blaze, as he defends the Earth and the galaxy from alien threats with his homemade spaceship, rayguns, and pogo stick. The first three episodes were developed by Ideas from the Deep, the precursor to id, and published by Apogee Software as the shareware title ''Commander Keen in Invasion of the Vorticons''; the "lost" episode 3.5 ''Commander Keen in Keen Dreams'' was developed by id and published as a retail title by Softdisk; episodes four and five were released by Apogee as the shareware '' Commander Keen in Goodbye, Galaxy''; and the simultaneousl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Softdisk (disk Magazine)
''Softdisk'' (), originally ''Softdisk Magazette'', was a disk magazine for the Apple II computer line, published from 1981 through 1995. It was the first publication of the company that was also known as Softdisk, which would go on to publish disk magazines for other systems, other software, and later be involved in Internet access, hosting, and development. History The brainchild of Jim Mangham, who then worked at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, LSU Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana, ''Softdisk'' (originally intended to be called ''The Harbinger Magazette'', but launched as ''Softdisk Magazette'', with "magazette" being a portmanteau word combining "magazine" and "diskette") was published out of Mangham's house, with his then-wife Judi Mangham, LSUMC co-worker Al Vekovius, and ''Softalk'' magazine (a paper magazine for the Apple) as partners in the venture. The first issue was published in September, 1981, and consisted of a single 5 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Softdisk G-S
''Softdisk'' (), originally ''Softdisk Magazette'', was a disk magazine for the Apple II computer line, published from 1981 through 1995. It was the first publication of the company that was also known as Softdisk, which would go on to publish disk magazines for other systems, other software, and later be involved in Internet access, hosting, and development. History The brainchild of Jim Mangham, who then worked at the LSU Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana, ''Softdisk'' (originally intended to be called ''The Harbinger Magazette'', but launched as ''Softdisk Magazette'', with "magazette" being a portmanteau word combining "magazine" and "diskette") was published out of Mangham's house, with his then-wife Judi Mangham, LSUMC co-worker Al Vekovius, and ''Softalk'' magazine (a paper magazine for the Apple) as partners in the venture. The first issue was published in September, 1981, and consisted of a single 5.25" floppy diskette which could be flipped over to get to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tom Hall
Tom Hall is an American game designer best known for his work with id Software on titles such as '' Doom'' and ''Commander Keen''. Career Hall attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he earned a B.S. in Computer Science. In 1987, Hall worked at Softdisk Inc., where he was both a programmer and the editor of ''Softdisk'', a software bundle delivered monthly. Along with some of his co-workers, John Carmack, John Romero and Adrian Carmack, he founded id Software. He served as creative director and designer there, working on games such as the ''Commander Keen'' series, ''Wolfenstein 3D'', ''Spear of Destiny'', and '' Doom''. After some disputes with John Carmack about the design for ''Doom'', Tom left id Software in August 1993 to join Apogee/3D Realms. He was the game designer for ''Rise of the Triad'', produced ''Terminal Velocity'', and helped in varying degrees on ''Duke Nukem II'' and ''Duke Nukem 3D'' as well. He also worked on the ''Prey'' engine until Augu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Id Software
id Software LLC () is an American video game developer based in Richardson, Texas. It was founded on February 1, 1991, by four members of the computer company Softdisk: game programmer, programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack. id Software made important technological developments in video game technologies for the IBM PC compatible, PC (running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows, Windows), including work done for the ''Wolfenstein'', ''Doom (franchise), Doom'', and ''Quake (series), Quake'' franchises. id's work was particularly important in 3D computer graphics technology and in game engines that are used throughout the video game industry. The company was involved in the creation of the first-person shooter (FPS) genre: ''Wolfenstein 3D'' is often considered to be the first true FPS; ''Doom (1993 video game), Doom'' is a game that popularized the genre and PC gaming in general; and ''Quake (video game), Quake'' was id's first true ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Catacomb 3D
''Catacomb 3-D'' (also known as ''Catacomb 3-D: A New Dimension'', ''Catacomb 3-D: The Descent'', and ''Catacombs 3'') is a first-person shooter video game, the third in the '' Catacomb'' series, the first of which to feature 3D computer graphics. It was developed by id Software and originally published by Softdisk under the Gamer's Edge label, released in November 1991. The player takes control of the high wizard Petton Everhail, descending into the catacombs of the Towne Cemetery to defeat the evil lich Nemesis and rescue his friend Grelminar. ''Catacomb 3-D'' is a landmark title in terms of first-person graphics. It is the first example of the modern, character-based first-person shooter genre, or at least it was a direct ancestor to the games that popularized the genre. It was released for MS-DOS with EGA graphics. The game introduced the concept of showing the player's hand in the three-dimensional viewpoint, and an enhanced version of its technology was later used for t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diskworld
''Diskworld'' () was a disk magazine for the Apple Macintosh computer system, published by Softdisk beginning in 1988. It was a sister publication of ''Softdisk'' for the Apple II, '' Loadstar'' for the Commodore 64, and ''Big Blue Disk'' for the IBM PC. ''Diskworld'' ceased publication in 1998. Overview ''Diskworld'' was originally designed and created by Sean Golden (Managing Editor), Jeff Billings (Senior Programmer) and Lynda Fowler (Junior Programmer). Sean Golden wrote the original Diskworld "shell" program which provided access to the monthly disk contents. He also wrote most of the editorial content each month. Jeff Billings and Lynda Fowler developed monthly productivity, utility or game programs which were published on the disk. Jeff and Lynda also provided some editorial content, and Sean also contributed programs. Freelance programmers also provided content for a fee. The product was broken down into editorials, articles, reviews, artwork and software, all presented ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Loadstar (magazine)
''Loadstar'' () was a disk magazine for the Commodore 64 computer, published starting in 1984 and ceasing publication in 2007 with its unreleased (until 2010) 250th issue. It derived its name from the command commonly used to execute commercial software from a Commodore 1541 disk: LOAD "*",8,1, with inspiration from the word "lodestar". ''Loadstar'' was launched as a sister publication of ''Softdisk'', based in Shreveport, Louisiana. It was the second platform for which Softdisk produced a disk magazine, after the Apple II. At the time, the Commodore 64 was a very popular home computer due to its inexpensive price and advanced graphics and sound capabilities. Early issues of ''Loadstar'' were produced by the Softdisk staff, most of whom had more experience with Apple than Commodore computers at the time, and much of the content was ported over from the Apple. However, over time, Commodore-specific staff and freelance contributors came aboard. In addition, ''Loadstar'' wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tiles Of The Dragon
''Tiles of the Dragon'' is mahjong solitaire game for DOS developed by id Software and published by Softdisk Softdisk was a software and Internet company based in Shreveport, Louisiana. Founded in 1981, its original products were disk magazines (which they termed "magazettes", for "magazine on diskette"). It was affiliated and partly owned by paper mag ... in 1993. It is one of eleven games id Software created for Softdisk, who paid $5000 for it as part of id Software's contractual obligation to them. ''Tiles of the Dragon'' was later included by Softdisk as part of "The Lost Game Collection of ID Software." Gameplay Like Mahjong Solitaire itself, the object of the game is to remove as many tiles from the board as possible. Two tiles that are on top can be selected and any matching pairs will be removed from the board. The game has two modes: Solitary and Tournament. The Tournament mode has a time limit for an increased difficulty. Development ''Tiles of the Dragon'' was crea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hovertank 3D
''Hovertank 3D'', also known under a variety of other names (''Hovertank'' or ''Hovertank One''), is a vehicular combat game developed by id Software and published by Softdisk in April 1991. Plot ''Hovertank 3D'' is set during a nuclear war. In ''Hovertank 3D'', the player controls Brick Sledge, a mercenary hired by an unknown organization (referred to by the game as the "UFA") to rescue people from cities under the threat of nuclear attack (largely political activists or scientists), both by the government and by large corporations. However, the cities are also full of mutated humans, strange creatures and enemy hovertanks. Gameplay The player must drive a hovertank through the levels and try to find the people Brick is supposed to rescue. There are many enemies in the levels, who are hunting down the people as well as the player. The player can keep track of both people and enemies in the radar box at the bottom of the screen. There is a timer that counts how long until th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rescue Rover 2
''Rescue Rover'' is a puzzle video game that was developed by id Software and published by Softdisk in 1991. The game was distributed as shareware, with the first 10 levels making up the shareware version, and another 20 levels being present in the registered version. This is one of several games written by id to fulfil their contractual obligation to produce games for Softdisk, where the id founders had been employed. A sequel, ''Rescue Rover 2'', followed. Plot Roger and Rover are the two main characters. Rover the dog is frequently kidnapped by robots. The player, Roger the owner, must enter robot territory and get him back, hence the name "Rescue Rover". Gameplay Each level starts with Roger climbing up a ladder set into the floor, and the player completes the level by arriving back at this ladder with Rover - at which point Roger climbs down with Rover. Gameplay involves getting Rover out repeatedly in a set of increasingly difficult levels, by moving objects around in a gri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
