View source for Softdisk

{{Short description|Software and Internet company based in Shreveport, Louisiana}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2010}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Softdisk
| logo = Softdisk logo.svg
| image = softdisk-offices-2-2004-03-01.jpg
| image_caption = Headquarters in 2004; these offices were, for the latter part of the company's history, in a converted basement in downtown Shreveport.
| type = [[Privately held company|Private]]
| foundation = 1981
| defunct = 2016
| location = [[Shreveport, Louisiana]], U.S.
| industry = [[Computer software|Software]], [[Internet]]
| revenue =
| num_employees =
| key_people = Jim Mangham, Founder<br />Judi Mangham, Founder<br />Al Vekovius, Founder, Past CEO<br />John Beaird, Past CEO<br />[[John Carmack]], Former Game Programmer<br />[[John Romero]], Former Game Programmer & Designer<br />[[Tom Hall]], Former Game Designer<br />[[Adrian Carmack]], Former Artist<br />[[Kevin Cloud]], Former Artist and Manager<br />Jay Wilbur, Former Manager
| products = Disk magazines, video games
}}
'''Softdisk''' was a [[computer program|software]] and [[Internet]] company based in [[Shreveport, Louisiana]]. Founded in 1981, its original products were [[disk magazine]]s (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==
{{see also|List of Softdisk games}}
Publications included ''[[Softdisk (disk magazine)|Softdisk]]'' for the [[Apple II]]; ''[[Loadstar (magazine)|Loadstar]]'' for the [[Commodore 64]]; ''Big Blue Disk'' (later ''On Disk Monthly'' and ''Softdisk PC''), ''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 [[Macintosh|Apple Macintosh]]; ''[[Softdisk G-S]]'' for the [[Apple IIGS]]; ''Softdisk for Windows'' for [[Microsoft Windows]], published from 1994–1999; and ''Shareware Spotlight'', a short-lived publication featuring the best Shareware offerings for IBM PC compatibles. By the late 1990s, these publications were discontinued, although ''Loadstar'' had a continued life as an independent company catering to a [[cult following]] of Commodore buffs.
===''Big Blue Disk''===
''Big Blue Disk'' was a monthly [[disk magazine]] that was published by Softdisk for [[IBM PC]] and compatibles that began publication in 1986.<ref name="nyt peripherals">{{cite news|first1=L. R. |last=Shannon|title=Peripherals; New Look of Magazines |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/27/science/peripherals-new-look-of-magazines.html |work=The New York Times |date=October 27, 1987 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626001543/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/27/science/peripherals-new-look-of-magazines.html |archivedate=June 26, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> It required 256k of memory.<ref name="nyt peripherals"/> Softdisk was sued by IBM for trademark infringement over the use of the name "Big Blue" in 1989.<ref name="pc mag 8-15">{{cite magazine |magazine=PC Magazine |title=Inside Track |volume=8 |number=15 |editor-first=Bill |editor-last=Machrone |first=John C. |last=Dvorak |url=https://archive.org/details/PC-Mag-1989-09-12/page/n75 |accessdate=September 29, 2018 |date=September 12, 1989|publisher=Ziff Davis |page=75 |issn=0888-8507}}</ref>
==Standalone programs and Gamer's Edge==
Softdisk is most famous for being the former workplace of several of the founders of [[id Software]], who worked on a short-lived game subscription product, ''Gamer's Edge''. ''Gamer's Edge'' was a monthly<ref>[[John Romero|Romero, John]]. [http://romero.smugmug.com/Video-Games/Dangerous-Dave-II-The-Haunted/787091_XwghKb#!i=34922513&k=5JjVLD4 "Dangerous Dave II: The Haunted Mansion - ROME.RO Photos -- John Romero"], n.d. Retrieved on May 20, 2015.</ref> PC game disk started in 1990 by [[John Romero]]. The disk's developers were [[John D. Carmack|John Carmack]], [[John Romero]], and [[Adrian Carmack]]. [[Tom Hall]], then a programmer who worked in the Apple II department of Softdisk, would come in at night to help with the game design. Lane Roathe was the editor.
These developers later left Softdisk to found id Software. To complete their contractual obligation to Softdisk, the developers built several more games for Softdisk, including ''[[Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion]]'', ''[[Rescue Rover]]'', ''[[Hovertank 3D]]'', ''[[Rescue Rover 2]]'', ''[[Tiles of the Dragon]]'', ''[[Catacomb 3D]]'' and ''Keen Dreams'' (the "lost" episode of the ''[[Commander Keen]]'' series). Softdisk later hired a new team to create new titles using the [[game engine]]s of the earlier games, including the later founders of [[JAM Productions (software)|JAM Productions]]. This connection led to Softdisk being mentioned extensively in the earlier parts of the id chronicling book ''[[Masters of Doom]]''.
Also, some of the earliest employees of [[Origin Systems]] worked there before moving on: Greg Malone (''[[Moebius: The Orb of Celestial Harmony|Moebius]]'', ''[[Windwalker (video game)|Windwalker]]''), Dallas Snell (''The Quest'' and ''Ring Quest''), Joel Rea (''The Quest'' and ''Ring Quest''), and Alan Gardner (''Windwalker'', ''[[Ultima VI]]''). Malone also later worked as a producer for [[3D Realms]].
Softdisk continued to publish video games into the mid-1990s, most notably ''[[In Pursuit of Greed]]'', based on an alpha version of the [[Doom engine]] derived from ''[[Shadowcaster]]'', and ''Alien Rampage'', based on the original ''Ravager'' side-scroller once being developed by [[3D Realms|Apogee]].
==Current state==
Since 1995, Softdisk had been an [[Internet service provider]], [[web hosting service]], and Internet developer as well, and this eventually became their primary area of business. They offered local [[dial-up access|dialup]] service in the [[Shreveport, Louisiana|Shreveport]] area, and Web hosting and development services.
As of 2006, their website redirected to that of Bayou Internet, which had taken over their Internet operations. The downloadstore.com site formerly owned and operated by Softdisk was later run by Flat Rock Software, which also published former Softdisk product Screen Saver Studio and most of the Gamer's Edge titles (as well as on GOG.com). The source code for ''[[Catacomb (video game)|Catacomb]]'', ''[[Catacomb 3D]]'' and ''[[Hovertank 3D]]'' was released by Flat Rock in June 2014 under the [[GNU General Public License]] in a manner similar to [[John Carmack#Open-source software|those done]] by id and partners.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTcxMjM | title = id Software's Softdisk Open-Sources Some Really Old Games | first = Michael | last = Larabel | date = June 6, 2014 | accessdate = June 6, 2014 | publisher = [[Phoronix]]}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==Further reading==
* [[David Kushner (writer)|Kushner, David]] (2003). ''[[Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture]]'', New York: Random House. {{ISBN|0-375-50524-5}}.
==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.softdisk.com/}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060317083739/http://www.softdisk.com/sub/windows/sd-for-windows.html Softdisk Legacy Software information (official site archive)]
* [http://store.syndicomm.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=Softdisk Licensed collection of the Apple versions: Softdisk Magazine; Softdisk G-S and UpTime (includes Mac)]
* [http://www.mobygames.com/company/softdisk-publishing ''Softdisk''] at [[MobyGames]]
{{Softdisk}}
{{id Software}}
[[Category:Softdisk| ]]
[[Category:Defunct software companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Internet service providers of the United States]]
[[Category:Companies based in Shreveport, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Software companies established in 1981]]
[[Category:Software companies disestablished in 2014]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in Louisiana]]