Lane Roathe

Developer BIO

Lane Roathe is a programmer who worked along with John Carmack and John Romero at Softdisk, where they started the games division Gamer's Edge, creating games for the PC and Apple II, distributed through monthly subscriptions. Prior to working for Softdisk, Roathe and Romero developed games independently and for other companies (e.g. Inside Out Software), and they later used the name Ideas From the Deep (IFD) for their collaborations. The abbreviation was the inspiration for the later id Software, when the "F" was dropped.

Carmack was the main engine programmer, and Romero the main designer of the tools, while Roathe did miscellaneous coding. As Carmack and Romero formed an outstanding duo, and Roathe didn't share their enthusiasm for the PC over Apple II, the relationship deteriorated. The team members created the first Commander Keen trilogy for Apogee, and he was left out. Later, when the team members broke away from Softdisk to form id Software, Roathe decided to move to California and contacted Three-Sixty Pacific, Inc. about job opportunities, as he was working on the Apple IIgs port of Dark Castle for them.

He was hired, and later ended up at the MacOS publisher Logicware. Following, he was involved with the companies Contraband Entertainment and genX Software, which ultimately became the Mac developer Monkey Byte where he was CEO, and Ideas From the Deep, a company name he later reused.

In 2003, Mr. Roathe became Chief Technology Officer with MacPlay.

Websites

• Interview - Lane Roathe -- Interview with Lane Roathe about his career, on macgamer.com

Games Credited

Yard Sale Hidden Treasures: Sunnyville (2008), Big Fish Games, Inc
True Crime: New York City (2006), Aspyr Media, Inc.
Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (2003), MacPlay
Chainz (2003), MumboJumbo, LLC
Nanosaur Extreme (2002), Ideas From the Deep
Kawasaki ATV PowerSports (2000), Encore, Inc.
Kawasaki Jet Ski Watercraft (2000), Encore, Inc.
Theatre of War (1992), Three-Sixty Pacific, Inc.
V for Victory: D-Day Utah Beach (1991), Three-Sixty Pacific, Inc.
Armor Alley (1990), Three-Sixty Pacific, Inc.
Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur (1989), Infocom, Inc.
Journey: The Quest Begins (1989), Infocom, Inc.
Zappa Roidz (1989), Softdisk Publishing
Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz (1989), Infocom, Inc.
Dangerous Dave in the Deserted Pirate's Hideout (1988), Uptime Disk Monthly
James Clavell's Shogun (1988), Infocom, Inc.