Editing Dave Taylor (game programmer)

{{Short description|American video game programmer}}
{{Other people|David Taylor}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Dave Taylor
| image       = QuakeCon 1997 - 56.jpg
| caption     = Taylor at [[QuakeCon]] 1997
| birth_date  = 
| birth_place = 
| death_date  = 
| death_place = 
| occupation  = [[Video game programmer]]
| spouse      = 
}}
'''Dave D. Taylor''' is an American [[game programmer]], best known as a former [[id Software]] employee and noted for his work promoting [[Linux gaming]].

==Early life==
He graduated from the [[University of Texas at Austin]] with a [[Bachelor of Science]] degree in [[electrical engineering]] in 1993.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://alcalde.texasexes.org/2012/07/ut-alum-beats-angry-birds-with-a-game-of-his-own/ |title=UT Alum Beats Angry Birds with a Game of His Own |last=McDowall |first=Katy |date=July 3, 2012 |website=[[The Alcalde]] |access-date=June 29, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827021331/https://alcalde.texasexes.org/2012/07/ut-alum-beats-angry-birds-with-a-game-of-his-own/ |archive-date=August 27, 2012}}</ref> Prior to working for id, he was a member of The Kernel Group, which worked on [[Unix]] kernel debugging.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.talisman.org/~erlkonig/misc/ddt.shtml|website=GA-Source|title=Interviews - Dave Taylor, Transmeta|first=James|last=Hills|date=1999-06-19|access-date=2023-03-21}}</ref>

==id Software==
Taylor worked for id Software between 1993 and 1996, and was during the time involved with the development of ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|Doom]]'' and ''[[Quake (video game)|Quake]]''. He created [[software port|ports]] of both games to [[IRIX]], [[AIX (operating system)|AIX]], [[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]] and [[Linux]], and helped program the [[Atari Jaguar]] ports of ''Doom'' and ''[[Wolfenstein 3D]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/1 |title=DOOM |last=Johnson |first=Michael K. |date=December 1, 1994 |website=[[Linux Journal]] |access-date=January 23, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128231357/http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/1 |archive-date=January 28, 2010}}</ref> He also considers himself to have been the "spackle coder" on ''Doom'', for adding things such as the status bar, [[sound library]] integration, the automap, level transitions, cheat codes, and the network chat system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blankmaninc.com/david-taylor-interview |title=Dave Taylor Interview |last=Hawk |first=Lucky |date=October 17, 2012 |website=BLANKMANinc |access-date=June 29, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629004105/http://www.blankmaninc.com/david-taylor-interview |archive-date=June 29, 2013}}</ref> On ''Quake'', he wrote the original sound engine, the [[DOS]] [[TCP/IP]] network library, and added [[VESA]] 2.0 support. One of the musical themes in ''[[Doom II]],'' "The Dave D. Taylor Blues", was named after him by [[Robert Prince (video game composer)|Robert Prince]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blankmaninc.com/david-taylor-interview/2 |title=Dave Taylor Interview |last=Hawk |first=Lucky |date=October 17, 2012 |website=BLANKMANinc |access-date=June 29, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101062657/http://www.blankmaninc.com/david-taylor-interview/2 |archive-date=November 1, 2013}}</ref>

The 2003 book ''[[Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture]]'' mentions his habit of passing out from [[motion sickness]] after prolonged playing of ''Doom'', and how the other employees would, after such incidents, sketch a body outline of his unconscious form with masking tape. After the success of the game, they bought him a couch to pass out on. His attempts to "talk up" ''Quake'' on-line, his purchase of an [[Acura NSX]] with ''Doom'' money, his friendship with [[American McGee]], and his eventual departure from the company are also mentioned.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kushner |first=David |date=2003 |title=[[Masters of Doom|Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture]] |location=New York |publisher=[[Random House]] |page=89 |isbn=0-375-50524-5}}</ref>

==After id==
Taylor founded a small game company called [[Crack dot Com]] from 1996 to 1998. Crack dot Com released only one game, ''[[Abuse (video game)|Abuse]]'', a PC platform shooter. In a 1997 interview, he claimed that he wasn't particularly proud of ''Abuse'', and that "he set out to prove that a person could sell 50,000 copies of a so-so game."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/1997/04/28/focus2.html |title=Past Doom turns into glory for Crack dot Com game firm |last=Murphy |first=Shelby L. |date=April 27, 1997 |website=[[Austin Business Journal]] |access-date=October 24, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624121136/http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/1997/04/28/focus2.html |archive-date=June 24, 2016}}</ref> He then led the effort to build ''[[Golgotha (video game)|Golgotha]]'', a [[first-person shooter]] / [[real-time strategy]] hybrid,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.linuxgames.com/?dataloc=articles%2Fdave_taylor_interview |title=Dave D. Taylor interview about Crack.Com |website=LinuxGames |access-date=March 7, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018202647/http://www.linuxgames.com/?dataloc=articles%2Fdave_taylor_interview |archive-date=October 18, 2006}}</ref> but the company folded before its completion.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1998/10/24/crack-dot-com-shuts-down |title=Crack dot com Shuts Down |date=October 23, 1998 |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=October 24, 2015}}</ref>

Between 1998 and 2001 he worked for [[Transmeta]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.talisman.org/~erlkonig/misc/ddt.shtml |title=Interviews - Dave Taylor, Transmeta |last=Hills |first=James |date=June 19, 1999 |website=GA-Source |access-date=March 7, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160628135829/http://www.talisman.org/~erlkonig/misc/ddt.shtml |archive-date=June 28, 2016}}</ref> He was president of [[Carbon6]] from 2001 to 2002, there also working as lead designer and producer for the [[Game Boy Advance]] game ''[[Spy Kids Challenger]]''. Since 2002 he has been vice president of [[Naked Sky Entertainment]] and since 2003 also an advisor and freelance game designer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.intuitive.com/blog/dave_taylor_on_sex_in_video_games_1.html |title=Dave Taylor on Sex in Video Games |last=Taylor |first=Dave |date=June 5, 2006 |website=Intuitive Systems |access-date=March 7, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130529223747/http://www.intuitive.com/blog/dave_taylor_on_sex_in_video_games_1.html |archive-date=May 29, 2013}}</ref> He is also willing to act as a [[:Category:Linux game porters|Linux game porter]] for pay projects.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://linuxgamingnews.org/2009/11/04/gnulinux-game-porters-needed/ |title=GNU/Linux Game Porters Needed ! |last=Bardin |first=Maxim |date=November 4, 2009 |website=Linux Gaming News |access-date=January 23, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124221751/http://linuxgamingnews.org/2009/11/04/gnulinux-game-porters-needed/ |archive-date=November 24, 2010}}</ref>

In 2009, he produced ''Abuse Classic''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/games/abuse/iphone-61230 |title=Abuse - iPhone |website=IGN |access-date=March 7, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309024052/http://www.ign.com/games/abuse/iphone-61230 |archive-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref> for the [[Apple iPhone]] and ''Beakiez'' for the PC.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.escapistmagazine.com/bigger-better-beakiez-busts-loose/ |title=Bigger, Better Beakiez Busts Loose |last=Chalk |first=Andy |date=June 22, 2010 |website=The Escapist |access-date=June 22, 2010}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20181016114536/http://www.davetaylor.name/ Dave Taylor's Official Website]
* [http://www.talisman.org/~erlkonig/misc/ddt.shtml Interview with Dave Taylor] by James Hills (June 19, 1999)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061018202647/http://www.linuxgames.com/?dataloc=articles%2Fdave_taylor_interview Dave D. Taylor interview about Crack.Com] from [[LinuxGames]] (2003)
* [http://www.beakiez.com Beakiez], a game by Taylor

{{Linux people}}
{{id Software}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Dave}}
[[Category:Cockrell School of Engineering alumni]]
[[Category:Linux game porters]]
[[Category:Linux people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American video game programmers]]
[[Category:Place of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]