Draft:Roklan Software

Roklan Corporation
IndustryVideo games
Founded1974 (1974)
FounderLawrence N. Gabriel
Defunct1984
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois
,
United States
ProductsVideo games, educational software

Roklan Corporation (doing business as Roklan Software) was an American video game developer and publisher based in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Founded in 1974, the company expanded into software in the early 1980s. Roklan developed arcade ports for consoles and home computers, including the Atari 8-bit family, Commodore 64, and Atari 5200. The company also published original titles and educational software before ceasing operations in 1984.

History

Roklan was founded in 1974 by Lawrence N. "Larry" Gabriel as a management consulting firm.[1] In the early 1980s, the company established a Computer Technology Group to develop software for the home computer market.[2]: 36  This division was led by Ron Borta, who later co-founded Borta, Inc. with Nolan Bushnell.[3]

The company functioned primarily as a contract developer. It produced ports of arcade games, including Gorf and Wizard of Wor, for publishers such as CBS Video Games, Coleco, and Atari.[4] In 1983, industry reports credited Roklan with a library of over thirty games across platforms such as the Apple II, VIC-20, TRS-80, and TI-99/4A.[5] Roklan staff also developed the official port of Pac-Man for the Atari 8-bit computers.[6]

Roklan published original games and educational titles under its own label. It partnered with textbook publisher Scott Foresman to produce the "Mathematics Action Games" series.[7] In 1983, the company released a hybrid trackball-joystick controller called the "Un-roller." The peripheral received poor reviews from publications such as Creative Computing and Electronic Games due to its design.[8]: 76 [9]: 86 

Roklan filed for bankruptcy and dissolved around 1984.[10]: 80 

Software

Arcade conversions

  • Gorf (Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64) – Developed for CBS Video Games.[4]
  • Wizard of Wor (Atari 8-bit, Atari 5200) – Reviewers for Hi-Res Magazine and Commodore Power/Play praised the fidelity of the home conversions.[11]: 74 [12]
  • Pac-Man (Atari 8-bit) – Programmed by Roklan for Atari.

Original titles

  • Deluxe Invaders (Atari 8-bit) – A fixed shooter similar to Space Invaders. Electronic Games and Personal Computers & Games rated it favorably compared to the official Atari version.[13][14]
  • Lifespan (Atari 8-bit) – A collection of mini-games depicting various stages of human life.[15]
  • Diamond Mine (Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64) – A vertically scrolling maze game.[16]
  • Reading Flight (Atari 8-bit) – An educational reading comprehension game.

References

  1. ^ McGehee, Brad M., ed. (1983). 1984 Programmer's Market. Writer's Digest Books. p. 155. ISBN 9780898791242 – via the Internet Archive.
  2. ^ McCullaugh, Jim (May 1983). "The Educational Software Explosion". Software Merchandising. Vol. 2, no. 5. Eastman Publishing. pp. 26–36 – via the Internet Archive.
  3. ^ Pressler, Margaret Webb (October 11, 1999). "Riding a Video Game Revolution". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Weiss, Brett (2011). Classic Home Video Games, 1972–1984: A Complete Reference Guide. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-0786469383.
  5. ^ DeSiena, Bill (February 1983). "Software makers aim edu-games at kids' market". Merchandising.
  6. ^ "Pac-Man (Atari 400/800)". Atari Compendium. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  7. ^ "Eye On: New Products" (PDF). Videogaming & Computer Gaming Illustrated. September 1983. p. 9. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  8. ^ Linzmayer, Owen (September 1983). "Controller Update". Creative Computing. pp. 71–85 – via the Internet Archive.
  9. ^ Forman, Tracie (March 1984). "In Control". Electronic Games. Vol. 2, no. 12. Reese Communications. pp. 84–86 – via the Internet Archive.
  10. ^ Caruso, Denise (April 2, 1984). "Company Strategies Boomerang". InfoWorld. Vol. 6, no. 14. IDG Publications. pp. 80–83 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ Murley, Mark S. (November 1983). "Bringing Home the Arcade Game Craze". Hi-Res Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 1. Compupress. pp. 72–74 – via the Internet Archive.
  12. ^ Harris, Neil (Winter 1983). "GORF and Wizard of Won: Talking Games on Cartridge for the 64". Commodore Power/Play. Vol. 2, no. 4. Commodore Business Machines. pp. 39–40 – via the Internet Archive.
  13. ^ "Deluxe Invaders (Roklan)". Atarimania. Retrieved December 6, 2025.
  14. ^ Personal Computers & Games. Publications International. 1983. p. 47. ISBN 0-517-41595-X.
  15. ^ "Lifespan (Roklan)". Atarimania. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
  16. ^ Dillon, Roberto (2014). Ready: A Commodore 64 Retrospective. Springer. pp. 134–135. ISBN 9789812873415 – via Google Books.
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