Softporn Adventure

Softporn Adventure

Company type	Video game
Industry	Video games
Founded	1981
Founder	Chuck Benton
Products	Softporn Adventure (video game)
Parent	On-Line Systems (publisher)

Softporn Adventure is a humorous, adult-themed text-based adventure initially developed for the Apple II in 1981 by Chuck Benton and distributed by On-Line Systems. This title laid the groundwork for the Leisure Suit Larry franchise, with the 1987 installment Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards serving as a closely related graphical reinterpretation. Additionally, a visual adaptation named Las Vegas was launched in 1986 by Starcraft for several Japanese computer systems.

Gameplay

The player assumes the role of a struggling party enthusiast on a quest to collect various items aimed at winning over three women. Benton acknowledged that certain aspects of the game drew from his personal experiences.

Development

Crafted originally in Applesoft BASIC as a learning project, Benton had no initial plans for commercial distribution. However, after encouragement from acquaintances, he marketed the game at a trade exhibition where Ken Williams, co-founder of On-Line Systems (later Sierra On-Line), opted to publish it.

Advertisement

The packaging showcased a bold photograph featuring three nude women alongside a male waiter in a hot tub situated at the Williams household, which attracted considerable attention and controversy due to its explicit nudity. The image included On-Line's production manager Diane Siegel, bookkeeper Susan Davis, local waiter Rick Chipman, and Roberta Williams. This advertisement significantly increased visibility and sales, reportedly moving approximately 50,000 units—a remarkable number given the Apple II's market at that time—and temporarily doubled On-Line's revenue. Despite some objections from neighbors and customers, the publicity ultimately proved advantageous commercially.

Softalk magazine ran this advertisement in September 1981, igniting discussions regarding its appropriateness; nonetheless, supportive feedback outpaced criticism by a ratio of three to one.

After several months on the market, the game was pulled from sale. Although there was interest in creating a version targeted at female players, Benton was unable to secure a collaborator. He continued his work on Sierra projects until his departure in 1985 to establish Technology Systems, Inc.

Reception

Softline reviewed the Atari release of Softporn as "a refreshing change of pace from the average software game," yet criticized its gender bias—highlighting that players could not seduce male characters and that "the parser does not recognize the word woman." The publication noted that the game perpetuated stereotypes suggesting "all computer enthusiasts are emotionally immature high school and college males," but concluded that it was "irresistibly addictive ... it’s unfortunate that [the creator] did not invest more effort to elevate its sophistication."

Reviews

• Jeux & Stratégie issue #14

Legacy

Following Sierra's loss of a Disney license in 1986, Al Lowe proposed updating Softporn Adventure using enhanced development tools; Ken Williams approved this idea. Lowe reworked puzzles from Softporn Adventure to develop Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards. The character name "Leisure Suit Larry" was reportedly chosen because Softporn felt "so outdated it might as well be wearing a leisure suit."

That same year, Japanese firm Starcraft released a graphical adaptation called Las Vegas for platforms including FM-7, PC-88, PC-98, and Sharp X1.

In 1991, Gary Thompson ported Softporn Adventure to Microsoft C for IBM PC compatible computers. A longtime fan since 1981, Thompson archived and later reengineered the source code for PC distribution via CompuServe. Upon discovering its ties to Leisure Suit Larry, he secured permission from Lowe and Williams to share his PC version as shareware online. Williams endorsed this move, stating it would not harm sales of Larry.

By 1994, Lowe requested authorization to incorporate Thompson's PC port into Sierra's collector’s edition titled Leisure Suit Larry's Greatest Hits and Misses, as it was the sole PC version faithful to the original. Thompson updated and fixed bugs in this release for inclusion on CD-ROM.

The source code for both Apple II (Applesoft BASIC) and CP/M (Pascal) editions has been made publicly accessible. Lowe eventually released the IBM PC version as freeware through his website.