Three video games created for the Apple II platform in 1982 marked the transition for Albert William Lowe from a fifteen-year career in public school music education to a new professional path in computer programming and software development, eventually establishing his role as a prominent figure in the video game industry.
Early Career and Sierra On-Line
After teaching himself programming during a sick leave, Lowe moved into software production. In 1983, Sierra Entertainment acquired his early titles, including Dragon's Keep, Bop-A-Bet, and Troll's Tale. During a sixteen-year tenure with the company, he served in multiple capacities, ranging from lead programmer on King's Quest III and Police Quest I to composer for various game soundtracks. He also developed licensed products based on Disney properties, such as The Black Cauldron and Donald Duck's Playground.
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Lowe achieved his highest level of prominence with the creation of the Leisure Suit Larry series. His work during this period contributed to his inclusion in the 1995 list of the 75 most important people in the games industry, compiled by Next Generation magazine. Beyond this series, he collaborated with Josh Mandel on titles such as Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist and worked on the project Torin's Passage.
Post-Sierra Projects and Later Development
In 2006, Lowe co-founded iBase Entertainment with Ken Wegrzyn to develop an action comedy game titled Sam Suede: Undercover Exposure. The venture closed in December 2006 after failing to secure a publisher. Years later, in 2010, he released Al Lowe's Comedy Club for iOS devices. He subsequently worked with Replay Games on high-definition remakes of the Leisure Suit Larry series, a partnership that ended in December 2013.
Preservation and Personal Interests
In 2018, Lowe auctioned a comprehensive backup of his source code, manuals, and original floppies from his time at Sierra to ensure the preservation of his work, citing the company's lack of internal archiving efforts. Outside of his professional career, he is a jazz musician who has performed with the David Hasselhoff Big Band in Helsinki and maintains a commitment to model railroading as a member of the National Model Railroad Association board.
Fast facts
- Born: 1946
- Education: University of Missouri
- Major series: Leisure Suit Larry
- Citizenship: United States
- Early occupation: Music teacher
- Notable role: Game designer
Questions readers ask
What was Al Lowe's first professional role?
He spent fifteen years working as a public school music teacher and band director.
Did Al Lowe actually retire in 1998?
No, he later stated he was not retired and spent over a year working on the project Sam Suede: Undercover Exposure.
Achievements
- Educated at University of Missouri
- Worked as composer, engineer and jazz musician
