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The History of Zork examines a legend


The idea of a commercially successful videogame with nary a single picture is, in today's market, absurd. But there was a day when the typed word reigned supreme, and Zork was the undisputed king. Gamasutra has just posted a thorough history of Zork discussing its lasting impact on games and the gaming community. The article is the first in what will be a series of features presenting detailed official histories of each of the first ten games voted into the Digital Game Canon.

A whole generation of gamers have grown up with graphics as the centerpiece of entertainment. Many haven't played a single text-based game, let alone the granddaddy of them all. Despite its downtrodden reputation with the "new, hip" modern gamer, interactive fiction is thriving with authors such as Emily Short stretching the boundaries with every release. Even though text adventures aren't as flashy, they're the stuff real gaming is made of.