Early History of Interactive Fiction Games

Tell the truth. Have you
ever played an interactive fiction game? Maybe you are too young
to know what IF is. Perhaps you are so hooked
on to-die-for graphics that a game without pictures is beneath your
contempt. Or is it possible that there are so many great modern games
on your to-do list that you just can’t make room in your schedule
for an oldie. If any or all of these reasons/excuses apply to you
I suggest that you give consideration to some of the finest interactive
fiction games ever developed.

Infocom is the magic word.
Today we take computer games and the Internet for granted. After
all, haven’t they always been available?
Not!! In 1972 a young man named Willie Crowther wrote an elementary
text based game called Colossal Cave. The player could enter a computer-simulated
environment and type in what to do next, all in simple English. Willie
put the game on the mainframe computer at Boston University where
he was a student. In 1976 the game was improved and expanded by Don
Woods. Local college students played the game over the ARPAnet, a
primitive ancestor of our much-loved Internet. In 1977 Dave Lebling
and Mark Blank, students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Laboratory For Computer Science, were involved in the development
of an early programming language called MDL (Dynamic Modeling Group,
affectionately called Muddle). Along the way, Blank and Lebling added
more MIT big brains to their development group, Tim Anderson and
Bruce Daniels. These pioneers of computer gaming developed game maps,
house plans, wrote a story and slowly but surely Zork 1 (at the size
of one Megabyte) was a playable concept. Infocom was officially founded
in 1979 by Tim Anderson, Joel Berez, Marc Blank, Mike Broos, Scott
Cutler, Stu Galley, Dave Lebling, J. C. R. Licklider, Chris Reeve
and Al Vezza.

Infocom went on to become
a huge star in the computer gaming market and developed a large
selection of IF mystery, science fiction, comedy,
fantasy, horror and espionage games. In June of 1986 Infocom was
sold to Activision for 7.5 million dollars. That’s a tidy sum
even by today’s standards.

Unfortunately (for Infocom) the gaming public had become hooked
on graphic adventures. By May of 1989 Infocom was forced to lay off
16 of its 26 employees. The games published after 1989 were developed
by different authors and the original concept of Infocom was lost
in the spin of the new and flashy.

Deadline: Press reviews from the past

According to Matthew
Murray,
“Deadline is computer gaming’s first serious murder mystery, and still
one by which all others must be judged. Deadline set a standard in
complexity and plot development that has yet to be matched. With
numerous different suspects to interview and motives to sift through,
trying to solve the murder is hardly easy. There are over ten possible
endings to the case, though only one that is the most successful
conclusion. Deadline is a game that no adventure game fan or mystery
buff should leave unplayed.”

Time Magazine called Deadline “part of the latest craze in
home computing”. The New York Times said that Deadline was
an amazing feat of programming” and Electronic Games awarded
it the Best Adventure Game of 1983 award.

The Game: What its all about

Late one night, Mr. Marshall
Robner locked himself into the library of his home, a colonial
estate in New England, and took an overdose
of anti-depressants. Or at least that is what everyone assumed. The
local Medical Examiner found that suicide was a reasonable conclusion
and Mr. Robner’s family did not have ideas that indicated otherwise.
But rumors and suspicions become rampant and soon you, playing as
the chief detective on the case, are asked to investigate the possibility
of murder. You aren’t comfortable with the finding of suicide
and to further complicate your life, you only have twelve hours to
crack the case. Can you do it?

First of all, you must examine the house and grounds for clues,
analyze everything that you find, and check for fingerprints. You
will also need to interview all of the game characters, looking for
inconsistencies in their stories. Careful note taking in an interactive
fiction game is vital and can mean the difference between success
and failure.

Included in the game package
you will find paper copies of the Medical Examiner’s report,
a lab report concerning a tea cup found near the victim, blueprints
of the house and gardens, memos from
the Lakeville, CT Police Department, and extensive interview notes
that include information from Mrs. Robner (wife of the deceased),
Mr. Dunbar (personal secretary of the deceased), Mr. Baxter (business
partner of the deceased), Mrs. Rourke (the housekeeper), and George
Robner (son of the deceased).

Was this suicide or murder?
Mr. Robner had a history of depression and was taking medication
for it. He had spoken of suicide. Ah, but
he left no suicide note. A note is not essential but it certainly
helps. As you investigate you will find that Mr. Robner had problems
with his wife, his son, and his company. You will need to follow
these people constantly and ask lots of questions. Don’t overlook
anything. Look at footprints, locate and examine a hidden closet,
and read Mr. Robner’s diary. What about the destroyed document
that you find. Could it be a will?

Can you find the guilty party or parties and solve the crime? Is
it a crime? Arresting someone before you have a tight case can mean
the death of a jury verdict. Playing Deadline to a successful conclusion
requires concentration and diligence. It is not an easy game. But
you will find that it is well worth your effort. Deadline can be
purchased new or used at Amazon.com as part of the Infocom
Adventure Collection. These games could turn your long, hot summer into an
exciting trip into your imagination. Why not give this one a try?

Coming Soon:

• The Witness,
  1984, written by Stu Galley and part of the Infocom Adventure
  Collection
• Tips on how to play an IF game.