INFOCOM (virtual) roundtable

 *If you already know about INFOCOM (or you just can't stand long setups...and by 'long' I mean 2 frigging paragraphs for crying out loud), feel free to jump down to ANYHOW

 

 

I'm not sure how many of you were immersed in the 'Interactive fiction' pool, but back in early days, ZORK (not COKE) was IT.  I remember visiting the Museum of Science's "computer room" in 1983-ish.  by school appointment only, your class could come in and operate a row of 8 amber-screened units in a what appeared to be a reconditioned walk-in closet.  

That's where I played ZORK for the first time.  

The early 80's was when computers seemed to function just like in classic science fiction stories...I would type words and the computer would respond.  Point-and-click my ASS.  This was a game that actually required a collaborative between the computer and the user for maximum effectiveness.  The graphic rendering engine...was the user's imagination. [CUE THEME FROM 'COSMOS"]

 

Zork was created by a company called 'INFOCOM'.  Infocom was essentially a small collective of geeks who formed a startup of sorts then wrote and coded interactive fiction (based on a proprietary coding language).  Also, they were based right in Cambridge.  It goes without saying that it was one of my first ideal-career dreams to work at Infocom.  Typically of innovative startups, they developed a close-knit office culture that kept morale and loyalty high but also nurtured the creative aspects of the employees (one that would still yield marketable results). 

The company got larger, eventually garnering the interest of Douglas Adams.  He created the interactive fiction version of 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' with the Infocom staff, which became hugely popular.  A sequel was started, but mysteriously never saw the light of day.  Infocom lasted until 1989, when Activision bought them out and fired the last 15 employees in Cambridge. 

 

 

ANYHOW...

Last month, an author posted some of the contents of the famed 'INFOCOM Drive'.  Supposedly this is an actual backup drive Infocom shipped to Activision at the time of acquisition containing interoffice e-mails, unfinished projects, code, etc.  He wrote an excellent article and posted it on his blog.  Great article...but that's not the amazing part. 

A few days later...in the comments section...INFOCOM staff started replying.  Not just the janitor or the guy who answered the phones.  The authors, the coders, then president.  Not just with pithy congratulatory stuff either.  They start fleshing out the story that began to emerge from spotty email transcripts in the article.  Sometimes it even gets a bit heated with the non-INFOCOM collaborators. 

Now I know I'm geeking-out a bit here, but this is kind of a consolation prize version of a dream come true for me.  I may never be able to have worked at the INFOCOM office, but at least I can enjoy the INFOCOM office drama/gossip...in almost real time!

 

Here's the article...and (most importantly) the COMMENTS:

 

http://waxy.org/2008/04/milliways_infocoms_unreleased_sequel_to_hitchhikers_guide_to_the_galax/