Zork
News, coverage and analysis tracking Zork across the outlets.
Latest coverage
FromSoftware's Hidetaka Miyazaki says The Duskblood's Zork is the perfect example of his design philosophy, and a man of culture: "They are a species with intelligence and philosophy"
FromSoftware director Hidetaka Miyazaki discussed his design philosophy for The Duskbloods, emphasizing a broad approach to character creation beyond traditional vampire or monster archetypes. He highlighted Zork, a character from the network test, as a prime example of this philosophy, showcasing intelligence, philosophy, and culture.
Someone has managed to run Zork on the Steam Controller's internal hardware, but it's risky business
A creator has successfully run the classic text adventure game Zork on the internal hardware of a Steam Controller by developing custom firmware. This involved flashing new firmware, which temporarily bricked the controller, and then using a Rust program to emulate an Intel 8080 CPU and the CP/M-80 operating system. While the end result is a playable experience, the process is described as risky and complex, with a real possibility of permanently damaging the device.
Are these the 100 most influential games of all time?
Kitfox Games CEO Tanya Short discusses a list of the 100 most influential video games of all time, compiled by professional game designers. The list, assembled through the Polaris game design retreat, aims to serve as a tool for designers to improve their craft and create influential games.
Charming point-and-click adventures remind us of a more wholesome time in gaming – Whirlight: No Time to Trip has us longing for the good old days
Whirlight: No Time to Trip is a charming new point-and-click adventure game from Italian developer imaginarylab that evokes a nostalgic, wholesome era of gaming. Despite some modern concessions that hold the player's hand, it offers classic puzzle-solving and a visually appealing blend of hand-drawn characters and pre-rendered backgrounds. The game follows an inventor whose experiment disrupts time, featuring oddball characters and over 100 locations to explore across different eras.
'90s virtual reality, Battlefield 2142, and Total War: This month in PC Gamer 10, 20, and 30 years ago
This article looks back at PC Gamer magazine issues from May 1996, May 2006, and May 2016, highlighting cover stories and notable news from those periods. It revisits predictions about virtual reality and online gaming, discusses sequels like Battlefield 2142, and covers the launch of Total War: Warhammer and the early days of VR technology.
Game History and Preservation
The article discusses the history and preservation of video games, highlighting Zork's 1980 code and the development of "Super SNES," a modern emulator created by the original developers. It touches on the importance of preserving classic titles and the technology behind them.
The ill-advised business software that helped sink videogame pioneers Infocom now runs on modern PCs: 'It's a new age for aficionados of failed 1985 database products!'
Infocom, known for its text adventures like Zork, also developed a database program called Cornerstone in 1985. This business software, designed for its own virtual machine, was notoriously slow and contributed to the company's downfall. The software is now available on modern PCs for enthusiasts of failed 1985 database products.
