Infocom: Difference between revisions

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
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Infocom, founded in 1979, is the shining light in the history of commercially-released [[Interactive Fiction]] games. Beginning with ''[[Zork (Video Game)|Zork]]'' in 1980, the company released over thirty games, many of which are still played.
Infocom, founded in 1979, is the shining light in the history of commercially-released [[Interactive Fiction]] games. Beginning with ''[[Zork]]'' in 1980, the company released over thirty games, many of which are still played.


The company's strengths included technical innovation (their [[Text Parser]] was one of the best in the business, and the z-code data format Infocom created is a popular choice for distributing new IF games to this day), rich storytelling, and creative packaging (most Infocom games shipped with "[[Feelies]]", thematically-related props which might form part of the [[Copy Protection]] system, constitute clues, give extra background information, or just be included for the lulz).
The company's strengths included technical innovation (their [[Text Parser]] was one of the best in the business, and the z-code data format Infocom created is a popular choice for distributing new IF games to this day), rich storytelling, and creative packaging (most Infocom games shipped with "[[Feelies]]", thematically-related props which might form part of the [[Copy Protection]] system, constitute clues, give extra background information, or just be included for the lulz).
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=== Notable Infocom games include: ===
=== Notable Infocom games include: ===


* ''[[Zork (Video Game)|Zork]]'' and its many, many sequels
* ''[[Zork]]'' and its many, many sequels
* ''[[Battle Tech]]: The Crescent Hawk's Inception'' and its sequel ''The Crescent Hawk's Revenge''
* ''[[BattleTech]]: The Crescent Hawk's Inception'' and its sequel ''The Crescent Hawk's Revenge''
* ''Starcross''
* ''Starcross''
* ''[[Planetfall (Video Game)|Planetfall]]'' and ''Stationfall''
* ''[[Planetfall]]'' and ''Stationfall''
* ''[[Suspended (Video Game)|Suspended]]''
* ''[[Suspended]]''
* ''Infidel''
* ''Infidel''
* ''[[The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy (Video Game)|The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy]]'', the game of the book of the etc., co-written by special guest implementer [[Douglas Adams]]
* ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (video game)|The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy]]'', the game of the book of the etc., co-written by special guest implementer [[Douglas Adams]]
* ''[[A Mind Forever Voyaging (Video Game)|A Mind Forever Voyaging]]''
* ''[[A Mind Forever Voyaging]]''
* ''[[Leather Goddesses of Phobos (Video Game)|Leather Goddesses of Phobos]]''
* ''[[Leather Goddesses of Phobos]]''
* ''Trinity''
* ''Trinity''
* ''Bureaucracy'' (the return of special guest implementer [[Douglas Adams]])
* ''Bureaucracy'' (the return of special guest implementer [[Douglas Adams]])
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* [[Feelies]]
* [[Feelies]]
* [[Fictional Document]]
* [[Fictional Document]]
* [[Guide Dang It]]: Many of the games were DEVLISHLY hard, but [[Two Words Obvious Trope|two words]]: [[The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy (Video Game)|Babel Fish]]
* [[Guide Dang It]]: Many of the games were DEVLISHLY hard, but [[Two Words: Obvious Trope|two words]]: [[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (video game)|Babel Fish]]
* [[Interactive Fiction]]
* [[Interactive Fiction]]
* [[Inventory Management Puzzle]]
* [[Inventory Management Puzzle]]
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* [[Locked Door]]
* [[Locked Door]]
* [[Second Person Narration]]
* [[Second Person Narration]]
* [[Unwinnable By Design]]
* [[Unwinnable by Design]]
----
----
=== Infocom games with their own trope pages include: ===
=== Infocom games with their own trope pages include: ===


* ''[[Zork (Video Game)|Zork]]'' series (including the ''Enchanter'' trilogy)
* ''[[Zork]]'' series (including the ''Enchanter'' trilogy)
* ''[[Planetfall (Video Game)|Planetfall]]'' (and ''Stationfall'')
* ''[[Planetfall]]'' (and ''Stationfall'')
* ''[[The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy (Video Game)|The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy]]''
* ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (video game)|The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy]]''
* ''[[A Mind Forever Voyaging (Video Game)|A Mind Forever Voyaging]]''
* ''[[A Mind Forever Voyaging]]''
* ''[[Suspended (Video Game)|Suspended]]''
* ''[[Suspended]]''


=== Tropes relating to individual games that don't have their own pages: ===
=== Tropes relating to individual games that don't have their own pages: ===
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* [[Criminal Mind Games]]: in ''Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels''
* [[Criminal Mind Games]]: in ''Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels''
* [[Diabolus Ex Machina]]: ''Infidel''
* [[Diabolus Ex Machina]]: ''Infidel''
* [[Everything's Better With Platypi]]: In ''Wishbringer''
* [[Everything's Better with Platypi]]: In ''Wishbringer''
* [[Fate Worse Than Death]]: In ''The Lurking Horror''
* [[Fate Worse Than Death]]: In ''The Lurking Horror''
* [[Fauxshadow]]: In ''Wishbringer''
* [[Fauxshadow]]: In ''Wishbringer''
* [[Floating in A Bubble]]: In ''Trinity''
* [[Floating in A Bubble]]: In ''Trinity''
* [[Going By the Matchbook]]: One of the [[Feelies]] in ''Witness''.
* [[Going by the Matchbook]]: One of the [[Feelies]] in ''Witness''.
* [[Here We Go Again]]: ''Trinity''
* [[Here We Go Again]]: ''Trinity''
* [[In Case You Forgot Who Wrote It]]: ''James Clavell's Shogun'', which James Clavell didn't have an active hand in adapting.
* [[In Case You Forgot Who Wrote It]]: ''James Clavell's Shogun'', which James Clavell didn't have an active hand in adapting.
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* [[Stable Time Loop]]: In ''Trinity'', ''Sorcerer'' and ''Spellbreaker''
* [[Stable Time Loop]]: In ''Trinity'', ''Sorcerer'' and ''Spellbreaker''
* [[Sweet Polly Oliver]]: In ''Plundered Hearts''
* [[Sweet Polly Oliver]]: In ''Plundered Hearts''
* [[Things That Go Bump in The Night]]: in ''The Lurking Horror''
* [[Things That Go Bump in the Night]]: in ''The Lurking Horror''
* [[Turtle Power]]: ''Enchanter''
* [[Turtle Power]]: ''Enchanter''
* [[Villain Protagonist]]: ''Infidel''
* [[Villain Protagonist]]: ''Infidel''

Revision as of 09:49, 8 April 2014

Infocom, founded in 1979, is the shining light in the history of commercially-released Interactive Fiction games. Beginning with Zork in 1980, the company released over thirty games, many of which are still played.

The company's strengths included technical innovation (their Text Parser was one of the best in the business, and the z-code data format Infocom created is a popular choice for distributing new IF games to this day), rich storytelling, and creative packaging (most Infocom games shipped with "Feelies", thematically-related props which might form part of the Copy Protection system, constitute clues, give extra background information, or just be included for the lulz).

In 1986, struggling with competition from video games with fancy graphics and badly damaged by an ill-fated foray into the business software market, Infocom was bought by Activision. Shortly after the acquisition, Infocom's champion on the Activision board left the company, and his successor spent three years "improving" Infocom before pulling the plug in 1989.

Notable Infocom games include:

Infocom was the Trope Namer for:

Recurring tropes in Infocom games:

Infocom games with their own trope pages include:

Tropes relating to individual games that don't have their own pages:

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