Zork Returning As a Browser MMO

Gamasutra reports that Jolt Online Gaming is teaming up with Activision to revive the Zork franchise in the form of a casual, browser-based MMO. The Legends of Zork website provides some basic background information: "The Great Underground Empire has recently fallen and the land is in disarray. The Royal Treasury has been sacked. The stock market has collapsed, leading even mighty FrobozzCo International to fire employees from throughout its subsidiaries. A craze of treasure-hunting has swept through the remnants of the Great Underground Empire. The New Zork Times reports that trolls, kobolds and other dangerous creatures are venturing far from their lairs. Adventurers and monsters are increasingly coming into conflict over areas rich with loot. It's a dangerous time to be a newly-unemployed traveling salesman, but it's also a great time to try a bit of adventuring." Gamasutra also has a brief interview with Jolt's CEO, Dylan Collins. There's no word yet whether or not players are likely to be eaten by a grue.

Comments

Planetarion

[oneofthose]

This is the same Jolt that owns the legendary Planetarion (http://www.planetarion.com/) browser game. They don't seem to invest a whole lot of money into Planetarion but apparently are creating an entirely new game. This is sad for me because I prefer science fiction and strategy over role playing and loved Planetarion back in the days. Jolt recently got bought by Omac Industries (http://omacindustries.com/). They also own Nation States, a popular nation simulation browser game.

Multi-player text adventures?

[yotto]

Gee, someone should have thought of this YEARS AGO!
 
Oh wait they did.
 
I'm on dialup, so got tired of waiting for TFA to load. Maybe it's graphical and awesome and whatever.

Re:Multi-player text adventures?

[drinkypoo]

So what do you call MUDs that use a java telnet client in your browser.

Stupid.

Re:Multi-player text adventures?

[Mad Merlin]

You could always give Game! a shot instead. It should be snappy, even on dialup.

You Are Likely To Be Eaten By A Grue

[ChameleonDave]

Obligatory YouTube video.

Zork?

[kpainter]

The Great Underground Empire has recently fallen and the land is in disarray. The Royal Treasury has been sacked. The stock market has collapsed, leading even mighty FrobozzCo International to fire employees from throughout its subsidiaries. A craze of treasure-hunting has swept through the remnants of the Great Underground Empire...

Sounds a bit too much like reality to me.

It's a rare game...

[PoochieReds]

...that can survive being turned into a MMORPG. Most developers tend to think that making a game into a MMOG adds value, but I tend to think it's the reverse.

Re:It's a rare game...

[jonaskoelker]

Coming soon to a gaming rig near your: Guitar Hero, the MMOG version.

You can look forward to many hours of fun whacking goblins with your axe in search of the Golden Mic Stand from Kalimdor. When you have assembled a whole stage, you can hold concerts, and when you meet other players you can do battle.

(Monthly subscription rates may apply, see inside of box for details)

Re:It's a rare game...

[MindlessAutomata]

We need a Leisure Suit Larry MMO.

Re:It's a rare game...

[Culture20]

You just defined the internet.

Free Zork!

[agnosticanarch]

In related news, Infocom (?) is giving away Zork I, II and III on their website. infocom-if.org

Now I'm definitely more likely to be eaten by a grue.

~AA

So it's reality based then?

[syousef]

"The Great Underground Empire has recently fallen and the land is in disarray. The Royal Treasury has been sacked. The stock market has collapsed, leading even mighty FrobozzCo International to fire employees from throughout its subsidiaries

So it's reality based then?

Re:Grue!

[elrous0]

throw bottle at grue

There, that should take care of him.