Infocom

From WE Computers Museum
Infocom logo.png
Infocom
Type Former subsidiary of Activision
Founded June 22, 1979 (closed on May 5, 1989)
Headquarters Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Key people Tim Anderson, founder
Joel Berez, founder
Marc Blank, founder
Mike Broos, founder
Scott Cutler, founder
Stu Galley, founder
Dave Lebling, founder
J. C. R. Licklider, founder
Chris Reeve, founder
Al Vezza, founder
Industry Video games
Products Zork series
Number of people Not disclosed
Website N/A

Infocom was an American video game developer and publisher.

Foundation

Infocom was founded on June 22, 1979 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology students and staff including Tim Anderson, Joel Berez, Marc Blank, Mike Broos, Scott Cutler, Stu Galley, Dave Lebling, J. C. R. Licklider, Chris Reeve, and Al Vezza.

It was founded to commercially produce ports of Zork for home computers of the time. Because of its size, Zork was split into three parts.

A scripting language known as ZIL, or Z-code was created to quickly port the games to multiple systems. The ZIL scripts were executed by an interpreter known as Z-machine. This language was extended and used for their other text adventure games until the company's closure.

Acquisition by Activision and closure

Activision acquired Infocom on June 13, 1986. Infocom was closed on May 5, 1989.

Infocom games

Title Release System Notes
Zork I 1980 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 16, Commodore 64, Commodore 128, DOS, iOS, Mac OS, PC-9800, PC-8000, PlayStation, Plus/4, Tatung Einstein, TRS-80, TRS-80 CoCo
Zork II 1981 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 16, Commodore 64, Commodore 128, DOS, iOS, Mac OS, PC-8000, PlayStation, Plus/4, Tatung Einstein, TRS-80, TRS-80 CoCo
Deadline 1982 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, iOS, Mac OS, Osborne 1, TI-99/A, TRS-80
Starcross 1982 Amiga, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, Plus/4, TI-99/A, TRS-80
Zork III 1982 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 16, Commodore 64, DOS, iOS, Mac OS, PC-8000, PlayStation, Plus/4, Tatung Einstein, TRS-80, TRS-80 CoCo
Enchanter 1983 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, APC, Apple II, Apricot PC, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, CP/M, DOS, iOS, Kaypro II, Mac OS, Osborne 1, PC-9801, PDP-9, PDP-10, PDP-11, Rainbow 100, TI-99/A, TRS-80
Infidel 1983 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, iOS, Mac OS, TI-99/A, TRS-80
Planetfall 1983 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, APC, Apple II, Apricot PC, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, CP/M, DOS, iOS, Kaypro II, Mac OS, Osborne 1, PC-9801, Rainbow 100, TI-99/A, TRS-80
Spellbreaker 1983 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, DOS, Mac OS
Suspended: A Cryogenic Nightmare 1983 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, iOS, Mac OS, Plus/4, TI-99/A, TRS-80
The Witness 1983 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Apple II, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, iOS, Mac OS, TI-99/A, TRS-80
Seastalker 1984 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, iOS, Mac OS, TI-99/A, TRS-80
Cutthroats 1984 Amiga, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, Mac OS, TI-99/A, TRS-80
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 1984 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Apple II, Apricot PC, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Browser, Commodore 64, CP/M, DOS, iOS, Kaypro II, Mac OS, Osborne 1, QX-10, TI-99/A, TRS-80
Sorcerer 1984 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, APC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, iOS, Kaypro II, Mac OS, Osborne 1, RT-11, TI-99/A, TRS-80
Suspect 1984 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, iOS, Kaypro II, Mac OS
Ballyhoo 1985 Amiga, Apple II, Atari ST, Commodore 128, DOS, Mac OS
A Mind Forever Voyaging 1985 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, TRS-80 CoCo
Wishbringer 1985 Amiga, Apple II, Atari ST, Commodore 128, DOS, Mac OS
Hollywood Hijinx 1986 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, Mac OS, TI-99/A, TRS-80
Leather Goddesses of Phobos 1986 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, Mac OS, TI-99/A, TRS-80
Moonmist 1986 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, iOS, Mac OS, TI-99/A, TRS-80
Border Zone 1987 Apple II, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, Mac OS
Bureaucracy 1987 Amiga, Apple II, Atari ST, Commodore 128, DOS, Mac OS
The Lurking Horror 1987 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Commodore 128, DOS, Mac OS
Beyond Zork 1987 Amiga, Apple II, Atari ST, Commodore 128, DOS, iOS, Mac OS
Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It 1987 Amiga, Apple II, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, Mac OS
Plundered Hearts 1987 Amiga, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, Mac OS
Mini Zork I: The Great Underground Empire 1987 Commodore 64 A shrunken Zork I designed to fit on a cassette tape. Sold commercially and included for free in the issue #67 of Zzap!64 magazine.
Stationfall 1987 Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, DOS, iOS, Mac OS
Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels 1988 Amiga, Apple II, Commodore 64, DOS, Mac OS
Zork Zero 1988 Amiga, Apple II, DOS, iOS, Mac OS
Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur 1989 Amiga, Apple II, DOS, Mac OS
James Clavell's Shōgun 1989 Amiga, Apple II, DOS, Mac OS
Journey 1989 Amiga, Apple II, DOS, Mac OS
The Lost Treasures of Infocom 1991 Amiga, Apple II, DOS, iOS, Mac OS Includes Ballyhoo, Beyond Zork, Deadline, Enchanter, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Infidel, The Lurking Horror, Moonmist, Planetfall, Sorcerer, Spellbreaker, Suspect, Starcross, Stationfall, Suspended: A Cryogenic Nightmare, The Witness, Zork I, Zork II, Zork III, and Zork Zero.
The Zork Anthology 1994 DOS, Mac OS Includes Beyond Zork, Planetfall, Zork I, Zork II, and Zork III.
Zork: The Undiscovered Underground 1997 DOS Created by Infocom co-founder Marc Blank, as well as Michael Berlyn and G. Kevin Wilson for Activision under the Infocom label.
Milliways 2008 DOS Prototype of a Hitchhiker's Guide sequel developed in 1988.