Microsoft Has Open-Source Trilogy of Classic Text Games, Preserving Interactive History
In a significant victory for gamers and preservationists alike, Microsoft has made the source code for its legendary text adventure game trilogy, Zork, freely available to the public. The decision marks a major milestone in preserving classic video games, which have become increasingly scarce in today's digital era.
The iconic trilogy, comprising Zork, Zork II, and Zork III, will now be accessible under the permissive MIT License, courtesy of Microsoft's Open Source Programs Office, Xbox, and Activision. The company's primary objective was not to modernize the games but to safeguard them as a haven for exploration and education.
Released in the 1980s, the original Zork remains an influential milestone in parser-based interactive fiction, continuing to inspire contemporary enthusiasts of the genre. Its innovative use of the Z-Machine virtual machine allowed it to seamlessly transition between multiple platforms during the personal computer boom of the 1990s. Today, modern interpreters and preservationists, like Good Old Games, ensure that players can experience these titles in their original form.
A notable precedent for open-source game preservation was set by Infocom's release of its code on GitHub in 2019. However, due to copyright concerns, Activision had the right to issue a takedown notice, potentially stifling access to this rich piece of gaming history. Microsoft's move rectifies this situation, guaranteeing that future generations can explore and learn from these groundbreaking games without fear of digital deletion.
In a significant victory for gamers and preservationists alike, Microsoft has made the source code for its legendary text adventure game trilogy, Zork, freely available to the public. The decision marks a major milestone in preserving classic video games, which have become increasingly scarce in today's digital era.
The iconic trilogy, comprising Zork, Zork II, and Zork III, will now be accessible under the permissive MIT License, courtesy of Microsoft's Open Source Programs Office, Xbox, and Activision. The company's primary objective was not to modernize the games but to safeguard them as a haven for exploration and education.
Released in the 1980s, the original Zork remains an influential milestone in parser-based interactive fiction, continuing to inspire contemporary enthusiasts of the genre. Its innovative use of the Z-Machine virtual machine allowed it to seamlessly transition between multiple platforms during the personal computer boom of the 1990s. Today, modern interpreters and preservationists, like Good Old Games, ensure that players can experience these titles in their original form.
A notable precedent for open-source game preservation was set by Infocom's release of its code on GitHub in 2019. However, due to copyright concerns, Activision had the right to issue a takedown notice, potentially stifling access to this rich piece of gaming history. Microsoft's move rectifies this situation, guaranteeing that future generations can explore and learn from these groundbreaking games without fear of digital deletion.
this is amazing news! I remember playing Zork for the first time as a kid and being completely hooked on its clever puzzles and witty writing 
it's so cool that Microsoft has made these classics available to the public again, not just for nostalgic value but also for educational purposes. It's like they're saying "yes" to preserving gaming history 
I'm glad Activision came around eventually because if this news didn't happen, we'd have lost a huge piece of gaming heritage 
what a massive win for gamers & preservationists! it's crazy how these old games are still relevant today i mean who wouldn't want to play an adventure game from the 80s 
it's like they're finally doing something right for gamers & preservationists after all those years of buying out old game studios... anyway, i'm stoked that we can finally have access to these classic games again without worrying about them being lost forever 
. microsoft's move also shows that even big corps can change their ways when it counts 
. hope this opens up more doors for other old games & devs to share their work with the world 
like whats the point if they dont plan on touchin them up? its just a bunch of code, cant say i'm hyped about it 
guess its good that gamers and preservationists can finally get their hands on it tho 
. It's like they're saying, "Hey, we're letting you have access to these old games, but don't think for a second that you can change them or use them for anything else". The MIT License is just a nice way of saying "we're in control here". And what about all those Activision lawyers who were trying to stifle this? 
Did they really just want to keep the old Zork games hidden away from prying eyes? It's all about the bottom line, if you ask me...
, I'm so hyped about this one! Microsoft is literally saving our gaming history with this open-source move 
. This is a big win for gamers, preservationists, and anyone who loves classic games. I'm also loving the fact that Microsoft didn't try to modernize the games - sometimes it's nice to just preserve things in their original form 
. It's also cool to see other companies taking notes from Microsoft's move, like with Infocom's release of its code on GitHub back in 2019 
. This is a great step towards preserving our gaming heritage and I'm excited to see what the future holds for open-source game preservation!
. I mean, it's not just about playing old games for nostalgia; it's also about preserving history and making sure future gamers can learn from them. Plus, it's a big deal that they're releasing it under an open-source license - that means anyone can use and modify the code, which is awesome 
. It's like, Microsoft is being super cool and doing something positive for the gaming community