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Zork seriesisn't zork 1-3 free?(23 posts)(23 posts)
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Posted August 02, 2011
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Karma313th: No, Zork 1-3 is NOT free.

Activision provided downloads of Zork 1 as a promotion for Zork Nemesis and downloads of Zork 2, Zork 3 and the new Zork Undiscovered Underground as a promotion for Zork Grand Inquisitor.

Activision ceased providing free copies shortly after the launch of Grand Inquisitor.

Infocom-if.org is not in any way affiliated with Activision/Infocom/Marc Blank, etc. Infocom-if was designed by a fan as a speculative "what would Infocom's webpage have looked like if they'd survived to see Internet commerce".

Those downloads are abandonware, short and simple.

Only legitimate ways to own Zork 1-3 are:

1. Track down the original folio releases ($30-40 per game) or the later Zork Trilogy slipcase ($200+ as it includes the sought after zorkmid which was supposed to be included in Zork 1)

2. Track down one of the various compilation packages, either Lost Treasures of Infocom or the later "themed" compilation ($50+).

3. Buy the new compilation offered here on GOG ($5.99).

For authenticity, I'd personally suggest option 1 just because it gets you the original Infocom documentation (and in later games, feelies), but for ease of access you can't beat GOG's offering.
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hercufles: there is a 4 way to play it legimatly and that is playing it in cod: black ops ;p
Unfortunately, this option requires playing CoD:Blops.
Posted August 02, 2011
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hercufles: there is a 4 way to play it legimatly and that is playing it in cod: black ops ;p
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ceeker: Unfortunately, this option requires playing CoD:Blops.
truw and to buy that crap agaib too play zork ;p
Posted August 14, 2011
Is it sad that I've been waiting for COD:Blops to drop in price just to play Zork I inside it? :)

I know I'm late to this thread, but a few things:

1) You can turn any version of a Zork into another version with a handy tool on the IF website.
2) There's no way Zork Trilogy goes for $200. If you think it does, make me an offer on mine ;)
3) If you called Activision to ask if these games were free they'd think it were a prank phone call. "What's a Zork?"
Posted August 14, 2011
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simmias: Is it sad that I've been waiting for COD:Blops to drop in price just to play Zork I inside it? :)

I know I'm late to this thread, but a few things:

2) There's no way Zork Trilogy goes for $200. If you think it does, make me an offer on mine ;)
3) If you called Activision to ask if these games were free they'd think it were a prank phone call. "What's a Zork?"
Actually, I can speak to it for a fact as at the time of that post, I'd just sold a sealed copy of the Trilogy I'd had for $200. Of course, it got a premium since it was a sealed copy, and truth be told, the majority of the value lies in the Zorkmid inside the trilogy as opposed to the games/documentation/etc, but...

And yes, Activision has no interest or, for the most part, knowledge of Infocom's catalog. Didn't even care about it back in the mid-90s when they acquired the licenses and prompty cancelled a graphic adventure sequel for Stationfall. Forget the working title offhand, but it definitely had Floyd in it somewhere.
Posted August 22, 2011
While Activision has been kind enough to allow Zork 1-3 as well as the mainframe Zork to be part of the iPod/iPhone version of Frotz, which is distributed as a free app strictly for the love of Interactive Fiction, Zork 0, Beyond Zork, and Planetfall were never distributed as freeware. There are two reasons to buy this game set: 1. To get Zork 0, Beyond Zork, and Planetfall (which makes an appearance in Zork: Grand Inquisitor), and to show appreciation for the iPod version and hopefully generate interest in more Zork games. The only Zork which is not on Zork is one that was a prequel to Zork:Grand Inquisitor, and that one can be found for free since it was used strictly as a promotion for Grand Inquisitor.
Posted October 14, 2011
"mainframe zork" or the FORTRAN version encompasses Zork I,II,III and was blessed by Infocom for non commercial redistribution...

Its trivial to find the old fortran source (google dungeon-2.5.6) and then using either a fortran compiler, or f2c, and a C compiler you too can be living the 'mainframe' version on your PC or whatever... :)
Posted October 19, 2011
Of course, since mainframe Zork is one of the earliest text adventures in existence, it has the worst parser this side of playing the Japanese version of Mystery House with no knowledge of the language. But that's kind of fun, in its own way.

I definitely the way it's contiguous, though, so there's always that. But there are large swaths missing.
Post edited October 19, 2011 by Blackdrazon
Posted November 28, 2011
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neozeed: "mainframe zork" or the FORTRAN version encompasses Zork I,II,III and was blessed by Infocom for non commercial redistribution...

Its trivial to find the old fortran source (google dungeon-2.5.6) and then using either a fortran compiler, or f2c, and a C compiler you too can be living the 'mainframe' version on your PC or whatever... :)
Thanks :-) That was the first computer game I ever played (PDP-11 RT-11)
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Zork seriesisn't zork 1-3 free?(23 posts)(23 posts)
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