I don't know how I didn't see this thread, but yeah, I'm a big lover of the Infocom games, especially the Quendor games. In fact, until Hurricane Harvey and mold screwed me over, I still had most of the original boxes and feelies.
However I still think the Zork universe could be revived and be a hit. Saying "there's no audience for these old games" doesn't make sense since new games with no audiences get released all the time. It's all in the quality of the new game and the marketing. Period. They don't even need to go into the nostalgia aspect and could push it as a new game universe. Now, for me personally, I would like an "Elder Scrolls" type world where you can walk around Quendor or the Great Underground Empire (why not both?). I'm happy that we're at least at a point where Zork is forgotten enough that it can finally evolve with the times.
I love the Infocom games, they were truly special. And we are now at a point where everything in those games can be realized on screen, even the time travel parts. Now, as for the "faceless adventurer" thing being a problem.....not really. The thing about those old games is that you typically imagined yourself in the role. Many games now allow you to customize, quite extensively, the look and gender of your character, and that should be the option in a potential new game.
While I would kill for a huge open world, triple A game 'ala Skyrim, I'd be just as happy if they did a graphical version of the original Zork trilogy in it's original form as one game. I'd think that'd be small enough and easy enough to do, and it could work as a way to gauge interest in doing more games set in that world. I'd also kill for a first person Enchanter game. While I still remember reading "You are standing in a field, West of a white house" for the first time and exploring the quiet desolate ruins of the Great Underground Empire with my Elvish sword and brass lamp, there's just something special about Enchanter for me.
I loved that it was in the same world and all the little references, like Dimwit Flathead. I loved the quiet remains of Castle Largoneth as well as the bits of lore like the Implementors and the Unseen Terror. I loved that the days grew shorter and the decay and grayness spread over everything with the passage of time. I loved being able to use magic and feel like a magic user for the first time in a video game. I really loved all the crazy stuff you do and try with magic and all the creativity that went into providing the results of even the most bizarre of experiments. I especially loved being able to summon yourself from the Zork games in the form of the Adventurer, to help you solve a puzzle. That was the best. But it was just such a well put together little game, full of awesome imagery, great puzzles, great magic, great references, I think when all is said and done. It's my favorite.
Here's a quick down and dirty fake cover I did for an Enchanter comic book series:
I'd kill if these were adapted into comic form, especially with Mignola on the art. I once began an adaptation of Enchanter, but only got as far as the first couple of pages (the prologue). I'd still love to do a series of mini-series covers based on the games.
I wonder, what are the stand out moments from the old text games for you guys?
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It would also be hard to gain any new audiences at this point. I think that the series has a very convoluted history, and hypothetically, if I were looking to be making a new game in the series, I'd probably be looking at doing a graphical remake of the first game.
