I have the good fortune to be able to travel to several of the great cities of the world on a regular basis as part of my job. And when I do, I always make it a point to visit the local museums and art galleries. I find art to be inspiring, and I do some of my most creative thinking while wandering around on the creaky wooden floors, looking at works made by artists past and present whose intent is not always transparent. I have come to believe that a work of art is not simply the sum of its creator's vision, the "authorial intent", but rather only made complete through audience engagement and interaction. The audience of a work interprets its authorial intent through the lens of their own experience. This lens may distort, it may enhance, it may obscure. I'm sure this is discussed at great length and more clarity by art critics, this is simply an explanation of my own feeling when encountering and interpreting art. So how does this relate to writing Interactive Fiction?

Continue reading "Interactive Fiction as Contemporary Art" »

Posted by Peter Nepstad at 09:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We're not the only ones who are inspired by the Infocom games (ZORK, ENCHANTER, PLANETFALL, etc.) from the 80's and try to use that inspiration to create something new. But surely, MC Frontalot is unique in that he channels that inspiration into creating a rap song!

Continue reading "MC Frontalot's "It is Pitch Dark"" »

Posted by Peter Nepstad at 09:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I've recently sent out a customer satisfaction survey for 1893: A World's Fair Mystery, to about 1,000 people who purchased the game. I'm still analyzing the results, and have been publishing the information here. Let's get right down to the nitty gritty this time: did respondents actually like the game, or not?

Continue reading "Customer Satisfaction Survey Results, Part Two" »

Posted by Peter Nepstad at 02:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I've recently sent out a customer satisfaction survey for 1893: A World's Fair Mystery, to about 1,000 people who purchased the game. I'm still analyzing the results, and will be publishing the information here. Let's start with a demographic question I asked: How Old Are You?

Continue reading "Breaking Boundaries in Gaming Demographics" »

Posted by Peter Nepstad at 11:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

1893: AWFM is huge. No, really, it is a gigantic, sprawling game. And while it can be great fun just to wander about the grounds, solving the mystery requires some careful planning. Here are my top 10 tips for playing 1893: AWFM:

Continue reading "10 Tips for playing 1893: A World's Fair Mystery" »

Posted by Peter Nepstad at 08:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I recently wrote and released the game Journey of the King, free for download from the IF archive, adapted from the writings of Lord Dunsany, and part of a short game collection entitled "Tales of Wonder". Reception to the game has been mixed, with most notices centered around the style of writing, and its abundance. While it at first seems odd that someone might not like too much text in a text adventure, after a moments reconsideration there are in fact very good reasons for this sort of complaint. When writing "Interactive Fiction", it's all a matter of finding the right dividing line between the "Interactive" part and the "Fiction" part. And without a doubt, there is a lot of the latter in Journey of the King.

Continue reading "Text as Treasure: Design notes for The Journey of the King" »

Posted by Peter Nepstad at 04:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Illuminated Lantern Publishing isn't the only niche game developer and publisher that operates on nothing more than caffeine and hope. For example, there is Dave Gilbert's Wadjet Eye Games, devoted exclusively to games developed using AGS, a freeware game development platform. Given that there is a large non-commercial fan base for AGS games, and lots of free games available, Dave faces the same questions that I do with 1893: A World's Fair Mystery. Namely, why should anyone buy your game, when so many games developed using the same platform are available for free? So I picked up his latest, THE BLACKWELL LEGACY, to find out.

Continue reading "Independent Game Publishers and the Cost of Playing" »

Posted by Peter Nepstad at 12:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Pynchon's latest novel, AGAINST THE DAY, opens at the 1893 World's Fair, then proceeds through an additional one thousand pages of international intrigue and strange goings-on, from anarchists in Colorado to magic totems in Iceland and all points in between. It's a fascinating book that is as complicated as history itself, weaving a complex narrative that tangles the historic with the intimate and defines the times through an imaginary geneology. But back to the beginning -- a dirigible festival, taking place just outside the grounds of the fair, with hundreds of airships arriving and departing. While 1893: A World's Fair Mystery does not contain such a festival, it does contain a tethered balloon that was a ride attraction on the Midway. And quick-thinking players may even find a way to board the balloon and ride over the lagoon during one particularly dramatic action sequence in the game.

Continue reading "Thomas Pynchon visits the World's Fair" »

Posted by Peter Nepstad at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)