From: blasius@gmd.de (Volker Blasius)
Subject: Infocom Fact Sheet - updated version 4.2
Keywords: Infocom Fact Facts History
Organization: GMD, Sankt Augustin, Germany
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 20:12:06 GMT

Hello Infocom lovers,

David Doherty asked me to post this updated version of his Infocom Fact 
Sheet.  Please send thanks and other friendly comments directly to him, 
because I only did the posting. His email addresses are in the 1st paragraph.

Enjoy

Volker

--------- cut here ----------

                       ------------------              4.2 - Jan 3, 1992
                       Infocom Fact Sheet
                       ------------------
                  Compiled by Paul David Doherty

This file includes some information about Infocom's games and related
subjects. Maybe it is useful as a reference. Thanks to the many people
who made contributions. For suggestions and corrections, please mail me
at <h0142kdd@rz.hu-berlin.de> or <d.doherty@bamp.berlinet.in-berlin.de>.
You can obtain the most recent version of this file via FTP from
ftp.gmd.de (129.26.8.90), directory /if-archive/infocom.

List of contents:

I   Infocom Games
II  Versions
III Infocom Authors
IV  Infocom Newsletters
V   Infocom Chronology


                       I  Infocom Games
                       ================

This table lists all software products sold under the Infocom label. The
information is given in the form "PrC R Yr  Title_of_program (Author)",
where PrC is the Product Code, R is the difficulty rating and Yr the year
of publication.

Every Infocom product had a specific Order Code which consisted of the
Product Code (to identify the program) and a System Code which identified
the platform for which this product was produced. For example, the Order
Code IM3-CO4 identifies the game "Suspect" (IM3) for the Commodore Amiga
(CO4). The Order Code was printed on the program disk as well as on the
box.

The following System Codes have been used:
 AC1 Apricot                         IB1 IBM & 100% Compatibles
 AP1 Apple II series (48 K 18-sec.)  IB2 IBM & MS-DOS Compatibles
 AP2 Apple Macintosh                 KA1 Kaypro II (CP/M)
 AT1 Atari XL/XE (48 K, 810/1050)    MS1 MS-DOS 2.0
 AT2 Atari ST                        NE1 NEC PC-8000 (56 K, CP/M)
 CO1 Commodore 64/128 (1541)         NE2 NEC APC (CP/M-86)
 CO2 ?                               OS1 Osborne (CP/M)
 CO3 ?                               TA1 TRS-80 Model I (48 K, disk)
 CO4 Commodore Amiga                 TA2 ?
 CO5 Commodore 128 ONLY              TA3 TRS-80 Model III (48 K, disk)
 CP1 CP/M (2.0+, 48 K, 8")           TA4 TRS-80 Color Computer (48 K, disk)
 DE1 PDP-11 (RT-11)                  TI1 TI Professional
 DE2 DEC Rainbow (CP/M)              TI2 TI 99/4 A (48 K, disk)
 EP1 Epson QX-10
Other supported platforms (probably without Product Codes): Commodore
Plus/4 and Schneider CPC (Amstrad).

There have been 4 difficulty ratings:
   i - Introductory (Junior)
   s - Standard
   a - Advanced
   e - Expert


I.1 Interactive Fiction (IF)
----------------------------

Fantasy
IZ0 i 85  Wishbringer: The Magick Stone of Dreams (Brian Moriarty)
IZ1 s 80  Zork I: The Great Underground Empire (Marc Blank/Dave Lebling)
IZ2 a 81  Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz (Marc Blank/Dave Lebling)
IZ3 a 82  Zork III: The Dungeon Master (Marc Blank/Dave Lebling)
IZ4 s 83  Enchanter (Marc Blank/Dave Lebling)
IZ5 a 84  Sorcerer (Steve Meretzky)
IZ6 e 85  Spellbreaker (Dave Lebling)
IZ7 s 86  Trinity (Brian Moriarty)
IZ8 - 87  Beyond Zork (Brian Moriarty)
IZ9 - 88  Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz (Steve Meretzky)

Science Fiction
IS1 e 82  Starcross (Dave Lebling)
IS2 e 83  Suspended (Mike Berlyn)
IS3 s 83  Planetfall (Steve Meretzky)
IS4 s 84  The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams/Steve Meretzky)
IS5 a 85  A Mind Forever Voyaging (Steve Meretzky)
IS6 - 87  Stationfall (Steve Meretzky)

Mystery
IM1 e 82  Deadline (Marc Blank)
IM2 s 83  The Witness (Stu Galley)
IM3 a 84  Suspect (Dave Lebling)
IM4 s 85  Ballyhoo (Jeff O'Neill)
IM5 i 86  Moonmist (Stu Galley/Jim Lawrence)

Tales of Adventure
IA1 a 83  Infidel (Mike Berlyn/Patricia Fogleman)
IA2 i 84  Seastalker (Stu Galley/Jim Lawrence)     *** first released as IK1
IA3 s 84  Cutthroats (Mike Berlyn/Jerry Wolper)
IA4 s 86  Hollywood Hijinx  (Dave Anderson/Liz Cyr-Jones)
IA5 - 89  James Clavell's Shogun (Dave Lebling)

Comedy
IC1 s 86  Leather Goddesses of Phobos (Steve Meretzky)
IC2 - 87  Bureaucracy (Douglas Adams et al.)
IC3 - 87  Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It (Jeff O'Neill)

Horror
IH1 - 87  The Lurking Horror (Dave Lebling)

Romance
IR1 - 87  Plundered Hearts (Amy Briggs)

Espionage
IE1 - 87  Border Zone (Marc Blank)

Immortal Legends
CS1 - 87  Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels (Bob Bates)

Chronicles
IJ1 - 89  Journey (Marc Blank)

Living Literature
IL1 - 89  Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur (Bob Bates/Duane Beck)


I.2 Samplers and Compilations
-----------------------------

The Four-In-One Sampler(s)
ID1 - ??  ?
ID2 - 84  [Excerpts from Zork I, Infidel, The Witness, Planetfall]
ID3 - 87  [Excerpts from Zork I, Leather Goddesses, Trinity and a
          Wishbringer tutorial]

Trilogies
IT1 - 87  Zork Trilogy              [IF1, IF2, IF3]
IT2 - 87  Enchanter Trilogy         [IF4, IF5, IF6]
IT3 - 87  Classic Mystery Library   [IM2, IM3, IM5]
IT4 - 87  Science Fiction Classics  [IS4, IS3, IS5]


I.3 Non-IF
----------

Infocomics
SL1 - 88  Lane Mastodon vs. The Blubbermen (Steve Meretzky)
SG1 - 88  Gamma Force in Pit of a Thousand Screams (Amy Briggs)
SZ1 - 88  ZorkQuest: Assault on Egreth Castle (Elizabeth Langosy)
SZ2 - 88  ZorkQuest II: The Crystal of Doom (Elizabeth Langosy)

Others
BC1 - 85  Cornerstone (Brian Berkowitz/Rich Ilson et al.)
GS1 - 86  Fooblitzky (Mike Berlyn et al.)
??? - 88  Quarterstaff: The Tomb of Setmoth (Scott Schmitz/Ken Updike &
          Amy Briggs)
IF2 - 88  BattleTech:  The Crescent Hawk's Inception (Westwood Ass.)


I.4 "Infocom" releases after Infocom closed down
------------------------------------------------

224 - 89  Mines of Titan (Westwood Ass.)
??? - 90  Circuit's Edge (Westwood Ass.)
??? - 91  BattleTech 2: The Crescent Hawks' Revenge (Westwood Ass.)
--- - 91  The Lost Treasures of Infocom
--- - 92  Leather Goddesses of Phobos II (Steve Meretzky)
--- - 92  The Lost Treasures of Infocom II
--- - 92  Return to Zork


                        II  Versions
                        ============

This table lists all versions of Infocom IF that I know of.

II.1 Legend
-----------

Game   : This is the name of the game. "Solid Gold" releases (which have
         the same Product Codes as normal ones) are marked "SG".

?      : Versions marked with an "*" are the ones I have only heard of
         but never actually seen.

V.A    : Version number (a.k.a. "Release") and assembly date (a.k.a.
         "Serial number"). Typing VERSION in a game usually gives you
         this information. [Assembly dates in "<>" could be fakes!]

Z-C    : The Z-Code version (1...6) of the data file. An "s" marks a data
         file that requires an interpreter with sound (not only beep)
         capabilities.
         The Z-Code versions correspond with the development stages of ZIP
         ("Zork Interpretive Program", the virtual interpreter) in the
         following way:             ZIP      Z-Code
                                    ---------------
                                    ZIP         1-3
                                    EZIP (LZIP)   4  ("extended")
                                    XZIP          5  ("experimental")
                                    YZIP          6

Length : The "real" length of the data file, as indicated in the "game
         length" field of the data file header. Usually, data files are
         slightly longer because they have been padded to a page size of
         256 or 512 Bytes. Older data files (Z-code 1, 2 and early 3) have
         been marked with "---"; these files have no game length field in
         the header, and they also lack the $VERIFY command.


II.2 Versions
-------------

Game                      ?    V.A       Z-C  Length
----------------------------------------------------
A Mind Forever Voyaging       77.850814   4   262016
                              79.851122   4   262036

Arthur                        54.890606   6   270848
                              74.890714   6   269200

Ballyhoo                      97.851218   3   128556

Beyond Zork                   47.870915   5   261952     1)
                              49.870917   5   261900
                          *   51.870923   5        ?
                              57.871221   5   261388

Border Zone                    9.871008   5   178372

Bureaucracy                   86.870212   4   243144
                             116.870602   4   243340

Cutthroats                    23.840809   3   112558

Deadline                      26.821108   3   108372
                              27.831005   3   108454

Enchanter                     10.830810   3   109126
                              16.831118   3   109234
                              24.851118   3   108638
                              29.860820   3   111126

Four-In-One Sampler ID2   *   26.840731   ?        ?

Hitchhiker's Guide            47.840914   3   112622
                              56.841221   3   113444
                              58.851002   3   113332
                              59.851108   3   113334

Hitchhiker's Guide SG         31.871119   5   158412

Hollywood Hijinx              37.861215   3   109650

Infidel                       22.830916   3    93556

Journey                       30.890322   6   280472
                              83.890706   6   282312

Leather Goddesses         *  118.860325   3        ?
                          *   50.860711   3        ?
                              59.860730   3   129022

Leather Goddesses SG           4.880405   5   159928

Lurking Horror               203.870506   3   128986
                          *  219.870912   3s       ?
                             221.870918   3s  129944

Moonmist                       4.860918   3   129002
                               9.861022   3   128866

Nord and Bert                 19.870722   4   170284

Planetfall                    20.830708   3   107958
                              29.840118   3   109052
                              37.851003   3   109398

Planetfall SG                 10.880531   5   136560

Plundered Hearts              26.870730   3   128962

Seastalker                    15.840501   3   117738
                              15.840522   3   117728
                              16.850515   3   117752
                              16.850603   3   117762

Sherlock                      21.871214   5   188444
                              26.880127   5s  190180

Shogun                       295.890321   6   341912
                             322.890706   6   344816

Sorcerer                       4.840131   3   109734
                               6.840508   3   109482
                              13.851021   3   108692
                              15.851108   3   108682
                              18.860904   3   111052

Spellbreaker                  63.850916   3   128480
                              87.860904   3   128916

Starcross                     15.820901   3    84984
                              17.821021   3    83792

Stationfall                  107.870430   3   128934

Suspect                       14.841005   3   118692

Suspended                 *    5.830222   3        ?
                               7.830419   3   105500
                               8.830521   3   105492
                               8.840521   3   105584

Trinity                       11.860509   4   262016
                              12.860926   4   262064

Wishbringer                   68.850501   3   128952
                              69.850920   3   128904

Wishbringer SG                23.880706   5   164712

Witness                       13.830524   3   102608
                              20.831119   3   104740
                              21.831208   3   104704
                              22.840924   3   104664

Zork I                    *    5.<      > 1      ---
                              25.820515   3   (75808)    2)
                              28.821013   3    76018
                              30.830330   3    76324
                              75.830929   3    84868
                              76.840509   3    84874
                              88.840726   3    84876

Zork I SG                     52.871125   5   105264

Zork II                   *    7.<UG3AU5> 2      ---
                              18.820517   3      ---
                              22.830331   3    82920
                              48.840904   3    89912

Zork III                      10.820818   3    82334
                              15.830331   3    82558
                              15.840518   3    82642
                              16.<823242> 3    81626     3)
                              17.840727   3    82714

Zork Zero                    296.881019   6   295536
                             366.890323   6   296376
                             393.890714   6   299968


II.3 Footnotes
--------------

1) The IBM version is longer because the character definitions (used for
   the runes and similar things) are simply appended to the data file. On
   other platforms (e.g. Amiga and Atari ST), the definitions are in a
   separate font file.

2) I have seen ZorkI.025 with and without a game length field in the
   header. I don't know how it was originally released by Infocom.

3) Either a beta test version or a fake.


II.4 Graphics Files
-------------------

At the moment I only have information about the IBM graphics files. I don't
know whether the "version numbers" shown by the VERSION command (byte 0x1b
of the graphic file) are really version numbers.

The MS-DOS versions of the YZIP games came with 3 graphics files: for
MCGA/VGA graphics cards (*.MG1), for EGA (*.EG1) and for CGA (*.CG1). You
could chose the graphics file via command line options; the syntax was
"YZIP /D[M,E,C]". EGA support was the default.

Arthur
  (Darrell Myers/Tanya Isaacson/Sophie Green/Donna Dennison/Jim Sullivan)
     Pix 27    MG1: 292279  (89-07-14 11:32) [CRC-16: f9d5]
     Pix 15    CG1: 209359  (89-07-13 18:50) [CRC-16: 106b]

Journey
  (Donald Langosy)
     Pix 2     MG1: 465920  (?)              [CRC-16: 4b17]

Shogun
  (Donald Langosy)
     Pix 9     MG1: 213504  (?)              [CRC-16: a3ff]

Zork0
  (James Shook & Tanya Allan/Denise Audette/Andy Briggs/Rob Dunlavey/
  Sophia Green/Joy Pulver/Charlie Voner)
     Pix 29    EG1: 333654  (89-07-13 17:48) [CRC-16: c5aa]
               CG1: 244507  (89-07-14 16:42) [CRC-16: 3c7e]
     Pix 14    MG1: 226816  (?)              [CRC-16: 384a]


II.5 Title Pictures
-------------------

The 4 YZIP games had title pictures which were incorporated in the
graphics files. The only other game with a title picture was the Atari
ST version of "Beyond Zork".


II.6 Font Files
---------------

It seems that the only game that needed special character definitions was
"Beyond Zork". Infocom put these special characters in a separate font
file (called "Graphic.Data" on the Amiga and "FONT3.DAT" on the Atari
ST). In the MS-DOS version, the font file was appended to the game's data
file.

The Amiga versions of "Journey" and "Arthur" also came with font files
(called "Char.Data"), but it seems like the games do not use them. (The
"special characters" for "Arthur" are just the usual ASCII characters,
while the "Journey" font file is identical with the one from "Beyond
Zork".)


II.7 Boss Keys
--------------

The (original) MS-DOS version of "Leather Goddesses of Phobos" came with
a boss key picture ("LEATHER.DAT") displayed by the Z-Machine (version
3 N).


                       III  Infocom Authors
                       ====================

This table lists the 10 most famous Infocom implementors and all the games
each one of them has written.
A "#" after a year means that the game has not been finished or not (yet?)
been released.


III.1 "Hollywood" Dave Anderson
-------------------------------
Hollywood Hijinx  <+ L.Cyr-Jones>                       86   (Infocom)

III.2 Bob Bates
---------------
Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels                87   (Infocom)
Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur  <+ D.Beck>             89   (Infocom)
Robin Hood                                              89#  (Infocom)
Timequest                                               91   (Legend)
Gateway  <+ G.Dahlgren/M.Lindner/M.Verdu/D.Beck>        92   (Legend)

III.3 Michael Berlyn
--------------------
Oo-Topos  <+ Muffy Berlyn>                              81   (Penguin)
Cyborg                                                 ~82   (Salient ?)
Suspended                                               83   (Infocom)
Infidel  <+ P.Fogleman>                                 83   (Infocom)
Cutthroats  <+ J.Wolper>                                84   (Infocom)
Fooblitzky                                              85/6 (Infocom)
Tass Times In Tonetown  <+ Muffy Berlyn>                86   (Interplay)
Dr. Dumont's Wild P.A.R.T.I.                            ??   (First Row)
Altered Destiny                                         90   (Accolade)

III.4 Marc S. Blank
-------------------
Zork  <+ P.D.Lebling/T.A.Anderson/B.K.Daniels>          77-9 (MIT)
Zork I: The Great Underground Empire  <+ P.D.Lebling>   80   (Infocom)
Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz  <+ P.D.Lebling>         81   (Infocom)
Zork III: The Dungeon Master  <+ P.D.Lebling>           81   (Infocom)
Deadline                                                82   (Infocom)
Enchanter  <+ P.D.Lebling>                              83   (Infocom)
Border Zone                                             87   (Infocom)
Journey                                                 88   (Infocom)

III.5 Amy Briggs
----------------
Plundered Hearts                                        87   (Infocom)
Gamma Force in Pit of a Thousand Screams                88   (Infocom/TSP)
Quarterstaff <+ S.Schmitz/K.Updike>                     88   (Infocom)

III.6 Stuart W. Galley
----------------------
The Witness                                             83   (Infocom)
Seastalker  <+ J.Lawrence>                              84   (Infocom)
Moonmist  <+ J.Lawrence>                                86   (Infocom)
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe               87#  (Infocom)

III.7 P. David Lebling
----------------------
Zork  <+ M.S.Blank/T.A.Anderson/B.K.Daniels>            77-9 (MIT)
Zork I: The Great Underground Empire  <+ M.S.Blank>     80   (Infocom)
Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz  <+ M.S.Blank>           81   (Infocom)
Zork III: The Dungeon Master  <+ M.S.Blank>             81   (Infocom)
Starcross                                               82   (Infocom)
Enchanter  <+ M.S.Blank>                                83   (Infocom)
Suspect                                                 84   (Infocom)
Spellbreaker                                            85   (Infocom)
The Lurking Horror                                      87   (Infocom)
James Clavell's Shogun                                  88   (Infocom)

III.8 Steven Eric Meretzky
--------------------------
Planetfall                                              83   (Infocom)
Sorcerer                                                84   (Infocom)
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy  <+ D.N.Adams>     84   (Infocom)
A Mind Forever Voyaging                                 85   (Infocom)
Leather Goddesses Of Phobos                             86   (Infocom)
Stationfall                                             87   (Infocom)
Lane Mastodon vs. The Blubbermen                        88   (Infocom/TSP)
Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz                       88   (Infocom)
Titanic                                                 89#  (Infocom)
Spellcasting 101: Sorcerers Get All The Girls           90   (Legend)
Spellcasting 201: The Sorcerer's Appliance              91   (Legend)
Leather Goddesses Of Phobos 2: Gas Pump Girls Meet the
   Pulsating Inconvenience from Planet X                92   (Infocom)
Spellcasting 301: Spring Break                          92   (Legend)

 [Meretzky also wrote 4 "Zork" interactive novels in 1983:
        1  The Forces of Krill
        2  The Malifestro Quest
        3  The Cavern of Doom
        4  Conquest at Quendor]

III.9 "Professor" Brian Moriarty
--------------------------------
Adventure in the Fifth Dimension                       ~83   (Analog Comp.)
Crash Dive!                                            ~83   (Analog Comp.)
Trinity                                                 84-6 (Infocom)
Wishbringer: The Magick Stone of Dreams                 85   (Infocom)
Beyond Zork                                             87   (Infocom)
Loom                                                    90   (Lucasfilm)

III.10 Jeff O'Neill
-------------------
Ballyhoo                                                85   (Infocom)
Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of it          87   (Infocom)
Zork I (German Version)                                 88#  (Infocom)


                    IV  Infocom Newsletters
                    =======================

There have been 24 issues of Infocom's official newsletter.

IV.1 Newsletter of the "Zork User's Group"
------------------------------------------

 1:
 2:
 3:
 4:

IV.2 "The New Zork Times"
-------------------------

 5:
 6:
 7:
 8:
 9: Vol III, No 4      Fall 84
10: Vol IV,  No 1      Winter 85
11: Vol IV,  No 2      Spring 85
12: Vol IV,  No 2[sic] Summer 85
13: Vol IV,  No 4      Fall 85
14: Vol V,   No 1      Winter 86

IV.3 "* * * *"  (12 pages)
--------------

15: Vol V,   No 4[sic] Spring 86         Trinity

IV.4 "The Status Line"  (12 pages except where indicated)
----------------------

16: Vol V,   No 3      Summer 86         Moonmist/LGOP
17: Vol V,   No 4 (8p) Fall 86           Hollywood Hijinx/Enchanter Tril.
18: Vol VI,  No 1      Winter/Spring 87  Bureaucracy/Zork Trilogy
19: Vol VI,  No 2      Summer 87         Lurking Horror/Stationfall
20: Vol VI,  No 3      Fall 87           Plundered Hearts/Nord and Bert
21: Vol VI,  No 4      Winter 87         Beyond Zork/Border Zone
22: Vol VII, No 1      Winter/Spring 88  Sherlock/Infocomics 1-3
23: Vol VII, No 2 (8p) Summer 88         Infocomics 4
24: Vol VII, No 3 (8p) Fall 88           BattleTech/Zork Zero/Quarterstaff

The Status Line's successor, "Escape", was never published.

IV.5 "InfoDope"
---------------
[For internal circulation only]


                       V  Infocom Chronology
                       =====================

69-70:   Programming language Muddle (later called MDL) developed by
         several people affiliated with the MIT's Dynamic Modelling (DM)
         Group (Gerald Sussman, Carl Hewitt, Dave Cressey, Chris Reeve,
         Bruce K. Daniels). The MDL development system runs on a DEC
         PDP-10 under ITS.

Dec 76:  First preliminary meeting of future Infocom founders.

Jun 77:  "Zork" created by Marc Blank, Bruce K. Daniels, Tim Anderson, and
         Dave Lebling. Written in MDL.

Feb 79:  Last puzzles added to the mainframe "Zork".

Apr 79:  First article about "Zork" published.

6/22/79: Infocom founded by ~10 DM Group members (Tim Anderson, Joel
         Berez, Brian Berkowitz, Marc Blank, Scott Cutler, Stu Galley,
         Dave Lebling, Al Vezza et al.).

Aug 79:  Marc Blank becomes Infocom's first Director.

Nov 79:  Joel Berez elected Infocom's President.

Mar 80:  Infocom gets own P.O. box.

Jun 80:  Agreement with Personal Software Inc. to publish "Zork I".

Nov 80:  "Zork I".
         First sold copy: PDP-11 version.

Dec 80:  ZIP for TRS-80 Model I (written by Scott Cutler).
         Until 9/81, PS sells ~1500 copies of this "Zork I" version.

Feb 81:  Apple II version of "Zork I". Over 6000 copies sold in 8 months.
         (ZIP by Bruce K. Daniels)

Mar 81:  Chris Reeve becomes Director.

May 81:  TRS-80 Model II version (never sold).

Jun 81:  First 2 employees (Joel Berez among them).
         Zork II agreement with Personal Software.

Sep 81:  Infocom moved to 6 Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Boston.
         Mort Rosenthal becomes Manager of Marketing.

Oct 81:  End of the sales agreement with PS. (Infocom buys all Apple II
         versions of "Zork I" back from PS.)

Nov 81:  "Zork II".
         Repackaging of "Zork I".

end-81:  ZORK User's Group (P-O-Box 20923, Milwaukee, WI 53220-0923)
         founded by Mike Dornbrook to handle requests for hints and
         merchandise. In 1983, it has 20000 members.

1/1/82:  Infocom moves to 55 Wheeler Street, Cambridge, MA 02138.
         Marc Blank becomes vice-president (VP) for product development.

Apr 82:  "Deadline".
         New ZIPs for Atari XL and CP/M.

May 82:  Marc Blank meets Mike Berlyn.

Jun 82:  ZIP for IBM-PC.
         Employees: 4.

Aug 82:  ZIPs for TRS-80 Model III and NEC APC.

Sep 82:  "Zork III".
         "Starcross".

Oct 82:  Business Products division founded. "Cornerstone" development
         begins.

Dec 82:  DECsystem-20 bought for development.

end-82:  Sales: $1.65 million (net income: $335.000).

Mar 83:  "Suspended".
         ZIP for DEC Rainbow.

Apr 83:  ZIPs for Commodore 64 and TI Professional.

Jun 83:  "The Witness".
         Employees: 20.

Aug 83:  "Planetfall".

Sep 83:  "Enchanter".

Nov 83:  "Infidel".
         ZIP for DECmate.

Dec 83:  ZIP for Tandy-2000.
         Ray Stata elected Director.

end-83:  Sales: $6 million (net income: $526.000).

Jan 84:  Al Vezza became Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Feb 84:  ZIPs for Kaypro II and Osborne.

Mar 84:  "Sorcerer".
         ZIPs for MS-DOS and TI 99/4 A.
         John Brackett new General Manager (GM).

May 84:  Second DECsystem-20 bought.

Jun 84:  "Seastalker".
         ZIP for Apple Macintosh.
         John O'Leary new GM.
         Employees: 50.

Sep 84:  "Cutthroats".

Oct 84:  "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".

Nov 84:  "Suspect".
         Announcement of "Cornerstone".

Dec 84:  Management restructured.

end-84:  Sales: $10 million.

Jan 85:  "Cornerstone".
         For promotion of "Suspect", Infocom rents a Las Vegas mansion
         and invites ~5000 people to become suspects to a murder.

Mar 85:  ZIP for Epson QX-10.

Apr 85:  Move to 125 Cambridge Park Drive, Cambridge, MA 02140.
         ZIP for Apricot.

Jun 85:  "Wishbringer".
         Employees: 100.

Aug 85:  ZIP for Atari ST.

Sep 85:  "A Mind Forever Voyaging".
         First layoffs due to "Cornerstone"s commercial failure (despite
         hiring a separate sales and marketing team).

Oct 85:  "Spellbreaker".

Dec 85:  Business Products division laid off.
         ZIP for Amiga.

end-85:  Sales: $11.5 million.

Jan 86:  Marc Blank and CEO Al Vezza leave.
         Joel Berez new CEO. (He remains president.)

Feb 86:  "Ballyhoo".
         Price cut for "Cornerstone" (from $495 to $99.95).
         Activision merger: Activision Inc. (Mountain View, CA) buys
         Infocom for a stock swap worth $7.5...9.0 million.
         Employees: 40.

Mar 86:  "Fooblitzky".

Jun 86:  "Trinity".
         EZIP for Commodore 128.
         GM John O'Leary leaves.

Sep 86:  "Leather Goddesses of Phobos".

Oct 86:  "Moonmist".

Nov 86:  "Enchanter Trilogy".

87-89:   Losses of ~$200.000 per fiscal quarter.

Jan 87:  "Zork Trilogy".

Feb 87:  "Hollywood Hijinx".

Mar 87:  "Bureaucracy".

Jun 87:  "Stationfall".
         "The Lurking Horror".

Sep 87:  "Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It".
         "Plundered Hearts".

Oct 87:  "Beyond Zork".
         Apple IIgs interpreter.

Nov 87:  "Border Zone".

Jan 88:  "Sherlock".
         Mike Dornbrook new VP.

Mar 88:  "Lane Mastodon".
         "Gamma Force".
         Chris Reeve leaves.

Apr 88:  "ZorkQuest I".

Jun 88:  Employees: 30.

Jul 88:  Joel Berez resigns. Joe Ybarra becomes new president.

Aug 88:  "ZorkQuest II".
         Joel Berez leaves.

Sep 88:  "Quarterstaff".

Oct 88:  "Zork Zero" (Macintosh version).

Nov 88:  "BattleTech" (IBM version).

Mar 89:  "Shogun" (Amiga and Mac).
         "Journey" (Amiga and Mac).
         Amiga version of "Zork Zero".
         Commodore 64 version of "BattleTech".

May 89:  Of the 26 employees, 15 are laid off. The 11 others are offered
         the chance to move to Silicon Valley, but only 5 accept,
         including President Joe Ybarra and GM Robert Sears.

Jun 89:  Activision (now Mediagenic) moves Infocom from Cambridge, MA to
         Menlo Park, CA.

Jul 89: "Arthur".
         YZIPs for MS-DOS, Apple II and Apple II GS.


                       -------   ***   -------



---
Volker Blasius
Senior Doorstop, Gesellschaft fuer Mathematik und Datenverarbeitung
---
Origin: a maze of twisty little passages, all different (2:243/50.37)