Legony GamingNov 20
Liam @ GamingOnLinux 🐧🎮

Zork I, Zork II and Zork III are now officially open source https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/11/zork-i-zork-ii-and-zork-iii-are-now-officially-open-source/

#Zork #Microsoft #Retro #OpenSource #RetroGaming

Zork I, Zork II and Zork III are now officially open source

Microsoft announced today that they're preserving a bit of history here - with Zork I, Zork II, and Zork III now officially and clearly open source.

GamingOnLinux
Nov 20 at 6:47pmGamingOnLinux News Service
Show threadLegony GamingNov 20

@gamingonlinux

Woohoo!

Show threadKinguNov 20

@gamingonlinux

Was it made open source by a grue?

Show threadᴮᵉⁿ ᴿᵒʸᶜᵉVOTE IN THE PRIMARIESNov 20

@Kingu @gamingonlinux

it is very dark, you are likely to be eaten by a grue

Show threadSheldonNov 20
@gamingonlinux I can finally figure out how to get out of hell then!
Show threadGary HoustonNov 20

@gamingonlinux Nice, but you've got to wonder how Microsoft ended up owning the copyright, so I looked it up on Wikipedia.

Zork was created by students at MIT in 1979. The same year, they formed Infocom to commercialise it. In 1986, Infocom was bought by Activision, which became Mediagenic and then reverted to Activision. It created a holding company which merged with Vivendi Games in 2008 to form Activision Blizzard. Microsoft acquired Activison Blizzard in 2023.

Show threadGarrett LeSageNov 20
@ghouston @gamingonlinux It's additionally neat that Zork started at MIT and is now MIT licensed.
Show threadThree plus or minus fiveNov 20

@gamingonlinux

Just a couple of days ago we mentioned getting eaten by a Grue to my 16-year-old, who named a dozen D&D monsters in an attempt to figure out what we talking about.

I have failed as a father to educate him.

Show threadChristine Lemmer-WebberNov 20
@gamingonlinux holy fucking shit
Show threadThom DenholmNov 20
@gamingonlinux
This code is a twisty maze of ROUTINEs, all alike.
Show threadGeoffreyWinnNov 20
@gamingonlinux I want to play them!
Show threadDavid NashNov 20

@gamingonlinux The wizard says: "FOSS!"

The restrictive license surrounding this part of the universe crumples onto the ground and disappears in a cloud of black smoke.

Your sword is no longer glowing.

Show threadAdam Shostack  Nov 20
@gamingonlinux “Get source”
Show threadDavid BramianNov 21
@adamshostack @gamingonlinux
apt-get nasty knife
Show threadDoctor MemoryNov 21
@gamingonlinux LOL. Whoever wrote the press release was having some fun.
Show threadDec [{()}]Nov 21
@memory @gamingonlinux
Can I get a spoiler on the significance of the use of the word 'cornerstone'?
Show threadDoctor MemoryNov 21
@dec23k it was another Infocom product, but not a game, and it killed the company: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornerstone_(software)
Cornerstone (software) - Wikipedia

Show threadNyla Smokeyface Nov 21
@gamingonlinux That is really frickin' cool!
Show threadInnomenNov 21
@gamingonlinux The only kind of game i can run right now :/ https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/mesa/mesa/-/issues/14327
Meteor Lake-P (8086:7d55) + xe KMD: Mesa-git “Unknown kernel mode driver”, Vulkan devices = 0 (#14327) · Issues · Mesa / mesa · GitLab

TITLE Meteor Lake-P (8086:7d55) + xe KMD: Mesa-git “Unknown kernel mode driver”, Vulkan devices = 0

GitLab
Show thread🐜Nov 21
@gamingonlinux MS owns Zork series?!
Show threadDec [{()}]Nov 21
@antdude @gamingonlinux
Only since 2023.
Show threadsnowyfoxNov 21
.
Show threadJaime HerazoNov 21
@gamingonlinux
Show thread四Nov 21
@gamingonlinux *looks* MIT License. Good, that’s the way.
Show threadidoleatNov 21
@gamingonlinux