Social Games–in 1992?

by Jon on May 10, 2010

Someone dug up an old copy of Computer Gaming World that featured an advertisement for Legends of Future Past, a game I published back in 1992.  The ad itself dates to 1994.  Even I had lost this issue!

Legends of Future Past ad

I think Aaron did a good job of identifying some of the things which would later become important elements of today’s growing MMORPG and social-gaming scene.  Check out his write-up!

(Reading this old ad copy is interesting, although I find it a bit embarrassing.  Aaron rightly points out some silly things we said–and I find the tone a lot more pretentious than I’d use today.  But I think it accurately captures the vibe and excitement of the early days of multiplayer gaming).

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starcadeNo Gravatar May 10, 2010 at 10:49 am

There were much earlier games…

Check out Neverwinter Nights on AOL. Graphics. Multiplayer. D&D license. Back in 1991. ImagiNation Network launched in 91, was graphical, interactive, and had a number of online graphic-based games. My earliest memory of graphical based online social network would probably be Lucasfilm’s Habitat in the mid 80s for the Commodore. It was operated by Quantum, who incidentally started America Online.

There were a number of other online services which hosted online social games… CompuServe, the Source, American PeopleLink (PLINK), Prodigy etc etc. And can’t forget to mention BBSes that offered multiplayer games. It was quite a culture.

They were all rather expensive (at the time) and were dial-up, until the advent of the Internet and broadband communication.

Ah the memories….

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