Re: What was the first RPG?

[tmatteo@epix.net (Thomas Matteo)]

In article <lynnjDJw7KC.CKq@netcom.com>, lynnj@netcom.com (Lynn
Johannesen) wrote:

> Fredrik Ekman (ekman@lysator.liu.se) wrote:
> : I am wondering what the very first computer RPG was. I used to believe
> : that it was Rogue (released in 1983, I think), 
> 
> I saw Hunt the Wumpus on a toy computer (KIM, I think it was called)
> in 1978.  I only had that job 6 months, so I'm sure of the year.
> The mainframe Dungeon (the predecessor of Zork) was also around in 
> that timeframe; its history is rather mysterious, I think because its
> author wrote it at DEC while he was supposed to be doing something else,
> and is a little paranoid about talking about it.  He wasn't one of 
> the guys who went on to found Infocom, I don't think.  (Based on
> rumor from a DEC engineer who worked there at the same time.)
> 
> Original Adventure was by Crowther & Woods.  The Scott Adams adventures 
> came later.  (That's not the same guy who writes Dilbert BTW.)
> 
> None of those are RPGs.  The first RPG would be either Akalabeth
> (which I never played) or Wizardry 1.  We have a firm date of 1981
> on the latter.  Can anybody supply a date for Akalabeth?

In a computer magazine insert entitled, "The First Decade of Computer
Games", an article dates "Adventure" by William Crowther as being created
in the late 60's.
The magazine labels "Akalabeth" (sorry, no firm publishing date) as a
"dungeon adventure game" which was the foundation for Richard Garriott's
Ultima series of adventure games. Richard Garriott also created
"Akalabeth."
The first mention of a "fanstasy role-playing game" in the magazine is
"Wizardry: Proving Grounds of The Mad Overlord", created by Robert
Woodhead and Andrew Greenberg in 1981. Wizardry went on to become the
number one rated game for about 18 months in "Computer Gaming World"
magazine, selling more than 100,000 copies in its first years
release.Incidentally, Sir Tech's new Wizardry series begins sometimes
early next year and thus brings the title and the genre full circle, so to
speak. 
Tom Matteo

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Tom Matteo
Publisher/Editor
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