<!--
	Title: (news&notes) Every Picture Tells a Story
	Author: Peter Scisco
	Source: COMPUTE!, v11(3)
	Date: March 1989
	Transcription by Steve Derby
-->

<img class="float-right" src="/public/img/articles/compute-shogun-news/shogun-screen-shot.jpg" alt="Shogun screen shot">

More powerful personal computers, competition from
videogame manufacturers, and a desire to expand the pool of
buyers have combined to push text-based-game makers toward
graphics-based adventures. As a result, game players
are increasingly entranced by the sophisticated displays and
complexity of recent game releases.

With *Shogun*, Infocom has taken another step in its
own journey toward the perfect electronic story. Known as
one of the premier publishers of computerized text adventures,
over the last ten months the company has added graphics
to its adventures. The result, says Infocom, is clearer
computer/player interaction with enhanced puzzle solving
and deeper story lines.

The company isn't leaving its history of text-based adventures
behind, however. Rather, it's building on that
tradition with graphics elements that enhance the story
without distracting from the action. *Zork Zero* was one of
the first graphics-directed stories out of Infocom. That game
expanded its context by including graphics puzzles and
games. like the Double Fannuci card game, that were only
described in previous Zorks.

But Infocom isn't content to rewrite old games or to release
sequels. Joe Ybarra, vice president of product development,
said that text-based stories and puzzles still make up
the firm's main support, but the company wants to expand
its horizons.

In the past. Infocom's role-playing games have
leaned heavily on fantasy (dragons, dungeons, soothsayers,
and such) or science fiction (the only good alien is a
dead alien). But the company is eager to expand its inspirational
base to other literary genres, and perhaps tap into
films as well. Japanese art from the nineteenth century
has been used to enhance *Shogun*, an indication of the illustrative
role graphics play in Infocom products.

Moving into new story territory is possible in part because
of the company's use of outside developers. Until last
fall, the firm created all of its games internally, but
its *Quarterstaff* and *BattleTech* games
both came from outside sources. Last summer, the
company hired a graphics art staff to work on illustrating future
Infocom releases. Now that the development tools are
in place. Ybarra expects Infocom to create its own adventures —
of the *Quarterstaff* caliber — this year.

Besides illustrative graphics, Infocom games are also
using more menus, a development which Ybarra said offers
an advantage over games that use a parser. For one. it allows
better interaction between the player and the computer. It
also gives Infocom more control over the pacing of the story.
"In terms of computer storytelling, that's a more real
istic approach," he said.

Looking into the near future, Ybarra said the complexity
of the next generation of games could be a problem because
developers may need a 3-to-5-year lead time to create
stories, and user demand might change during the development
of the game. "It's a situation of having a huge canvas
to fill," he said. From text and graphics to artificial intelligence,
designers will have a number of options. Ybarra
said users may be looking at games encompassing as many
as 10-15 floppy disks.

Infocom is also keeping a close eye on cartridge-game
makers like Nintendo, who may one day release their own
role-playing games. Only by exploiting the power of the
personal computer, Ybarra said, can companies like Infocom
maintain their standing in the game market.

But rapid hardware changes, a demanding public,
and competition from video game makers can't take away
what Infocom sees as its mission, said Ybarra. which is to
tell the best stories it can the best way it knows how. "The
game is the story." he said. "The story is the game."