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{{Short description|British video game developer}}
⚫
'''Magnetic Scrolls''' was a British [[video game]] developer active between 1984 and 1990. A pioneer of audiovisually elaborate [[text adventure]] games, it was one of the two largest and most acclaimed [[interactive fiction]] developers of the 1980s.<ref name="Arnold">{{cite journal |title=Text-based Interactive Fiction and Computational Linguistics |last=Arnold |first=Toni}}</ref>
{{Infobox company
| name = Magnetic Scrolls
| industry = Software<br />video game developer
| founded = 1984
| founder = Anita Sinclair<br /> Ken Gordon<br /> Hugh Steers
| defunct = 1992
| hq_location = [[London]]
}}

⚫
'''Magnetic Scrolls''' was a British [[video game]] developer active between 1984 and 1990. A pioneer of audiovisually elaborate [[text adventure]] games, it was one of the largest and most acclaimed [[interactive fiction]] developers of the 1980s, and one of the "Big Two" with [[Infocom]] according to some.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ciesla |first=Robert |title=Game Development with Ren'Py: Introduction to Visual Novel Games Using Ren'Py, TyranoBuilder, and Twine |publisher=Apress |year=2019 |isbn=9781484249208}}</ref>

''Magnetic Scrolls'' was one of the first game developers to use [[Computer graphics|graphics]] and [[animation]] in its text adventure games, which set it apart from other companies in the genre. The company's games were known for their complex puzzles, intricate storylines, and immersive gameplay. Games developed by Magnetic Scrolls include [[The Pawn]], [[The Guild of Thieves]], and [[Jinxter]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bateman |first=Chris |title=Narrative Skills for Videogames |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]] |year=2021 |isbn=9781501348976 |pages=109}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
===Formation===
===Formation===
Formed by Anita Sinclair, Ken Gordon and Hugh Steers in 1984,<ref name=monfort>{{cite journal |title=Natural Language Generation and Narrative Variation in Interactive Fiction |last=Monfort |first=N. |journal=Proceedings of the Computational Aesthetics Workshop, AAAI, Boston, MA |url=http://nickm.com/if/aaai_06_montfort.pdf |year=2006}}</ref> London-based Magnetic Scrolls initially dabbled with development on the [[Sinclair QL]] home computer before deciding to take advantage of the emerging [[Atari ST]] and [[Amiga]] gaming platforms. Having secured a publication deal with [[Rainbird (software company)|Rainbird]], a British software label owned by [[Telecomsoft]], they began work producing an ambitious text adventure game that would become ''[[The Pawn]]''.
Formed by Anita Sinclair, Ken Gordon and Hugh Steers in 1984,<ref name="monfort">{{cite journal |last=Montfort |first=N. |author-link=Nick Montfort |year=2006 |title=Natural Language Generation and Narrative Variation in Interactive Fiction |url=http://nickm.com/if/aaai_06_montfort.pdf |journal=Proceedings of the Computational Aesthetics Workshop, AAAI, Boston, MA}}</ref> London-based Magnetic Scrolls initially dabbled with development on the [[Sinclair QL]] home computer before deciding to take advantage of the emerging [[Atari ST]] and [[Amiga]] gaming platforms. Having secured a publication deal with [[Rainbird (software company)|Rainbird]], a British software label owned by [[Telecomsoft]], they began work producing an ambitious text adventure game that would become ''[[The Pawn]]''.


During the mid-1980s, the text adventure market was thriving, although only a very few developers exclusively specialised in the genre. The undisputed giants of the genre were [[Infocom]], based in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]], who practically redefined the genre by ensuring the interface (or [[text parser]]) never provided a barrier between the player and the fictional elements of the game.
During the mid-1980s, the text adventure market was thriving, although only a very few developers exclusively specialised in the genre. The undisputed giants of the genre were [[Infocom]], based in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]], who practically redefined the genre by ensuring the interface (or [[text parser]]) never provided a barrier between the player and the fictional elements of the game.
Line 9: Line 21:
Infocom's dominance of the text adventure market ensured they had very few rivals in the United States. [[Adventure International]], owned by Scott and Lexis Adams, had been an early competitor of Infocom, but they went out of business long before Infocom had hit their stride. Their only other serious competitor was [[Sierra Entertainment|Sierra On-Line]], owned by Ken and Roberta Williams, who specialised in graphical adventure games.
Infocom's dominance of the text adventure market ensured they had very few rivals in the United States. [[Adventure International]], owned by Scott and Lexis Adams, had been an early competitor of Infocom, but they went out of business long before Infocom had hit their stride. Their only other serious competitor was [[Sierra Entertainment|Sierra On-Line]], owned by Ken and Roberta Williams, who specialised in graphical adventure games.


During the early to mid-1980s [[Level 9 Computing]] dominated the UK text adventure market. [[Delta 4]] and [[CRL Group|CRL]] also produced a number of text adventures that were critical and commercial hits but were never a serious rival to Level 9. Until they were acquired by [[Activision]] in 1985, Infocom's titles were something of a rarity in the UK, only usually available as expensive imports. Magnetic Scrolls immediately took advantage of this considerable gap in the UK market with their first release, ''The Pawn''.
During the early to mid-1980s [[Level 9 Computing]] dominated the [[United Kingdom|UK]] text adventure market. [[Delta 4]] and [[CRL Group|CRL]] also produced a number of text adventures that were critical and commercial hits but were never a serious rival to Level 9. Until they were acquired by [[Activision]] in 1985, Infocom's titles were something of a rarity in the UK, only usually available as expensive imports. Magnetic Scrolls immediately took advantage of this considerable gap in the UK market with their first release, ''The Pawn''.


===Early releases===
===Early releases===
Line 19: Line 31:
For their next release, ''[[Corruption (interactive fiction)|Corruption]]'' (1988), Magnetic Scrolls decided to experiment with the boundaries of interactive fiction. Once again written by Rob Steggles, with the help of Hugh Steers, the game was a contemporary thriller that explored corporate corruption and greed. ''Corruption'' abandoned the traditional puzzle-solving, treasure-hunting gameplay of many text adventure games, requiring the player to progress by conversing with characters, collecting evidence and working against the clock in order to beat the game. The game came packaged with a cassette tape containing a series of audio conversations. The player would be prompted to play them at specific points during the story, adding an extra layer of depth to the game.
For their next release, ''[[Corruption (interactive fiction)|Corruption]]'' (1988), Magnetic Scrolls decided to experiment with the boundaries of interactive fiction. Once again written by Rob Steggles, with the help of Hugh Steers, the game was a contemporary thriller that explored corporate corruption and greed. ''Corruption'' abandoned the traditional puzzle-solving, treasure-hunting gameplay of many text adventure games, requiring the player to progress by conversing with characters, collecting evidence and working against the clock in order to beat the game. The game came packaged with a cassette tape containing a series of audio conversations. The player would be prompted to play them at specific points during the story, adding an extra layer of depth to the game.


Released towards the end of 1988 was ''[[Fish!]]'', a more light-hearted, surreal adventure game, where the player assumed the role of a dimension-jumping goldfish. Written by John Molloy, Pete Kemp, [[Phil South]] and edited by Rob Steggles, ''Fish!'' would prove to be the last of Magnetic Scrolls' traditional commercial releases.
Released towards the end of 1988 was ''[[Fish!]]'', a more light-hearted, surreal adventure game, where the player assumed the role of a dimension-jumping goldfish. Written by John Molloy, Pete Kemp, Phil South and edited by Rob Steggles, ''Fish!'' would prove to be the last of Magnetic Scrolls' traditional commercial releases.


''[[Myth (1989 adventure game)|Myth]]'' was released in 1989 through Official Secrets, an adventure gaming club set up by Tony Rainbird after he (and Magnetic Scrolls) parted ways with Telecomsoft. Now based in Hertfordshire, Magnetic Scrolls produced this mini-adventure as a freebie that would be given away to those who signed up to join Official Secrets. The gaming club didn't last long, however, and was quickly assimilated into Tony Rainbird's new Special Reserve company, specialising in mail order computer hardware and software.
''[[Myth (1989 video game)|Myth]]'' was released in 1989 through Official Secrets, an adventure gaming club set up by Tony Rainbird after he (and Magnetic Scrolls) parted ways with Telecomsoft. Now based in Hertfordshire, Magnetic Scrolls produced this mini-adventure as a freebie that would be given away to those who signed up to join Official Secrets. The gaming club didn't last long, however, and was quickly assimilated into Tony Rainbird's new Special Reserve company, specialising in mail order computer hardware and software.


===Later years and demise===
===Later years and demise===


''Wonderland'' had been in development at Magnetic Scrolls for some time and was finally released by [[Virgin Interactive|Virgin Mastertronic]] in 1990. Magnetic Scrolls had devised a brand new interface, christened Magnetic Windows, to take advantage of the Amiga and Atari ST's advanced capabilities. Incorporating auto-mapping, icons, help functions and separate, resizable windows for graphics and text, ''Wonderland'', written by David Bishop and based on the works of [[Lewis Carroll]], was a deliberate attempt to push the text adventure in a new, hi-tech direction. Magnetic Scrolls certainly succeeded{{According to whom|date=April 2013}}{{POV statement|date=April 2013}} in all their objectives, but the traditional text-based genre had already begun to die out as gamers craved more visually elaborate gaming experiences.
''Wonderland'' had been in development at Magnetic Scrolls for some time and was finally released by [[Virgin Interactive|Virgin Mastertronic]] in 1990. Magnetic Scrolls had devised a brand new interface, christened Magnetic Windows, to take advantage of the Amiga and Atari ST's advanced capabilities. Incorporating auto-mapping, icons, help functions and separate, resizable windows for graphics and text, ''Wonderland'', written by David Bishop and based on the works of [[Lewis Carroll]], was a deliberate attempt to push the text adventure in a new, hi-tech direction. However, by the time the new interface was ready the traditional text-based genre had already begun to die out as gamers craved more visually elaborate gaming experiences.

⚫
In 1988, Magnetic Scrolls began to collaborate with Infocom, [[Douglas Adams]] and [[Michael Bywater]] on a sequel to [[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (video game)|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]. This project was never finished. A playable draft of an early part of the game, along with the personal and commercial circumstances behind its ill-fated development, came briefly to public attention twenty years later.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Baio |first1=Andy |title=Milliways: Infocom's Unreleased Sequel to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |url=https://waxy.org/2008/04/milliways_infocoms_unreleased_sequel_to_hitchhikers_guide_to_the_galax/ |website=waxy.org|date=17 April 2008 }}</ref>


In 1991, Virgin Interactive released ''The Magnetic Scrolls Collection Vol 1'', containing new versions of ''The Guild of Thieves'', ''Corruption'' and ''Fish!'' that took advantage of the Magnetic Windows engine.<ref name="CGW100">{{cite magazine |last=Ardai |first=Charles |date=November 1992 |title=Three Runs, Two Hits, One Error: Virgin Software's Magnetic Scrolls Collection |magazine=Computer Gaming World |volume=1 |issue=100 |pages=64–65 |authorlink=Charles Ardai}}</ref> A second collection, containing their remaining games, was planned but never completed.
⚫
In 1988, Magnetic Scrolls began to collaborate with Infocom, [[Douglas Adams]] and [[Michael Bywater]] on a sequel to [[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (video game)|The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]. This project was never finished. A playable draft of an early part of the game, along with the personal and commercial circumstances behind its ill-fated development, came briefly to public attention twenty years later.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Baio |first1=Andy |title=Milliways: Infocom's Unreleased Sequel to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |url=https://waxy.org/2008/04/milliways_infocoms_unreleased_sequel_to_hitchhikers_guide_to_the_galax/ |website=waxy.org}}</ref>


In 1991, Virgin Interactive released ''The Magnetic Scrolls Collection Vol 1'', containing new versions of ''The Guild of Thieves'', ''Corruption'' and ''Fish!'' that took advantage of the Magnetic Windows engine. A second collection, containing their remaining games, was planned but never completed. As a consequence of the dying text adventure market, Magnetic Scrolls ceased publishing in 1992.<ref name=monfort/> They were acquired by [[MicroProse]] later that year. A number of Magnetic Scrolls' staff went on to help develop a 3D [[role-playing video game]] entitled ''[[The Legacy: Realm of Terror]]'', which was released on the [[IBM PC compatible|PC]] to lukewarm reviews, but MicroProse did not capitalise on the Magnetic Scrolls name beyond that. In the late 1990s, Ken Gordon registered the ''magneticscrolls.com'' domain, which now redirects to the ''Strand Games'' website.
As a consequence of the dying text adventure market, Magnetic Scrolls ceased publishing in 1992.<ref name=monfort/> They were acquired by [[MicroProse]] later that year. A number of Magnetic Scrolls' staff went on to help develop a 3D [[role-playing video game]] entitled ''[[The Legacy: Realm of Terror]]'', which was released on the [[IBM PC compatible|PC]] to lukewarm reviews, but MicroProse did not capitalise on the Magnetic Scrolls name beyond that. In the late 1990s, Ken Gordon registered the ''magneticscrolls.com'' domain, which now redirects to the ''Strand Games'' website.


Two programmers from Magnetic Scrolls, Doug Rabson and Servan Keondjian later formed the company [[RenderMorphics]] which produced the highly acclaimed 3D Graphics API [[Reality Lab]]. In January 1995 another Magnetic Scrolls programmer, Steve Lacey joined RenderMorphics and in February of the same year [[Microsoft]] acquired the company. Reality Lab became the basis for [[Direct3D]]. Rabson and Keondjian are now at [[Qube Software]], which they co-founded with Hugh Steers. Lacey remained at [[Microsoft]] as the graphics engine lead on [[Microsoft Flight Simulator]]. In October 2006, Lacey moved to [[Google]]. In 2011, he was killed in a car accident.<ref>https://www.geekwire.com/2011/google-engineer-steve-lacey-victim-car-wreck-kirkland/</ref>
Two programmers from Magnetic Scrolls, Doug Rabson and Servan Keondjian later formed the company [[RenderMorphics]] which produced the highly acclaimed 3D Graphics API [[Reality Lab]]. In January 1995 another Magnetic Scrolls programmer, Steve Lacey joined RenderMorphics and in February of the same year [[Microsoft]] acquired the company. Reality Lab became the basis for [[Direct3D]]. Rabson and Keondjian are now at [[Qube Software]], which they co-founded with Hugh Steers. Lacey remained at [[Microsoft]] as the graphics engine lead on [[Microsoft Flight Simulator]]. In October 2006, Lacey moved to [[Google]]. In 2011, he was killed in a car accident.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.geekwire.com/2011/google-engineer-steve-lacey-victim-car-wreck-kirkland/|title = Google engineer Steve Lacey victim of Kirkland car wreck|date = 25 July 2011 |first=Todd |last=Bishop |website=GeekWire}}</ref>


John Molloy moved to Florida, US, working on web-based applications, and passed away in 2018 following an illness<ref>{{cite web |title=John Molloy's Twitter feed |url=https://twitter.com/jgpmolloy}}</ref>. Phil South lives in Somerset, UK, and works at the [[Bristol Old Vic Theatre School]].
John Molloy moved to Florida, US, working on web-based applications, and died in 2018 following an illness.<ref>{{cite web |title=John Molloy's Twitter feed |url=https://twitter.com/jgpmolloy}}</ref> Phil South lives in South Wales, UK, and after many years working Disney Channel UK's web presence worked at the [[Bristol Old Vic Theatre School]] for 7 years. He now works as a freelance writer and blogger and in 2022 published a novel under a pseudonym.<ref>{{cite web |title=Phil South's Twitter feed |url=https://twitter.com/Phil_South}}</ref>


Anita Sinclair is now one of the UK's most successful [[Bridge]] players, winning a number of domestic competitions, and winning a gold medal in China<ref>{{cite web |title=Anita Sinclair|url=https://www.ebu.co.uk/biographies/anita-sinclair}}</ref>.
Anita Sinclair is now one of the UK's most successful [[Contract bridge|bridge]] players, winning a number of domestic competitions, and winning a gold medal in China.<ref>{{cite web |title=Anita Sinclair|url=https://www.ebu.co.uk/biographies/anita-sinclair}}</ref>


=== Reappearance ===
=== Reappearance ===
In May 2017 the [https://strandgames.com/ Strand Games] initiative emerged. Strand Games was started by Hugh Steers — co-founder and core developer of Magnetic Scrolls — and Stefan Meier of the Magnetic Scrolls Memorial fanpage. It is supported by several members of the original Magnetic Scrolls team, including Anita Sinclair, Ken Gordon, Rob Steggles and Servan Keondjian. The non-profit initiative aims both to preserve the original works of Magnetic Scrolls and to remaster the games for modern devices. With the public appearance of the initiative a first beta version of the remastered classic [[The Pawn]] was released. The official release followed in June 2017.
In May 2017 the Strand games initiative emerged. Strand Games was started by Hugh Steers — co-founder and core developer of Magnetic Scrolls — and Stefan Meier of the Magnetic Scrolls Memorial fanpage. It is supported by several members of the original Magnetic Scrolls team, including Anita Sinclair, Ken Gordon, Rob Steggles and Servan Keondjian. The non-profit initiative aims both to preserve the original works of Magnetic Scrolls and to remaster the games for modern devices. With the public appearance of the initiative a first beta version of the remastered classic [[The Pawn]] was released. The official release followed in June 2017.


In June 2017 Magnetic Scrolls worked on recovering the [[source code]] of their classics from tapes to remaster and re-release them.<ref>[http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/300763/Dev_rescues_80s_text_adventure_source_code_by_baking_tapes_in_an_oven.php Dev rescues '80s text adventure source code by baking tapes in an oven] on Gamasutra.com By Alex Wawro (June 28, 2017)</ref> After the successful recovery of the original source codes in a remarkable process, which involved baking the original backup tapes at low temperature in a kitchen oven,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://strandgames.com/blog/magnetic-scrolls-games-source-code-recovered|title=Magnetic Scrolls Original Games Source Code Recovered!|website=strandgames.com|access-date=2017-12-23}}</ref> the initiative started to remaster [[The Guild of Thieves]] from the original source codes. In December 2017 the remastered and enhanced game was published.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://strandgames.com/blog/the-guild-of-thieves-by-magnetic-scrolls-restored|title=The Guild of Thieves by Magnetic Scrolls Restored|website=strandgames.com|access-date=2017-12-23}}</ref>
In June 2017 Strand games worked on recovering the [[source code]] of their classics from tapes to remaster and re-release them.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/300763/Dev_rescues_80s_text_adventure_source_code_by_baking_tapes_in_an_oven.php |title=Dev rescues '80s text adventure source code by baking tapes in an oven |website=Gamasutra.com |first=Alex |last=Wawro |date=June 28, 2017}}</ref> After the successful recovery of the original source code in a remarkable process, which involved baking the original backup tapes at low temperature in a kitchen oven,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://strandgames.com/blog/magnetic-scrolls-games-source-code-recovered|title=Magnetic Scrolls Original Games Source Code Recovered!|website=strandgames.com|access-date=2017-12-23}}</ref> the initiative started to remaster [[The Guild of Thieves]] from the original source code. In December 2017 the remastered and enhanced game was published.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://strandgames.com/blog/the-guild-of-thieves-by-magnetic-scrolls-restored|title=The Guild of Thieves by Magnetic Scrolls Restored|website=strandgames.com|access-date=2017-12-23}}</ref> This was followed by a similarly revived edition of [[Jinxter]] in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://strandgames.com/games/jinxter|title=Jinxter by Magnetic Scrolls Revived|website=strandgames.com|access-date=2019-07-16}}</ref>


==List of games==
==List of games==
Line 48: Line 62:
*''[[Corruption (interactive fiction)|Corruption]]'' (1988, Rainbird)
*''[[Corruption (interactive fiction)|Corruption]]'' (1988, Rainbird)
*''[[Fish!]]'' (1988, Rainbird)
*''[[Fish!]]'' (1988, Rainbird)
*''[[Myth (1989 adventure game)|Myth]]'' (1989, Rainbird)
*''[[Myth (1989 video game)|Myth]]'' (1989, Rainbird)
*''[[Wonderland (adventure game)|Wonderland]]'' (1990, Virgin Interactive)
*''[[Wonderland (adventure game)|Wonderland]]'' (1990, Virgin Interactive)
*''The Magnetic Scrolls Collection Vol 1'' (1991, Virgin Interactive)
*''[[The Magnetic Scrolls Collection]] Vol 1'' (1991, Virgin Interactive)
*''[[The Legacy: Realm of Terror]]'' (1993, MicroProse)
*''[[The Legacy: Realm of Terror]]'' (1992, MicroProse)


== References ==
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.mobygames.com/company/magnetic-scrolls Magnetic Scrolls] at MobyGames
*[http://www.mobygames.com/company/magnetic-scrolls Magnetic Scrolls] at MobyGames
*[http://msmemorial.if-legends.org/memorial.php The Magnetic Scrolls Memorial]
*[http://msmemorial.if-legends.org/magnetic.php Magnetic] Interpreter for different operating systems to play the games on Modern Computers
⚫
*[http://www.dettus.net/dMagnetic dMagnetic] A Magnetic Scrolls Interpreter which renders the pictures in ANSI art
*[http://www.ifarchive.org/if-archive/magnetic-scrolls/info/msfact.txt Magnetic Scrolls Fact Sheet]
*[http://www.ifarchive.org/if-archive/magnetic-scrolls/info/msfact.txt Magnetic Scrolls Fact Sheet]
*[http://www.ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archiveXmagnetic-scrolls.html Magnetic Scrolls section of The Interactive Fiction Archive] (walkthroughs, game information, interpreters, manuals, tools)
*[http://www.ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archiveXmagnetic-scrolls.html Magnetic Scrolls section of The Interactive Fiction Archive] (walkthroughs, game information, interpreters, manuals, tools)
Line 66: Line 77:
*[http://www.crashonline.org.uk/55/magscrol.htm Message in a Microchip] (a Crash magazine interview with Magnetic Scrolls)
*[http://www.crashonline.org.uk/55/magscrol.htm Message in a Microchip] (a Crash magazine interview with Magnetic Scrolls)
*[http://st-news.com/issues/st-news-volume-4-issue-4/week-one/magnetic-scrolls/ Interview with Anita Sinclair, 1989]
*[http://st-news.com/issues/st-news-volume-4-issue-4/week-one/magnetic-scrolls/ Interview with Anita Sinclair, 1989]
*{{dmoz|Games/Video_Games/Developers_and_Publishers/M/Magnetic_Scrolls}}
*{{curlie|Games/Video_Games/Developers_and_Publishers/M/Magnetic_Scrolls}}
⚫
* [https://www.dettus.net/dMagnetic dMagnetic - A Magnetic Scrolls Interpreter] An Open Source implementation of the virtual machine so that the games can be played on modern Computers.
*[https://www.strandgames.com Strandgames]


{{Magnetic Scrolls adventure games}}
{{Magnetic Scrolls adventure games}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Companies established in 1984]]
[[Category:Video game companies established in 1984]]
[[Category:Defunct video game companies]]
[[Category:Defunct video game companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Defunct companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Interactive fiction]]
[[Category:Interactive fiction]]
[[Category:Software companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Software companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Video game companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Text adventure game engines]]

Latest revision as of 18:46, 27 February 2024

Magnetic Scrolls
IndustrieSoftware
video game developer
Gegründet1984
GründerAnita Sinclair
Ken Gordon
Hugh Steers
Defunct1992
HauptsitzLondon

Magnetic Scrolls was a British video game developer active between 1984 and 1990. A pioneer of audiovisually elaborate text adventure games, it was one of the largest and most acclaimed interactive fiction developers of the 1980s, and one of the "Big Two" with Infocom according to some.[1]

Magnetic Scrolls was one of the first game developers to use graphics and animation in its text adventure games, which set it apart from other companies in the genre. The company's games were known for their complex puzzles, intricate storylines, and immersive gameplay. Games developed by Magnetic Scrolls include The Pawn, The Guild of Thieves, and Jinxter.[2]

History

[edit]

Formation

[edit]

Formed by Anita Sinclair, Ken Gordon and Hugh Steers in 1984,[3] London-based Magnetic Scrolls initially dabbled with development on the Sinclair QL home computer before deciding to take advantage of the emerging Atari ST and Amiga gaming platforms. Having secured a publication deal with Rainbird, a British software label owned by Telecomsoft, they began work producing an ambitious text adventure game that would become The Pawn.

During the mid-1980s, the text adventure market was thriving, although only a very few developers exclusively specialised in the genre. The undisputed giants of the genre were Infocom, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who practically redefined the genre by ensuring the interface (or text parser) never provided a barrier between the player and the fictional elements of the game.

Infocom's dominance of the text adventure market ensured they had very few rivals in the United States. Adventure International, owned by Scott and Lexis Adams, had been an early competitor of Infocom, but they went out of business long before Infocom had hit their stride. Their only other serious competitor was Sierra On-Line, owned by Ken and Roberta Williams, who specialised in graphical adventure games.

During the early to mid-1980s Level 9 Computing dominated the UK text adventure market. Delta 4 and CRL also produced a number of text adventures that were critical and commercial hits but were never a serious rival to Level 9. Until they were acquired by Activision in 1985, Infocom's titles were something of a rarity in the UK, only usually available as expensive imports. Magnetic Scrolls immediately took advantage of this considerable gap in the UK market with their first release, The Pawn.

Early releases

[edit]

The Pawn, written by Rob Steggles, was released in 1985, on a wide range of 8-bit and 16-bit platforms, to considerable acclaim. One of the game's biggest selling points, besides the advanced text parser, engrossing story and exquisite packaging, were the high resolution illustrations that accompanied many of the game's locations. Although decidedly antiquated by today's standards, at the time they were considered state-of-the-art. The ZX Spectrum version of the game did not include graphics.

In 1987, Magnetic Scrolls released two new games. Steggles returned to write The Guild of Thieves, a traditional treasure hunt, while Georgina Sinclair and Michael Bywater wrote the contemporary fantasy of Jinxter. Both games met with similar critical acclaim as The Pawn.

For their next release, Corruption (1988), Magnetic Scrolls decided to experiment with the boundaries of interactive fiction. Once again written by Rob Steggles, with the help of Hugh Steers, the game was a contemporary thriller that explored corporate corruption and greed. Corruption abandoned the traditional puzzle-solving, treasure-hunting gameplay of many text adventure games, requiring the player to progress by conversing with characters, collecting evidence and working against the clock in order to beat the game. The game came packaged with a cassette tape containing a series of audio conversations. The player would be prompted to play them at specific points during the story, adding an extra layer of depth to the game.

Released towards the end of 1988 was Fish!, a more light-hearted, surreal adventure game, where the player assumed the role of a dimension-jumping goldfish. Written by John Molloy, Pete Kemp, Phil South and edited by Rob Steggles, Fish! would prove to be the last of Magnetic Scrolls' traditional commercial releases.

Myth was released in 1989 through Official Secrets, an adventure gaming club set up by Tony Rainbird after he (and Magnetic Scrolls) parted ways with Telecomsoft. Now based in Hertfordshire, Magnetic Scrolls produced this mini-adventure as a freebie that would be given away to those who signed up to join Official Secrets. The gaming club didn't last long, however, and was quickly assimilated into Tony Rainbird's new Special Reserve company, specialising in mail order computer hardware and software.

Later years and demise

[edit]

Wonderland had been in development at Magnetic Scrolls for some time and was finally released by Virgin Mastertronic in 1990. Magnetic Scrolls had devised a brand new interface, christened Magnetic Windows, to take advantage of the Amiga and Atari ST's advanced capabilities. Incorporating auto-mapping, icons, help functions and separate, resizable windows for graphics and text, Wonderland, written by David Bishop and based on the works of Lewis Carroll, was a deliberate attempt to push the text adventure in a new, hi-tech direction. However, by the time the new interface was ready the traditional text-based genre had already begun to die out as gamers craved more visually elaborate gaming experiences.

In 1988, Magnetic Scrolls began to collaborate with Infocom, Douglas Adams and Michael Bywater on a sequel to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This project was never finished. A playable draft of an early part of the game, along with the personal and commercial circumstances behind its ill-fated development, came briefly to public attention twenty years later.[4]

In 1991, Virgin Interactive released The Magnetic Scrolls Collection Vol 1, containing new versions of The Guild of Thieves, Corruption and Fish! that took advantage of the Magnetic Windows engine.[5] A second collection, containing their remaining games, was planned but never completed.

As a consequence of the dying text adventure market, Magnetic Scrolls ceased publishing in 1992.[3] They were acquired by MicroProse later that year. A number of Magnetic Scrolls' staff went on to help develop a 3D role-playing video game entitled The Legacy: Realm of Terror, which was released on the PC to lukewarm reviews, but MicroProse did not capitalise on the Magnetic Scrolls name beyond that. In the late 1990s, Ken Gordon registered the magneticscrolls.com domain, which now redirects to the Strand Games website.

Two programmers from Magnetic Scrolls, Doug Rabson and Servan Keondjian later formed the company RenderMorphics which produced the highly acclaimed 3D Graphics API Reality Lab. In January 1995 another Magnetic Scrolls programmer, Steve Lacey joined RenderMorphics and in February of the same year Microsoft acquired the company. Reality Lab became the basis for Direct3D. Rabson and Keondjian are now at Qube Software, which they co-founded with Hugh Steers. Lacey remained at Microsoft as the graphics engine lead on Microsoft Flight Simulator. In October 2006, Lacey moved to Google. In 2011, he was killed in a car accident.[6]

John Molloy moved to Florida, US, working on web-based applications, and died in 2018 following an illness.[7] Phil South lives in South Wales, UK, and after many years working Disney Channel UK's web presence worked at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School for 7 years. He now works as a freelance writer and blogger and in 2022 published a novel under a pseudonym.[8]

Anita Sinclair is now one of the UK's most successful bridge players, winning a number of domestic competitions, and winning a gold medal in China.[9]

Reappearance

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In May 2017 the Strand games initiative emerged. Strand Games was started by Hugh Steers — co-founder and core developer of Magnetic Scrolls — and Stefan Meier of the Magnetic Scrolls Memorial fanpage. It is supported by several members of the original Magnetic Scrolls team, including Anita Sinclair, Ken Gordon, Rob Steggles and Servan Keondjian. The non-profit initiative aims both to preserve the original works of Magnetic Scrolls and to remaster the games for modern devices. With the public appearance of the initiative a first beta version of the remastered classic The Pawn was released. The official release followed in June 2017.

In June 2017 Strand games worked on recovering the source code of their classics from tapes to remaster and re-release them.[10] After the successful recovery of the original source code in a remarkable process, which involved baking the original backup tapes at low temperature in a kitchen oven,[11] the initiative started to remaster The Guild of Thieves from the original source code. In December 2017 the remastered and enhanced game was published.[12] This was followed by a similarly revived edition of Jinxter in 2019.[13]

List of games

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References

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  1. ^ Ciesla, Robert (2019). Game Development with Ren'Py: Introduction to Visual Novel Games Using Ren'Py, TyranoBuilder, and Twine. Apress. ISBN 9781484249208.
  2. ^ Bateman, Chris (2021). Narrative Skills for Videogames. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 109. ISBN 9781501348976.
  3. ^ a b Montfort, N. (2006). "Natural Language Generation and Narrative Variation in Interactive Fiction" (PDF). Proceedings of the Computational Aesthetics Workshop, AAAI, Boston, MA.
  4. ^ Baio, Andy (17 April 2008). "Milliways: Infocom's Unreleased Sequel to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". waxy.org.
  5. ^ Ardai, Charles (November 1992). "Three Runs, Two Hits, One Error: Virgin Software's Magnetic Scrolls Collection". Computer Gaming World. Vol. 1, no. 100. pp. 64–65.
  6. ^ Bishop, Todd (25 July 2011). "Google engineer Steve Lacey victim of Kirkland car wreck". GeekWire.
  7. ^ "John Molloy's Twitter feed".
  8. ^ "Phil South's Twitter feed".
  9. ^ "Anita Sinclair".
  10. ^ Wawro, Alex (June 28, 2017). "Dev rescues '80s text adventure source code by baking tapes in an oven". Gamasutra.com.
  11. ^ "Magnetic Scrolls Original Games Source Code Recovered!". strandgames.com. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  12. ^ "The Guild of Thieves by Magnetic Scrolls Restored". strandgames.com. Retrieved 2017-12-23.
  13. ^ "Jinxter by Magnetic Scrolls Revived". strandgames.com. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
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