22:
261:
smartphone, ChatterEmail. On
February 22, 2007, Blank announced he would no longer be "actively" working on ChatterEmail. Blank subsequently joined Palm, Inc. (who acquired ChatterEmail) and led the design and implementation of the Palm Pre's Email application. He worked in the
617:
393:
1129:
96:
Blank was frustrated by the computer's tiny vocabulary; when it parsed user inputs very few words were recognized. After thinking about the problem during his undergraduate years, he started work on his own adventure game using
387:
711:
760:
1003:
286:
1104:
781:
461:
1099:
1114:
110:
1067:
217:
862:
192:
after former Apple
Employee joined as the third partner, to help program Notion, for the Apple Newton. Eidetic initially published
1094:
374:
669:
1041:
830:
310:
788:
610:
454:
704:
345:
263:
246:
154:
98:
1109:
890:
732:
178:
690:
683:
172:
746:
697:
75:
1119:
1053:
848:
809:
795:
532:
447:
223:
160:
66:
676:
539:
235:
193:
1089:
981:
816:
802:
725:
33:
101:, a computer language invented at MIT. Blank and a handful of friends wrote the original version of
739:
417:
84:
125:
40:. He is best known as part of the team that created one of the first commercially successful
37:
1124:
986:
767:
718:
1027:
354:
212:
1034:
1016:
925:
920:
900:
578:
185:
133:
44:
41:
368:
1083:
946:
941:
350:
114:
70:
1060:
915:
546:
282:
231:
197:
340:
1021:
823:
644:
564:
318:
189:
976:
956:
910:
855:
774:
637:
584:
275:
208:
166:
1047:
895:
571:
428:
423:
258:
136:(with far less capabilities than the PDP-10). They founded the new company,
1010:
951:
753:
433:
240:
120:
Blank graduated from medical school in 1979 but elected to continue with
470:
137:
21:
257:
Blank left Sony in 2004, where he focused on his email client for the
124:. He and several friends spent the next year developing a specialized
271:
267:
106:
184:
In 1993 he founded Blank, Berlyn and Co. with former
Infocom writer
1130:
Academy of
Interactive Arts & Sciences Pioneer Award recipients
20:
494:
251:
91:
49:
443:
80:
54:
215:
asked Blank and Berlyn to create a small promotional game,
439:
230:
As Newton sales slowed, Eidetic changed gears to focus on
221:, to promote the release of Activision's graphical game
204:
became a hit and was ultimately bundled in all
Newtons.
128:
that they could use to program text adventures like
995:
969:
934:
883:
876:
840:
661:
654:
627:
600:
556:
521:
486:
477:
140:, to publish the game and more like it. Aside from
270:from 2010 to 2012, and as a Principal Engineer at
57:as one of the top 100 game creators of all time.
207:Blank returned to text adventures in 1997 when
83:in the mid-1970s, where the game was played on
1004:Classic Text Adventure Masterpieces of Infocom
761:Nord and Bert Couldn't Make Head or Tail of It
455:
8:
880:
658:
483:
462:
448:
440:
287:Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences
188:. The company's name was later changed to
254:acquired Eidetic for an undisclosed sum.
109:while he was attending medical school at
782:Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels
302:
396:from the original on February 8, 2013
377:from the original on October 23, 2010
117:(he received his MD degree in 1979).
7:
712:The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
341:"NG Alphas: Zork: Grand Inquisitor"
111:Albert Einstein College of Medicine
1068:Zork: The Undiscovered Underground
218:Zork: The Undiscovered Underground
14:
863:Quarterstaff: The Tomb of Setmoth
429:Footage from interview with Blank
289:Pioneer Award for their work on
1105:American video game programmers
670:Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur
202:Notion: The Newton List Manager
79:game while he was studying at
1:
1100:American video game designers
1042:The Lost Treasures of Infocom
618:Leather Goddesses of Phobos 2
53:. In 2009, he was chosen by
1115:Interactive fiction writers
611:Leather Goddesses of Phobos
1146:
89:
179:Journey: The Quest Begins
65:Blank first encountered
1095:Amazon (company) people
747:A Mind Forever Voyaging
353:. August 1997. p.
18:American game developer
1054:Zork: Grand Inquisitor
789:James Clavell's ShÅgun
311:"IGN - 79. Marc Blank"
224:Zork: Grand Inquisitor
26:
278:) from 2012 to 2018.
194:productivity software
24:
982:Legend Entertainment
431:for the documentary
740:The Lurking Horror
281:In 2013 Blank and
27:
1077:
1076:
965:
964:
872:
871:
602:Leather Goddesses
596:
595:
321:on April 20, 2014
285:were awarded the
250:in 1999. In 2000
238:games, producing
126:computer language
38:software engineer
1137:
1110:Google employees
996:Related articles
987:Westwood Studios
881:
768:Plundered Hearts
719:Hollywood Hijinx
659:
487:Original trilogy
484:
464:
457:
450:
441:
405:
404:
403:
401:
385:
384:
382:
365:
359:
358:
337:
331:
330:
328:
326:
317:. Archived from
307:
1145:
1144:
1140:
1139:
1138:
1136:
1135:
1134:
1080:
1079:
1078:
1073:
1028:Legends of Zork
991:
961:
930:
868:
836:
650:
623:
592:
552:
517:
473:
468:
414:
409:
408:
399:
397:
386:
380:
378:
370:interactive.org
367:
366:
362:
349:. No. 32.
346:Next Generation
339:
338:
334:
324:
322:
309:
308:
304:
299:
213:Eddie Dombrower
94:
63:
32:is an American
19:
12:
11:
5:
1143:
1141:
1133:
1132:
1127:
1122:
1117:
1112:
1107:
1102:
1097:
1092:
1082:
1081:
1075:
1074:
1072:
1071:
1064:
1057:
1050:
1045:
1038:
1035:Return to Zork
1031:
1024:
1019:
1014:
1007:
999:
997:
993:
992:
990:
989:
984:
979:
973:
971:
967:
966:
963:
962:
960:
959:
954:
949:
944:
938:
936:
932:
931:
929:
928:
926:Brian Moriarty
923:
921:Steve Meretzky
918:
913:
908:
903:
901:Michael Berlyn
898:
893:
887:
885:
878:
874:
873:
870:
869:
867:
866:
859:
852:
844:
842:
838:
837:
835:
834:
827:
820:
813:
806:
799:
792:
785:
778:
771:
764:
757:
750:
743:
736:
729:
722:
715:
708:
701:
694:
687:
680:
673:
665:
663:
662:Text adventure
656:
652:
651:
649:
648:
641:
633:
631:
625:
624:
622:
621:
614:
606:
604:
598:
597:
594:
593:
591:
590:
582:
575:
568:
560:
558:
554:
553:
551:
550:
543:
536:
528:
526:
519:
518:
516:
515:
514:
513:
508:
503:
490:
488:
481:
475:
474:
469:
467:
466:
459:
452:
444:
438:
437:
426:
413:
412:External links
410:
407:
406:
389:prnewswire.com
360:
332:
301:
300:
298:
295:
186:Michael Berlyn
152:, he designed
134:microcomputers
90:Main article:
62:
59:
45:computer games
42:text adventure
34:game developer
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1142:
1131:
1128:
1126:
1123:
1121:
1120:Living people
1118:
1116:
1113:
1111:
1108:
1106:
1103:
1101:
1098:
1096:
1093:
1091:
1088:
1087:
1085:
1070:
1069:
1065:
1063:
1062:
1058:
1056:
1055:
1051:
1049:
1046:
1044:
1043:
1039:
1037:
1036:
1032:
1030:
1029:
1025:
1023:
1020:
1018:
1015:
1013:
1012:
1008:
1006:
1005:
1001:
1000:
998:
994:
988:
985:
983:
980:
978:
975:
974:
972:
968:
958:
955:
953:
950:
948:
947:Bruce Daniels
945:
943:
942:Douglas Adams
940:
939:
937:
933:
927:
924:
922:
919:
917:
914:
912:
909:
907:
904:
902:
899:
897:
894:
892:
889:
888:
886:
882:
879:
875:
865:
864:
860:
858:
857:
853:
851:
850:
846:
845:
843:
839:
833:
832:
828:
826:
825:
821:
819:
818:
814:
812:
811:
807:
805:
804:
800:
798:
797:
793:
791:
790:
786:
784:
783:
779:
777:
776:
772:
770:
769:
765:
763:
762:
758:
756:
755:
751:
749:
748:
744:
742:
741:
737:
735:
734:
730:
728:
727:
723:
721:
720:
716:
714:
713:
709:
707:
706:
702:
700:
699:
695:
693:
692:
688:
686:
685:
681:
679:
678:
674:
672:
671:
667:
666:
664:
660:
657:
653:
647:
646:
642:
640:
639:
635:
634:
632:
630:
626:
620:
619:
615:
613:
612:
608:
607:
605:
603:
599:
589:
587:
583:
581:
580:
576:
574:
573:
569:
567:
566:
562:
561:
559:
555:
549:
548:
544:
542:
541:
537:
535:
534:
530:
529:
527:
524:
520:
512:
509:
507:
504:
502:
499:
498:
497:
496:
492:
491:
489:
485:
482:
480:
476:
472:
465:
460:
458:
453:
451:
446:
445:
442:
436:
435:
430:
427:
425:
421:
420:
416:
415:
411:
395:
391:
390:
376:
372:
371:
364:
361:
356:
352:
351:Imagine Media
348:
347:
342:
336:
333:
320:
316:
312:
306:
303:
296:
294:
292:
288:
284:
279:
277:
273:
269:
265:
260:
255:
253:
249:
248:
247:Syphon Filter
243:
242:
237:
233:
228:
226:
225:
220:
219:
214:
210:
205:
203:
199:
195:
191:
187:
182:
181:
180:
175:
174:
169:
168:
163:
162:
157:
156:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
123:
118:
116:
115:New York City
112:
108:
104:
100:
93:
88:
86:
82:
78:
77:
72:
71:Will Crowther
68:
60:
58:
56:
52:
51:
46:
43:
39:
35:
31:
25:Blank in 2018
23:
16:
1066:
1061:Zork Nemesis
1059:
1052:
1040:
1033:
1026:
1009:
1002:
916:Dave Lebling
905:
891:Tim Anderson
884:Implementers
861:
854:
847:
841:Other titles
829:
822:
815:
808:
801:
794:
787:
780:
773:
766:
759:
752:
745:
738:
731:
724:
717:
710:
703:
696:
689:
682:
675:
668:
643:
636:
628:
616:
609:
601:
585:
577:
570:
563:
547:Spellbreaker
545:
538:
531:
522:
510:
505:
500:
493:
478:
432:
418:
400:February 25,
398:, retrieved
388:
381:February 25,
379:, retrieved
369:
363:
344:
335:
325:November 13,
323:. Retrieved
319:the original
314:
305:
290:
283:Dave Lebling
280:
256:
245:
244:in 1996 and
239:
229:
222:
216:
206:
201:
200:. Eidetic's
198:Apple Newton
183:
177:
171:
165:
159:
153:
149:
145:
141:
132:on then-new
129:
121:
119:
102:
95:
74:
64:
48:
29:
28:
15:
1090:1954 births
1022:InvisiClues
849:Cornerstone
831:The Witness
824:Wishbringer
691:Bureaucracy
684:Border Zone
655:Other games
645:Stationfall
565:Beyond Zork
422:profile at
236:PlayStation
173:Border Zone
87:computers.
1084:Categories
977:Activision
957:Joe Ybarra
911:Amy Briggs
906:Marc Blank
856:Fooblitzky
775:Seastalker
698:Cutthroats
638:Planetfall
629:Planetfall
419:Marc Blank
297:References
276:Amazon.com
209:Activision
167:Fooblitzky
30:Marc Blank
1048:Z-machine
970:Companies
896:Bob Bates
810:Suspended
796:Starcross
579:Anthology
572:Zork Zero
533:Enchanter
523:Enchanter
424:MobyGames
266:group at
211:producer
161:Enchanter
85:mainframe
76:Adventure
67:Don Woods
1011:Get Lamp
952:Al Vezza
754:Moonmist
705:Deadline
677:Ballyhoo
540:Sorcerer
511:Zork III
434:Get Lamp
394:archived
375:archived
241:Bubsy 3D
196:for the
155:Deadline
1125:Infocom
817:Trinity
803:Suspect
733:Journey
726:Infidel
525:trilogy
506:Zork II
471:Infocom
264:Android
190:Eidetic
138:Infocom
877:People
501:Zork I
272:Lab126
268:Google
176:, and
148:, and
142:Zork I
107:PDP-10
61:Career
935:Other
588:books
557:Other
105:on a
1017:Grue
586:Zork
495:Zork
479:Zork
402:2014
383:2014
327:2023
291:Zork
259:Treo
252:Sony
234:and
130:Zork
122:Zork
103:Zork
92:Zork
69:and
50:Zork
36:and
315:IGN
150:III
113:in
99:MDL
81:MIT
73:'s
55:IGN
1086::
392:,
373:,
355:73
343:.
313:.
293:.
232:PC
227:.
170:,
164:,
158:,
146:II
144:,
47:,
463:e
456:t
449:v
357:.
329:.
274:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.