Take, for example, Jolt Online Gaming, which today launched its free-to-play casual web-based RPG Legends of Zork.

Inspired by the classic adventure series, Legends of Zork puts players in the role of an unemployed salesperson as they explore and fight their way through the fallen Great Underground Empire. It's a lot like Kingdom of Loathing, if you've ever played that.

Of course, there's a bit of a catch, albeit an optional one. By spending actual money or participating in a variety of marketing trials and surveys for other sites, players can earn coconuts, which will allow them to acquire more Action Points and other special perks. Those that don't pony up have to make due with their daily allotment of 30 Action Points.

"LoZ is a casual adventure game," Jolt CEO Dylan Collins wrote in a recent newsletter.

"We've designed it to be the kind of game that sneaks into your soul and steals about 20mins of your time each day. It's not an MMO (collective sigh of relief, I'd imagine)."

When the humorous revival was announced earlier this year, the accompanying press release claimed that it was "designed to provide gamers with a casual MMO game they can play on their laptop, desktop or Apple iPhone."

"We genuinely think it's a worthy addition to the Zork universe but at the same time we know that some of you won't agree," noted Collins. He added that "actual detail" will be revealed shortly and teased that the public will "have opportunity to try it out very soon."

Zork, the classic PC adventure series, will return as a casual web-based MMO dubbed Legends of Zork. Jolt Online Gaming will be publishing, with the developer not yet specified.

Playable through any internet browser, including the iPhone, the game will put players in the role of a "recently laid-off salesman and part-time loot-gatherer" that is exploring the fallen Great Underground Empire after its economy and stock market collapsed.

Zork officially debuted in 1980, when Infocom published the humorous text-adventure game designed by MIT students Tim Anderson, Marc Blank, Bruce Daniels, and Dave Lebling, some of which helped form the now-defunct publisher.

Numerous sequels and books followed, with the last major release hitting in 1997: Activision's full-fledged point-and-click graphical adventure Zork: Grand Inquisitor.

Made in agreement with license holder Activision, Legends of Zork will eventually be playable at LegendsofZork.com. A description of the setting follows... Read more