Colossal Cave Launches Next Week on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR2
New release! Colossal Cave, an award-winning game known to millions, has been reimagined for Sony PlayStation by Roberta Williams, the multi-million copy bestselling author of King’s Quest, Phantasmagoria and many other #1 hits. Colossal Cave is credited as foundational for the entire gaming industry, providing the inspiration for virtually every adventure game you can name, from Zork to Monkey Island, King’s Quest, and more. Cygnus Entertainment has been in development for over two years to create a game that will challenge every PlayStation user. The PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR2 versions were developed separately, but side-by-side, each taking advantage of and pushing the boundaries of each device. The same game, but vastly different experiences.
ABOUT COLOSSAL CAVE:
Colossal Cave Adventure (AKA: Adventure or ADVENT) was released in 1976 by developer Will Crowther for the PDP-10 mainframe computer. It was expanded in 1977 by Don Woods. The adventurer explores a cave system rumored to be filled with treasure and gold. It is the first well-known example of interactive fiction, as well as the first well-known adventure game, for which it was also the namesake.
Originally based on Crowther’s maps and experiences in Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, the longest cave system in the world; further, it was intended, in part, to be accessible to non-technical players, such as his two daughters. Woods’s version expanded the game in size and increased the number of fantasy elements present in it, such as a dragon and magic spells. Both versions, typically played over teleprinters connected to mainframe computers, were spread around the nascent ARPANET, the precursor to the Internet, which Crowther was involved in developing.
Colossal Cave is regularly noted as one of the most influential video games, and in 2019 was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame by The Strong and the International Center for the History of Electronic Games.
In 2020, Ken and Roberta Williams, best known for having founded and ran Sierra On-Line over a twenty-year period, started an effort to completely redesign the game for modern devices, as a totally immersive 3D experience.
Cygnus Entertainment, Sierra On-Line & Roberta Williams:
Ken and Roberta Williams founded Sierra On-Line in 1979, selling it in 1996 in what at the time was one of the largest industry transactions ever. Sierra today is part of Microsoft because of their acquisition of Activision. Ken and Roberta retired and bought a boat. Ken acquired both a US and European captain license and they decided to pursue real adventure by circumnavigating in a small boat. In 2020 Ken wrote a bestselling book chronicling the Sierra days, inspiring the couple to form Cygnus Entertainment and do “just one more game.” Whether there will be more is an unknown at this time, but they are very proud of Colossal Cave.
Ken Williams states, “Colossal Cave is a faithful visual interpretation of the very first adventure game, played by millions over the years. We approached the project like a filmmaker might base a movie on a best-selling novel; preserving the fantasy world that is loved by so many, while bringing it to life with beautiful environments and immersive sound. We also wanted to push the limits of Sony consoles and their new VR headset. Speaking of which, I should mention that our PS VR2 version of the game is not just the console game running on a VR headset. It is a wholly redesigned user interface delivering the true, harrowing experience of spelunking.“
Quick info:
- Game Launch: Colossal Cave for Sony PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR2
- Upgrade: PlayStation 5 version significantly enhanced, represented as “2.0: Enchanted”
- Title: Colossal Cave 3D
- Publisher: Cygnus Entertainment
- Redesign for Sony: Roberta Williams
- Price: Complete Bundle (PS4, PS5 & PSVR2 – $24.99) | PlayStation VR2 Standalone ($19.99)
- Release Date: Nov 15, 2023
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