ABSTRACT
Released by Garriott in 1979, Akalabeth: World of Doom is one of the earliest known examples of a computer role-playing game (CRPG). Although aesthetically primitive by today’s standards, Akalabeth included many of the conventions that are present in even the most modern CRPG, such as the choice of character class, attributes, a store from which to buy weapons and armor, a leveling system based on experience points, strategic combat with increasingly powerful foes, and a large area to explore. Unlike the later Ultima games, Akalabeth is represented entirely in fi rst-person perspective using wireframe graphics. First published by Garriott himself and then by California Pacifi c Computer Company, Akalabeth sold tens of thousands of copies, providing the young “Lord British” with a comfortable income during his years at college. One must wonder how many of his classmates neglected their literature to battle his monsters in those infi nite dungeons; as he himself once remarked to Steven Levy, author of Hackers, “I can’t spell, have no grammar techniques, and have read less than twenty-fi ve books in my life.”
