ImagiNation Network

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The Imagination Network
Developer(s) Sierra On-Line
Publisher(s) Sierra On-Line (1989)
AT&T (1994)
AOL (1996)
Engine LSCI (Large scale SCI)
Release date(s) 1991
Genre(s) Online gaming network
Mode(s) Multiplayer
Platform(s) MS-DOS, Windows 3.1
Media 3.5" disks (2 to 7)
CD-ROM (1)
System requirements 386 CPU, 640KB RAM,
12MB free on hard drive,
2400 baud modem, VGA graphics.
Input Keyboard, mouse

First available to the public in 1991, the ImagiNation Network was a unique online gaming network that gave subscribers from all over the United States of America a place where they could "play games, make friends and have fun". With a wide variety of games including RPGs, WWI aeroplane simulations, live trivia, and card and board games, almost every user could find something enjoyable to play. INN also featured an electronic post office, many bulletin boards, chat rooms, and the company boasted of having "more than 200 groups, clubs and special events online."

Sierra On-Line founder Ken Williams wanted to create a network that even his grandmother would find easy to use, and to that end INN featured a unique emphasis on a friendly, graphics-heavy interface. Each user was represented by a persona which they assembled using INN's built-in 'facemaker'. The facemaker was incredibly detailed, with enough different options to construct over 84 million unique personas. Users could then indicate their level of skill in various games, in order to encourage fair match-making between players, and a short list of hobbies to help match interests with new friends.

The staff, known as 'Hosts', were very personable and more than willing to take the time to show a new subscriber the ropes - often introducing new users to regular members. INN was well known for the general friendliness of its members, and INN subscribers formed many friendships which persist to this day.

Contents

[edit] History

In early 1989, Sierra On-line president Ken Williams expressed an interest in creating an online adventure game in the style of Sierra's best-selling Kings Quest and Leisure Suit Larry series. Sierra's lead programmer, Jeff Stephenson, began improving Sierra's adventure game engine to communicate by modem with a maximum speed of 2400 baud, and Leisure Suit Larry creator Al Lowe went to work designing the game that would run on this improved engine.

However, the problem of designing an adventure game with a non-linear plot that could support multiple central characters all experiencing different parts of the world and story at the same time proved difficult to solve, and Al Lowe began designing board games to test the engine's communication abilities while he worked out the design of the main adventure game. These board games worked very well, and after Al Lowe left the project later that year, it was decided that the network should focus primarily on parlour games, eschewing the adventure game paradigm entirely.

Ken Williams insisted that the network be easy enough for even his grandmother to use, so the user interface of this gaming network received considerable attention: it was designed to be colorful, easy to use, and universally appealing. Dubbed The Sierra Network (TSN), this gaming network began operation as a private beta test in late 1989, with testers drawn from a list of registered Sierra On-Line game owners.

In 1991, TSN's doors were opened to the public. Originally only parlour games such as Chess and Bridge were available to subscribers, but over the next three years Sierra On-Line added many new games, such as the role-playing game Shadows of Yserbius and the dog-fighter simulation Red Baron.

Throughout INN's existence, tournaments were held for many games in which winning players and teams could win prizes. Top chess and bridge players regularly played on the network, as well as several celebrities, and players were invited to compete against them.

Unfortunately, TSN was not profitable for Sierra On-Line, losing millions of dollars a year. In 1994, AT&T purchased a half-interest in TSN for 50 million dollars. Under AT&T's direction the network's name was changed to the ImagiNation Network, hourly rates were increased, and several elements of the network considered 'too risqué' were removed entirely. A year later, AT&T bought the remaining half of the network for an additional 50 million dollars, making Sierra On-Line one of the few companies at the time to have made money from online gaming.

AT&T continued to make enhancements to the service until August 6, 1996, when INN was acquired by America On-Line for 15 million dollars. AOL shut down the ImagiNation Network later that year, ending seven years of operation.

[edit] Games

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Two players on the ImagiNation Network enjoy a game of Boogers (a variant of Ataxx).
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Two players on the ImagiNation Network enjoy a game of Boogers (a variant of Ataxx).

The ImagiNation Network was comprised of several 'lands', each one featuring a different theme and selection of games and services.

[edit] ClubHouse

The Clubhouse featured traditional card and board games.

"The Clubhouse is the place to go when you want to meet new people, play traditional card and board games, read the Bulletin Boards, and chat with your friends. It is where you'll find the Welcome Room for new members and the INN Help Room. You can also join an online conference while you're in the Clubhouse, or learn something new at INN University." (Manual, Pg 15)

Games available at the clubhouse:

[edit] LarryLand

(also known as CasinoLand, which was an added feature a few years later)

"CasinoLand is the ImagiNation Network's casino and resort area, with fantasy gambling and games. Sorry, but no one under the age of 18 is allowed in CasinoLand. (If you would like access to CasinoLand, please fill out and return the CasinoLand Access Card included in this kit.)." (Manual, pg 15)

Games available within LarryLand:

[edit] MedievaLand

"...is a fantasy-filled land where you can find adventures as a knight, wizard or another character of your own creation." (Manual, pg 15)

Games available in MedievaLand:

[edit] SierraLand

"...is the place for exciting arcade style games, challenging board games and other amusements." (Manual, pg 15)

Games available in SierraLand:
  • 3D Tic Tac Toe
  • Red Baron (later moved into the Arena Land)
  • Graffiti (a collaborative art drawing board)
  • Stratego

[edit] FunHouse

( A.K.A. School House, Little Red Funhouse)

"The Little Red Funhouse is the future home to `edutainment' games and activities. It is a place for kids who want to have fun learning." (Manual, pg 15)

  • RocketQuiz (a 1 to 3 player math quiz game)

[edit] Arena

"The Arena is where you'll find exciting sports and action games." (Manual, pg 15)

Red Baron had numerous "clans" that would face off in tournaments. The clans included the Arabian Knights, Black Knights, Dawn Patrol, Strike Eagles, Lafayette Escadrille, Naked Crisco Twister, and Wing Walkers.

[edit] Pricing

When owned by Sierra Online, one was given a certain amount of hours per month which one could play, with multiple monthly fee plans available. Only one plan, for $119.99, allowed for unlimited hours of play. These fees did not include any additional dial-up charges the user may have incurred with their phone services as this was a dial-up modem access only service.

Once acquired by AT&T however, no unlimited hour plan was available, and using hours beyond the monthly plan involved a hefty $2.50 per hour fee. AT&T also added a surcharge for those subscribers who did not access TSN/INN through a "Preferred Access Number" (PAN). This surcharge, plus the general increase in subscription fees, contributed to the decline in users until TSN/INN's shutdown in 1996.

Rates as of 1995 were as follows:

  • Welcome Plan: 5 hours for $9.95, $2.95 each additional hour
  • 10 Plan: 10 hours for $19.95, $2.75 each additional hour
  • 15 Plan: 15 hours for $29.95, $2.50 each additional hour
  • 25 Plan: 25 hours for $49.95, $2.25 each additional hour
  • 50 Plan: 50 hours for $99.95, $1.95 each additional hour

Without a preferred access number, all weekday time between 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. was billed $6.00 an hour, additional time in one minute increments. AT&T users had a 10% discount on their monthly membership fee.

[edit] CyberPark

This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it.
  • 1996: AOL renames ImagiNation Network to WorldPlay Entertainment and orders termination of existing game network.
  • 1997: WorldPlay develops GameXpress, a two-dimensional set of online games for Windows
  • 1997: WorldPlay works on CyberPark, a somewhat three-dimensional world in which players can interact and play games.
  • 1998: WorldPlay Entertainment delivers CyberPark to AOL and is rewarded with a 60% reduction in staff.
  • 2000: AOL lends surviving WorldPlay engineers to Electronic Arts in order to help build out ea.com
  • 2003: Electronic Arts finally convinces AOL to pull the plug on the WorldPlay game servers.

[edit] FauxINN

In mid 2003, Mithrandel released a public alpha test of the first successful ImagiNation Network remake, which he entitled FauxINN. FauxINN emulated many of INN's features, including Bulletin Boards, the Post Office, the Town Hall, and a limited form of the Clubhouse with a select few board games. New versions followed at weekly intervals, with each new release more closely emulating the original interface of ImagiNation. However, Mithrandel faced problems when he attempted to completely revamp the game's graphical API, and after much ado trying to fix the program up, he conceded that he had lost interest in the project.

In 2004, a new group of developers attempted to recreate INN, and they adopted the name 'FauxINN' as the name of their project. Development is still ongoing, though there is no official release date as of yet. You can visit their website at www.fauxinn.com.

[edit] External links

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