Among the sessions offered at KansasFest 2010 was an advance screening of GET LAMP, Jason Scott‘s documentary of text adventures. After this one-hour presentation, KFesters received a pleasant surprise: every attendee would receive a free copy of the final product, a $40 value. Though the two-DVD set wouldn’t ship until August, each attendee went home with a numbered, collectible coin that would soon be complemented by the actual film.
The documentary includes leagues of extra features, including interactive branching paths, an upgrade guarantee, and every Eamon adventure ever created for the Apple II. Of course, the main feature is the film itself and its comprehensive chronology of interactive fiction and the people who created, made, sold, play, and promote:
The DVDs shipped on August 11 and have now arrived in all attendees’ homes. It’s a gift from Jason Scott and former KansasFest organizer Steve Gozdziewski, who each wanted to recognize the contribution every KFester makes to the Apple II community and to computer history. Their attendance at this event, whether it’s for the first time or the twenty-first, lets KansasFest continue to be a part of living history.
If you weren’t able to attend KansasFest 2010, you can still order GET LAMP online, or hope that the GET LAMP tour will come to a city near you. And if you or a friend are new to text adventures, the “How to Play Interactive Fiction” card, also seen at KansasFest 2010, is a good cheat sheet with which to get started.