On-Line Systems 1979 Tank Top

On-Line Systems in was founded in 1979 in Simi Valley, California, by husband-and-wife, Ken and Roberta Williams. As a programmer for Big Blue, Ken had planned to create business software for personal computers, including the TRS-80. While looking through a host system of programs, discovered the text adventure Colossal Cave Adventure and encouraged Roberta to join him in playing it, and she was enthralled by the game. The pair studied other text adventures, though Roberta quickly became dissatisfied with the text-only format and realized that graphics could enhance the adventure gaming experience. With Ken's help with some of the programming, Roberta designed Mystery House, inspired by the novel of the same name.