If the Ten Ton Hammer readers are any indication, there's a large contingent of fans of the Zork series playing MMOs and many of them are probably going to faint when they here this news. The Zork series is coming back, but this time as an MMO! According to a recently issued press release, Dublin-based Jolt Online Gaming is recreating Zork as a casual, browser-based MMO, and they're naming the upcoming MMO Legends of Zork.

Players will take the role of a "newly-unemployed traveling salesman ready for treasure-hunting and adventure in the Great Underground Empire". Sounds just about right for the series, doesn't it?

Here's a longer snippet:

The Great Underground Empire has recently fallen and the land is in disarray. The Royal Treasury has been sacked. The stock market has collapsed, leading even mighty FrobozzCo International to fire employees from throughout its subsidiaries. A craze of treasure-hunting has swept through the remnants of the Great Underground Empire. The New Zork Times reports that trolls, kobolds and other dangerous creatures are venturing far from their lairs. Adventurers and monsters are increasingly coming into conflict over areas rich with loot. It's a dangerous time to be a newly-unemployed traveling salesman, but it's also a great time to try a bit of adventuring.

LegendsofZork.com will provide online gamers with a persistent online adventure, playable from any Internet browser. Players take up the role of a recently laid-off salesman and part-time loot-gatherer, as he explores the Great Underground Empire. Designed to provide gamers with a casual MMO game they can play on their laptop, desktop or Apple iPhone (in school, work or on the bus), there’s nothing to download, just go to www.legendsofzork.com.

“As a complete Zork geek, I’m very proud to be releasing this title”, stated Dylan Collins, CEO of Jolt Online gaming.“Anyone who plays MMOs will definitely like to spend some time with Legends of Zork while they’re taking a break or browsing around the web. It’s very addictive”.

Out of all the predictions I made for 2009, this definitely didn't even appear on the radar. Let's hope there are even more pleasant surprises in 2009!