If you've ever been eaten by a grue, you can blame Dave Lebing, Marc Blank and and a small team of their friends -- Zork, and the notoriously frustrating text adventure game genre that followed is all their fault. The games were challenging, but they were also the most complex narratives told through video games at the time, and their creators are finally getting their dues. Early next year, Blank and Lebing are slated to receive the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Pioneer Award at the
