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Richard Garriott

Introduction

"We create worlds." Origin Systems?motto sums up what Richard Garriott has done for over 20 years in the gaming industry. As a teen, he published the role-playing game Akalabeth that lead to the 10-title Ultima series for which he is best known. Two key advances the series introduced to the genre were the importance of morals to character development and extensive interactivity. In Ultima IV, your character had to attain the goal of becoming virtuous through the moral choices made during the adventure, instead of killing the most monsters. Ultima VII had a world alive like no other where non-player characters followed schedules and you could bake bread from ingredients just for fun. The Ultima games were always pushing the technological boundaries.

Launched in 1997, the blockbuster Ultima Online(UO) brought the graphical massively multiplayer, online RPGs to the mainstream and proved it could be a lucrative business. As the trailblazer, UO also made apparent many of the problems with this type of game. Still considered very bug-laden to this day, UO taught many the effect of Internet "lag" and negative consequences of "exploits" and "grief players." Customer service became a key requirement for a successful MMORPG, both in real-life and within the game through game masters. UO also highlights the social interactions these games foster as it has the most complex player-run economies and political structure of any of the MMORPGs.

Not only does Garriott create worlds, he also lives in them. His alter ego Lord British has ruled Ultima Britannia throughout the series. Lord British also makes appearances at community events for the games, making Garriott a symbol as well as creator. Garriott recently left Origin to form a new company Destination Games that focuses on future MMORPGs, includingTabula Rasa, his clean slate.

Company & Latest Game

Company: NCSOFT

Latest Game: Tabula Rasa ( Official Site Video )

Tabula Rasa is a massively multiplayer online action game that takes you into the heat of battle at the frontlines of an epic war between a xenophobic alien race bent on galactic conquest and the coalition of rebel soldiers who¡¯ve traveled across the galaxy to stop them.

Combining the action of a shooter and the immersion of a role-playing game, Tabula Rasa takes the player on an intergalactic adventure where the individual has an opportunity to significantly impact the pace of battle on a global scale. Players enter the game as rebel soldiers wielding a variety of futuristic weapons, potent demolitions and the mystical power of Logos. It is up to each individual to use their stealth, ingenuity and skill to assist a ragtag coalition of rebels in their efforts to stop an enemy known for its intelligence and unyielding determination to enslave the Universe.

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