In part II of our interview with Ultima series creator Richard Garriott we talk more about the “rooms full of killing children,” the dark nature of The Black Gate, creative ways to kill Lord British, fan mail, and the possibility of a new Ultima game from Garriott in the future. Read it after the break, and check out Part I if you haven’t already done so.
If you’d been reading the news and the official messages coming out of NCsoft and Richard Garriott’s camps at the end of his employment there, then you would believed that when Richard Garriott left the company the parting was sweet, sweet sorrow with hugs and kisses all around. But just under the surface there were a number of problems if you believe Richard Garriott’s recollection – now part of a multi-million dollar lawsuit. That recollection of the events leading up to and shortly after he left the company to “peruse other interest” are now in the public record courtesy of a lawsuit filed by the creator of ultima, Ultima Online and Tabula Rasa that alleges fraud and misrepresentation on the part of NCsoft.
The lawsuit alleges that NCsoft deliberately represented that Richard Garriott had left the company, when he had in fact be fired. This is the crux of his lawsuit because if he were to leave of his own free will it would give him a 90 day window to sell the NCsoft holdings he obtained when the company bought his game studio in . If he had been “let go” officially Garriott would have had a ten year window in which to sell those shares. Instead he was forced to sell his holdings in what he alleges was the worst time in history to sell.” The result was a tax liability incurred and a reduced return for his shares. Garriott is seeking some $27, 000,000 in damages from NCsoft. Garriott’s lawsuit alleges that NCsoft engaged in a breach of contract, fraud and negligent misrepresentation.
Richard Garriott, who is now spending more time thinking about space travel than virtual worlds, was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about the darker side of the Ultima series of role-playing games. This interview is a companion piece to The Black Gate Murders, an alternate playthrough of Ultima VII: The Black Gate that involves killing everyone in the game.
In Part I of our interview, the creator of Ultima reveals some little-known facts about Ultima VII, the origins of a room full of crazy children that caused a memorable family feud, and his feelings on selling Origin to EA so many years ago.
Over the weekend Tabula Rasa had one final climactic battle before the sci-fi themed massively multiplayer online game was shut down. The Warcry Network put together tribute video commemorating the very last moments that is worth taking a look at.
While Tabula Rasa wasn’t a popular game and may not have done everything right, fans of the game stuck with it until the very end. It’s not unlike many other high profile MMO’s that were forced to close their doors (Motor City Online, The Sims Online and even the earliest MMO of all-time Neverwinter Nights); fans wanted the company that ran this game to stick it out a little longer. While they won’t be able to play the game anymore, at least they can say that they took part in the game’s most epic battle.
Check out the video at The Warcry Network right now.
Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa will be closed by weekend’s end but NCSoft wants to give subscribers one final monumental battle to take part in before it pulls the plug. The event will kick off tomorrow at around 8 PM CST (translate that to whatever time zone you are in).
The final battle to end all battles will see a massive Bane full frontal assault on all AFS bases, which players will have to fend off. Full details from the final Tabulas Rasa Feedback Friday Transmission after the break.
(contributors: Hal Halpin, President, ECA; James Fudge, David Chapman)
We count down the top twenty-one news stories of 2008, though picking which were the very best proved to be a painful, gut-wrenching exercise. There were so many interesting stories this year; we watched the interactive entertainment industry grow – and then later – retract as the global economy wreaked havoc on every kind of business you can imagine; players got their first taste of WiiWare, Home and the New Xbox Experience; we watched as the big three slugged it out for North American supremacy in the latest round of console wars and we saw Blizzard dust off its classic franchises and move million of copies of its Lich King expansion.
Yeah, 2008 was a good year, but not without its share of triumphs, disappointments, joys and sorrow. Here are the stories that moved us, made us angry, scared us and made us think about the industry we cover.
We begin with #21 – #15, starting now. Read the rest of this entry »
NCSoft has finally put a stake in the heart of Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa, announcing on the game’s official site that it plans to shut everything down on February 28th. This does not come as much of a surprise in the shadow of Richard Garriott’s departure last week. In a statement to the community, NCsoft explained why it was closing the sci-fi themed shooter MMO, promised some special perks for those willing to play the game until it expires and offered a timeline for when subscribers can expect to stop paying. read the official statement after the break.
From essential games to must-have accessories, the Game Trust tells you what you need to know about your new gaming system.