With the Ultima series, Richard “Lord British” Garriott once earned pioneer status. Ultima Online holds a particularly significant place for the creator of the MMORPG term. Will there be a shared happy ending after the separation someday? Garriott remains optimistic.
Richard Garriott, who was that again?
- The Brit programmed one of the first commercial computer role-playing games, Akalabeth, at the age of 19.
- In 1981, Ultima I followed, marking the launch of one of the most important and influential series in video game history.
- In 1983, Garriott co-founded Origin Systems, one of the most successful developers and publishers of the 1980s and 1990s.
- Specifically, Ultima IV to VII are still considered genre classics today.
- However, it was only with Ultima Online in 1997 that Garriott was able to realize his idea of a densely populated online world. In doing so, he also coined the term “Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games” (i.e., MMORPG).
- Just a few years later, disputes with the management of Electronic Arts, which had acquired Origin in 1992, led to Garriott’s departure. The Ultima rights remained with EA.
- Subsequent projects like Tabula Rasa and Shroud of the Avatar are among the biggest disappointments in MMORPG history.
- Later, Garriott even lent his name to an NFT and blockchain MMORPG, which also came to nothing.
The venerable Ultima Online is getting legacy servers – here is the trailer:
What is the status of Ultima Online? The isometric MMORPG of the Ultima series also looks back on a turbulent past. Since the launch, countless content expansions and updates have landed on the live servers; there has also been a major overhaul and various development teams have been allowed to try their hand at the online adventure.
Since 2014, Ultima Online has been in the hands of Broadsword, which continues to provide the MMORPG classic with updates very regularly. However, the last major expansion was released back in 2015. New legacy servers are announced for September 2024, which are meant to offer more than just a nostalgic gaming experience.
What does Lord British know that we don’t?
The situation seems clear. The Broadsword team manages Ultima Online while Electronic Arts has buried the Ultima rights deep in its own basement, never to make anything new with them again. Or?
Well, Richard Garriott seems to be expecting a change from the status quo. A fan wrote to the developer veteran on X: “We should do crowdfunding so you can buy UO back from EA and bring it back to its former glory, so we can finally have the best MMO ever made again.”
Richard Garriott’s succinct response (via X): “I believe I will get it back ‘soon’.” In response to a query, the developer added on X: “I have a reason to be honestly hopeful.” He probably cannot reveal details at this time.
In another post, another X user stated that Richard is not the right man for the job. Lord British replied (via X) that he is sorry that people think that way of him. After all, they are his original works.
A reunion of Richard Garriott and Ultima Online – would that be something you would like to experience? Or should the 63-year-old pioneer of the MMORPG genre retire? By the way, it has been an open secret for some time that Garriott wants to return to the Ultima series: “Now we just have to buy EA” – MMORPG legend ponders a sequel to his masterpiece
