Richard Garriott Interview

[Kaspian]

The Armchair Empire (http://www.armchairempire.com/) recently had the chance to talk with Ultima creator, Richard Garriott. In their interview (http://www.armchairempire.com/Interviews/tabula-rasa-richard-garriott.htm), his upcoming MMOG, Tabula Rasa is discussed, as well as MMO gaming in general.

You have mentioned in previous interviews that the sale of in-game items for real world money is unstoppable. If that is the case, why don’t publishers of MMOs simply take this practice in-house and make the money themselves instead of letting a third party cash in on their IP?

Richard Garriott: As soon as you sell items in-house, you open yourself to legal problems. Right now we sell only the right to connect and be entertained. If we sell a sword, what if the sword is lost by the data base? We get sued! What happens if we nerf the usefulness of the sword to balance the game? We get sued! What happens if we allow a trade for that sword that the player thinks is unfair? We get sued! What happens if that sword “wears out” faster than the player thinks is fair? We get sued! There is also the issue that in many games these kinds of transactions can affect the enjoyment of the game for others as professional “farmers” monopolize resources. That being said, we’d love to figure out a way to support this kind of activity so we are strategizing ways around those problems.

[StGeorge]

What happens if a monkey eats his own feces? We get sued!

[Klade]

This game has potential to be either really good or really bad and not much between. I'm glad they delayed it so long ago because it was previously destined to be crap. Now who knows!

I do think that any MMO thats pve stats off at a huge disadvantage, it will be hard for them to make that up.

[XenonCJ]

If RG can do what he wants with minimal "corporate intervention", I'm confident the game will be good.

[mister_slim]

I'm thinking I really should have gone to law school. I'd be showering in money.

[TrackZero]

Richard better be careful this time around, someone might firewall him again. ;)

[TrackZero]

I'm thinking I really should have gone to law school. I'd be showering in money.

Apparently corporate accounting is also where it's at. I found out the starter salaries are, it's just insane. If I ever got to do school over again, it'd be that (despite whether the job is boring or not).

[thecrazyd]

That quote is stupid. Why sell them yourself? Do what EQ2 does, and start a server where people can auction in game property, and take a peice of each sale.

[Talanvor]

Man, has this guy never heard of a EULA? If you buy this item you agree to not hold us responsible blah blah blah.

Could also just sell levels/powers too. That way everyone can be a tank mage, yay!

[Hizawky]

Man, has this guy never heard of a EULA? If you buy this item you agree to not hold us responsible blah blah blah.

Could also just sell levels/powers too. That way everyone can be a tank mage, yay!

The EULA is worthless in court. Well, mostly useless.

[Montgomery_Python]

Tabula Rasa will be an industry changing game. Whether the change will consist of amazing new advances in tech and design or RG getting his poo hole expanded is up in the air.

[gojira]

I vote for the poo hole one.


;)

[Deadend]

I kinda thought the old design was cool, it seemed sorta like Phantasy Star, but with a cohesive world.

[Qoz]

I'm thinking UO was just luck for this guy.
He has screwed up so many times it's not even funny anymore.

He lost all my respect when he went out and hyped Ultima 9:ascension before launch, claiming it to be the "best of the series". The game was a disaster and pure ultima fans got screwed over so bad. It was nothing like the good ultimas.. and the game was broken! They had to ship a patch CD to every buying customer because the game just didn't work. And then they stopped supporting it completely even though it was a huge bug-fest from start to finish. What a way to ass-rape a franchise and then get the fans to buy the crap, when he must have known it to be bad.

He is not a great developer in my book. When games could be done by few people he ruled (Ultima7) but with larger projects and teams, he just sucks so bad. You can bet this Tabula Rasa will be filled to the brim with poor design choices. To even consider making a game where you pay for in-game items.. bleh. And he mentions the legal ramifications, but do not mention how the player motivation will become absolutely zero, if you spend 100 hours questing for some reward or money, and then watch newbie kids run around with the best equipment and cool player housing because daddy is rich. I will never play a game, where you can buy in-game assets for real money.

[BigJonno]

So the entire Ultima series was "just luck?" Yeah, U9 was completely bug-ridden but it was still a pretty entertaining game. Give the man some credit.

[gigant0r]

[QUOTE=Qoz]I'm thinking UO was just luck for this guy.
He has screwed up so many times it's not even funny anymore.

I agree with BigJonno. I think it's unfortunate that the UIX debacle left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. Regardless, RG ranks right up there with some of the other pioneers of gaming like Sid Meier, and Will Wright. Remember a little company called Origin..? Responsible for major franchises like Ultima and Wing Commander? Both were huge back in the earlier days of PC gaming for those of you who may be too young to remember :p I wouldn't say it was just luck that he successfully evolved an almost decades old franchise into the first major online rpg with mass appeal while also laying the foundations for MMORPGs for years to come. Know your roots!

[Apex]

I'm thinking UO was just luck for this guy.
He has screwed up so many times it's not even funny anymore.

I also agree.

Best not make the Game Rich, just in case people don't buy it!!!

wouldn't say it was just luck that he successfully evolved an almost decades old franchise into the first major online rpg with mass appeal while also laying the foundations for MMORPGs for years to come. Know your roots!

And for those old enough to remember that MUDs & MOOs, The Realm and Meridian 59 all laid the foundations for games like UO.

I also wouldn't give that credit to RG anyway. Alot of the team members from the original UO moved to work on UO2 which was shaping up to be a great game before it got canned. Then at least one of them moved onto SWG, although not great, it's alot better than RG's most recent work.

And in the Game Industry, your only as good as your last game. For RG that doesn't indicate much.

[Serapth]

I've always like RG's games and Ultima IV is one of my all time favorites.

I've also always though Richard Garriot was batshit crazy! Still do, he creeps me out in a big way... like inviting little boys back to his castle creep out.

[gigant0r]

And for those old enough to remember that MUDs & MOOs, The Realm and Meridian 59 all laid the foundations for games like UO.

I also wouldn't give that credit to RG anyway. Alot of the team members from the original UO moved to work on UO2 which was shaping up to be a great game before it got canned. Then at least one of them moved onto SWG, although not great, it's alot better than RG's most recent work.

And in the Game Industry, your only as good as your last game. For RG that doesn't indicate much.

... and Dungeons and Dragons laid the foundations for the MUDS and MOOs, and Tolkien laid the foundation for Gary Gygax. We can continue up the food chain, but we're talking about commercial PC game development. Note the words "mass appeal". MUDS were only popular with a very niche audience. RG helped to make that type of gaming experience more popular and appealing to the mainstream.

IMHO think people overhyped the UIX thing just a bit. Like someone said earlier, it may have been a bug riddled mess, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was a terrible game (for what it was). It just wasn't the Ultima people were expecting. Wasn't UIX the first Ultima game released after EA acquired Origin? From what I remember, there were some political struggles going on which most likely had an adverse affect on the product development lifecycle. Much like you'd want to give the development team credit for UO instead of RG, it takes more than one person to botch a retail release.

I'm just saying give credit where credit is due. :)

[Stormwatcher]

Well, any games published by origin after 1992 were funded by EA, so I guess that includes all games from 7 on.