Richard Garriott may not be making the MMO sequel that many of his fans crave, but he is the subject of a new documentary film called Man on a Mission. VentureBeat.com recently corralled the elusive creator of the famous Ultima franchise for an extensive interview.
The piece is mainly focused on the film, which is currently playing in select cities as well as various on-demand internet outlets. The documentary presents Garriott's career as an underdog triumph, and highlights the fact that he was rejected for NASA's astronaut program due to his poor eyesight. Garriott had the last laugh, however, as he bought his way to the international space station in 2008 and became the first second-generation astronaut in American history (and a noted supporter of private-sector space flight).
While there's precious little info regarding Garriott's current and future gaming pursuits, the interview does offer up some geeky nuggets for those interested in rockets and rocketmen. "For example, launch you think of as this loud, shaky, scary moment," Garriott explains. "In fact, on a liquid-fueled rocket like the Soyuz, it's almost perfectly silent and smooth on the inside. It's much more cerebral, it feels much more like a ballet move, lifting you ever faster into the sky, than it does a sports car dropping the clutch at a green light."
Reader Comments (19)
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 2:09PM (Unverified) said
This fing tool again? Really just fly into the sun already!
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 2:44PM pid said
"The documentary presents Garriott's career as an underdog triumph"
Yes. An underdog with millions of $$$ in his pockets.
Yes. An underdog with millions of $$$ in his pockets.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 2:46PM Zaken said
@edgecrusherO0
Nope you are not alone. I wish there is a filter option that I can filter out his name so I don't have to see any news about him
Nope you are not alone. I wish there is a filter option that I can filter out his name so I don't have to see any news about him
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 3:03PM (Unverified) said
@edgecrusherO0 he has the occasionally funny comment (if your definition of funny is something close to that of some form of mental illness), however as someone who hasn't been doing a lot in terms of MMO lately I find that being updated about a movie about his trip in space to be odd. Probably a slow news day.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 3:04PM Lenn said
The million dollar question, what with both those rockets and the ISS being notoriously cramped, is: where did he store his massive, overinflated ego? Or is that why he bought that castle?
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 4:12PM DevilSei said
@Lenn
didn't you know, this is all some military experiment funded by Obama in using Egotistical buggers as an alternative fuel source. Massively is actually one of several groups being paid to post news articles to inflame said Ego, to ensure there is enough for future testing.
That rocket wasn't powered by liquid or gas or plasma or solids, but by his sheer egotism. Its also why he can't admit the ride probably rocked the f%^& out of him.
Also, I just want to tell my wife one thing...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DbAs203r3Y
Reply
didn't you know, this is all some military experiment funded by Obama in using Egotistical buggers as an alternative fuel source. Massively is actually one of several groups being paid to post news articles to inflame said Ego, to ensure there is enough for future testing.
That rocket wasn't powered by liquid or gas or plasma or solids, but by his sheer egotism. Its also why he can't admit the ride probably rocked the f%^& out of him.
Also, I just want to tell my wife one thing...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DbAs203r3Y
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 3:45PM (Unverified) said
Garriott is a moron. I hope he reads these.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 3:53PM Tom in VA said
The big news here is that, evidently, RG has "fans".
Seriously? Wow, just wow. I did not know this.
Seriously? Wow, just wow. I did not know this.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 3:58PM (Unverified) said
@edgecrusherO0
Nobody gives a shit but he generates hits on the web site.
It can be the only reason they keep posting about him, other than someone at Massively has a bad bad crush on him.
Nobody gives a shit but he generates hits on the web site.
It can be the only reason they keep posting about him, other than someone at Massively has a bad bad crush on him.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 4:05PM Vandal said
@(Unverified) Agreed, it must have been a very slow news day. There's no reason Massively should be covering insipid stories which hold no interest to anyone.
Some might argue the story is here because Garriott created the first MMO. So why doesn't Massively cover the lives of the people from Archetype who made Meridian 59?
Perhaps because they're not bizarre, self-absorbed egoists whose behavior is so whacked out it might considered 'news' to some. The problem is that news is something worthy of attention. This (and most everything having to do with Garriott) is not.
Some might argue the story is here because Garriott created the first MMO. So why doesn't Massively cover the lives of the people from Archetype who made Meridian 59?
Perhaps because they're not bizarre, self-absorbed egoists whose behavior is so whacked out it might considered 'news' to some. The problem is that news is something worthy of attention. This (and most everything having to do with Garriott) is not.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 4:16PM Raikulxox said
Wow. Never seen a crowd get worked up over someone so much before on this site. Well, besides Derek Smart.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 4:41PM Jef Reahard said
@Raikulxox
Yeah, I don't really get the vitriol either, though it is kind of hilarious watching people get pissed about it.
I wrote it up because I think spaceflight kicks ass, and the quote I pulled from the article made me go 'wow, that's cool.' And, like him or not, the guy is one of the founding fathers of this particular genre.
I suppose I could have written about f2p browser title #3,457 or generic BioWare press release #8,469 instead, but occasionally something outside the norm is interesting.
And at the end of the day, it's generating traffic to boot. /shrug
Reply
Yeah, I don't really get the vitriol either, though it is kind of hilarious watching people get pissed about it.
I wrote it up because I think spaceflight kicks ass, and the quote I pulled from the article made me go 'wow, that's cool.' And, like him or not, the guy is one of the founding fathers of this particular genre.
I suppose I could have written about f2p browser title #3,457 or generic BioWare press release #8,469 instead, but occasionally something outside the norm is interesting.
And at the end of the day, it's generating traffic to boot. /shrug
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 5:10PM DevilSei said
@Jef Reahard
Eh, I can understand it a little. The guy has done nothing major game-wise since Tabula Rasa, which has had the nasty stigma of him "abandoning" the game attached to it and him.
Admittedly, I'm one of the people who think he did abandon the game, seeing as how he must of known there was some major issues with it before he went on his little space trip, but went regardless of the fact it might sink the title (which they obviously did).
It certainly didn't help that it was "Richard Garriotts Tabula Rasa" as well.
He then comes back down, gets in a tiff with NCSoft, wins money, then promptly starts up a casual-focused game developer studio while making some rather egotistical claims about himself.
Does he deserve some of the ire? Sure I guess, but some people, like in anything, just go overboard with it.
Reply
Eh, I can understand it a little. The guy has done nothing major game-wise since Tabula Rasa, which has had the nasty stigma of him "abandoning" the game attached to it and him.
Admittedly, I'm one of the people who think he did abandon the game, seeing as how he must of known there was some major issues with it before he went on his little space trip, but went regardless of the fact it might sink the title (which they obviously did).
It certainly didn't help that it was "Richard Garriotts Tabula Rasa" as well.
He then comes back down, gets in a tiff with NCSoft, wins money, then promptly starts up a casual-focused game developer studio while making some rather egotistical claims about himself.
Does he deserve some of the ire? Sure I guess, but some people, like in anything, just go overboard with it.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 5:17PM Lenn said
@Jef Reahard
MMO players: "What have you done for me lately?"
Garriott: "Look! I'm in space! Cool huh?"
MMO players: "What about games?"
Garriott: "Have you seen my castle?"
MMO players: "Games?"
Garriott: "Ok, ok... Ultima Poker, anyone?"
MMO players: "..."
Garriott: "No? Ultima Roulette? Ultima Yahtzee? Ultima Craps?"
MMO players: "At least Smart's still in the MMO industry."
Garriott: "Guys! Guys? Where are you going? Look at this rocket! Guys?"
Reply
MMO players: "What have you done for me lately?"
Garriott: "Look! I'm in space! Cool huh?"
MMO players: "What about games?"
Garriott: "Have you seen my castle?"
MMO players: "Games?"
Garriott: "Ok, ok... Ultima Poker, anyone?"
MMO players: "..."
Garriott: "No? Ultima Roulette? Ultima Yahtzee? Ultima Craps?"
MMO players: "At least Smart's still in the MMO industry."
Garriott: "Guys! Guys? Where are you going? Look at this rocket! Guys?"
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 8:39PM Space Cobra said
@Lenn
You know, I was about to come here and post and ask where is the Single-Player RPG version of "The Life of Richard Garriott" that I can play released by the Richard Garriott society! ;p
Reply
You know, I was about to come here and post and ask where is the Single-Player RPG version of "The Life of Richard Garriott" that I can play released by the Richard Garriott society! ;p
Posted: Feb 2nd 2012 2:54PM Vandal said
@Jef Reahard - F2p browser title #3,457 or generic BioWare press release #8,469 would be more worthy of notice. But at least you admit the real motivation for this 'news' was just to get website hits.
How about next time just posting some schlock about MMO cybersex with a Playmate Centerfold pic and pass that off as a legitimate article? Or would that diminish the reputation of Massively?
You're already doing that with a response telling everyone that you know what is new-worthy even when your readers are giving you a clear message that it is not.
And your Daily Grind article pasting Garriott's face and whining about the reaction to this article is childish at best. LEARN that what you may think is news-worthy isn't what the readers here consider to be.
Reply
How about next time just posting some schlock about MMO cybersex with a Playmate Centerfold pic and pass that off as a legitimate article? Or would that diminish the reputation of Massively?
You're already doing that with a response telling everyone that you know what is new-worthy even when your readers are giving you a clear message that it is not.
And your Daily Grind article pasting Garriott's face and whining about the reaction to this article is childish at best. LEARN that what you may think is news-worthy isn't what the readers here consider to be.
Posted: Feb 2nd 2012 4:38PM Kentung said
@DevilSei
Garriott was replaced on Tabula Rasa long before his space trip. He's never been a great project manager, able to get things out on time and under budget. He got the boot from TR (probably due to this) and was replaced by other managers, who redesigned things on their own. Garriott's name was attached, but by the release date, he was merely acting as a PR guy.
NCSoft dug their own grave there, by further trying to pull a fast one on Garriott when he was effectively incommunicado. Courts have ruled twice on that.
As to whether he will do any more interesting things with games or just become another George Lucas-like figure, who knows.
Reply
Garriott was replaced on Tabula Rasa long before his space trip. He's never been a great project manager, able to get things out on time and under budget. He got the boot from TR (probably due to this) and was replaced by other managers, who redesigned things on their own. Garriott's name was attached, but by the release date, he was merely acting as a PR guy.
NCSoft dug their own grave there, by further trying to pull a fast one on Garriott when he was effectively incommunicado. Courts have ruled twice on that.
As to whether he will do any more interesting things with games or just become another George Lucas-like figure, who knows.
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 5:45PM Anatidae said
In other news, I enjoy a good slice of pizza every now and then.
(which is just about as pointless to MMO news as this guy is)
(which is just about as pointless to MMO news as this guy is)
Posted: Feb 1st 2012 6:06PM Fakeassname said
@edgecrusherO0
and yet here you are ...
and yet here you are ...









