The expectations around Tabula Rasa are understandably high. Richard Garriott is a forefather of the MMO movement, being creator of Ultima and the subsequent Ultima Online. The sci-fi MMO Tabula Rasa is his latest work, coming out of the NCsoft Austin studio, where he is executive producer. Here, Next-Gen speaks with Garriott about his latest work and more general design challenges in MMOs.
Next-Gen: Why should people care about Tabula Rasa, beyond the standard bullet points?
Richard Garriott: At least one reason is the team. This is the team that has regularly provided some real milestones. We were right there at the start of RPGs and MMOs, we brought in the ethical parables and now with Tabula Rasa were hoping to make a lasting impact again. Tabula Rasa is really different to other MMOs. In a decade of refinement I really hope that people will take a look at Tabula Rasa and at least see that it is something new.
Let nostalgia take you back to the lands you once roamed until they were cruelly taken offline and away from us. MMOGames list the top 10 MMOs that died and left us with a hole in our hearts.
I agree when it comes to The Sims Online. That game was really fun and nothing has even come close to it. I still crave a new Sims with online multiplayer. Blows my mind they haven't done anything like that since The Sims Online or even The Sims Bustin' Out on PS2.
GamesRadar - You probably think online worlds shut down because no one's playing. Actually that's rarely true. Often, when servers finally wink out, there's a thriving community patiently waiting for the end and making sad faces at the sky. Most recently it was PlayStation Home, a game that no-one apparently played but which still managed to have millions of inhabitants waiting out their own personal apocalypse on the last day.
MMO-Play gathered a list of the most disappointing MMO's in the history of gaming.
