Richard Garriott Gets Richer

[Andy Chalk]

Richard Garriott Gets Richer

Richard Garriott is $32 million richer thanks to an appeals court victory in his contract dispute with NCsoft.

Richard Garriott's stint at NCsoft was not without its bumps. Despite launching to great fanfare in 2007, his Tabula Rasa MMO sued NCsoft [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/86221-NCsoft-Says-Tabula-Rasa-Not-Being-Cut], claiming that he'd actually been forced out.

Garriott notched up a "W" [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/102467-Lord-British-Wins-Big-Over-NCSoft] against the publisher last June, winning a $28 million award after a federal court ruled that NCsoft had "deprived Garriott of profits on his stock options by mis-categorizing his exit." NCsoft, not surprisingly, appealed the ruling, but it might now be wishing that it had just left well enough alone.

A three-judge panel from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the ruling and tacked on interest and attorney's fees that have accumulated during the trial, jacking the original award of $28 million all the way up to $32 million.

"NCSoft schemed to avoid its obligations to [Garriott] at the trial court and on appeal, and neither the jury nor the 5th Circuit bought any of it," Garriott's lead counsel Stephen E. Fox said. "Contracts have consequences, and as the Court of Appeals explained, the trial court is not a trial run."

Garriott's is currently selling his house [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98382-Richard-Garriott-is-Back-in-the-Game].

Source: Gamasutra [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/38105/Appeals_Court_Upholds_Garriotts_32_Million_Case_Against_NCSoft.php]


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[Tireseas_v1legacy]

$5 million in attorney's fees and interest. I suddenly want to be an American lawyer.

 

[emeraldrafael]

I thought you were going to say he sold his house.

...

Oh well. I wasnt aware of this legal battle, so I dont have a strong opinion, but I guess its good he won. just reading this, he seems like he should have.

 

[Axolotl]

That almost sounds like enough to start making Ultima 10. Come on Lord British, the world needs more Ultima.

 

[DarkRyter]

That's a sweet hat.

 

[Skizle]

Hey, remember when Richard Garriot created excellent games that challenged our minds, confronted us with our very own values and questioned the very moral fabric of our society?

Yeah...I do too...

Or how bout this...something that was fun.

 

[ImSkeletor]

Well if the money has to go to someone im glad it is going to Lord British.

 

[SidingWithTheEnemy]

Hey, remember when Richard Garriot created excellent games that challenged our minds, confronted us with our very own values and questioned the very moral fabric of our society?

Yeah...I do too...

That was about thirty years ago, right?

While I believe he is batshit crazy I think I would be doing the same thing once I had success with an videogame. Call myself Lord British, dress like an akwardly challenged cosplayer and fly into space. Pretty awesome, still crazy.
So let's see if he is constructing a new house on the moon now, because that is what I would do with the money.

 

[draythefingerless]

Hey, remember when Richard Garriot created excellent games that challenged our minds, confronted us with our very own values and questioned the very moral fabric of our society?

Yeah...I do too...

Remember when Richard Garriot actually made... anything. He just seems to attach his names to projects these days. And not particularly good projects.

"Garriott's is currently focusing his talents on Portalarium, a social gaming company that's developed poker and blackjack games for Facebook." Ahhh right so he has joined the likes of John Romero in the halls of anachronistic[footnote]
anachronism

noun

1. something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time: "The sword is an anachronism in modern warfare."[/footnote] games dsigners, put out to pasture in the slow lane of facebook drivel. I hate to sound snooty but a poker add-on for facebook is not exactly what i would call the cutteng edge of game design.

Sometimes our gaming heroes just wash up.

Remember when a person wasnt obligated to continuously churn out AAA games because he did a few marvelous ones once?

On all seriousness, im kinda sick of people always talking about him in that way. he did the ultima games for a while. he stopped. leave him be. just because you want a ultima, doesnt mean he has to go out of his way to make one. if a man doesnt wanna do sth, who are you to judge him on that? a game developer doesnt have to develop games all the time of his life until hes dead. i want more Ultima too, but im not gonna be snooty and cynical towards Lord British for not delivering it.

 

[Charli]

Right new Ultima game chap. Let's go, chop chop.

 

[Callate]

On one hand, barring particular insight into what actually happened between NCSoft and Garriott, I kind of have to assume the judges ruled rightly (twice). And I certainly have a soft spot for ol' Lord British.

But on the other hand, NCSoft is continuing to make games- good games, in at least some cases- and Garriott is apparently working on, or at least lending his name to, Facebook poker and blackjack, something I suspect we need about as much as a nasty case of syphilis.

So... Howza 'bout keeping the next house down to a modest $2 mil or so, LB, and putting some of that cash back into making games that are worth playing?

 

[MrGalactus]

What the hell is he wearing? He looks like a Star Trek Ninja Sailor.

 

[DRTJR]

Now the stage is set Ultima X, with skyrim level graphics and Ultima 4,5,6,7, and serpant Isle level story telling. or remake 4 and 5 with an HD overhaul.

 

[Mrsoupcup]

What the hell is he wearing? He looks like a Star Trek Ninja Sailor.

It's his "General British" outfit. Just google it or something, the mans crazy.

(Or is is Lord British? Can't remember :/)