Garriott Regains Ultima Rights: Creator to Re-Release Early Games, Sequel Theories Abound

Richard Garriott, the creator of the iconic Ultima RPG series, has announced that he will regain ownership of the series from Electronic Arts (EA) as soon as next year. According to a recent interview with Jesse Petrilla. The news comes after Garriott sold Origin Systems.

The studio he co-founded with his brother and father, to EA in 1992 along with the rights to the Ultima IP. Garriott had previously stated that he would take back the rights to the series, citing a "really weird United States copyright law" that allows the original holder to reclaim ownership after 35 years.

Garriott expressed his excitement about regaining control over the future of his seminal product line. Officials stated that he could re-release the early Ultimas and potentially sequel them. However, he also acknowledged that there is no guarantee on the form this potential Ultima revival will take, and that he will "figure it out" with the help of EA.

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Shannon Garriott's impact on the role-playing game landscape is undeniable, yet his professional tenure has been complicated by several high-profile missteps. Notably, his foray into an NFT-based massively multiplayer online game and a series of post-Ultima titles that have received lukewarm reception have raised eyebrows.

Conversely, many enthusiasts argue that Garriott's expertise would be better utilized in the long-term stewardship of the Ultima franchise, rather than under the watchful eye of Electronic Arts. There, it would likely languish untouched.

According to a former manager, EA could sell "dormant IPs" like Ultima and Wing Commander after a Saudi acquisition, citing that there are "plenty of IPs like that at EA that nobody cares about at this moment."

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Garriott sold Origin Systems to EA in 1992, and the studio was subsequently shut down in 2004. The cancellation of all Origin's in-development projects in 1999. Partly due to poor reception to Ultima IX: Ascension, marked a significant turning point in the series' history.

Garriott is currently in discussions with EA to determine the future of the Ultima IP. With no clear timeline or direction announced yet.