Posts Tagged ‘tabula rasa’

Know Thy Blogger: iTZKooPA’s MMOG Timeline

14 June 2011 | 15 Comments » | iTZKooPA

Halo MMO - It would have been on the list had it ever come out.

Ladies and germs, you’ve likely been following the writers of LoreHound.com for quite some time (If not, welcome aboard!).  We’ve introduced ourselves, talked about our time in World of Warcraft, discussed our past and even revealed the origins behind our now-familiar names.  But what we haven’t done is reveal how we got here.

How is it that we went from players to bloggers?  Was World of Warcraft our first drug, or just the latest taste?  Exactly how long have we been in the MMOG scene?  Are we newcomers with a penchant for deep discussion, or are we long-standing players well-versed in the genre?  Perhaps we’re casual sight seers, whetting our palate with a smorgasbord of flavors and diverse textures.  You’ll gain insight and answers from my personal timeline (dates are when I played). Continue Reading

Rejected MMOs I want back – Part II

19 September 2010 | No Comments » | Ronix

We continue looking at games that, for one reason or another, were canned at various stages of development. Whether you actively played and enjoyed them or couldn’t care less about their collapse, every failed title meant fewer opportunities and choice for players, as well as a loss to the gaming industry in general. Refer to Part I, if you haven’t already done so, and follow along for more entries.

Tabula Rasa


Another Richard Garriot game, albeit canned by a different publisher. Tabula Rasa took what was at the time a fresh concept of mixing elements of a third-person shooter with traditional MMORPG gameplay. Coupled with a comprehensive Sci-Fi setting and a flexible career system, it is easy to see why gamers talk about the loss of the title to this day.

Despite having all those exciting features, the game was just not polished enough at release. According to the developers and the fanbase, if Tabula Rasa was given enough time to shape up and roll out a few expansions, it could realize more of it’s potential and subscriber numbers would rapidly increase. This, however, was not enough for the publisher NCSoft, which claimed that the game was not profitable and worth keeping from a business point of view. Tabula Rasa was estimated to cost $106 million but only made just over $5 million and clearly, the executives were not pleased. On 28 February of 2009, the game got the axe after customers enjoyed some time with it free of charge.

Middle Earth Online Continue Reading

Richard Garriott Wins Lawsuit Against NCsoft

30 July 2010 | No Comments » | iTZKooPA

In SPAAACE!...you get fired!

Just a day after professing my love for Tabula Rasa, the title returns to the forefront of MMOG news, courtesy of a lawsuit filed by its creator, Richard Garriott.  Lord British, as he is known by some, sued NCsoft after his departure from the company in late 2008.  After much litigation, a federal court has awarded him a victory, to the tune of $28 million.

“I am extremely pleased with the jury’s decision,” Garriott said in a statement. “The facts were clear that my departure from NCsoft was not voluntary. I am very pleased with the final award.”

Hopefully enough to buy the intellectual property rights?…

The basis of the case was the scenario in which he “left” the company.  Originally portrayed as a resignation, Garriott admitted months later that he was fired.  Fired while he was on his space flight to the International Space Station, a publicity stunt to further promote Tabula Rasa. Furthermore, the resignation letter was allegedly written by the publisher, not Garriott.  Garriott chose to sue his former company after he was forced into selling his stock options in 90 days, rather than the 10 years his contract allowed.  The deceptive short sale cost him millions of dollars.

Everybody loves an underdog story.  But seriously Richard, get those servers back online (and add some endgame).

Click here to slog through all the lawyer mumbo jumbo.