Richard Garriott Talks Ultima 9 at E3 1996

I tripped over this video a while ago, and unfortunately never got around to posting it. It’s an interview with a very young-looking Richard Garriott from E3 1996:

We get a look at some early concept art for Ultima 9 (nothing we haven’t seen before, but still), and there’s also a segment in which Garriott discusses Chris Roberts’ departure from Origin Systems, which at the time this video was recorded had “already happened”. His remarks about the difference between game development and film production, and his not feeling terribly threatened by Stephen Spielberg, will likely elicit a smile. His confidence in Roberts’ ability to succeed in the film industry, however, proved not to be misplaced.

What I’m most struck by, however, is how spartan the setup is. Perhaps they’re in a back area of the Origin or EA booth at E3, but there’s really not much there other than a table. It hardly calls to mind the image of elaborate booths and flashy displays that one typically envisions when one contemplates gaming conferences.

6 Responses

  1. Infinitron says:

    1996, man. Different times.

  2. Frank says:

    a binder? pictures printed on paper? that is madness..

    I’m feeling so nostalgic at the moment

  3. Jc says:

    Multima 🙂

  4. Moa Dragon says:

    ” His confidence in Roberts’ ability to succeed in the film industry, however, proved not to be misplaced.”

    Really ?

    • WtF Dragon says:

      His movies may not have been Oscar contenders, but he produced several profitable films. That’s success, if not exactly to the level of the aforementioned Mr. Spielberg.

  5. Hawkwind says:

    Great. This is finally a proof for that it was planned that you can ride the dragons in the game. I had read this long ago, but I lacked a proper source for this. Thank you!