Is Richard Garriott’s New Game a PC Title? Will It Be Revealed at SXSW?

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In the various interviews he has given about the Ultimate RPG over the past couple of years, and in the various interviews he has given about Portalarium in general, Richard Garriott has often fallen back on his “three eras of gaming” concept, and identified himself as being primarily interested in the “third era” thereof: social and mobile gaming. Indeed, Portalarium has — thus far — produced only social games, including Ultimate Collector: Garage Sale and various casino titles. They even partnered with Zynga to boost Ultimate Collector’s distribution.

So one could be forgiven for assuming that the Ultimate RPG, whatever form it takes and whatever it ends up being called, would likewise be a “third era” game, targeting the social and mobile platforms primarily. However, thanks in part to some prodding from Sergorn Dragon on Twitter, Richard Garriott today let slip some information that casts doubt on that assumption.

Here’s where it all began:

This frank declaration prompted several replies, but it was Sergorn who managed to garner a reply from Garriott:

Here’s where it really got interesting, though:

Sergorn again:

And again:

It’s the calling out of Linux — playing off the Mac/PC reference — that catches my attention the most. Could that be a subtle hint concerning the game engine that the Ultimate RPG will make use of? Will the Ultimate RPG eschew the social and mobile frontier and be revealed as a decidedly “first era” game: a standalone, single-player RPG, albeit one that might support some sort of optional multiplayer component?

And furthermore, will the game be revealed at SXSW next Friday, in the special announcement Richard Garriott will be making in conjunction with a Descendants of Erdrick performance?

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6 Responses

  1. Duke says:
    March 3, 2013 at 2:41 am

    Now *that* is interesting news…

  2. Gileathane Dragon says:
    March 3, 2013 at 4:44 am

    Looks like a spherical astrolabe built into the centre of the circle, fitted with a deflective lens. Interesting.

    • Thepal says:
      March 3, 2013 at 2:31 pm

      Aye. And the stone the light is shining on turns into a portal (people are walking through it)

  3. Thepal says:
    March 3, 2013 at 2:36 pm

    I still think it will be partly a social game. But more a cross-platform one, that is a lot more in-depth than current social games.

    Would anyone here really be disappointed if we got Ultima 7 with social capabilities? Collect stuff. Trade stuff. Maybe play with other people in the world. And yet still have an Ultima storyline, etc.

    That’s what I’m hoping for at the moment. An Ultima game with social capabilities. RG’s thinking regarding social games won’t have changed. What I’m fearing is that we will get a social game with Ultima elements (ala Ultima Forever). But at the moment I’m remaining optimistic that it will be the first.

  4. Sanctimonia says:
    March 3, 2013 at 3:14 pm

    “Even Linux” O how I love thee, Lord British. Sigh…

  5. Micro Magic says:
    March 3, 2013 at 6:52 pm

    Sweet, he’s up to the task, just what I wanted to hear.!