“I very much miss those people and it is too rare that I see them. Our work together was intense and we put so much of ourselves into our work we rarely had time to let anything else in. In the end, I think most of us who worked at Origin keep a careful watch on that now in our current jobs — never again approaching the kind of commitment that should be reserved for something other than a commercial entity or a career. Rather, I do hope we devote that kind of effort to those people and causes that really make life worth living. That said, I wouldn’t miss another midnight Lazer Tag fight in a random office building with any group of Originites, anytime.” — Mike McShaffry, Project Director for Ultima 8
“I was young when I started playing Ultima IV (my first Origin Systems game) in 1985 on my C64 and I was hooked from the opening sequence that comes up showing the game world in action with the music playing. The game fascinated me and made me wonder how the game was made.
I always had an interest in computers up to that point but Origin Systems made me want to get deeper into how it runs and how games are made.
I now work in Information Technology as a Network Administrator and I firmly believe that the games from Origin Systems made me become very interested in computers and technology pushing me down my career path.” — Steve
“Ultima IV made me appreciate virtues. In a way, the Ultima series helped me ultimately find my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.” — Ergonpandilus Dragon
“My oldest and fondest memories are of the Ultima series and other Origin games. When they shut down, I felt empty, and like the gaming landscape would never be the same again…and it hasn’t been. It’s been more bleak, less exciting, and more about corporate greed than making fun games.” – Veylen
“I grew up with the
Ultima series. I played
Ultima 3 on Commodore 64, and was completely hooked from that point on. As I grew up, I followed the
Ultima releases and was excited to play each one. When the Internet really started taking off, I followed the websites for both
Ultima Online and
Ultima 9 as the games were in development. I checked them daily, and learned every tidbit I could until the games were released. When
Ultima 9 was rushed for the Christmas release by Electronic Arts, it was an unfinished game. I was pretty upset at EA. I later found love in the game, especially after the patches — both official and fan made. When EA shut down Origin shortly after that, I was devastated, and to this day I refuse to buy a game published by EA.
Ultima was very influential in my development as a young man. Not only was it a completely immersive world I could escape to, but it introduced the idea of morality in video games. In many of the games, if you chose the “evil” path (as defined by Richard Garriott’s system of Virtues) you couldn’t even finish the game. You’d have to start over. It was a world of real choices with consequences. As much as I liked games like Doom and Duke Nukem, those games were filled with indiscriminate killing with no moral choices at all. Ultima helped reflect who you were in the real word into the game’s universe.
I later played and enjoyed other Origin titles, but Ultima remains close to my heart.” — Ether Dragon
“I was just starting high school when I discovered
Ultima IV and ultimately Origin Systems, Richard Garriott and Origin’s library of games.
Ultima IV changed my way of thinking. I was raised in an organized religion and taught that if you did not fear God and follow the Ten Commandments then you were worthless. The Eight Virtues opened my eyes to other ways of thinking. Ultimately I found my own path, but still the Eight Virtues remain at my core of beliefs and I use them as a guide in many situations.
I quickly played all the old Ultimas, purchased new Ultimas as they were released, and was even recognized for completing Ultima VI first. I also played many of the other Origin titles and thoroughly enjoyed them all.
When EA bought Origin Systems, I knew it would eventually be bad. I was sadly correct. The Ultima series died with Ultima IX and well it should have for the way EA pushed it out too early. EA then proceeded to ruin Ultima Online by introducing foreign lore (McFarlane’s Blackthorne), slowing development and ignoring major innovations (UO2). The best aspect of UO was how it influenced future MMORPGs.
I truly miss the “old days,” the quality that Origin produced and the Origin-ality of their games.” — Hobbit Dragon
“I was introduced to
Wing Commander through my dad as a child. Fun memories shooting Kilrathi with him. I didn’t get into
Ultima until junior high. I’m not sure that there has been another game development company that has so consistently produced classics of their genres. I literally can only think of two to three games in the Origin catalogue that were duds (thinking of
WC Academy,
Ultima 8,
Ultima 9). And even though those games had various problems, the quality of game play was still intact.
I don’t really feel anything about the closure of Origin Systems, but I do see a big hole in gaming today. Just as those who worked at Origin have spread to different companies, it seems that the features that made these games really engaging are spread throughout different games.
Things change. We’ll probably never have the same quality of games that were produced at Origin again, though a couple of projects might come close.” — Chlorthos Dragon
“I will never forget Origin Systems Inc.; they made my first favorite games, and some of my favorites of all time.
I am still boycotting Electronic Arts’ download service unless and until it changes its name, and missing out on great games in the process is a small price to pay for loyalty.” — Quarex
“Origin Systems is one of the game developers that I admired. They produced games of great gameplay and adventure. I first discovered Origin Systems when my friend introduced me to the original
Wing Commander. And I was able to run it on a 286/12Mhz. Soon after a friend picked up a game called
Ultima VI. He didn’t find it interesting, so he gave it to me. This was my first
Ultima title I played and I adored this title. I still fire it up from time to time, sometimes to just listen to all the music at the main menu. The
Ultima series, as a dedicated fan, has and shall always continue to be a part of my life. It brought a new world of excitement to my CRPG experience. I enjoyed playing other CRPG’s of that era, but
Ultima changed all that.
When I would look at pictures in gaming magazines of the Origin Dev Teams, they made me feel that there was more to these guys than just making games. There was a sense of belonging, a family of friends that loved “creating worlds”, just like the they said in their logo. And with every title I played, I was drawn into the world they created for me. I felt the love in what the Origin Systems were creating, I felt these titles were more than games. They were like children, created, nurtured and released to the world for us to all enjoy. I enjoy my experiences and became very fond of those that made my next adventure.
Origin Systems shall continue to be a legend and one of the forefathers in the gaming industry.” — Soryu Dragon
“I’ll never forget Ultima I and Ultima II … which I played as a teenager. I thought that the ability to move (just about) anywhere in the game was a wonderful experience. That feature seems tame by today’s open-world standards, but at the time it was pretty special.” — Andrew
“Origin always pushed the envelope both in technology and in game design, in may ways that have never been duplicated since to this day. Ultima VII and Wing Commander: Privateer, to me, stand as their greatest achievements and my favorite games of all time. I still remember playing Ultima VII for the first time at 2 in the morning, running around in the woods when suddenly the Guardian’s voice comes out of the speakers, chastising me for not doing something he wanted. At at that point I knew I was playing something beyond special.
To Origin Systems. They truly did create worlds.” — cor2879
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