<![CDATA[Kotaku: Tabula Rasa]]> http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/kotaku.com.png <![CDATA[Kotaku: Tabula Rasa]]> http://kotaku.com/tag/tabula rasa http://kotaku.com/tag/tabula rasa <![CDATA[Ultima Creator Richard Garriott Just Sued A Cool $28 Million Out Of NCSoft]]> Why is this man smiling? Because a Texas jury just awarded him $28 million in a suit filed against NCsoft, the publisher of his now defunct massively multiplayer online game Tabula Rasa. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5600221&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Ultima Creator May Already Own Some Of The Moon]]> Richard Garriott, space tourist, rat tail enthusiast, and creator of Ultima and Tabula Rasa (RIP), may also be the first private citizen to have a legitimate claim to ownership of a good portion of the moon. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5499155&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Richard Garriott Shows His Automata To Martha Stewart]]> For the handful of you who may have missed the late October episode of The Martha Stewart Show with Richard "Lord British" Garriott, that show has finally been uploaded for all to enjoy. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5395538&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Watch Lord British Officiate Zero-G Wedding]]> Earlier this month, we heard that Richard Garriot — son of an astronaut and granddaddy of science fiction/fantasy games like the Ultima series — would officiate a wedding in zero gravity. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5299179&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Video of Tabula Rasa's Final Moments]]> Last night NCSoft shut off Tabula Rasa's servers. Early word had it that the Bane horde would either wipe out humanity, or humanity would do the job itself with a doomsday weapon. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5162294&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Tabula Rasa: Humanity Dies Tomorrow]]> The forces of humanity make a final stand tomorrow night, as Richard Garriot's Tabula Rasa celebrates its final day with an all-out alien invasion. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5161621&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Giant Robots Help Kill Tabula Rasa]]> NCsoft's doomed massively-multiplayer online science fiction game Tabula Rasa may only have weeks to live, but the developers are making those weeks count, with giant player-controlled mechs storming the title's final moments. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5151318&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Garriott Will Get Back To Gaming One Day]]> Sure his head is up in the clouds at the moment, but Ultima creator Richard Garriott hasn't forgotten where he's from. In an interview with GameDaily, Garriott discusses an eventual return to gaming. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5132290&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Looking at "The MMO Crash of 2008"]]> Hellforge posits that 2008 was the worst year on record for MMOs. But the "collapse" had nothing to do with the genre's viability, and everything to do with hubris and poor decisions by game-makers. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5128881&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Where Bad Games Go To Die (RIP Tabula Rasa)]]> Upon their death, great men are afforded a sending off befitting of their stature. Pity Tabular Rasa, then, as EB Games in Canada seems more content to roll its lifeless corpse into the nearest ditch. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5123159&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Tabula Rasa Goes Free A Little Early]]> Previously scheduled to become free to play starting on January 10th, NCsoft's has set sinking MMO Tabula Rasa free a month early, because really...what was the point of waiting? More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5116966&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[NCSoft Doles Out Freebies to Tabula Rasa Subscribers]]> I suppose you could call this the silver lining for Tabula Rasa players. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5095898&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Richard Garriott Bids Farewell To NCsoft]]> Man, a guy fulfills his lifelong dream of going into space and suddenly has more important things to do than work on his video game? Richard "Lord British" Garriott announced today that he will be leaving NCsoft, the company behind his recent MMORPG Tabula Rasa, to pursue other interests. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5083378&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Tabula Rasa Cheaper Than A Double Cheeseburger]]> We knows that McDonald's, Wendy's, and other popular fast food restaurants are offering amazing deals on crappy food these days, but how much gaming can you get for a dollar? How about an entire MMO, filled with aliens, and guns, and lasers, complete with a free month of gameplay? Despite NCsoft's plans to tighten up the graphics on level three, Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa hasn't done all that well at retail. GameStop.com has stopped selling it, but if you act now you can snag it from Amazon.com for a mere $.96. Note the decimal point there. That's 96 cents. That's extremely sad. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5077362&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Tabula Rasa Going All FPS On Us]]> One of my main complaints with Tabula Rasa was that it felt like a shooter trying to be a 3rd person MMO. How does NCsoft address such complaints? By introducing a first-person shooter mode, of course! Revealed in the latest edition of Feedback Friday last week, Graphic Programmer John Styes introduces the new camera system that effectively turns the game into a pseudo FPS. More than just a new way to look at the game, the system now allows for cockpit views while in vehicles, as well as sniper scopes, which is amazing news for anyone who chose the Ranger path at level 15, like me. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5074918&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[NCSoft's Multi-MMO Halloween Plans]]> The best thing about MMOs is that they are constantly updated, making way for fun, holiday themed events. The best thing about Halloween is the fact that I get to use the word spooktacular, and so I present NCsoft's multi-MMO Halloween Spooktacular of Values! Okay, no actual values, but events are running across all NCsoft massively-multiplayer titles, whether people play them or not. Guild Wars' event kicks off on October 24th with the return of Mad King Thorn, with mini-games, jokes, riddles, and prizes, in what many people have told me is the best MMO-Halloween celebration available. City of Heroes players will be fighting off zombies and collecting classic costumes for badges and trick or treating fun. Tabula Rasa has some quests. Poor Tabula Rasa. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5067126&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Richard Garriott Sends Cryptic Message From Space]]> You know, they say sometimes people go CRAZY on these long trips. They get the, eh... SPACE MADNESS. Not plucky Lord British, though. No, the good lord is safe in his heaven and has found the time to transmit a coded message of hope to us earth-bound types. The multisquillionaire held up a card containing the message shortly after reaching orbit - the message is encoded in Logos Elements - the fictional runic system used in Garriott's game Tabula Rasa. Fans of the game have now decoded the runes and found it to be a quote - hit the jump to see what Lord British thinks we ought to know. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5064060&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[NCSoft Cutting European Staff, Closing Tabula Rasa?]]> GamesIndustry.biz has posted a rumor this morning regarding big changes in store for MMO publisher NCSoft. According to "sources close to the company", the developer / publisher is planning on cutting 50 positions from their European office in Brighton, England following a decision to stop working on an unnamed MMO being developed there. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5047960&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[NCSoft To Kill European Studio, Kill Tabula Rasa]]> According to "a number of sources close to the company", the British offices of developer NCSoft are to be closed following the cancellation of an unannounced MMO currently in development at the studio. Bad news, yes, particularly in the wake of recent layoffs at the company's Austin studio, but it gets worse: the same sources say that troubled MMO Tabula Rasa is on its last legs, and will be killed off in the next few months. A shame, that, since Lord Briitsh deserved better, but then with the game having failed to grab the attention of, well, anyone, it's hardly a surprise. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5047650&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Dragonlance Co-Author Joins Project Immortality]]> No matter what eventually happens to Crecente's DNA, be it used to create a clone army or otherwise, he'll surely be in good company when his cells are committed to the International Space Station as part of NCSoft's Operation Immortality. Best-selling author Tracy Hickman joins the cellular cast of the operation, his DNA traveling with Space Richard Garriott when he is launched into space on October 12th. Hickman is best known for co-authoring the original Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy with Margaret Weis. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5037060&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[NCsoft Lays Off 21]]> Today NCsoft confirmed to Kotaku that they are indeed laying some folks off from their Austin offices. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5036705&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[NCSoft Austin Also Rumored To Be Hit With Lay-offs, Publisher Denies It]]> Earlier this week, we were told by an anonymous source that Korean publisher NCSoft was planning on laying off between 140 and 160 employees at its Austin based studio. That's the home to MMOs Tabula Rasa and Dungeon Runners, the former being the Richard Garriott helmed sci-fi title and the latter a free-to-play action fantasy outing. That's something NCSoft reps have denied, though. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5036345&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[5211: World Braces for Crecente Clone Army]]> Last month NCSoft announced that they would be seeking out bits of DNA from gamers in order to shoot them off into space with Richard Garriott. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5033810&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[This Could Be Your DNA in Space!]]> We told you earlier about General British's (formerly known as Lord British) magnanimous move for the human race by offering to preserve the genetic material of a few lucky gamers aboard the International Space Station. In this brief video we take a look at the General's inspirations in pursuing the creation of this archive (flash drive) for the betterment of humanity in the face of a possibly impending global catastrophe. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5031165&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Richard Garriott Wants Your DNA!]]> Richard Garriott is going to have 40 gamers with him when he travels to the International Space Station in October. But the lucky clutch of gamers won't be there in person, but rather in digital DNA. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5030974&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[NCSoft Seeds Retail Game Cards With Exclusive Goodies]]> The game card aisle in your local Target isn't just for gPotato and NEXON cash anymore. Beginning just this past weekend, NCsoft, in conjunction with technology firm InComm, have begun releasing specialized game cards to retail outlets throughout North America. More than just game time cards, The City of Heroes and Tabula Rasa cards both offer full access to their respective titles, meaning players can pick up a card, download the game, and go. Meanwhile their Exteel card contains 1,000 NCoin (plus 200 bonus) to purchase upgrades for your killer robots. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5030038&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Tabula Rasa Doing Just Fine, Thanks]]> Phew! And here we were all worried that Richard Garriott's latest MMO endeavor was doomed to failure! NCsoft has been in touch with Eurogamer to assure them that everything is rosy in the world of TR, with things looking up every day. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5015415&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Tabula Rasa Offers Free Re-Enlistment Week]]> Tabula Rasa has only been up and running for six months, but they've already lost a sizeable enough chunk of folks that they'd do anything to win you back. Since release they've had 8 new content updates, introduced alien hybrids, and added respec tokens to the mix, and for the week beginning May 5th and ending May 12th players who've passed on the action can log into their accounts and see how the game has been shaping up, completely free. I played the game a bit during beta as well as a good month after launch, and it just couldn't hold my attentions, but I'll log in next week, just in case it was just a case of bad timing. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=385463&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[The Official Seiko Richard Garriott Space Watch]]> Ultima and Tabula Rasa creator Richard Garriott loves two things: Space and rattails. Man not only has his own sputnik, but his own rattails. This October, Garriott and his flowing locks will be blasting off to the International Space Station. He plans on making a spacewalk, which would make him the first civilian with rattails to do so. Historic! To commemorate the event, Seiko is creating a titanium spring-powered "Spring Drive Spacewalk" watch, which will be limited to 99 pieces only — at a price! But really, can you put a price tag on a Richard Garriott watch? Yes, yes you can. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=377153&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Further Tabula Rasa Reassurance]]> Update on that MMO Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa clusterfuck. The game bombed, and The Korea Times reported that heads rolled at the developer's Austin Studio. So now that the dust has settled, Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa producer Starr Long now says: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=364519&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Tabula Rasa Totally Tanked? NCSoft Austin Downsizing?]]> Apparently, MMORPG Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa bombed. And when games bomb, heads roll. If true, it's at NCSoft's Austin Studio! The Korea Times reports that the Austin subsidiary "has proven to be a financial disaster." Making Tabula Rasa was no cake walk, with rattailed Richard Garriott restarting the project several times, costing NCSoft added expenses. In a conference call, NCSofts chief financial officer Lee Jae-ho said: More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=357880&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Tabula Rasa Adds Fuel-Efficient Hybrids]]>
Richard Garriott's Tabula Rasa has from the start been a story about humanity, but since before the game launched players have been clamoring to play something outside of generic human number five. The lack of character diversity is one of the main things I didn't like about the game, but that's all changed now. Patch 1.4 saw the introduction of human alien hybrids - human characters spliced with alien DNA to create something entirely new. Thrax, Brann, and Forean hybrids, each with unique stat bonuses, are unlocked via quests that start at level 15. In order to help facilitate the new options, new emphasis has been placed on player stats, clones can now reassign ability points, and an option to hide your helmet to show off your new blue head have all been implemented. Enough to draw me back into the game? Only free time will tell, my friends. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=352712&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Be a Character in Tabula Rasa, Help Child's Play]]> The folks over at NCSoft have amassed quite an interesting collection of eBay auctions for Child's Play this year. The auctions, which will donate 100 percent of the proceeds to Child's Play, includes signed copies of games and posters, rare finds and, the best one, having a Tabula Rasa NPC named after you. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=336917&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Playboy's Annual "Tribute" to Gaming Ladies]]> Playboy is paying a fourth annual tribute to the fine virtual ladies of video gaming by displaying them buck naked in their December issue hitting newsstands today. The 'Playing Rough' foxes include "Keaira" from Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, "Church & Black" from Jericho, "Morenn" from The Witcher, "Yoko Retomoto" from Kane & Lynch, "A'Kanna" from Conan and "Sarah Morrison" from Tabula Rasa. Ooh, for a moment I thought I saw Morris as in "Zack Morris," and uhh....was totally grossed out. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=318338&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Tabula Rasa Is Live]]> Six years and one major revamp later, Richard Garriott's science fiction MMORPG Tabula Rasa is now live. Gamers across North America and Europe can now purchase the game and try to catch up with the preorder folks, who've been playing nonstop since October 30th. Damn head starts.
"Now the fun begins! I can't wait to join thousands of other players in this exciting galactic war," said Richard Garriott, the game's executive producer. "It is time for us to release Tabula Rasa to the players. I am eager to see player reaction to the game, and am ready to build on what we've started here. We've got plans for new features and expansions for the foreseeable future and I'm hoping the players will enjoy the game and get excited about what's in store for them next!"
NCsoft was kind enough to send me a retail copy of the game yesterday, and I have to say I am really enjoying reading the game manual in the bathroom. As soon as I have some time to actually play the game I'll let you know how that works out. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=318212&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[How NCSoft Celebrated Halloween]]> The gang at NCSoft held its annual Halloween costume contest recently, and it appears that at least eight of the employees—but probably nine—are big fans of Valve's Team Fortress 2, an extremely popular group costume choice. Sorry, tipsters, we might not get around to posting everyone's fabulous video game-themed costume, but I'm pretty sure we're going to do at least one more. More pics of the team in fabulous costumes and the new official Richard Garriott photo at the Tabula Rasa site. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=317976&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Garriott Scarred For Life By Space Travel]]> In a recent theater review, we see that while attending a show in his swank Curtain Theater "royal box" seat, NCSoft's Richard Garriott (man in front of the flames) flashed... well, we'll tell the story directly:
when asked about his recent operation to remove a mole-like spot on his liver — the better to travel in space a year from now — he gamely raised his shirt to give everyone a gander.
Oh, and he told a story of how a truckload of Tabula Rasa copies was stolen, all of which will be trackable by serial number. But we're more interested in the PG strip show, honestly. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=317242&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Week in Games: Spooky Halloween Edition]]> Here we are again at another week full of games that threaten to drain my bank account. I haven't even gotten through last week's "must have" list and here comes Manhunt 2, GH III, The Simpsons Game, Hellgate: London, Dementium: The Ward. My Christmas wish list grows longer with each passing day while my time to play games grows ever shorter. What's a poor gamer to do? More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=316033&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Hit up Tabula on Halloween and Get a Pumpkin Head]]> Tabula Rasa is having a bit of an online Halloween bash at the end of the month. Since the game's three day head-start happens to include Halloween, NCSoft will pack the game with Halloween-themed missions and reward gamers with nine special masks on the holiday. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=308887&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Korea's NCSoft at Crossroads?]]> There's been some mixed press for NCSoft as of late: their European arm has just gotten a hefty grant from a British foundation, but profits are sagging and employees in the Korean office have been jumping ship on a fairly regular basis. The Korea Times has an article talking to NCSoft's CEO, Kim Taek-jin. With a pretty high turnover rate for employees and profits stagnating, it would seem that the company needs to do something different - and soon. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=305034&view=rss&microfeed=true