View Full Version : Richard Garriott and NCSoft
Jinxy Binks
05-06-2009, 12:35 PM
So... many of you probably know that NCSoft's and Garriott's Tabula Rasa went belly-up at the end of Febuary this year. I always thought this was just due to the game being entirely too niche, or something to that effect.
What I saw today was rather shocking, however. Apparently, Garriott is now suing NCSoft for breach of contract, fraud, and/or negligent misrepresentation with actual damages of $27,000,000. He was apparently forced out of his company by NCSoft's head guy while in quarentine at the russian space centre, according to the suit. And then the company constructed a fraudlent news bit where they had Garriott leave willingly.
This was... shocking. I counted blessings that Cryptic is no longer under NCSoft's thumbs. That... could have been bad. Very, very bad.
Could Tabula Rasa actually have been shut down because of some inter-company drama?
I was one of the few that liked it. But... "one of the few" does rather speak of its lack of success.
Thank goodness Cryptic isn't under NCSoft, heh.
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23501
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/05/06/richard-garriott-sues-nc-soft-over-millions-stock-options
Go Garriott! really. yeah i'm still bitter about TR's death. loved the game. and yes glad Cryptic moved away from NC
HamsterPunch
05-06-2009, 12:51 PM
Go Garriott! really. yeah i'm still bitter about TR's death. loved the game. and yes glad Cryptic moved away from NC
but yet they can't seem to stay away
http://www.massively.com/2009/03/19/cryptic-used-ncsoft-forums-for-beta-recruiting-not-really-sorry/
warrende
05-06-2009, 01:40 PM
Back when it was closing down our clan would always say Viva TR
I hope he brings it back
ShyIsShy
05-06-2009, 02:10 PM
but yet they can't seem to stay away
http://www.massively.com/2009/03/19/cryptic-used-ncsoft-forums-for-beta-recruiting-not-really-sorry/
Stop trolling. If you think about that Cryptic is sort of getting revenge by making a new game. You know, making a better game than NCsoft.
I mean Positron recently caused hundreds of players to leave with the NC Dev's over reaction to the Architect farming. This is probably going to make the CO playerbase larger. The CoH players banned because of AE will look towards our little house.
NCSoft is a corporation of back stabbing profit takers anyways in my opinion. They don't care about the players...
KeystoneMan
05-06-2009, 04:04 PM
Stop trolling. If you think about that Cryptic is sort of getting revenge by making a new game. You know, making a better game than NCsoft.
I mean Positron recently caused hundreds of players to leave with the NC Dev's over reaction to the Architect farming. This is probably going to make the CO playerbase larger. The CoH players banned because of AE will look towards our little house.
NCSoft is a corporation of back stabbing profit takers anyways in my opinion. They don't care about the players...
Thats not trolling. Thats just posting game news.
Mobis
05-06-2009, 04:11 PM
Thanks for that info Jinxy, TR I had thought was the game for me, but I just dont know, it lost its zazz for some reason for me. I went back to CoV.
SenshiBat
05-06-2009, 04:16 PM
That's not trolling. That's just posting game news.
The outside link involves a subject the moderators have closed at least 5 times.. about recruiting outside the Cryptic Forums.. Done issue. The TR new was sad.. Lord British is tops!
It saddens me to see it all come down to bad business relationships. as to thumbs.. Hard to say..
Cryptic want their own creative direction and sold off to NC not being oppressed here by anyone.
Cryptic wanted investment capitol and NC a Market place... I did not find Guild wars beta worth a long time visit so i left. They were ok.. Some issues are not personal on this end
but korean gamers are very loyal clans not always easy to negotiate with.. as in Diablo invasion they took over my fav public areas and tried to PK everyone i knew.
NC had free play like Blizzard always a plus to recuit for Guild.... No bad blood heres.
Xarry
05-06-2009, 09:03 PM
I really enjoyed TR, was a nice breath of fresh air. Pity it didnt make it :(
Jesad
05-06-2009, 10:28 PM
I gotta tell ya, that's a really interesting story. I would love to have been a fly on the wall while the whole thing was building up. I mean, it really did look pretty bad that Garriott went to space and then came back and quit his own game. I was in these forums harping on it myself back when it happened. Now to know that it was all made up? And why? What was he doing that was so wrong that they had to get rid of him in the first place? Could it have been that trip to space in the middle of his game failing that was the final straw?
I'm waiting for the TV movie on this one, it's scandalous! :)
Viciouspen
05-07-2009, 12:55 AM
I cant' stand Richard Garriott.
He's on my list of people I want to meet and cage fight at game dev conventions some day.
Candlestick
05-07-2009, 02:39 AM
Stop trolling. If you think about that Cryptic is sort of getting revenge by making a new game. You know, making a better game than NCsoft.
I mean Positron recently caused hundreds of players to leave with the NC Dev's over reaction to the Architect farming. This is probably going to make the CO playerbase larger. The CoH players banned because of AE will look towards our little house.
NCSoft is a corporation of back stabbing profit takers anyways in my opinion. They don't care about the players...
I clearly missed some juicy information.
Details? The last mass exodus from CoH that I knew of was the PvP changes, I didn't realize they ALREADY ****ed their costumer base off again.
NastyCheese
05-07-2009, 02:51 AM
I clearly missed some juicy information.
Details? The last mass exodus from CoH that I knew of was the PvP changes, I didn't realize they ALREADY ****ed their costumer base off again.
Basically they're going about banning and restricting people that farmed on MA... It's a little extreme considering it was the Dev's mistake.
marach
05-07-2009, 02:59 AM
they're classing it as exploiting a bug strangely they did it just after the freeplay weekend that brought back alot of people as subscribers...look free money!
i honestly don't see how it's an exploit if it's readily available. i don't get that reasoning, now i know why cryptic dumped matt miller and co that side.