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Richard Garriott Got Lots of Press today--but TR didn't get a plug
kinglee
Member Posts: 103
in Tabula Rasa
If you do a google search on "Garriott" you'll find he got over a hundred stories on the news wires today about his space trip. Then do a google search on "Tabula Rasa" and you'll see that he didn't mention the game in any of them. How much does he care about the success of his game?
Comments
And be reminded of its resounding failure? I can't say I blame him for not mentioning it, and I wouldn't be surprised if NCsoft specifically asked him not to.
And be reminded of its resounding failure? I can't say I blame him for not mentioning it, and I wouldn't be surprised if NCsoft specifically asked him not to.
But they have the operation immortality that is linked to him, his trip and the game. You would think they would all be getting press together.
My guess is that Operation Immortality was about promoting Richard, not the game. And when he can avoid mentioning TR in public, he always does. He likes to be called a "successful video game designer" and he can't call himself that and talk about Tabula Rasa, unless he likes being laughed at. It takes away from his image.
My guess is he was using it pay himself back for spending money on the trip. TR sure as hell is not going to be fattening his wallet any time soon.
His wallet got fat back in 2001 when the Koreans bought his brand. That's why he's worked SO HARD these past seven years.
He doesn't need any further royalties and I don't imagine he expects any. That's why it's so easy to put TR right out of his mind and concentrate on amusing himself.
I think he worked hard on TR, I just think in the end the original vision and the changes clouded them into thinking they had a done game. Its a fun shooter, it just lacks in all the places that make a Massively Multi Player game. I do not doubt he earned his money, its just that things have been heard where he wanted to put more in and was turned down. I really do not think RG himself is to blame for what this game became.
Hey, today he made a big show in Time magazine. A long interview, and TR is not mentioned, yet again. The interviewer asks him what he's going to do when he gets back from space, and he doesn't talk about going back to work at NcSoft. Wonder if he knows something about the rumors of NcAustin shutting down?
time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1844160,00.html
Uh? I don't know how you guys read. But TR *is* mentioned in his Time interview. And I quote ...
"Up until Operation Immortality, which originated purely as a promotion for [science fiction computer game] Tabula Rasa, thinking of it as a way I could tie my space game into my space flight. We wanted originally just to send some of the player data and player votes on the greatest accomplishments in humanity, and we thought it'd be cool to send some of their DNA."
It is on this page: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1844160-2,00.html
You're right, and good catch.
I did a keyword search on the first page but failed to do so on the second. I didn't care to read all the self-aggrandizement, as I've read it before. He did share some of his personal spotlight with the project that made his ride possible... in this instance.
But it's not something he does often.
Another day, more press, and no plug for poor TR. It's like he's embarrassed by it.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/supercomputers/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210605707
http://blogs.pcworld.com/gameon/archives/007877.html
Comon guys......Richard Garriott's space trip was not done soley for the purpose to promote TR. He was fullfilling a life long dream of his. Let's face it....I don't think they would let him launch into space just to promote his game.....it would kind of be like slapping science and space exploration in the face.
He bought his way onto the ship. What was scientific about paying your way?
Indeed, it probably is his life-long dream. And whatever you need do to fulfill your dreams is fair game. I don't believe he actually "earned" the last several million dollars he made. He slapped his name on the TR box and got paid cash to do that. If I were him, I would not put TR on my resume. He is subtly, perhaps at NCSoft's request, trying to distance himself from TR, is my guess.
He bought his way onto the ship. What was scientific about paying your way?
Yes he did fund his way onto the ship but it was for a personal venture......not to promote TR. You would be surprised what money has done for the science anyway. Richard Garriott is participating in some experiments and has gone through the same extensive training an astronaut would (as outlined in his web site).
A friend of mine got me to sign up for TR. We both played in open Beta and purchased the collector's edition. I Still enjoy the game but I can remember several times Richard Garriott logged in as "General British" and communicated with the player base. So he was involved and around....iam pretty sure his distance or possible departure is more political than failure.
I was there too, Ad-am. He was a spin doctor. He was obliged by contract to be the PR voice for TR. But it was the talent-lacking Destination Games developers that created TR. There was an earlier version of TR that Richard probably played a more active role in developing. But it was completely scrapped.
By the way, during the launch he held up a sign for people watching via YouTube or wherever to see. The sign is written in Logos, so only Tabula Rasa players (or those familiar with it) would be able to figure out that it says, "Earth is the Cradle of Mankind, but one cannot stay in the cradle forever." -- a quote from Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, who was one of Russia's fathers of spaceflight.
So yeah, even during the launch he plugged TR. Just in a subtle way.
A friend of mine got me to sign up for TR. We both played in open Beta and purchased the collector's edition. I Still enjoy the game but I can remember several times Richard Garriott logged in as "General British" and communicated with the player base. So he was involved and around....iam pretty sure his distance or possible departure is more political than failure.
So TR is a success then?
I watched the launch Video on Youtube. Richard Garriott did hold up a Logos Sign during lauch (how creative!!). As far as the game being a "success" I am not saying it was a huge margin success but in my opinion it's better off than some of the other MMO titles in existence.....a few SOE titles and what not come to mind. I just think TR still has potential...if the devs deliver the content.
So far they have shown no ability to deliver the content. Do the math TR has at best 35k subs. The new NCSoft report should be out this week and we can do the math again. It probably has the smallest population of any mainstream MMO right now. They might turn a profit in year 15 if they continue at the current pace.
Every part of TR that was supposed to come out after launch has either been put on hold or changed so much over time as to not be what was originally planned and the ones they put out all seem to be less original and amazing than the first ideas. To me that is the sign the dev team can not deliver on its promises or ideas. It is a shame because those ideas were a big part of what made TR sound great.
Which SOE titles come to mind? Be specific and stop generalizing.
would nt it be a better idea when a game gets to this point to look at how its funded and perhaps look at the mircopayment model ?
as for richard garriot in space good luck to him .
lets face it all creative people come up with some real stinkers . ( for some reason i m thinking paul mc cartney and the frog chorous and howard the duck at the moment lol ) the problem is that game design is such a long process in comparison that a stinker really can do a lot of damage to a designers reputation .
Comon guys......Richard Garriott's space trip was not done soley for the purpose to promote TR. He was fullfilling a life long dream of his. Let's face it....I don't think they would let him launch into space just to promote his game.....it would kind of be like slapping science and space exploration in the face.
How is his dream anyone's problem but his own?
People keep repeating "his dream, his dream" like it's supposed to have some magic power and we're supposed to respond, "Well, of course! Of course! Richard must be satisfied!" Well, investors in NcSoft had a dream of a blockbuster game. How about noticing his colossal selfishness for a minute and looking at all the people he has let down!
It so happens that RG has financial interests in Space Adventures, the tourism company that's sending him up in the Soyuz--he's an investor, a board member, and claims to have helped start Space Adventures. His involvement is on the Space Adventures website, and he boasts of it often in interviews, far more press than he has ever given to NcSoft or his game. He spent a lot of time in the past seven years looking after his interest in Space Adventures. During that same time he was supposed to have been creating a hit game.
So Space Adventures competed for his attention with Tabula Rasa. That is why the other company is relevant to the game.
And his NcSoft customers are disappointed in having a promise broken with an incomplete and unsatisfactory game. Likewise, there is also a space tourist who had dreams of going to the ISS in 2006 and gave a lot of money to Space Adventures to make it happen, but it didn't happen. His name is Enomoto and you can search up the Wired.com.
I wonder if he can write off the trip, or at least some of it, on his taxes, since he did use it for business as a he sent that message?
So far they have shown no ability to deliver the content. Do the math TR has at best 35k subs. The new NCSoft report should be out this week and we can do the math again. It probably has the smallest population of any mainstream MMO right now. They might turn a profit in year 15 if they continue at the current pace.
Every part of TR that was supposed to come out after launch has either been put on hold or changed so much over time as to not be what was originally planned and the ones they put out all seem to be less original and amazing than the first ideas. To me that is the sign the dev team can not deliver on its promises or ideas. It is a shame because those ideas were a big part of what made TR sound great.
Which SOE titles come to mind? Be specific and stop generalizing.
Well, I am not exactly disagreeing with you. Yes, no major new content, expansions or big updates have been released. The latest patch did introduce some new quests but nothing significant. I believe they have already replaced the lead designer of the game....not for sure though. Somewhere along the formula, I think Richard Garriott got shafted......hence forth his reasons for doing his own personal venture.
SOE titles comon....lets see there is Matrix online and Pirates of the burning sea. Some would argue about EQ2, TR is doing better than some of those titles. At least TR is standing on its own. The only thing saving those other titles is the fact they are being grouped with a few other titles SOE has thrown together with station access pass to play all of them for a monthly fee.
So yeah, if NCsoft is smart they will get Richard Garriott on board full time or risk a loss.