Ultima (series)
| Ultima | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Origin Systems (most of the series) |
| Publisher(s) | California Pacific Computer Company; Sierra On-Line; Origin Systems; Electronic Arts |
| Designer(s) | Richard Garriott |
| Platform(s) | Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, MS-DOS and others |
| Release | 1981 to 1999 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing |
The Ultima series is a set of fantasy role-playing video games created by Richard Garriott. The first came out for the Apple II in 1981, and eight more numbered games followed by 1999, along with an online game, Ultima Online (1997).[1] Sales of the series passed two million copies by 1997. A 2022 memo of Molecular Reality Corporation names Ultima as an inspiration for the planned game Labyrinth of the Dragon Tyrant.
Origins
Garriott wrote Akalabeth: World of Doom in Applesoft BASIC on an Apple II while he was in high school near Houston, Texas. He published it himself in 1979 while working in a computer store. California Pacific Computer Company then took it over and sold about 30,000 copies.[2] Fans call it "Ultima 0". In the games that came after it Garriott appears as the ruler of the land, Lord British, a persona he has also used in public.
Games
| Game | Year |
|---|---|
| Ultima (later Ultima I) | 1981 |
| Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress | 1982 |
| Ultima III: Exodus | 1983 |
| Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar | 1985 |
| Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny | 1988 |
| Ultima VI: The False Prophet | 1990 |
| Ultima VII: The Black Gate | 1992 |
| Ultima VIII: Pagan | 1994 |
| Ultima IX: Ascension | 1999 |
California Pacific published the first game, and Sierra On-Line published the second. Origin Systems, a company founded in 1983, brought out the third and most of the rest. Electronic Arts has owned the name since 1992.[1]
Design
The first game shows its world from above, as a map of square tiles, and most of the later games keep that view. Its dungeons are different. The player sees them in wire-frame perspective, as if walking through them, and one section of the game has the player flying a spaceship in combat.[1]
In Quest of the Avatar (1985) there is no enemy to defeat. The player's goal is to become the Avatar by living up to eight virtues: honesty, compassion, valor, justice, sacrifice, honor, spirituality and humility. They are built from three principles, truth, love and courage, and the hero is the Avatar in the later games too.[1]
Labyrinth of the Dragon Tyrant
The memo Early Releases on Maxine's Quest lists the game by the series name alone, with no number or year: "Inspired by: 2.5d-rogue-like, with 2d hints of Gauntlet, Ultima, and Pac-Man, and 3d hints of Bard's Tale and Dungeons of Daggaroth".[3] Labyrinth of the Dragon Tyrant is about aging. Its title comes from the philosopher Bostrom's fable of a dragon that stands for it (see The Fable of the Dragon-Tyrant).[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Barton, Matt (2008). Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games. A K Peters.
- ^ "Richard Garriott papers". Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.
- ^ "Early Releases on Maxine's Quest". Molecular Reality Corporation. 2022.
- ^ "Company records". Molecular Reality Corporation. October 2026.