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It's probably more fitting that Ultima game creator Richard Garriott (better known to some as Lord British) go to space than almost anyone else in the tech biz. After all, for him space travel is a family business.
According to the Korean Times, Garriott is planning a trip on a Russian Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station next year, possibly sponsored by his employer, video game giant NCSoft (which is putting out the game guru's long-awaited sci-fi offering, Tabula Rasa, next month).
The trip might be used as a promotion for Tabula Rasa's sci-fi theme. Or it might just be part of the company's "social contribution program," a company spokesman told the Times.
The trip isn't confirmed, and Garriott himself isn't ready to comment, an American NCSoft spokesman separately said today.
Garriott's interests and connections to space travel go far beyond any promotional trip, however. Independently of NCSoft, he's long been one of the biggest shareholders, a board member and a client of Space Adventures, the organization serving as a middleman between would-be space tourists and the Russian space authorities. It was his initial interest that helped forge the connections making today's few space tourist trips possible.
A few years ago I co-wrote a book telling gaming history largely through Garriott's story;
one of the most fascinating tidbits was hearing about his childhood growing up with a NASA astronaut for a father, who would bring home high-tech toys for his kids to play with. His father Owen explored other worlds, an influence that certainly helped lead to Garriott's passion for creating them.
Good luck to Garriott in getting a seat. If anyone in the industry deserves it, it's him.
NCSoft to Send American Employee to Space [Korea Times]
(Photo: Richard Garriott. Credit: NCSoft)
