origin-systems posts

Ultima Online first Hall of Fame member in Game Developers Choice Online Awards

by John Callaham Aug 12th 2010 @ 7:00PM

Last May, the organizers of behind the Game Developers Conference announced that the GDC Online event in Austin, Texas would be host to the first annual Game Developers Choice Online Awards on October 7. Today two of the awards were announced, including the first game named to its Hall of Fame.

That game is Ultima Online, the fantasy MMO developed by Origin Systems and lead by Richard "Lord British" Garriott. While not the first MMO, Ultima Online made the new game genre popular to the masses when it launched back in 1997 and is still running even today.

Also, Dr. Richard A. Bartle was named as the Games Developers Choice Online Awards' first winner of its Online Game Legend Award. Dr. Bartle is the co-creator of the first MUD (Multi User Dungeon) back in 1978. The text-based game was the first step toward the modern MMO games.