Time To Start DragonCon 2006 Planning

The new year is under way, and it's already been more than five months since our last meeting at DragonCon. New readers since last fall should check out our 2005 DC Gallery to get an idea of what happens each summer when the CIC staff gets together at one of the world's largest science fiction conventions. It's time to start planning for 2006's event, and the first order of business is to think about ordering convention passes. This year's get-together takes place from September 1-4 in Atlanta, Georgia. Tickets for the four days of convention programming are $50 until February 15. They steadily increase throughout the year and are $85 at the door. A few guests, such as Star Trek actress Denise Crosby and author Peter David, have already been announced. If you have any questions about dropping by and hanging out with some of the world's biggest Wing Commander fans for the weekend, the Crius.net DragonCon Forum is a good place to start.

Richard Garriot: The Best Is Yet To Come

GameSpot has caught up with Origin founder Richard Garriot to discus his recent AIAS Hall of Fame award. He also answered questions about his role in gaming history and how Tabula Rasa will be different from previous massively multiplayer experiences. A lot of the interview also has to do with the industry was shaped by the Ultima franchise and innovative steps that were taken back at Origin. You can find the complete interview here.

GS: Of your achievements to date, which are you the most proud of?

RG: Hmm. I have three games that I'm really the most proud of. They're Ultima IV, Ultima VII, and Ultima Online. I think what you'll see--especially in the first two examples-- that I'm most proud of, is trying to imbue in the computer games not just game mechanics, but also a sense of literary storytelling. To try to create settings and characters and reasons to be there and things to do while you're there that go beyond "fight the next monster, collect the next level of treasure, cash it in and then level up.