Oh, Brother

The Austin-American Statesman has published an profile of the 'other' Garriott... no, not the astronaut: Robert Garriott, brother of Lord British. It's also an interesting history of Origin, since Robert was very much the man-behind-the-man - the financial genius who kept the company running through many years of ups and downs.

By 1990, Origin consolidated all its offices in Austin, with long workdays, well-used bunk beds and a constant supply of pizza. They were heady times, with the development of such popular games as "Ultima" and "Wing Commander."

And even Robert showed that he wasn't all business after moving to Austin. One day he burst into a conference room with a water gun, Spector recalled, and sprayed employees, despite the presence of nearby electrical equipment.

"He has a fun side to him," Schmidt said. "It just doesn't come out too often."