Origin's Standard Bearer Takes on Work

From the first Ultima game, programmed in by Richard "Lord British" Garriott and Ken Arnold one of their parents' homes, to its legacy, Ultima Online - listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running MMORPG in history - Origin Systems Inc. always stayed true to the spirit of their motto, "We Create Worlds." Since its founding in the spring of 1983, by Richard Garriott, Robert Garriott, Owen Garriott (their father), and Chuck Bueche, their games, including the award-winning Ultima, Wing Commander, Crusader, and Privateer series, presented major innovations and broke new ground in their respective genres.

Origin Systems Inc. was founded after the relative success of Garriott's first three games: Akalabeth, Ultima, and Ultima II. Not long after the completion of Ultima III: Exodus in 1984, Origin Systems began distributing their games through Electronic Arts. Eight years later, Origin Systems was acquired by Electronic Arts, under which they continued to produce games for twelve more years. Before its closing in 2004, Origin Systems Inc. produced more than 60 highly acclaimed games including more than 25 titles in the Ultima series. This included their most popular title: Ultima Online, one of the earliest and most influential MMOGs, changed the way people viewed the genre. Even after a decade of continuous play, Electronic Arts continues to run Ultima Online, carrying on the legacy of Origin Systems.