Richard Garriott plans to reclaim Ultima from EA

Game designer, astronaut and Texan castle owner Richard Garriott says he intends to take back control of Ultima, the RPG series he sold to EA in the 1990s. He told Inside Games he’s frustrated with EA’s stewardship and hopes to retake the series as soon as next year, but does not plan to buy it back outright.

Garriott intends to make use of an obscure copyright rule that lets original creators reclaim works after 35 years. Copyright would transfer, but EA would likely retain the Ultima trademark, meaning any new game would have to be branded distinctly from EA’s property.

He noted EA has recently filed multiple Ultima trademarks and said attempts to revive the series have repeatedly stalled; the franchise hasn’t seen a mainline entry since 1999. Ultima was a major computer gaming success from the late ’70s through the ’90s, and Garriott formed Origin Systems in 1983 after Ultima II was published by Sierra.

United States, Texas

richard garriott, ultima, electronic arts, origin systems, copyright termination, trademark filings, ultima ii, sierra, 35 years, mainline entry