Richard Garriott - Dragoncon 2014 Interview

Richard Garriott & Star Long where interviewed in a new video on Super Bunnyhop at Dragoncon 2014, and talked about both their old and new games.

During Dragoncon, Richard Garriott & Starr Long invited me upstairs to talk about both their old and new games, as well as space poop, the death of game consoles, low-fi graphics and the morality police. Details within!

Click to expand...

More information.

Tell Richard the 1980's called, they want their rats tail back...

I just wish he would just go away so can remember him as a teenager playing the Ultima's games.

CelticFrost said:

I just wish he would just go away so can remember him as a teenager playing the Ultima's games.

Click to expand...

I'd say that besides of his gray hair he is still exactly the same and has the same visions and concepts. I love listening to him in interviews.
You just have to accept that he appears a little self-absorbed, but that doesn't mean that he is wrong in what he says.

I am sort of bothered when at the end his assistant says they're "all crowd-funded" and they're even seeking people to do snippets of work for free when Garriott is a multi-millionaire and most seemingly had to chip in for a lot before the Kickstarter started, and most probably has to keep doing it. I don't like this trend, neither do I like portraying working for free for a for-profit corporation as "working toward the greater good". InXile got people to translate their game in multiple languages for free as well.

Humanity has risen! said:

I am sort of bothered when at the end his assistant says they're "all crowd-funded" and they're even seeking people to do snippets of work for free when Garriott is a multi-millionaire and most seemingly had to chip in for a lot before the Kickstarter started, and most probably has to keep doing it. I don't like this trend, neither do I like portraying working for free for a for-profit corporation as "working toward the greater good". InXile got people to translate their game in multiple languages for free as well.

Click to expand...

I know this sounds harsh, but why would I pay someone if someone else is willing to work for free with the same result? Especially when it doesnt require expertise.

Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?

Wisdom said:

I know this sounds harsh, but why would I pay someone if someone else is willing to work for free with the same result? Especially when it doesnt require expertise.

Why buy the cow when you get the milk for free?

Click to expand...

Why not just employ illegal aliens and pay them less that an average worker

Well, it's also a nice way to get your feet into the game industry.

fatknacker50 said:

Tell Richard the 1980's called, they want their rats tail back…

Click to expand...

The 1970s also called, and they want their large medallion back.

Everything past Ultima VII has been pure trash. IMO the preview shows that, that fact is still true.

Kordanor said:

Well, it's also a nice way to get yout feet into the game industry.

Click to expand...

Exactly. It's called an internship. Maybe the crowd-funding crowd doesn't call it that, but that's what it is. Free labor in exchange for real life experience. It's worked for a long time and if I were young and wanted to be involved with videogame creation that would be a great foot in the door.

Internships are when the person is not taking someone else's job, it's forbidden by law in most countries to accomplish tasks that make the company money, it's supposed to be about learning skills. In these cases jobs or contract jobs are being outright replaced; graphic designer or translator are real jobs. Just because this is about a field many people are very enthusiastic about doesn't mean that it's not what is happening.

Even then if it was a small independent studio or an indie I wouldn't mind. But people like Brian Fargo and especially Richard Garriot are wealthy people who try to dissimulate it and won't even pay some of their contractors a pittance.

Humanity has risen! said:

Internships are when the person is not taking someone else's job, it's forbidden by law in most countries to accomplish tasks that make the company money, it's supposed to be about learning skills. In these cases jobs or contract jobs are being outright replaced; graphic designer or translator are real jobs. Just because this is about a field many people are very enthusiastic about doesn't mean that it's not what is happening.

Even then if it was a small independent studio or an indie I wouldn't mind. But people like Brian Fargo and especially Richard Garriot are wealthy people who try to dissimulate it and won't even pay some of their contractors a pittance.

Click to expand...

I totally agree. It is the responsibility of the person(s) employing them to pay them a fair wage. Once they are paid, the responsibility of the employer is released and the employee can burn the money or throw in in the toilet if they wish. It is initially the responsibility of the employer.

Humanity has risen! said:

Even then if it was a small independent studio or an indie I wouldn't mind. But people like Brian Fargo and especially Richard Garriot are wealthy people who try to dissimulate it and won't even pay some of their contractors a pittance.

Click to expand...

People like Fargo and Garriot give interns more than a pittance. Instead of being handed fish, under their guidance, they are learning how to fish. A payoff that will last a lifetime.

max killen said:

Why not just employ illegal aliens and pay them less that an average worker

Click to expand...

I wouldn't do that. It is illegal. What was discussed is NOT illegal, in this country or "most countries". Virtually the entire health industry worldwide runs on the same premise. Incredibly low wages / internships / training positions / student workers / call it what you like. Its a massive cost saving for the entire industry.

There are a lot of things I do for my company that are not great in the small picture. "Internships" are one of them. I would rather not outsource the work and get it done by Asia or India programming teams. On a cost basis, it is cheaper for me to hire overseas firms and then pay some exorbitant price to a local contractor to "localize" it for me.

Internships and contracts are freedom of choice in this country. If someone finds better value working for McDonalds than working for me then I understand that. If they willingly sign up then why should we be held to an uninvolved third persons sense of what they think is "fair"? This isn't a country where I've got the worker in an "work or don't eat" position. This is a country where he can literally find some work tomorrow morning if he quit today.

Wisdom said:

This isn't a country where I've got the worker in an "work or don't eat" position. This is a country where he can literally find some work tomorrow morning if he quit today.

Click to expand...

Wow...sounds like an awesome place. I wish it were like that in the US.

Aubrielle said:

Wow…sounds like an awesome place. I wish it were like that in the US.

Click to expand...

I agree Aubrielle.

I have family that has been without a job for years. It's not as easy as quitting your job and getting one the next day. The American dream is long dead.

I remember a burger joint wanted me to work a few hrs for free one time. That is illegal in some states now. I'm glad I have a steady career now.

Couchpotato said:

The American dream is long dead.

Click to expand...

I don't totally agree with this Couch. I will agree that what the current perception of "The American Dream" is has changed significantly from what it was.

I meet a lot of people that think the American Dream means they just walk in dirt poor and the next morning are millionaires. Our company holds financial planning sessions for our employees and it blows my mind on a quarterly basis how smart successful people can be so in debt and handle finances so poorly. I'm not saying this is every case! Don't hang me.

It also never ceases to amaze me when first/second generation immigrants have savings, no credit card debt, hardly any short term liabilities and they are making 1/2 of what their established counterparts are. To some of my friends the american dream means they can find a job, and not be shot at, stoned, stabbed, raped or beaten on their way to work. It means that they might be living in the cheapest house in the city but its theirs and they will not literally starve tonight.
No new car every two years, no restaurants, no entertainment, no trips to Disneyland. 5 year later they are debt free and living in a nice house that they can still afford and can do some of the things they had to sacrifice to stay out of debt.

Couchpotato said:

I agree Aubrielle.

I have family that has been without a job for years. It's not as easy as quitting your job and getting one the next day. The American dream is long dead.

I remember a burger joint wanted me to work a few hrs for free one time. That is illegal in some states now. I'm glad I have a steady career now.

Click to expand...

You're lucky, you know, and your family members have my deepest sympathies. They really do.

I've been without a traditional job for years now (though I guess 'housewife' counts, sort of). When last I worked, I worked as a temp, and the middle management types I worked for seemed delighted - it was way cheaper to keep me as a temp, under rein with no privileges (i.e. no keycards or my own access to anything), and with the double standard of no job security. They seemed way keener on taking on people with no college education at all than taking me on with four years of college. I'd far rather stay at home, write, and care for my home than go back to what I dealt with.

But that's America.

I wish it was not happening but it is reality. Its dog eat dog.

Try turning it around. A company that use to sell a product from a real store, pays overhead,taxes,insurance,etc is being destroyed by people all over the globe running businesses on E-bay,Amazon, Craig's list out of their garage business. Illegally. No taxes,nothing. You all like paying next to nothing on your internet bargains but the bottom line is every town I have seen has loads and loads of empty commercial buildings. Every customer who tells me they can get it cheaper on e-bay I tell them they are sending their children to the unemployment line.

The climate has changed and all businesses are looking for their edge.

Third World programmers are just the tip of the iceberg. Wait til they figure out how to automate even more of their industry.