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Through the Moongate #1
Through the Moongate: The Story of Richard Garriott, Origin Systems Inc. and Ultima: Part 1 - From Akalabeth to Ultima VI
Richard Garriott is one of the most well-known personalities in the video game industry, and one of the last of its pioneers still in the business. Ultima, the revolutionary series of role-playing games he designed, and Origin Systems Inc., the company he co-founded in 1983, are inextricably linked to the history of video games. This is their story.
217 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2019
42 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 1, 2020
This was a unique volume that dove deep into the moat surrounding Lord British's manor to uncover all of the secrets hidden there. This was an entertaining look at how a young man with a flair for programming and an interest in medieval role playing created one of the most memorable computer role playing games in the emerging industry of the time.
Translated from the Italian with a few minor translation quirks, ("Commander" Kirk? Really?) this was a meticulously researched look into the life of Richard Garriott and his journey creating the Ultima series. We learn about many of his cohorts and family members that accompanied him on this ride as well as seeing how the game, Gariott's story telling, and computer technology all evolved with each other to create a new type of fantasy role playing game. Along the way some myths are dispelled, some of the cooperative spirit of the early days are revealed, and the first steps of other gaming classics are detailed. The author illustrates both strengths and weaknesses of the development team while discussing successes and failures along the way. This is a fascinating glimpse into a world that many know little about.
I have to say that my expectations for this book were low, but I was very pleasantly surprised by how the narrative flows along and how captivating this concise history was. So much so that I have backed volume II. After all, I need to find out how this journey ends!
Translated from the Italian with a few minor translation quirks, ("Commander" Kirk? Really?) this was a meticulously researched look into the life of Richard Garriott and his journey creating the Ultima series. We learn about many of his cohorts and family members that accompanied him on this ride as well as seeing how the game, Gariott's story telling, and computer technology all evolved with each other to create a new type of fantasy role playing game. Along the way some myths are dispelled, some of the cooperative spirit of the early days are revealed, and the first steps of other gaming classics are detailed. The author illustrates both strengths and weaknesses of the development team while discussing successes and failures along the way. This is a fascinating glimpse into a world that many know little about.
I have to say that my expectations for this book were low, but I was very pleasantly surprised by how the narrative flows along and how captivating this concise history was. So much so that I have backed volume II. After all, I need to find out how this journey ends!
August 30, 2022
I won't lie, I'm extremely biased here. I found this book hard to put down! I devoured all the little details that Andrea put together in this book. This is what I was hoping the Sid Meier memoir was going to be like.
The stories about writing games in the 80s and the connection to all the other players at the time was interesting for me given I grew up in that era. I had no idea what was going on from a business perspective.
I respect Richard Garriott for tilting towards creative authenticity over profits though it did create a lot of tension. Ultima VII still inspires me today and I feel like I have a better understand of why it was such an impactful game. I still have notes and maps I've scribbled down from when I first played in when it came out.
A fun fact I learned from the book is that Coleco stood for "Connecticut Leather Company". Wouldn't have guessed that one in a million years.
Looking forward to reading part 2!
The stories about writing games in the 80s and the connection to all the other players at the time was interesting for me given I grew up in that era. I had no idea what was going on from a business perspective.
I respect Richard Garriott for tilting towards creative authenticity over profits though it did create a lot of tension. Ultima VII still inspires me today and I feel like I have a better understand of why it was such an impactful game. I still have notes and maps I've scribbled down from when I first played in when it came out.
A fun fact I learned from the book is that Coleco stood for "Connecticut Leather Company". Wouldn't have guessed that one in a million years.
Looking forward to reading part 2!
August 26, 2019
A thorough, objective, and well-paced exploration of the rise of Richard Garriott, ending just as his star had fully risen with the release of Ultima VI. There are a few minor translation issues here and there (the original text is in Italian), but nothing too intrusive.
The author has packed this book full of original interviews with members of the development teams who don’t often get a public voice. Plenty of fascinating insights into the culture of Origin Systems and the early games industry in general.
If you’re a fan of 80s/90s CRPGs, you won’t be able to put this one down. Can’t wait for Volume II.
The author has packed this book full of original interviews with members of the development teams who don’t often get a public voice. Plenty of fascinating insights into the culture of Origin Systems and the early games industry in general.
If you’re a fan of 80s/90s CRPGs, you won’t be able to put this one down. Can’t wait for Volume II.
April 2, 2020
Great book for fans of computer role-playing games, and video game history. The Ultima game series was a formative experience for me, so I naturally enjoyed reading about how it came about. Especially the creation of Ultima IV, one of video games' biggest milestones, was something I enjoyed thoroughly.
July 18, 2020
Really good. Does a better job, IMO, of describing the stress Garriott was under than his autobiography. It also fills lots of gaps in Garriott's timeline and is nicely objective. The two books really complement each other. If I were to pick one, it would be this one.
January 6, 2026
Interesting for folks who want to more about the history of CRPGs and the home computer in general. More about the tech and the games than the people. Feels like English as second language at points. Worth the read for the information.
June 13, 2019
Was nice to finally read about Ken Arnold's contributions in detail. Looking forward to Part 2.
December 28, 2019
This new and carefully-researched biography is comprehensive and full of exclusive new details compared to previous accounts, such as in Levy's Hackers. These are a joy to discover as a fan, and in many cases highlight the luck as well as perseverance and skill behind the rise of the first generation of great video game creators.
The most fascinating nerd aspect of the 1970s-80s is at the forefront in Part I: the nearly simultaneous arrival of the PC, D&D, Star Wars, SCA, and widespread popularity of the Lord of the Rings directly give birth to an explosion of table top RPG and the video game industry. They also drive the mainstreaming of digital consumer electronics and [eventually] sci-fi and fantasy genres.
At a sentence level, Contato has a good journalistic style. The structure above that level is almost unreadable, unfortunately. It feels as if all of the notes from years of research are dumped onto the page, with minor asides disrupting the flow and the timeline or even subject of a paragraph thrown into disarray. I had to re-read several paragraphs to figure out which person was being discussed after an aside had made "he" ambiguous.
It is hard to follow the story or empathize with the figures in the way that a compelling biography or documentary should, because the Contato is clearly more invested in ensuring that all of their unearthed details are included than helping us to understand the importance. The role of a biography writer is equally to uncover facts and to choose which facts to present; heavy editing and shifting minutae to endnotes is required to turn this material into a readable book.
The most fascinating nerd aspect of the 1970s-80s is at the forefront in Part I: the nearly simultaneous arrival of the PC, D&D, Star Wars, SCA, and widespread popularity of the Lord of the Rings directly give birth to an explosion of table top RPG and the video game industry. They also drive the mainstreaming of digital consumer electronics and [eventually] sci-fi and fantasy genres.
At a sentence level, Contato has a good journalistic style. The structure above that level is almost unreadable, unfortunately. It feels as if all of the notes from years of research are dumped onto the page, with minor asides disrupting the flow and the timeline or even subject of a paragraph thrown into disarray. I had to re-read several paragraphs to figure out which person was being discussed after an aside had made "he" ambiguous.
It is hard to follow the story or empathize with the figures in the way that a compelling biography or documentary should, because the Contato is clearly more invested in ensuring that all of their unearthed details are included than helping us to understand the importance. The role of a biography writer is equally to uncover facts and to choose which facts to present; heavy editing and shifting minutae to endnotes is required to turn this material into a readable book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews