Richard Garriott, better known in the gaming world as Lord British, is a legendary figure in the computer game industry, recognized as the creator of the Ultima series and a pioneer of the RPG genre. Born in 1961, Garriott began his career as a teenager developing games on his family's Apple II computer.
His first commercial success came with Akalabeth: World of Doom in 1979, a primitive but innovative dungeon crawler that laid the groundwork for what would become his masterpiece. In 1981, Garriott founded Origin Systems and launched Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness, establishing a series that would redefine the RPG genre for over a decade.
The Ultima series distinguished itself through narrative depth and emphasis on moral dilemmas, culminating with Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar in 1985, considered revolutionary for its focus on the player's spiritual growth rather than simple level progression. Garriott continued to innovate with Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny and Ultima VI: The False Prophet, which introduced increasingly sophisticated gameplay systems and persistent worlds.
His work reached its peak with Ultima VII: The Black Gate in 1992, often considered one of the greatest RPGs ever created, followed by Ultima VII: Serpent Isle. These titles featured fully interactive worlds where every object could be manipulated, establishing standards that remain difficult to match today.
With Ultima VIII: Pagan in 1994, Garriott experimented with action-adventure elements, though the game received mixed reviews. However, his contribution to the RPG genre remains unequaled, having created some of the most immersive and morally complex virtual worlds in gaming history.
