Origin Systems

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Origin Systems was founded in 1983 because of the trouble Richard Garriott had collecting money owed to him for his games released by other companies. The company was initially based in the Garriotts' garage in Houston, Texas. Its first game was Ultima III: Exodus. Because of Ultima's established reputation and the fact that the company's games were released on computers and not consoles, Origin survived the video-game crash of 1983 which affected console game developers in North America. By 1988, Origin had 15 developers in Austin, Texas, and another 35 employees in New Hampshire. By 1989 it had 50 employees between its New Hampshire and Texas offices. By 1992, Origin Systems had sold more than 1.5 million software units worldwide. In September 1992, Electronic Arts acquired the company for $35 million in stock, despite a dispute between the two companies over EA's 1987 game Deathlord. Origin, with about $13 million in annual revenue, stated that it had considered an IPO before agreeing to the deal. By 1996, Origin had expanded to more than 300 employees, most of whom were divided among small, largely autonomous development teams. In 1997, Origin released one of the earliest graphical MMORPGs, Ultima Online. After this title, Electronic Arts decided that Origin would become an online-only company after the completion of Ultima IX: Ascension in 1999. However, within a year's time, in part due to Ultima IX's poor reception, EA canceled all of Origin's new development projects, including Ultima Online 2, Privateer Online, and Harry Potter Online. Richard Garriott left Origin shortly after and founded Destination Games in 2000. In later years, Origin mainly existed to support and expand Ultima Online and to develop further online games based on the Ultima franchise such as Ultima X: Odyssey, originally to be released in 2004 but later canceled. In February 2004, the studio was disbanded by Electronic Arts.

In Their Own Story

The terminal flickered in the dim light of the converted church, its green phosphor glow casting long shadows across the wooden pews. A young designer, still smelling of pizza and late-night coffee, typed the final lines of code for Ultima VII. The world of Britannia was about to expand again, its citizens unaware that their creator was sitting in a pew, watching them come to life on a monochrome monitor. Outside, the Texas night was quiet, but inside, a universe was being born—one where a player could bake bread, poison a king, or chat with a horse, all because the code allowed for it.

Reader's Guide

Origin Systems was founded in 1983 in Austin, Texas, by Richard Garriott, his brother Robert Garriott, and programmer Chuck Bueche. The company initially focused on developing games for the Apple II and Commodore 64, with the Ultima series becoming its flagship. The acquisition by Electronic Arts in 1992 brought significant resources but also increased corporate oversight. Origin continued to produce acclaimed titles like Ultima VII, System Shock, and Wing Commander III, but struggled with the transition to 3D graphics and changing market conditions. The studio was ultimately closed by EA in 2004, marking the end of an era for many classic RPG franchises.

Did You Know?

• Origin was initially based in the Garriotts' garage in Houston, Texas.
• The company's first game was Ultima III: Exodus.
• By 1992, Origin had sold more than 1.5 million software units worldwide.
• Electronic Arts acquired Origin for $35 million in stock in September 1992.
• Origin released one of the earliest graphical MMORPGs, Ultima Online, in 1997.