AGDC: Inside The UT Game Archive Fundraiser

Gamasutra's sister editor weblog GameSetWatch has posted coverage of the UT Videogame Archive fundraiser held last night on Richard Garriott's Austin property, ahead of today's Austin GDC kickoff, with fabulous auction prizes and game preservation in mind. From the in-depth coverage: "Garriott said he was inspired to dive into his own trove of past documents and files from all the games he's made over the years, mostly at Origin Systems, by his friend and former colleague Warren Spector, now of Junction Point Studios, who stepped forward first with the need for “a place to put my stuff.” Technology continues to advance regularly, Garriott said, but game design methods seem stuck. Part of the reason, he said, is that most games don't have useful documentation, of the sort that he called “the Tolkien school” -- with extensive research and background material that the audience will never see. The design bible for Ultima VI, which he and Spector worked on, is probably revolutionary by today's standards, he said. “I'm learning things as I go through my stuff,” Garriott said. “There are things I used to do that I don't do anymore.”" You can now read the full story at GameSetWatch, which takes a look inside the auction to raise money for the University of Texas-Austin's historical Video Game Archive, with thoughts and comments from Garriott - along with a complete list of the auction prizes and results. [UPDATE: A full gallery of the event, which was held at Garriott's estate in Austin, has also been added to GameSetWatch.]