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Moon

Lord British's Lost Lunar Rover Found, After 37 Years 193

Lanxon writes "The guy behind Ultima Online once bought an old Russian rover, despite it being lost on the moon somewhere. And now, using images released by NASA, it has been located on the moon's surface after nearly four decades of being MIA, reports Wired. Richard Garriott, who created the Ultima Online multiplayer game, bought the Lunokhod 2 in a Sotheby's auction in New York in 1998. And so new was the discovery of his lost possession, he hadn't even heard that the craft had been discovered when Wired spoke to him." (Richard Garriott is also well known as Lord British.)
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Lord British's Lost Lunar Rover Found, After 37 Years

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  • by Qwell ( 684661 ) on Wednesday March 17, 2010 @05:29PM (#31516414)

    At one point, Richard Garriott declared himself to be ruler of the moon, based on him being the only non-government entity to own anything physically on the moon.

    It's a shame he doesn't make that claim more public.

  • by qsliver ( 1737040 ) on Wednesday March 17, 2010 @05:38PM (#31516534) Journal
    ...you really need to read the fine print when buying a used car!
  • Further observation reveals a parking ticket and booted wheel. With time elapsed, the fine comes to 100 million quatloos.
    • by c6gunner ( 950153 ) on Wednesday March 17, 2010 @06:37PM (#31517050) Homepage

      Further observation reveals a parking ticket and booted wheel. With time elapsed, the fine comes to 100 million quatloos.

      Here are your messages:

      'You have thirty minutes to move your lunar rover.'
      'You have ten minutes to move your rover.'
      'Your rover has been impounded.'
      'Your rover has been crushed into a cube.'
      'You have thirty minutes to move your cube.'

  • When he tries to pick it up, he'll be bugged by two gay Scandinavian dudes.

  • Silly man, if he had added just one moon rock to his shopping cart he would have qualified for free shipping.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    amusing that that's his byline these days. didn't anyone play Ultima or Ultima ][, three or four on their ][+?

  • by Opportunist ( 166417 ) on Wednesday March 17, 2010 @06:56PM (#31517248)

    Not only do they get rid of their junk by sending it off world, they also find someone dumb enough to pay for it.

  • by Enderandrew ( 866215 ) <enderandrew@gmSTRAWail.com minus berry> on Wednesday March 17, 2010 @07:02PM (#31517288) Homepage Journal

    But this guy is largely famous for creating the Ultima franchise, which is basically all but dead, because EA sank their fangs into Origin Systems and killed the company.

    EA owns the Ultima IP. They also own Bioware, perhaps the number 1 Computer RPG shop on the planet.

    Richard Garriott isn't doing anything these days, and I imagine most gamers have never played a single player Ultima these days.

    The original Ultima games are barely playable today. The original trilogy is a little too straight forward, full of continuity holes, etc. He wasn't planning a lengthy franchise at that point.

    They need to remake the Ultima franchise from the beginning. Arguably they could just use the Dragon Age engine and toolset that Bioware just developed, though I would hope a proper Ultima game would have one seamless world as opposed to maps like Dragon Age. Someone needs to make this happen, like yesterday.

    • by ZosX ( 517789 )

      Have you tried the U5 remake based on dungeon siege? It was a ton of fun....

    • They need to remake the Ultima franchise from the beginning. Arguably they could just use the Dragon Age engine and toolset that Bioware just developed, though I would hope a proper Ultima game would have one seamless world as opposed to maps like Dragon Age. Someone needs to make this happen, like yesterday.

      And people wonder why Hollywood, the record industry, and the publishing industry keep pumping out sequels, remakes, re-imaginings, and more, more, more of the same.

      • John Carpenter's The Thing is a much beloved film. And yet it is a remake. Shakespeare borrowed most if not all of his plots from others. Musicians have covered other musicians throughout the entirety of written history.

        Not all remakes/revisions/reboots/etc. are inherently terrible. Hollywood has had a string lately of unnecessary and piss-poor remakes.

        But what I'm proposing is that Richard Garriott update his own work, better presenting his own vision with hindsight and better technology at his disposal.

    • But this guy is largely famous for creating the Ultima franchise, which is basically all but dead, because EA sank their fangs into Origin Systems and killed the company.

      Sadly, if you replace “Ultima” with “System Shock”, the whole sentence still is true.

      If there is one thing on this world that you can legitimately hate and be prejudiced about... it’s EA. :/

    • by Teancum ( 67324 )

      Richard Garriott isn't doing anything these days, and I imagine most gamers have never played a single player Ultima these days.

      It is inaccurate to suggest that "Richard Garriott isn't doing anything these days". He has moved on in his life and is doing other things besides playing and making video games.

      His latest venture, since he has been to the International Space Station, is to get into the pharmaceutical industry and working with processing of chemicals that are easier to do in a low-gravity environment. What is really cool, he can get that to work at a profit and justify a return trip to the ISS as a legitimate business exp

    • by Hatta ( 162192 )

      The original Ultima is quaint, and not what most people expect from an RPG, but still plenty entertaining.

  • conspiracy theories (Score:4, Interesting)

    by roman_mir ( 125474 ) on Wednesday March 17, 2010 @07:04PM (#31517296) Homepage Journal

    you gotta love conspiracy theories surrounding the US moon landings.

    For those, still not sure, check out these pics from the Harsh Mistress herself [nasa.gov], look for example at Apollo 14 photos, there are footstep trails visible. Ain't it cool?

  • This reminds me of Heinlein's The Man Who Sold The Moon [wikipedia.org]. Maybe if he moves into the probe, he can also claim ownership of the Moon.

  • If I can go get it, can I have it? Some of the Apollo gear would fetch a pretty penny on eBay, but I assume I would have to deliver it, not just "sell it in place".
  • Never lost (Score:5, Informative)

    by mbone ( 558574 ) on Wednesday March 17, 2010 @07:22PM (#31517428)

    Lunokhod 2 has been returning Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) pulses since the early 1970's. Not only is it not lost, its position is known to a centimeter or better.

    Finding Lunokhod 1, which has been missing since 1971, would be a real coup, especially if LLR returns could be obtained from it.

    • by teslar ( 706653 )

      its position is known to a centimeter or better

      NASA (via the Register [theregister.co.uk] says you're wrong. Well, not anymore, obviously, but the final position wasn't known and certainly not to a centimeter or better because (page 2 of the linked article):

      laser ranging can't be used to pin the lost machine down on a Moon map: The uneven distribution of accurate control points causes the accuracy of the network to vary strongly with lunar position.

  • "Britishing" hehe... (Score:4, Informative)

    by Guppy ( 12314 ) on Wednesday March 17, 2010 @07:43PM (#31517584)

    What the hell are you talking about? The only reason I play UO is for all the "Britishing": paying real world dollars to people for cyber-sex, then player killing them as I climax. That's the only reason anyone plays UO - all the violent sex. Jesus, man, where have you been?

    Remember Old Man Murray reviews? Coined the term "Britishing":
    http://www.oldmanmurray.com/shortreviews/sr5.html [oldmanmurray.com]

    • LOL, good to know there's someone else out there that gets my Britishing references. :)

      BTW, damn you for linking OMM and making me -- yes making me! -- re-read all those old reviews.

      Also just noticed they predicted Stephen Colbert getting his own show!

  • Loved UO (Score:4, Funny)

    by caywen ( 942955 ) on Wednesday March 17, 2010 @07:59PM (#31517720)

    You notice your lunar rover is missing.

    GUARDS!!

    *whack*

  •   Did anyone ever figure out if cheating the blind herb salesman caused you to loose the game in the end?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_IV:_Quest_of_the_Avatar

  • Sheesh... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Anachragnome ( 1008495 ) on Thursday March 18, 2010 @12:11AM (#31519304)

    Sheesh.

    He owns a vehicle on the moon, yet STILL hasn't put out a decent successor to Ultima Online!

    Talk about fucked up priorities.

    • Shut up, you ignorant loud idiot.

      EA has eaten Origin Systems, and with it Ultima and System Shock.
      So you can than EA, as always, for something in the gaming industry being fucked up.

      Or do you really think something as great as those both franchises would rot like that, without EA having anything to do with it?
      (But watch out for Ultima in disguise. Just like BioShock is System Shock in disguise.)

  • Comment removed (Score:3, Insightful)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Thursday March 18, 2010 @04:44AM (#31520344)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

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