Shroud Of The Avatar: Ultima Creator Richard Garriot Unveils His Next Game And Asks For $1M In Kickstarter Funds

Gaming icon Richard Garriot, creator of the Ultima series, has announced his return to video game development. During a live stream on Rooster Teeth, Garriot revealed that his new project will be Shroud of the Avatar, a fantasy RPG.

The game is being crowdfunded on Kickstarter, with the team hoping to raise $1 million in 30 days. In just a few hours, the campaign has earned almost $250,000.

Garriot writes, "We couldn't be happier to be introducing the game on Kickstarter, which has really changed the landscape for game developers. It allows us to connect directly with our fan base and it keeps us from being so dependent on the traditional publishing model. There's now a direct feedback loop with people who like our game and have decided to back it. With Kickstarter we can listen to what our fans are saying about how we are developing the game and make changes and additions based on that feedback, before the game launches. We hope people will like what they are seeing and hearing about Shroud of the Avatar and back the project on Kickstarter."

The new game promises to "hearken back" to the creator's earlier works, and will be the first installment in a new RPG series. Shroud of the Avatar is aiming to place more focus "on player choices and discovery than on level grinding."

The title will feature a "fully interactive virtual world, deep original fiction, physical game components," and the option to play the game both offline or with others.

Shroud of the Avatar is currently planned for release on the PC, Mac, and Linux. More features will be revealed in upcoming Developer Blogs. Until then, you can learn more by visiting the team's Kickstarter page.

Garriot is best known for the creation of the Ultima Series, some of the most influential games ever made. For his contributions to the industry, in 2006 he became the ninth inductee into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame. His last title was Tabula Rasa, a sci-fi MMO, in 2007.