Tabula Rasa, a post mortem.

[Salamok]

Don't know the details so maybe he has a legitimate complaint but given how much of NCsoft's money he flushed down the toliet I wouldn't be surprised if they counter-sue him.

Gotta make back that space money somehow.

Not much left to go after, he blew his wad into space and sunk the majority of the rest into the castle which i am sure is homesteaded/primary residence.  Hopefully this will hammer the stake home with all the money bags out there that RG isn't a good investment.

[kildorn]

The complaint seems valid from his telling of the story.

Essentially NCSoft said "you're being terminated, end of story, no appeals process, go quietly", so he goes quietly, and finds out internally they termed it a voluntary separation, which caused all sorts of amusing things to happen with his stocks and forced a sell or some shit.

He's basically suing them for terminating him and then labeling it he quit so they could play benefits games.

[tmp]

Don't know the details so maybe he has a legitimate complaint but given how much of NCsoft's money he flushed down the toliet I wouldn't be surprised if they counter-sue him.

There's some details at Gamepolitics. Guy looks pretty legit.

In... November 2008, Chris Chung, President of NCSoft's North American operations, informed Mr. Garriott that NCSoft has decided to "part company." Although Mr. Garriott objected to his dismissal, Mr. Chung insisted that the decision was final - Mr. Garriott had to go.

As Mr. Garriott prepared to leave NCSoft, however, Mr. Garriott learned that NCsoft had internally re-characterized his termination by Mr. Chung as a "voluntary" resignation... This mischaracterization had profound and detrimental effects on Mr. Garriott's stock options: if NCsoft terminated Mr. Garriott's employment (which it did) then the options - worth tens of millions of dollars - would remain in effect until 2011; but if Mr. Garriott resigned voluntarily (which he did not), then NCsoft might have terminated those options... within ninety days of his departure...

NCsoft forced Mr. Garriott into a Hobson's choice of exercising his options... and forced him to sell into one of the worst equity markets in modern history...

Following the lauch of the Tabula Rasa game, Mr. Garriott took a leave of absence... to pursue a different kind of launch... Mr. Garriott used the considerable media coverage surrounding his space-launch to publicize and promote Tabula Rasa for NCsoft. For example, Mr. Garriott send a coded message to the Tabula Rasa player base during his space launch...

NCsoft terminated Mr. Garriott's employment while he was still in quarantine from his space flight...

Despite Mr. Garriott's repeated objections, NCsoft refused to retract its misstatements regarding the nature of Mr. Garriott's departure and the cancellation of his stock options...

[NiX]

If that's true, NCSoft is up to some shady shit on the termination side of things.

[tazelbain]

Usually I am against corporate cornholery but it couldn't have happened to a more deserving guy.

[Ratman_tf]

Oh Richard. You still entertain us! 

he blew his wad into space

ew

[schild]

This whole situation is hilariously stupid.

[Lantyssa]

It is.

I eagerly await the 100 million fraud counter suit for pretending to be a games designer.

[Xuri]

Looks like he has a legit case, to me.

Usually I am against corporate cornholery but it couldn't have happened to a more deserving guy.

Did Garriot kick your puppy, or something?

[sam, an eggplant]

Definitely a legit case, if it's true. Bunch of scumbags.

What I don't get is why he didn't just tell everybody he was fired. Certainly it's less embarrassing to "leave to pursue other ventures" but c'mon now, we're talking about twenty four million dollars. I'd admit I took a sabbatical to thailand and blew a dozen ladyboys for $24m. Hell, I'd probably buy a ticket and do it for $24m! And film it! And send it to my grandma! Moneyshots and all!

Salacious asian vacations aside, I imagine he'd have a higher chance of success (and a great deal less stress) obtaining an injunction forbidding NC from terminating his stock options than rolling the dice in the courts six months later. It just doesn't add up. We're missing something.

[Lantyssa]

Like, he's crazy?  Or that he sent out all that publicity saying I'm leaving to pursue other opportunities?

Even rich superstar game developers need to get it in writing when being fired.

[Xuri]

Wasn't the whole "I'm leaving to pursue other opportunities"-letter written by NCSoft while LB prepared to depart the planet, or something?

[gryeyes]

That happened after he had arrived back planet side.

[tmp]

That happened after he had arrived back planet side.

Well, it says they quit him while he was still in quarantine from the flight. I suppose it could make the negotiations more difficult...

makes me think of that "peace? no peace" scene from ID4 for some reason.

[Ghambit]

If Garriott would've taken responsibility for TR and at least tried to salvage the game himself then I'd side with him holding onto his stock options (or at least getting some money for em), but since he flushed his own game just like NCSoft... he deserves nothing.  It's his name on the box, it's his baby, it failed, he abandoned it, and now he wants to make beaucoup profit from his sponsoring company?  I dont think so.  Phuck him.  He has to take his lumps like everyone else.

[Ratman_tf]

If Garriott would've taken responsibility for TR and at least tried to salvage the game himself then I'd side with him holding onto his stock options (or at least getting some money for em), but since he flushed his own game just like NCSoft... he deserves nothing.  It's his name on the box, it's his baby, it failed, he abandoned it, and now he wants to make beaucoup profit from his sponsoring company?  I dont think so.  Phuck him.  He has to take his lumps like everyone else.

Playing devil's advocate for a moment, do we know for sure that RG abandoned TR, or was he getting pushed to the side much earlier than his blastoff adventure? Hell, maybe this was all a part of NCSoft's plan to get rid of him.

[Goreschach]

Playing devil's advocate for a moment, do we know for sure that RG abandoned TR

The guy went on a joyride in fucking space.

[UnSub]

From what I heard, Garriott wanted out of TR for a while - he'd said to NCsoft that he'd develop the game for a few years, but then he would depart. He wanted to move on, do other things.

Unfortunately those years were eaten up long before TR ever launched. NCsoft East kept interfering, kept pushing for certain things and Garriott lost interest. Given his stock options he couldn't just leave, but he was really just a marketing figurehead towards the end of the development cycle.

I do think that Garriott should have done a better job since the project hung on his name, but he was apparently clear with NCsoft East that he didn't plan to stick around forever.

[Ghambit]

If Garriott would've taken responsibility for TR and at least tried to salvage the game himself then I'd side with him holding onto his stock options (or at least getting some money for em), but since he flushed his own game just like NCSoft... he deserves nothing.  It's his name on the box, it's his baby, it failed, he abandoned it, and now he wants to make beaucoup profit from his sponsoring company?  I dont think so.  Phuck him.  He has to take his lumps like everyone else.

Playing devil's advocate for a moment, do we know for sure that RG abandoned TR, or was he getting pushed to the side much earlier than his blastoff adventure? Hell, maybe this was all a part of NCSoft's plan to get rid of him.

[The following rant is pure conjecture]

Yes we do.  
Common sense dictates that given the net worth of Garriott and his stock options he could've easily taken greater responsibility for the game and probably done NCSoft a favor in doing-so (for pennies on the dollar).  Instead, he knew his own creation was a dud (largely due to his lack of real input; or vice versa) and spent the entire time as nothing more than a glorified employee with no real boss, having a cushy relationship with NCSoft execs, and nice bonuses.  He at no point took responsibility for the project after the redesign in any way, shape, or form...  wanted all the reward and none of the pain.

NCSoft knowing his intentions (to turn his back on the game) did the smart thing and forced him out under the pretext of him wanting to (which is in reality EXACTLY what he [Garriott] wanted).  Basically, the guy is now trying to do an "insider trading" deal with his own stock options.  His thinking:  "my game sux, screw it... i'm not gonna put any more resources into it, I'll just hang around here until my stock options get some value (after my game is cancelled and Aion releases), and then I'll sell out and bail."

In reality, Garriott was better served NOT producing a quality product in TR because that'd require too much more time and capital which would weaken his stock position.  He was better off letting the product bomb out (purposely) and get it off NCSoft's books... bumping his stock value up.   [even moreso once Aion released]  

If he'd taken the moral high road and either:
a) released his stocks under the condition of the game being kept running and expanded under NCSoft; whilst he kept working on it
b) bought the rights to the game outright via his stock options
c) formulated a deal to sell his options at "x" value and buy the game

He'd have been fine.  But, since he proved to be a greedy little man, he's on the path to getting burned.  NCSoft was wise to do what they did, because in an SEC-like trial Garriott would've been guilty of manipulating the stock anyways.  Not only that, but if/when Garriott dumped his stock NCSoft would've taken a pretty big hit in stock price just from the sale.   So, obviously they didnt want that to happen and headed him off at the pass.

Screw him.  Give him a few hundred-grand and tell him to go away.  You cant make money from nothing.  TR=nothing (literally now), so him actually wanting to make profit from it makes me ill.  Kudos to NCSoft.  

p.s.
I really dont know wth I'm talking about, but this was still a fun post   

[Ratman_tf]

Playing devil's advocate for a moment, do we know for sure that RG abandoned TR

The guy went on a joyride in fucking space.

You deliberatley cut off the second part of that sentence.

KAHN!

[Murgos]

Playing devil's advocate for a moment, do we know for sure that RG abandoned TR

The guy went on a joyride in fucking space.

Heaven forbid someone with an opportunity to do something AMAZING that .0000001% of the population of the human race will ever get to do actually take advantage of the situation rather than sit around and crap out some fucking piece of software.

Oh, the huge manatee~

[Ratman_tf]

Playing devil's advocate for a moment, do we know for sure that RG abandoned TR

The guy went on a joyride in fucking space.

Heaven forbid someone with an opportunity to do something AMAZING that .0000001% of the population of the human race will ever get to do actually take advantage of the situation rather than sit around and crap out some fucking piece of software.

Oh, the huge manatee~

I can't say I wouldn't do something similar, but it's cold comfort for the people (investors, employees, etc..) who were busting ass and hoping TR would be something more than a flop.

[IainC]

Playing devil's advocate for a moment, do we know for sure that RG abandoned TR

The guy went on a joyride in fucking space.

He took a holiday, it's not the same thing as pissing in the coffeepot on your last day. When you're an insanely wealthy space-obsessed loon your holidays tend to be more unconventional than the week on a beach that most of us make do with.

[Ghambit]

Ummm, he didnt pay for his trip to space.  NCSoft fronted the money (or at least a large chunk of it).  Which is yet another reason he should get not a dime from NCSoft.

[schild]

Ummm, he didnt pay for his trip to space.  NCSoft fronted the money (or at least a large chunk of it).  Which is yet another reason he should get not a dime from NCSoft.

Hahaha what? They did? Proof?

[sam, an eggplant]

Please remember to appropriately label every post comprised of your flights of fancy and imagination, otherwise people will think you're trolling. Only the moderators are allowed to troll here!

[Ghambit]

I take back my statement.  It was gleaned from info. I received when I was playing TR (back in the day), obviously from rampant speculation. 
Indirectly though, NCSoft did indeed pay for this trip into space though (he worked on TR for 4 years, risiduals, and stock options).  And the ultimate sacrificial lamb for him to go there was Tabula Rasa.  Had he not blasted off I'm pretty sure the game would still be open for business.

It's also no coincidence his suit is asking for $24million and his trip costed him $30million.  One way or another, he's going to get NCSoft to pay for his trip.

[IainC]

 

[Ratman_tf]

Had he not blasted off I'm pretty sure the game would still be open for business.

I'm pretty sure the game was sunk at the point where they scratched it and started over. Long before the space trip.

[sam, an eggplant]

Indirectly, I feel responsible for Ghambit's stupidity as my taxes pay for his internet access through the 2008 stimulus check. I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize to everybody for subsidizing this fucknut. Please accept my heartfelt apologies.

[rattran]

Well, we needed a new Grunk. Nice of Ghambit to rise to an admittedly high standard of prose.

[Murgos]

I take back my statement.  It was gleaned from info. I received when I was playing TR (back in the day), obviously from rampant speculation. 
Indirectly though, NCSoft did indeed pay for this trip into space though (he worked on TR for 4 years, risiduals, and stock options).  And the ultimate sacrificial lamb for him to go there was Tabula Rasa.  Had he not blasted off I'm pretty sure the game would still be open for business.

It's also no coincidence his suit is asking for $24million and his trip costed him $30million.  One way or another, he's going to get NCSoft to pay for his trip.

So, my employer owns the television I bought with my salary?   

[sam, an eggplant]

Well, it depends where you work. Lets say you work for a company that makes paper.

One of your company's main customers is the local hospital, who uses paper for towels, records, sanitary purposes, that sort of thing. The hospital's services are paid for by its patients through insurance provided by their employers, and they work at many different jobs. Lets say the fella that used your particular paper towel was shot in the arse in a gang war, just to keep it spicy and interesting. We'll call him "L-dub", because I think it's funny. So L-dub is "employed" by his gang. They sell oregano disguished as hashish to little kids in elementary school playgrounds during recess. The little kid who bought this one particular dimebag of "hash" is actually a quite prolific working character actor. Also a midget. He buys his pot in schoolyards because cops don't proscecute kids, and he has his buddy Karl come in to pick him up posing as his Daddy whenever the cops round up the little potheads. Anyway, this actor works for many studios but the vast majority of his pay goes to the Shin Lee Therapeutic Asian Choice Massage in encino CA. This massage parlor is full of trafficked korean women between the ages of 16 and 45 forced to have sex with hairy American men while fantasizing about killing them. All of the profits are funneled through the Madam, a somewhat chunky but generally pleasant (unless you cross her) Korean woman with trendy thick red rimmed glasses, where she skims 10-20% off the top. The rest are sent to North Korea, where Kim Jong Il spends them on gold-plated Mercedes Benz automobiles which his crazy drunk sons use to run over dissidents and daterape desperately poor young peasants of both sexes. Mercedes is a german car manufacturer with thousands of employees...

But you just make paper, you say? No, sir. You, sir, are part of the problem!

[Ghambit]

I take back my statement.  It was gleaned from info. I received when I was playing TR (back in the day), obviously from rampant speculation. 
Indirectly though, NCSoft did indeed pay for this trip into space though (he worked on TR for 4 years, risiduals, and stock options).  And the ultimate sacrificial lamb for him to go there was Tabula Rasa.  Had he not blasted off I'm pretty sure the game would still be open for business.

It's also no coincidence his suit is asking for $24million and his trip costed him $30million.  One way or another, he's going to get NCSoft to pay for his trip.

So, my employer owns the television I bought with my salary?   

In a way, yes.  You most likely bought that expensive plasma (assuming you did) on credit or at least under the assumption you'd be making "x" amount of dollars in the future.  If those dollars are taken away by your employer all of a sudden you cant pay for that plasma and your credit goes to shyt or you're broke from dumping your wad in cash on the purchase.

RG was working in the rears, meaning he really didnt have $30million to dump into space (he's actually said he's pretty much tapped out and needs to find work now).  He went into space under the assumption he'd be "taken care of" by his employers.  He wasnt.  He was "fired."  Now he needs a way to pay for his trip.

So yah, NCSoft owned his space trip.  They paid his salary and gave him stock options and some control over a game he outright marketed through his space ventures; of which he paid for under the assumption he'd actually be worth something.  But, NCSoft pulled the rug from under him whilst he lay in containment, basically chopping off his credit line.

Whenever you're working with money you dont really have, you never really feel like you "own" anything.  And I bet RG sure as shyt doesnt feel like he pwned his space venture; right about now he's probably wishing he never went.  Kinda sad actually.  Now he's got nothing but his retarded castle.  And who the hell is gonna hire or invest in him now?      Naw, he's done unless he wins this lawsuit.

Lastly, from a wealthy CEO's perspective, they (NCSoft) do indeed own his space trip.  That's just the way those people think.  If they see their employees jaunting off on extravagant ventures, they more or less feel like they're the reason it happened.  OR, they just feel robbed (their money went to waste).  His space trip was a pretty well marketed thing that NCSoft was wrapped up in; it's not like some private vacation he went on.  And just because they didnt write the check directly for his trip, doesnt mean they dont feel responsible for him being able to go.  You guys gotta understand the way this crap really works with these people (wealthy CEOs, big companies, etc).  I know I've harped on it in the past, but you really gotta read between the lines.  Whether I'm right or not.

Regardless, you never really own anything in this country anyways.

[Hindenburg]

I wish I could hate you to death.