Yes, I heard about that too! I really hope he does at least one more truly great Ultima, and he can name his price as long as it really is a proper spiritual Ultima 7 / Ultima Online successor.
Unfortunately, a Pagan successor seems closer to what a modern game looks like… modern RPGs seem to typically have a large action component.
Did you somehow miss Baldur's Gate 3
Garriott is a crypto bro, all in on genAI and (IMO) has done nothing noteworthy since selling off the IP. I wouldn't get your hopes up
He was the first high net worth individual to pioneer space tourism.
And? Having boatloads of money doesn't make you any smarter or better at making business decisions.
The question was if he did anything noteworthy.
This guy was the first to do many of the things that are taken for granted in gaming now, like morality in RPGs, MMOs and even selling computer games in boxes, starting at just 19 years old, but yeah let's listen to some internet rando :)
Haven't we already learned many time now that nostalgia doesn't make a great game designer? People change.
Following the actual people behind beloved games is still better than following brands, which is the theme of the discussions on this post
And it's a win against EA (who own Ultima up until 2027)