John Watson, famed game designer, passes away

Above: Screenshot from Lothian’s burial in Ultima VIII: Pagan. (with respect and admiration)

I was saddened to read, courtesy of Raph Koster’s blog, that John Watson – a respected and well-liked designer/programmer/writer for many Ultima and Wing Commander games (among many others since) – passed away on September 9, 2007. After reading through the memorial page that has been set up by the Wing Commander CIC, it is obvious that his unexpected death has been grievous for his friends, family, and co-workers; I offer my deepest condolences to those who knew him.

As I’ve mentioned before, the Ultima series has always held a special place in my heart. I can imagine no better time than to write a full review of Ultima VIII: Pagan in light of this sorrowing news, and attempt to redeem what I think was one of the most underrated RPGs of the 1990′s (to which John is listed as the co-designer and a co-writer of). I will post the review and analysis in the coming weeks.