Happy Birthday, Meridian 59

 Posted by (Visited 14398 times)  Game talk  Tagged with: ,
Sep 272006
 

Rob Ellis writes,

10 years ago today I drove the crew up to CompUSA to find our game sitting behind a pole… on store shelves! =) First to hit 10… WOO HOO!

  12 Responses to “Happy Birthday, Meridian 59”

  1. Timbre of Tempests says:
    September 28, 2006 at 6:35 am

    10 years ago today Meridian 59 was launched on an unsuspecting public by an unsuspecting publisher, 3DO. Unfortunately, the public remained mostly unsuspecting due to some really terrible advertising. http://www.psychochild.org/?p=214Raph Koster also makes mention

  2. Allen Sligar CFDT says:
    September 27, 2006 at 7:18 am

    Happy B-Day M59…
    M59 was my first MMO
    M59 was the place I met the people I game with today
    Thank You Rob

    In the words of a Sade song: “Its never as good as the first time….”

  3. Faith says:
    September 27, 2006 at 7:33 am

    […] Comments […]

  4. Q says:
    September 27, 2006 at 10:06 am

    Ahem… “Rob Ellis II writes” 😉

    Thanks for the kind words. I don’t have my own blog so I blast out the text dumps for Raph’s readers. =) (which are well more than any blog I could muster would attract… you *all* know what I mean)

    I think being an old man at peace with his place in the world makes the 10th anniversary better than the day we launched. Most of the original team are all content with what they’re doing without chasing fame or fortune. Being that I’m the black sheep on the East Coast (remember Biggie!) we don’t see each other very much. However I was blessed to have been with Andrew and Chris just the other weekend to celebrate Andrew’s wedding.


    Andrew in white, Me in orange, Chris in red

    Thanks to the brothers Kirmse for starting it all. Thanks to the brothers Schubert for their turning it into something great. The brothes Sellers… well… it’s not *all* bad blood there. (don’t believe the WIKI) Thanks to all the above for bringing me onto the team. Thanks to Damion for not letting me quit before I ever got started. Thanks to those countless dozens of revolving door team members that contributed a part of their lives and time to Meridian 59. Even on my worst day I appreciated their dedication to our dream though they might not ever understand mine. Thanks to Trip for letting me be me and then giving me back the game when he was done with it. Thanks to Mr Green for helping me afford Trip’s giving back of the game. Thanks to my brother Chris and Mr Emmons for their thankless work of trying to support a 7, 8, 9, 10 year old game. Thanks to Mister Y for bringing back some spark and passionate development with the engine overhaul.

    Ok so this is cliche… but those of you that have ever looked me in the eye know I say what I mean and mean what I say… Thanks to everyone that ever logged on to make Meridian 59 a part of their life. If even their time left them logging out thinking “there’s got to be something better out there” we set something off and got them exploring online gaming. I am genuinely grateful to each of you and your part in gaming history.

    In 1992 I was playing Kingdom of Drakkar paying by the hour and loving every moment. When I stopped playing that game I declared to all that would hear… “Remember the name Rob Ellis II because someday I will have made an online RPG of my own” I had no place saying such a thing but imagine my surprise at where I am today 😉

    In closing I want to also thank Raph. He’s among the few that seem to “get me” (…along with the Kirmses and the Schuberts, so he’s in good company!)

  5. Chip Hinshaw says:
    September 27, 2006 at 11:49 am

    I think being an old man at peace with his place in the world makes the 10th anniversary better than the day we launched.

    Wow … if you consider yourself an “old man” then that makes me … I guess dead.

  6. Michael Chui says:
    September 27, 2006 at 8:28 pm

    When I stopped playing that game I declared to all that would hear…

    Note to self: immersion-breaking, delusory-yet-grandiose declarations into the void of cyberspace really do get you somewhere. I’m going to try that one. =P

    Congrats, of course.

  7. Psychochild's Blog says:
    September 27, 2006 at 9:22 pm

    Meridian 59 turns 10, still not legally able to drink

    But that doesn’t stop the developers.
    Mr. Schubert pointed it out before I did. Appropriate, since he broke, er, I mean, worked on the game before I did. 😉 But, 10 years ago today Meridian 59 was launched on an unsuspecting public by an unsuspectin…

  8. Hitman the Red says:
    September 28, 2006 at 4:44 am

    There is only one true way to honor something for what it is and to honor those people who dedicated themselves to making it what it is.
    Loyalty.

    Here’s to 10 years of the best ORPG that has ever been viewed on a computer monitor!

    Thanks, Guys, but enough of the mushy stuff! If I get back I can have level 3 Kraanan by tonight!

    Beta/3DO 102/3DO 105/NDS 102/NDS 101

  9. Trucegore says:
    September 28, 2006 at 6:18 am

    Totaly unrelated but seed the game just died. =(

    http://www.seedthegame.com/news.php?page=1

    One game That changed the world gets older…and one that tryed to be innovated died.

    I guess it was related.

  10. Terra Nova: Meridian 59 is 10 says:
    September 28, 2006 at 7:03 pm

    […] Meridian 59 is 10 years old.  The significance is as Damion sayz:Meridian 59 is widely considered by many to be the first MMORPG. Which means that even if you’re uncharitable and don’t count older games like Gemstone, MUD and Islands of Kesmai, the industry has now officially been making MMOs for 10 years.Gratz to Green.  Comments also here. […]

  11. MMODump.com » Meridian 59 is 10 says:
    September 29, 2006 at 12:11 am

    […] Gratz to Brian Green. Comments also here. […]

  12. brinking says:
    September 30, 2006 at 10:15 am

    Gaming for the time impaired

    I used to play games a ton as a kid, of all varieties. And although apparently the average age of gamers actually in the 18-35 range, I’ve certainly fallen off the bandwagon of being a hardcore gamer. Clive Thompson of

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