Origin Systems

Origin Systems was a video game developer and publisher founded in March 1983, best known for creating the Ultima and Wing Commander franchises.

In 1987, Chris Roberts joined Origin Systems, which was later acquired as a wholly owned subsidiary by Electronic Arts in 1992 for $30 million.

Electronic Arts quickly began curbing the developers' habit of Doing It for the Art and prioritized commercial success instead.

Like many top CRPG developers of The '80s, Origin was hit hard by the mid-90s crisis of the genre, and encountered severe financial troubles on the publishing side of its business, despite the massive successes of the early Wing Commanders and Ultima VII.

Origin Systems finally disbanded in February 2004, joining Bullfrog and Westwood as the third in the long list of developers EA had acquired and shut down