Los Angeles - Video game publisher NCsoft will shut down the servers on its "Tabula Rasa" massively multiplayer online game in February, because "the game never achieved the player population we had hoped for," according to a note on its website. The game was developed by veteran designer Richard Garriott ("Ultima"). The company said it will make the game free to play in its last weeks, starting on Jan. 10.

Austin, Texas - As a promotion for its massively multiplayer online game "Tabula Rasa," which explores the destruction of Earth, developer NCsoft has announced that it will send a time capsule with the digitized DNA of select video game players and others into space. "Operation Immortality" will see game designer Richard Garriott take the capsule with him when he travels to the International Space Station in October 2008. "I'm thrilled we can offer the once in a lifetime chance to millions of gamers to virtually go to space with me," said Garriott. "A select few will have their DNA digitized and sent. And, theoretically, if anything happens to the human race, it could be their DNA that is used to resurrect humanity."

Austin - Video game developer and publisher NCsoft on Friday shipped "Tabula Rasa," a new massively multiplayer online PC game from executive producer Richard Garriott, to retailers in North America and Europe. Garriott previously developed the "Ultima" game franchise, and sold the Origin Systems game publishing company he co-founded to Electronic Arts in 1992.