Richard Garriot's long-awaited new MMO title - Tabula Rasa - could be closer than you imagine with publisher NCSoft revealing that the title has now begun internal beta testing. A launch on the PC is expected this Autumn.

A blend of MMORPG and first-person shooting is promised in Destination Games' Tabula Rasa, the game being headed by Garriot, who made his name crafting Ultima Online. "This is an exciting time for the Tabula Rasa team," explained Garriot. "With closed beta testing now in progress, we're excited to hear more what our players think."

In more Garriot related news, we learn today that the game designer was on-board Stephen Hawking's recent 'Vomit Comet' zero gravity flight, which took the astrophysicist to the edge of space. Garriot is an investor in Zero Gravity Corp, the firm behind the special flights in a modified Boeing 727.

"My girlfriend Kelly and I have just returned from an incredible couple of days at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida with Professor Stephen Hawking, which included participating in his historic zero-gravity flight where we all experienced the freedom of weightlessness aboard a specially equipped 727 flying parabolic trajectories. While I have been a fan of Dr. Hawking for some time, I became more and more impressed with him (and his staff) the more time we spent with them," Garriot enthused on the historic event.

Hawking now has ambitions to go into space, with plans already progressing to help him fulfill this ambition (according to Garriot). More Tabula Rasa soon.

By Luke Guttridge

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