Editor 's note : The staff at CNN.com has been intrigued by the journalism of Vice , an independent media company and Web site based in Brooklyn , New York . Motherboard.tv is Vice 's site devoted to the overlap between culture and technology . The reports , which are being produced solely by Vice , reflect a very transparent approach to journalism , where viewers are taken along on every step of the reporting process . We believe this unique approach is worthy of sharing with our CNN.com readers . Brooklyn , New York ( Motherboard.tv ) -- Video game pioneer Richard Garriott resides in a castle-like mansion outside of Austin , Texas , that would be the fantasy dwelling for any grown-up kid . But his favorite place to live is a five-bedroom fixer-upper some 250 miles up . In 2008 , Garriott parlayed his success in the video game industry into a lifelong dream : to fly to the International Space Station . `` Literally , throughout my entire professional career , I 've been investing in the privatization of space , '' says Garriott . `` Helping to unlock the gates of private space travel . '' Life back on Earth is far from boring for Lord British , as he 's known to video game fanatics the world over . Over the years , he 's amassed a spectacular array of toys , ranging from medieval weapons to a fully-functional observatory dome . Britannia Manor , Garriott 's haunted house/amusement park residence in Austin is a veritable shrine to discovery , teeming with sentimental and inventive nods to the importance of science and curiosity . In 2009 , Motherboard producer Juan Carlos Pineiro-Escoriaza traveled to Garriott 's home to learn how his whimsical yet inherently scientific modus operandi is helping to usher in a new generation of exploration . Not to mention , securing his seat as `` nerd par excellence '' for brandishing an impressive collection of rare and unreleased versions of `` The Lord of the Rings '' series . So jealous . Garriott is perhaps most famous for developing the seminal video game series , `` Ultima '' and coining the term Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game , or MMORPG , under his Lord British moniker . His success as a game developer earned him a stately fortune , with which he had long hoped to become the first private citizen to go to space . He was n't the first -- the burst of the dot-com bubble led Garriott to sell his spot to Dennis Tito . Garriott would become the sixth private citizen to reach space , a distinction held only by a handful of people , including engineer and first self-funded woman and Iranian citizen in space , Anousheh Ansari and entrepreneur/philanthropist/poker player Guy Lalibert . But do n't call them space tourists -- they 're `` spaceflight participants '' who 've paid millions and spent years in training ( and learning Russian ) in preparation for orbit . See the rest of `` Richard Garriott A.K.A . Lord British '' Garriott 's salad days were spent nearby Texas ' Johnson Space Center , where his father , scientist and early space shuttle astronaut Owen Garriott was stationed . He grew up in a community of astronauts and rocket scientists , nurturing his belief that space would become a common destination for everyone -- sooner rather than later . With the space shuttle program gearing up for its last two scheduled flights , Garriott has become an ambassador of the next monumental relationship between mankind and the cosmos -- the privatization of space . When the space shuttle program does finally end in June , leaving behind an exciting 30-year history , some of NASA 's facilities will be turned over to Space Exploration Technologies ( SpaceX ) , the leading contender in an industry poised to help NASA send astronauts and materials to the ISS . Meanwhile , an important corollary to missions contracted by the government are those with more regal intentions , such as Sir Richard Branson 's Virgin Galactic , which aims to offer sub-orbital spaceflights to anyone who can shell out $ 200,000 for a flight . Somewhere in between this new spectrum of chartered space flight sits pioneers like Garriott , who is showing that even without NASA 's support , everyone should get excited outer space , and have a chance to get there too .
Video game pioneer Richard Garriott is also avid space fan . Was one of world 's first space tourists and is ambassador for space privatization . Comment: