Ultimate Collector: I Shall Mount Your Boxes In My Hall

Portalarium's second game, Ultimate Collector: Garage Sale, is currently in beta on Facebook. Designed by Origin-founder Richard Garriott, Ultimate Collector is something altogether unexpected.

At first glance the game, with its bright colors and Sims-inspired interface, seems to be another casual Zynga-style "ville" game. The type of game that will get everyone involved very rich but perhaps not interest old school gamers. Appearances can be decieving, though, and in this case they belie a game that is actually built around the sort of complex mechanics that Garriott's Ultima series were known for. Players looking for a simple 'collect stuff' game are rapidly lead into an experience that is not unlike the crafting mechanics found in serious MMORPGs.

Of most interest to Wing Commander fans, though, is the fact that Garriott has populated his new universe with fun in-jokes about his Origin days, including Wing Commander games you can collect! I must confess that these screenshots were provided by David Swofford as I have been unable to collect the games myself as of yet... but I plan to keep playing until I do! And almost certainly beyond that.