Video game company to put gamers' DNA in space
Well known video game designer Richard Garriott, who led the creation of 'Tabula Rasa' for NCSoft, will be the next private citizen to visit space, and he will be taking the DNA of some players with him for a time capsule project known as Operation Immortality.
(Credit: NCSoft)If you've every wanted to live forever, legendary game designer Richard Garriott--also known in the video game community as "Lord British"--may give you the chance.
That's because Garriott, who has paid well into eight figures for the chance to go to space, is planning to take the DNA of several of his games' players with him for eternal stellar posterity.
The mission, known as "Operation Immortality," will launch this October when Garriott will fly aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket to the International Space Station, taking with him a time capsule that will include the DNA of players of his well-known game, Tabula Rasa.
The game's publisher, announced Wednesday that it will offer the opportunity to any Tabula Rasa player to have their DNA sequenced and digitized and added to the time capsule that Garriott will take with him into space.
Further, any player of the game with an active account as of September 2, will have their character uploaded digitally to the time capsule. Those who haven't bought the game will be able to use a free trial NCSoft is offering.
Daniel Terdiman is a staff writer at CNET News covering games, Net culture, and everything in between. E-mail Daniel. 
