Apple II Bits

If you missed the opportunity to buy Richard Garriott’s house eight years ago, another piece of Apple II gaming property is now up for sale: the reclusive Ken and Roberta Williams of Sierra On-Line are selling their mansion.

If you’re a fan of Sierra On-Line’s games such as Mystery House, King’s Quest, and The Dark Crystal, you may even see references to it in the home’s décor.

If you’re interested in living at 40367 Goldside Drive in Oakhurst, California, be prepared to pony up a cool $2,310,000. It’s still less than Automattic paid for Tumblr, so go ahead and buy a piece of live-in history.

(Hat tip to Peter Paltridge )

Britannia may be the fictional setting of the Ultima game series, but that shouldn’t stop you from buying property there. For the cool sum of $4.1 million USD, Brittania Manor, the home of Richard Garriott, aka Lord British, can be yours.

Located at 8207 Two Coves Drive in Austin, Texas, the 5,900-square-foot mansion, currently for sale through RE/MAX, features all the essential amenities, including a pool, an observatory, a grotto, a waterfall, a sauna, a gazebo, and a five-car garage. The castle, built in 1987, appears to be in an excellent state of upkeep.

Britannia Manor is famous for its biennial haunted mansions, for which Mr. Garriott spared no expense. But assuming the house isn’t truly haunted, it raises the question: why is the house for sale? Surely someone who can afford a trip to outer space isn’t hurting for money. Maybe Mr. Garriott needs to fund his geocaching adventures?

(Hat tip to Jason Scott and Nathan Bernier)