Space traveling video gamer quits job

AUSTIN (KXAN) - There is a big surprise from Austin computer game mogul Richard Garriott. He is quitting his job after arriving back on planet Earth. The news came Tuesday in an open letter on the Web site for "Tabula Rasa," Garriott's latest game.

In the letter, Garriott announced he is leaving the game company to pursue other interests but did not elaborate on what he will do next. However, he said his 10 days on the International Space Station in October sparked some new interests that led to his decision to step down.

Garriott became the first offspring of an American astronaut to go into space Oct. 12 and the second person to wear the British Union flag in space. The Soyuz docked with the station on Oct. 14, and Garriott returned to Earth on Oct. 24.