Ultima Online: The Ultimate Collector's Guide

[CmdrFalcon]

After finally publishing my 826 page Ultima collector's guide in January I've been working hard to complete the Ultima Online counterpart. UO's 15th Anniversary certainly makes for appropriate timing. It's close to completion and I've launched a RocketHub campaign to help get it off to a strong start. If you're interested you can check out more info here:

Ultima Online: The Ultimate Collector's Guide

 

[wilki24]

This is awesome, man! I'll definitely have to get one to go with my Ultima Collector's guide.

 

[Bazer]

I will be buying one again myself, just hope i can get enough money saved up soon for one of the collectors edition ones

 

[SpyderBite]

I read the reasoning behind the lack of an eBook edition and I completely understand. Shame both mediums couldn't be offered though. I've been paperless since 2006. :/

 

[Arcus]

I really like the idea but Im just wondering how you are allowed to use another companies copyrighted artwork in something you are making money off of.

 

[Woodsman]

So is this going to show up on the Herald, or be snubbed like the Ultima Collector's Guide?

 

[Lord Frodo]

Now why would it show up on UOHerald? UO is not going to give free advertisment tosell something that is not thiers. I am supprised that this is still here. The last time someone did this it was removed. This is someone selling a product for real money and plugging it here. How much UO GOLD does this cost?

 

[Woodsman]

Now why would it show up on UOHerald? UO is not going to give free advertisment tosell something that is not thiers. I am supprised that this is still here. The last time someone did this it was removed. This is someone selling a product for real money and plugging it here. How much UO GOLD does this cost?

Check the UO official fansite listings, the UO Herald, the official UO website, is advertising for other websites that are offering advertising for things that are not paid for with UO GOLD!!!

This is a book that promotes UO and UO's history, a book that Jeff Skalski has Tweeted his support for. You know, Jeff Skalski, the Ultima Franchise Producer. Maybe you have heard of him. Jeff also Tweeted photos of the Ultima Collector's Guide when it came out last year.

Twitter / Jeff_Skalski: Love UO? Then check out and ...

Love UO? Then check out and support this awesome project.

Or are you wanting him to give it to you for free?

 

[Woodsman]

I really like the idea but Im just wondering how you are allowed to use another companies copyrighted artwork in something you are making money off of.

Have you ever been to a bookstore where they sell books about playing games, using computers, etc.? You can write books about videogames, software, etc. I know, it's shocking, right?

But I doubt he put together either the Ultima or UO Collectors Guides without the help of people at EA Mythic. Not just people like Jeff Skalski publicly declaring their support, but behind the scenes stuff.

As a matter of fact, supposedly some Ultima fans went to Mythic headquarters a few years ago and were allowed to copy/archive/scan the Origin archives. Actually it was Wing Commander fans that got to archive all of the Origin stuff, but I bet the writer of these books benefited.

Wing Commander CIC At EA Mythic - Archiving Project

 

[Woodsman]

Now why would it show up on UOHerald? UO is not going to give free advertisment tosell something that is not thiers. I am supprised that this is still here. The last time someone did this it was removed. This is someone selling a product for real money and plugging it here. How much UO GOLD does this cost?

The last time this was done, the thread was not removed, as you can see here: Ultima - The Ultimate Collector's Guide 2012 | Stratics Forums

And the UO Herald advertises for-profit (non-UO Gold) websites on its fansite listings. As a matter of fact, Stratics is a for-profit network that doesn't just cover Ultima or UO, it covers many other games, and EA has no problem promoting it on the Herald in the fansite listing or in various articles posted to the Herald over the years.

In this case, we are talking about a book that promotes only online Ultima games, not competing games from non-EA companies.

 

[CmdrFalcon]

@ Wilki & Bazer, thanks guys - I hope you've been enjoying the original

@ Arcus - Collector's Guides fall under the category of "fair use" for related images, etc. However as Woodsman mentioned, the people at EA (the Ultima Team in particular) have gone above and beyond in terms of their support. They've offered feedback & encouragement, checked on missing information, supplied art assets and much more. Both books have been verified by EA's legal department to ensure proper (C) & TM notices, etc.

There is a LOT of red tape involved when classifying something as an "official" product... Just for one example "Ultima: Escape From Mt Drash" in the Ultima book. It was created & published by Sierra On-Line who no longer exist. Most of their things now fall under Activision, but that would open up a whole new can of worms... While Ultima is obviously an EA trademark, the original game was not connected to Origin Systems at all. That alone would be a pretty hefty potential legal rights headache for something I'm sure Activision has never even heard of. There's also the issue of covering things like Tabula Rasa in the companion guide which is owned by NCsoft, Lord British's "Ultimate RPG" which is owned by Portalarium, etc.

While I'd certainly love to have "Official" status it would likely result in limitations on the items I'd be able to cover. Being unofficial gives me a lot more flexibility, and (again to their credit) EA never requested I change or censor anything in order to pass their approval.

@ Lord Frodo - I presume you're aware that real books cost money, but I'll let you know if I ever put together an in-game edition.

@ Woodsman - Thanks for clarifying all of that for everyone While it hasn't been posted directly on UO Herald yet, Ultima Codex is actually the guides' official home now which is linked. There's also the video Paul Barnett posted about the original

 

[wilki24]

I've known Stephen for almost a decade now, going back to when we were both admins for Stratics UXO site. I've given him some help on some of the info in the books, and he used to help me sort out Ultima lore questions back in the day when I was a designer.

Calling what he does as "for profit", is stretching the definition of the word quite a bit. These books are a project he's been working on for many years, and given the amount of hours he's put into finding all of this information, compiling it, checking the accuracy, etc... whatever extra money he makes after paying for the publication costs is going to add up to pennies for each hour of work.

He does it for the love of the games, not for the money. I know a few other people who are involved in for-profit ventures involving MMOs, and Stephen just doesn't have that mindset at all... this isn't a way for him to make a living, or even to take his family on a nice vacation, it's something he did because he wanted these collector's guides to exist, so he did it himself.

 

[kelmo]

Wilki's word is good enough for me.

 

[Silentfury]

I was #7 of your $150 Contributors. I'm so glad I could help out another true UO Collector. I have a nice UO Collection myself and can't wait to see what the Books look like. My prized piece is a toss up between the Radcliffe Pewter Dragon and the UO Fanfaire Beer Stein.

 

[CmdrFalcon]

Thanks Silentfury! I know most game collectors are generally more interested in the older / rarer / more valuable classic Ultima series when it comes to the physical items, but Ultima Online has a fascinating history worth preserving as well. UO had quite the variety compared to the original series... Sure there were the typical strategy guides, t-shirts, posters, etc... BUT there were also mini statues (I love those Radcliffe ones as well), action figures, swords, teddy bears, crystals, novels, credit cards, jewelery, clocks, doggy shirts (thank you Lord of Ultima...), the list goes on...

There are plenty of resources to keep track of the "in game rares", I figured there should be at least one to keep track of the "real life rares"

 

[Poo]

10/10 $150 contributors, so sold out of the top end backing.
and 176% of goal is where it currently is.

i would say thats a success in my book!

and im looking forward to getting my 733T Loot in the mail!

 

[Fogsbane]

An early Christmas present arrived, my copy of the guide showed up in the mailbox today!

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!

Thank you so much for the effort on putting this together CmdrFalcon.

 

[Poo]

OMG, im such a dolt!

mine came in the mail on saturday and i left the box in the back of my Yukon!
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

crud..... and its -30 out before the wind chill..... do i really wanna run out to get it or wait till i absolutely HAVE to go outside then get it, haha

 

[Poo]

oh.... my..... god becky!

that book is ridiculously awesome!

for those of you who ordered it, check your mail, its there!
for those that haven't yet!

GET IT!
it doesn't disappoint!

 

[Widow Maker]

Truly an awesome work Steve. Well beyond impressed and impressing. *tips hat*

 

[CmdrFalcon]

Thanks everyone, I'm really glad you're enjoying them

As I figured, there are far fewer collectors of the physical UO items compared to the original Ultima series (virtual items get all the glory on the UO side of things...). It is however a history worthy of preservation - who needs pixelated snowmen when you can get real world long swords, lunch boxes, action figures & teddy bears?

 

[Silentfury]

I received mine on December 24th, my Birthday !!! I made my Day.
It's a fantastic set and have recommended it to my Friends and Guildmates.

 

[Silentfury]

oh.... my..... god becky!

that book is ridiculously awesome!

for those of you who ordered it, check your mail, its there!
for those that haven't yet!

GET IT!
it doesn't disappoint!

It was great to also see your name on the Benefactors List Poo. True UO Lover's Gotta Represent !!!

 

[RaDian FlGith]

Just a suggestion about the cover for the Ultima Online guide... if that's the logo you intend to use, scale it proportionally. It's evident from the sample cover that you've scaled it along the X axis, pinching it in, and it looks distorted. For the effort that you're going through on the book itself, it should have a pristine cover.

EDIT - Of course, this might have been more timely a few months ago. *shrugs* Clearly missed the opportunity to comment.

 

[Poo]

It was great to also see your name on the Benefactors List Poo. True UO Lover's Gotta Represent !!!

it was a neat opportunity to help and contribute that i jumped on.
what my good looks and obvious charm cant fix my billfold can assist on.

 

[CmdrFalcon]

@ RaDian - Believe me I agonized about that logo... The real challenge was I designed (and published) the original Ultima cover first. To keep the same style (I wanted all the books to have a cohesive look) I had to play around with the proportions a little. If I went based on width, the logo would be too short and not particularly prominent. If I went by height, it would be too wide for the runic border. Having Ultima on top of Online looked even worse. Had I designed the UO cover first it would have been much easier to create a matching Ultima version... Alas in the end my only viable option was the distortion.