A Funny Thing Happened While Playing UO...

[Jirel of Joiry]

Okay I was playing UO yesterday on my neglected tamer. He has two of those "Correspendence From Minax" stuck in his backpack. You can't finish the quest with them because they're bugged and you can't throw them down. I remembered that a GM could delete these.

I had tried the night before to get a GM and noticed something odd with the GM paging system. The initial page goes through but then nothing happens. No stupid "You are 6th in queue" message. I though well I'l try again. Well two hours after I made the intial page and no message I decided the GM paging system must be broken. So I though well I'll call 1-866-543-5435 and let them know the GM paging system is broken so they can get the info to the appropreiate people.

Okay so I get throught the "pick your poison"...err I mean your game. I choose option 9 cause UO no longer rates its own option. I get a woman who I will call "Cordelia Chase". I give her my email and phone number. I then explain why I'm calling. She then informs me "I'm sorry EA is no longer supporting Ultima Online." Ultima Online has its own phone number and everything you'll need to call them. I inform Cordelia that this is the only phone number I have ever had for UO support. I also told her I check the UO website regularly and there has been no mention of EA not supporting UO. Also EA is still collecting my monthly suscription fee. Well Cordelia was like all insistant that EA doesn't support Ultima Online anymore. So I said thank you, muttered something about why couldn't I be addicted to World of Warcraft, and rang off.

My story could have ended there, but it really, really, really bugged me that EA might not be supporting UO anymore. I decided to ring the number in Redwood, CA and find out if the information was 100% true. Well I decided the best way to get past the receptionist is to do my "inquiring-minds-want-to-know type person" schitck. So when I get the very nice receptionist person I explain nicely that I didn't know exactly who I needed to talk to but I would like to confirm some information. Is it true that Electronic Art has decided to no longer support its long running, award winnning MMO Ultima Online? What is the future of UO? Is there plans in the works for Ultima Online to be sunsetted? If so then when? The receptionist is befuddled, shocked and confused. (Excellent!) She then asked where did I get this information that she had heard no such thing. I then tell her I have been a subscriber to Ultima Online for 10 years and this is what I was told today when I called the customer service 800 number. She said well she heard no announcment or news of that happening. She said she would connect me with the Customer Service Supervisor that he'd certainly know what's going on. Okay, I thought now we're getting somewhere....I hope.

I then get a very nice guy named Robert who identifies himself as a Customer Service Supervisor. Well he certainly sounds like someone who knows what he's doing. I hit him with the same barrage of questions. He asks me "Who told you EA is no longer supporting Ultima Online?" I reply nicely that it was a young woman on their customer support number at 1-866-543-5435. He asks if I got her name. I said no because unfortunately I couldn't understand her name she said it so fast, but I do have a reference number. He said that he could look it up by that and find out who I talked to. Well I give him the reference number ,he types it in and guess what it doesn't show up in the system. Hmm, gee why am I *NOT* surprised? Well he asked what my original call was about. I tell him and he says "Oh, yeah the in game support servers are down, and no eta when they'll be back up." The day before EA had a massive crash of multiple servers for multiple games including Pogo and were still having trouble all because of the weather. I said okay why couldn't she have said that instead of what she said? He said he didn't know but that as far as UO goes it'd be unlikely that they'd sunset it because it's one of the few titles still making a profit. I thank him profusly and rung off.

Well part of me wants to place my total faith in the words of good Sir Robert. The other distrustful, slightly paranoid part of me is worried that maybe, just maybe Cordelia let something slip that she shouldn't. Then again maybe its just some paranoia kicking in. What do ya'll think guys? Chime in and let me hear yall's thoughts.

*Pulls on the flame proof suit just in case*

 

[Ender]

Cordelia Chase? Happen to be a big Buffy/Angel fan?

 

[Taylor]

Sounds like EA has miscommunicated or not communicated with one of their CSRs. In-game CSRs also mishear details (e.g., recent issue with boats). Weird, indeed, but not definitive.

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

Cordelia Chase? Happen to be a big Buffy/Angel fan?

LOL Actually yes I am. This CSR reminded me of either Cordelia or the Vamp receptionist of Angel's(I can't for the love of me remember her name.) She was completely "Cali" and just came off as kind of a feather-brained airhead....like Cordelia! lol

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

Sounds like EA has miscommunicated or not communicated with one of their CSRs. In-game CSRs also mishear details (e.g., recent issue with boats). Weird, indeed, but not definitive.

*Sigh* They do seem to have that problem alot don't they? It make me wonder what kind of Customer service the other half (WoW, LOTRO & DnDo) have? Is it better than ours? Worse? I can't help but wonder sometimes. Well at least we have better customer support than Comcast and Dell...But I heard Dell is improving theirs.

 

[Martyna Zmuir]

LOL Actually yes I am. This CSR reminded me of either Cordelia or the Vamp receptionist of Angel's(I can't for the love of me remember her name.) She was completely "Cali" and just came off as kind of a feather-brained airhead....like Cordelia! lol

Harmony

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

Harmony

Yes!!! Thank you Martyna Zmuir! That's who she was more like than Cordelia!

 

[canary]

*Sigh* They do seem to have that problem alot don't they? It make me wonder what kind of Customer service the other half (WoW, LOTRO & DnDo) have? Is it better than ours? Worse? I can't help but wonder sometimes. Well at least we have better customer support than Comcast and Dell...But I heard Dell is improving theirs.

Better.

Pretty much UO has the most dreadful CS I've experienced, and that includes a host of F2P games.

 

[shulginist]

Okay I was playing UO yesterday on my neglected tamer. He has two of those "Correspendence From Minax" stuck in his backpack. You can't finish the quest with them because they're bugged and you can't throw them down. I remembered that a GM could delete these.

I didn't read the whole thing or any responses (Typing during smallville commercial) but if you have a quest item in pack and want it removed put 125/125 items in your backpack then put a non sc weapon in your hand and cast a spell. The old quest item will then fall to the ground once the weapon goes to your backpack.

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

Ultima Online has its own phone number and everything you'll need to call them. I inform Cordelia that this is the only phone number I have ever had for UO support.

*ahem*

should have asked for THAT number ... eh?

slight possibility that YOU "got played" still exists ...
ie. you dialed the wrong CS number ... and THEY kill time ... playing "as if" they are indeed UO ... which they aren't ...
BUT ... since they get the occasional: Can you replace my lost item >mis dialed calls< and those people(UO players) ... can't possibly have dialed nothing in error ...

just saying ...

 

[Deaol]

I had this EXACT problem two nights ago. I got a game code emailed to me and when I went to use it... it failed, said it was not valid.. tried numerous times.. no go.

I called EA (toll free number) went through the same ropes... the CSR told me they cannot help with Ultima Online related issues.. I was like WTF? Really?

.......... but all hope was not lost.

I continued my battle, logged on to the EA support site and filed a ticket. And within not days.. hours.. but MINUTES.. Ea replied and got my code figured out.. and this was now after 11pm (PST)

So all I can say is the online side of things seems to be working for support issues.

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

*ahem*

should have asked for THAT number ... eh?

slight possibility that YOU "got played" still exists ...
ie. you dialed the wrong CS number ... and THEY kill time ... playing "as if" they are indeed UO ... which they aren't ...
BUT ... since they get the occasional: Can you replace my lost item >mis dialed calls< and those people(UO players) ... can't possibly have dialed nothing in error ...

just saying ...

Well sweetie see for yourself 1-866-543-5435 option# 9.

Gee, just because I still play uo doesn't mean I'm so f'ing stupid I don't know which phone number I called.

Secondly the Redwood number the receptionist did say " WELCOME TO ELECTRONIC ARTS". Gee, what do I know I'm just some airhead blonde that plays Ultime Online.

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

I said okay why couldn't she have said that instead of what she said? He said he didn't know but that as far as UO goes it'd be unlikely that they'd sunset it because it's one of the few titles still making a profit. I thank him profusly and rung off.

Interesting.

-Galen's player

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

I didn't read the whole thing or any responses (Typing during smallville commercial) but if you have a quest item in pack and want it removed put 125/125 items in your backpack then put a non sc weapon in your hand and cast a spell. The old quest item will then fall to the ground once the weapon goes to your backpack.

Well I just tried it and it didn't work. Thank you for the help, sweetie.

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

Interesting.

-Galen's player

I though so too.

 

[popps]

He said he didn't know but that as far as UO goes it'd be unlikely that they'd sunset it because it's one of the few titles still making a profit. I thank him profusly and rung off.

Cool, I can only say, COOL.

It is refreshing to hear that the granddaddy of all online multiplayer games is one of the "few titles" still making a profit after 13 years of existance and going into its 14 years........

 

[Ender]

I said okay why couldn't she have said that instead of what she said? He said he didn't know but that as far as UO goes it'd be unlikely that they'd sunset it because it's one of the few titles still making a profit. I thank him profusly and rung off.

Interesting.

-Galen's player

Well, it's not like they put much effort into doing anything for the game. rolleyes:

 

[Raptor85]

Interesting.

-Galen's player

Is it really though? UO can't take THAT much processing power or bandwidth, and at $10 a month per account that's a LOT of money, assuming we're even as low as down to 30k accounts (a very low estimate, even with current population it's probably significantly higher than that....and the fact that many people have 2-3 accounts) you're talking almost 4 million a year. That's easily enough for bandwidth, inevitable hardware failures, power, a full time staff, a few dedicated support, and still have a tidy profit on the side.


Knowing how EA works though, it's probably split something like 3.9 million to EA profits, 100k to pay for UO development and support.

 

[popps]

Is it really though? UO can't take THAT much processing power or bandwidth, and at $10 a month per account that's a LOT of money, assuming we're even as low as down to 30k accounts (a very low estimate, even with current population it's probably significantly higher than that....and the fact that many people have 2-3 accounts) you're talking almost 4 million a year. That's easily enough for bandwidth, inevitable hardware failures, power, a full time staff, a few dedicated support, and still have a tidy profit on the side.


Knowing how EA works though, it's probably split something like 3.9 million to EA profits, 100k to pay for UO development and support.

Personally, what I heard with pleasure was that Ultima Online is one of the few games that still makes a profit. This, after 13 years of being in the market and competing with other games, much newer...

 

[Basara]

Is it really though? UO can't take THAT much processing power or bandwidth, and at $10 a month per account that's a LOT of money, assuming we're even as low as down to 30k accounts (a very low estimate, even with current population it's probably significantly higher than that....and the fact that many people have 2-3 accounts) you're talking almost 4 million a year. That's easily enough for bandwidth, inevitable hardware failures, power, a full time staff, a few dedicated support, and still have a tidy profit on the side.


Knowing how EA works though, it's probably split something like 3.9 million to EA profits, 100k to pay for UO development and support.

Personally, what I heard with pleasure was that Ultima Online is one of the few games that still makes a profit. This, after 13 years of being in the market and competing with other games, much newer...

UO is profitable because its 2D isometric view doesn't HAVE to show realistic human motion.

Most of those games losing money are ones that are 3D or rotational view games, especially sports games, where the consumer EXPECTS everything to move in real time as close to human motion as possible. That costs a LOT in terms of motion capture and programming, and frankly there's not been all that much to show for the money spent.

Most of the easy work was done before 2005, and "refining" the games each year costs as much, if not more, as the work from almost a decade ago, but is only really improving the game by the slightest of increments from the previous versions (and if that "improvement" is rejected by the consumers, an entire year's worth of work was wasted when they go back the next year to build from an earlier version). And, it's getting to where even the First Person Military Shooters are starting to suffer from the same problem (CoD, MoH, Battlefield, etc.)

EA and their competitors, have got it into their heads that they need a "brand new" version of every sports or shooter game every year, when in fact they'd be MUCH better off financially if they just made a new version every 2-3 years, and simply released booster/expansion pack yearly, to change the rosters or add minor new features.

These are ONLINE games in the broadband era, and all of the companies are failing to recognize the parallels these games have with the early days of MMOs, where trying to "move people to a sequel" only worked a couple times, and then only early on. Their model is based on the "radically improving tech" and "updates aren't all that feasable" models of non-net-compatible console games of the 1990s (and PC games from when most net connections were by modem).

As it is, NBA Live already has the ability to update rosters for injuries and trades (and even tweaking players who are having real-lift hot or cold streaks) within a day, via internet downloads (and even the ability to add whole new teams, like all-star teams made of the best players of the 70s or 80s, when they were in their prime).

EA wouldn't be so broke if they'd adopted that for all console and PC sports games 4 or so years ago, when it was first proposed, and not wasted all that money on constant redevelopment costs. (after all, for a "new" game, all they'd have to do is sell the old game, repackaged, at a current patch level, with boosters in the new packaging - and lose the year identifiers).

 

[Lorddog]

this is an easy one -
take uo and just change up all the graphics and convert some of the skills to different environments.
like a futuristic one
perhaps a dinasourist one
perhaps a 1600s one

maybe a horror one

lorddog

 

[Zosimus]

From a business perspective........

What companay in their right mind would tell any customer that any game they have is losing money? They dont want the people jump a leaking ship to make it sink faster. I bet if I called about DaoC or Warhammer they say the same thing. As long as they can drain you of what pocket change you want to spend on their products everything is fine in any service they offer until the door closes.

EA is the only company I know that wants the pay as you play plus so nickel and dime microtransactions on top of it. They want their cake and ice cream at the same time.

 

[Lorddog]

EA is the only company I know that wants the pay as you play plus so nickel and dime microtransactions on top of it.

all the card games - expecially magic the gathering nickle and dime you to death. and those are pretty much necessity. uo micro deals are not.

4 million / year is not that great a deal if you have to payout 1 million in hardware, .5 million in bandwidth, .3 million in sales/support and perhaps 1 million in developer(s) costs
that probably breaks even. if they are making more then i think it can be feasable. if less then they are probably up against a wall.

(this isnt considering exec's exhorbant pays)

 

[TheScoundrelRico]

Okay I was playing UO yesterday on my neglected tamer.

I thought you quit UO in disgust (a number of times)...la

 

[canary]

If UO is profitable, it is because it has a skeleton crew and a 13 year old game that was paid off in development costs AGES ago.

Personally, I'm taking Jirel's comment with a grain of salt. As I do with most of 'her' comments.

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

[QUOTEPersonally, I'm taking Jirel's comment with a grain of salt. As I do with most of 'her' comments.[/QUOTE]

Why is it that anytime I post in Uhall you have to personally attack me? What have I ever done to you? What leads you to think I'm not a female as I have stated numerous times; because I won't send you a naked picture of me? Sorry but if you want naked pictures go buy a Playboy! You sir are a Troll and its too bad the Moderators didn't ban you years ago.

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

I thought you quit UO in disgust (a number of times)...la

Why is it that you have to personally attack me? What have I ever done to you? As if I am the ONLY PERSON in the whole history of UO to quit and come back! You sir are also a Troll and its too bad the Moderators didn't ban you years ago too. IMHO Uhall needs a enema!

 

[Uriah Heep]

IMHO Uhall needs a enema!

 

[Petra Fyde]

This thread's certainly on its way to the toilet. Let's flush it.