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Unfortunately, for those that play these and many other games in the past, there comes a time when companies move on. The list of games closed by EA alone is very long and well the article calls some of the latest batch classics that is really an overstatement. Can Ultima Online be closed, of course it can, just like any other business venture the owner can decide that it is time. I think one thing people some time forget when looking at the fate of other games is there are truly few real classics of which Ultima Online is one, it is the oldest MMORPG running today, it is also the first online MMORPG. These two facts alone give reason to keep it running, as ego can play as big a part in owning something like this as the hard business facts. I've heard rumors for years about one of the real classics being shut down and have yet to see that happen so, at least for now, I won't be concerned over this possibility.
Island of Kesmai
Meridian 59
The Shadow of Yserbius (and its sequels)
The originals of these were shut down. You can still find off-brand servers running them, just as you can find off-brand shards of Ultima Online.
Do you think if Amazon acquires EA Amazon will care about UO? I hear rumors a lot that Amazon is thinking/working to acquire EA... that could change a lot of things... Though I will say Amazon probably has more power to put behind closing down "free" shards... which would be a shame... but well... cross that bridge if it comes I suppose. No reason to panic till the deal is done I suppose.
Had to look into this rumor about Amazon buying EA or it seems like anyone and stumbled across this interesting little article in Forbes. In short, they point to the idea that it would be a good idea for Amazon to purchase EA, and even though EA has been looking to sell in current years, they aren't going to be purchased by Amazon. The article also talks about the likelihood of the other major players picking up EA and comes to the conclusion that it has no potential buyers. As for the status of Ultima should EA get purchased, I still firmly believe that it's position would be safe simply because it was the first and frankly no one is going to want to close down what is the first. Of course, that's just my opinion and like everyone else I'm entitled to one!
Amazon’s Not Buying EA, But Should It? Should Anyone? (forbes.com)
Amazon’s Not Buying EA, But Should It? Should Anyone? (forbes.com)
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FAKEUSERNAME
Adventurer
This is just the beginning.
A lot of companies have began making cutbacks.
There's a few reasons why but Broadsword won't be around much longer unless Mesanna makes some good decisions quick.
I'd say that's one of those stories UO players like to tell each other, but that gets rarely shared outside of UO circles.
etc. pp.
Realistically, I'd imagine a EA exec doesn't look further than the net profit from whatever agreement they have with Broadsword. I doubt they are bothered whether Broadsword runs 1, 2 or 5 online games. It's more liekly that Denton is just pulling the plug should it not net the money he still needs to pay the UO team each month. But until then, why should anyone be bothered.
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Sorry to break it to everybody, but UO is not the longest running MMORPG. Check the ultima online entry at Wikipedia (under Reception -> Awards) - the reward from the guiness book was revoked as there was another MMORPG (Furcadia) a bit older than UO.
So the guiness book has apparently credited Furcadia as the longest running MMORPG:
en.wikipedia.org
So the guiness book has apparently credited Furcadia as the longest running MMORPG:
Furcadia - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
LMAO We been hearing this doom and gloom for 25 years and here we still stand.
Until we don't.
Wow. I did not know about this at all. Interesting read.Sorry to break it to everybody, but UO is not the longest running MMORPG. Check the ultima online entry at Wikipedia (under Reception -> Awards) - the reward from the guiness book was revoked as there was another MMORPG (Furcadia) a bit older than UO.
So the guiness book has apparently credited Furcadia as the longest running MMORPG:
Furcadia - Wikipedia
I open-beta'd The Realm and Asheron's Call as well as a couple releases of UO. I saw somewhere that supposedly The Realm would be longer MMO than UO if there hadn't been a gap in operation when Sierra Online went >poof<.
What is also disturbing news is that Furcadia claims to have 60,000 players (although the data refers to 2008). A former GM who has had access to live player numbers 3 years ago, puts the total UO population in the range of a few thousand paid accounts (so less than 10,000) [see here: AMA: Former Broadsword GM River, EM Emile Layne and PEC Raine : ultimaonline (reddit.com)]
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Bottom line, in terms of guiness-book-world-records and in terms of current subscribers given its age, UO is actually far less important and efficient than we all think it is. Similar to other classical games, I can see EA easily pulling the plug if subscription numbers of UO further decline or if Mesanna retires in a few years (not sure how old she is, no offense meant). Without having the bragging rights of running the longest MMORPG anymore, there is no real need to keep UO on life support, meaning it will entirely come down to a financial decision. As another poster said recently, the fact that they have been channeling all creative energy into a new server which nobody asked for could indicate that we are close to that break-even point.
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- I didn't have access to subscriber-numbers. But I did get live shard counts. So how many players were online at a given time across all shards.
It's low. I'd estimate the current subscription base is in the 1000's, concurrent players in the 100's.
Bottom line, in terms of guiness-book-world-records and in terms of current subscribers given its age, UO is actually far less important and efficient than we all think it is. Similar to other classical games, I can see EA easily pulling the plug if subscription numbers of UO further decline or if Mesanna retires in a few years (not sure how old she is, no offense meant). Without having the bragging rights of running the longest MMORPG anymore, there is no real need to keep UO on life support, meaning it will entirely come down to a financial decision. As another poster said recently, the fact that they have been channeling all creative energy into a new server which nobody asked for could indicate that we are close to that break-even point.
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FAKEUSERNAME
Adventurer
You haven't been hearing it that long as you haven't been playing UO for 25 years.
Regardless, UO hasn't been in this situation in it's entire history.
It's poorly managed and in the worst shape it's ever been.
You can't deny this, any person who has been playing for some time can see it.
With rampant cutbacks in the tech sector, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Broadsword getting cutback, especially considering the poor overall management of UO and poor management of financials.
Keep in mind Broadsword has a small team that is unskilled and poorly funded.
A team of skilled individuals with proper funding could easily cause a lot of problems with the end result being Broadsword no longer existing.
UO hasn't been in this situation in it's entire history.
When UO is shut down, the last person to say it will proclaim "I was right!!" but that doesn't change that it'll just be coincidence and that people have been predicting this game's imminent death for its entire run. The first prediction of the game's imminent death I have ever found was one month after release and the issue of the moment was the lack of implementation of the ferry from Skara to the mainland.
OMG You are so funny and have no clue what you are talking about.
One could argue they started in relatively the same situation some here currently envision. UO started with a small staff, horrid funding, backers that didn’t want to back UO, and altho the team were visionaries at the time... they were grossly under skilled for the endeavor they hoped to bring the world with no one supporting their efforts.
The doom & gloom rhetoric is tired & old as UO itself. Enjoy what you have when & while you have it.
Move along, nothing to see here.
The doom & gloom rhetoric is tired & old as UO itself. Enjoy what you have when & while you have it.
Move along, nothing to see here.
Not sure if anyone has heard but the sky is falling, and global warming will kill us all in a couple of years! There are always rumors of older games closing, and fears that one day we will lose our world. One day it probably will happen, but I am not going to go about everyday worrying that tomorrow is the last.
Even older single-player games are around - from well before UO. Case in point: Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards (Sierra Online). It's on Steam as are sequels. If things go "south" for UO, it might well end up on Steam after all!
Umm, how exactly? Unlike single-player games, UO requires a server. If things go south for UO, the only alternative would be private shards. Considering that some of them are better run than the official one (not exactly a high standard), may not be a bad thing.Even older single-player games are around - from well before UO. Case in point: Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards (Sierra Online). It's on Steam as are sequels. If things go "south" for UO, it might well end up on Steam after all!
On the "how", they could do it like with that T2A demo UODemo Wiki, i.e. package a single player server along with the client.
Not that I would recommend it though, but it happened before.