A thousand apologies if this post is needless, and most everyone already knows this stuff.
But my impression from the thread about the new Producer is that there's some confusion about the use of the term Ultima Franchise and its meaning. I've seen similar confusion about this concept before, in other contexts. So a post seemed useful.
Anyway, here we go, I'll try and keep it comparatively short and generic. And again, sorry if everyone knows this already and I was just misreading folks.
Ultima Online is based on a series of single-player games, the Ultima Series (sometimes people will call it Ultima Prime) that started in the 1980s and continued until several years after UO was already out. There was a main series, of 9 games (at least one of the games had 2 parts, so some people say there was actually 10, or a little more). There were also offshoot series, including Ultima Underworld. Most of these were computer games, there was at least one console game that I can recall.
Many of the most important NPCs and concepts from UO came originally from the main series. The Virtues, for example. Also Lord British, Lord Blackthorn, Minax, Mondain, etc. The epic Warriors of Destiny scenario came directly from one of the single-player games from the original series, albeit with major changes!
The Underworld series was the inspiration for the Stygian Abyss Dungeon, and the Savage Empire scenario, from way back, which gave us Savages and bolas.
Fictionally, the events of the first game in this series created thousands of parallels of the original Ultima universe, hence the shards. Events in UO have thus paralleled events in the Ultima Prime games. Paralleled; not exactly followed by any means.
In addition to these various single-player games and UO itself, the Ultima brand name also incorporated a few books, based on UO, and as far as I know no one has ever read them. There were also teddy bears named after the Virtues. (Some of you may remember this. Frankly as a marketing ploy it was something of a fail.)
So when they say this new guy is in charge of the "Ultima Franchise," the implication is that EA has some kind of plan for the brand name. Re-issuing the old games? Remaking them? Some have speculated there's a Facebook game in the works. (I forget how "official" that speculation is.) We don't know. And is a refocus on the Ultima brand name generally good or bad for UO? I have no idea.
Fun, related fact: The company that made up Ultima was Origin Systems Incorporated, or Origin, or OSI. EA bought them back in the 80s, before UO was made. So those of you who think EA bought UO? Incorrect. They've always owned it, as they bought OSI before UO was made. All that has happened really is that EA phased out OSI and decided to run UO directly, rather than through its subsidiary.
So,there it is.
-Galen's player
But my impression from the thread about the new Producer is that there's some confusion about the use of the term Ultima Franchise and its meaning. I've seen similar confusion about this concept before, in other contexts. So a post seemed useful.
Anyway, here we go, I'll try and keep it comparatively short and generic. And again, sorry if everyone knows this already and I was just misreading folks.
Ultima Online is based on a series of single-player games, the Ultima Series (sometimes people will call it Ultima Prime) that started in the 1980s and continued until several years after UO was already out. There was a main series, of 9 games (at least one of the games had 2 parts, so some people say there was actually 10, or a little more). There were also offshoot series, including Ultima Underworld. Most of these were computer games, there was at least one console game that I can recall.
Many of the most important NPCs and concepts from UO came originally from the main series. The Virtues, for example. Also Lord British, Lord Blackthorn, Minax, Mondain, etc. The epic Warriors of Destiny scenario came directly from one of the single-player games from the original series, albeit with major changes!
The Underworld series was the inspiration for the Stygian Abyss Dungeon, and the Savage Empire scenario, from way back, which gave us Savages and bolas.
Fictionally, the events of the first game in this series created thousands of parallels of the original Ultima universe, hence the shards. Events in UO have thus paralleled events in the Ultima Prime games. Paralleled; not exactly followed by any means.
In addition to these various single-player games and UO itself, the Ultima brand name also incorporated a few books, based on UO, and as far as I know no one has ever read them. There were also teddy bears named after the Virtues. (Some of you may remember this. Frankly as a marketing ploy it was something of a fail.)
So when they say this new guy is in charge of the "Ultima Franchise," the implication is that EA has some kind of plan for the brand name. Re-issuing the old games? Remaking them? Some have speculated there's a Facebook game in the works. (I forget how "official" that speculation is.) We don't know. And is a refocus on the Ultima brand name generally good or bad for UO? I have no idea.
Fun, related fact: The company that made up Ultima was Origin Systems Incorporated, or Origin, or OSI. EA bought them back in the 80s, before UO was made. So those of you who think EA bought UO? Incorrect. They've always owned it, as they bought OSI before UO was made. All that has happened really is that EA phased out OSI and decided to run UO directly, rather than through its subsidiary.
So,there it is.
-Galen's player
) and have the Dragon Edition which includes Akalabeth. I still wax nostalgic and suffer the graphics just for kicks.
SORRY ... gonna need the resume/CV for the >top ten<
until THAT is detailed defined ... it lacks >context< annnnnd ... ???
