Ultima Online on Steam and Digital Distribution.

[WarderDragon]

Steam.

Steam is one of the top providers of Online Game Digital Distribution.

Warhammer Online is on Steam. Dragon Age Origins and Battlefield is on Steam. Numerous other EA titles can be found on Steam.

Almost all modern MMORPGs are on Steam. EVE Online. Age of Conan. EverQuest. Guild Wars. Aion.

All but Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot.

If the Producer is arguing that Digital Distribution is the future of Online Gaming and is the method Ultima Online is going to use to reach new players ... why aren't we on Steam?

 

[red sky]

... why aren't we on Steam?

Good question.

 

[Viper09]

Steam would be great for uo. Since we don't have any advertising steam might give uo a decent boost.

 

[Fayled Dhreams]

As long as it is free ...

Doh!

Hell ...
Let them take over the UOGamecodes "function"

They apparently have some-what-better-than >halfassed< secure accounting software ...

Shoot ! ... they may even have some part-timers that could do the GM thang ...


just saying ...

 

[Ashlynn_L]

As a Steam user myself, this is a good question!

 

[covert]

Just a little correction, no Blizzard product is currently on Steam, and that obviously includes WoW.

I agree, though. It'd be a very nice thing. Multi-Mythic pass, too! Make it happen!

 

[Metalstorm]

What happens when you run out of steam?

Sorry, I couldn't resist

 

[Llewen]

*ignores Metalstorm*

Yes, it would be a good thing for UO to be available on Steam. Not sure how Steam would handle game codes but it would have to be better than UO Game Codes. But yes, I think Steam would be a great way for UO to gain some visibility.

 

[Gilmour]

short answer: you dont pay for uo, you pay for the account, steam sells software, not subscriptions

 

[ress me plz]

short answer: you dont pay for uo, you pay for the account, steam sells software, not subscriptions

you also pay for UO, buyng the expansions

 

[Kiminality]

short answer: you dont pay for uo, you pay for the account, steam sells software, not subscriptions

Actually, that's not strictly true.
EVE, for example.

I don't think it'd be worth putting UO on Steam, tbh.
I use Steam, and love it to bits.
Given the choice between buying a game anywhere else, or on Steam, I'll usually go for Steam.
But, if UO turned up on Steam, it would be directly competing for sales with other MMOs. Any boost in sales it got would be dependant on being able to sell itself to a customer above the other MMOs sold on Steam. Let's be honest very few people, without prior knowledge of UO (which would make it likely they'd get it from elsewhere), would select a game with 13 year old visuals over a modern game.

 

[Babble]

Maybe not profitable enough for steam to host uo client?

 

[Neutron Bomb]

Steam has over 30 million users, and they constantly run sales or highlight games in their store that bring in people by the truckload.

I think Steam would be a great idea.

 

[covert]

I guess it sort of is like putting an old man on a roster for a professional team, even if the old man is a lot cooler than most of the other players.

Meh, they've spun wheels for this long. I don't see what would make them jump at the idea now.

 

[Kaleb]

I guess it sort of is like putting an old man on a roster for a professional team, even if the old man is a lot cooler than most of the other players.

Meh, they've spun wheels for this long. I don't see what would make them jump at the idea now.

It worked for the Minnesota Vikings.

 

[Nine Dark Moons]

/signed

 

[WarderDragon]

But, if UO turned up on Steam, it would be directly competing for sales with other MMOs. Any boost in sales it got would be dependant on being able to sell itself to a customer above the other MMOs sold on Steam. Let's be honest very few people, without prior knowledge of UO (which would make it likely they'd get it from elsewhere), would select a game with 13 year old visuals over a modern game.

Few? Perhaps.

But that beats the '0' sales Ultima Online would receive not advertising themselves on Steam and other Digital Distribution Sources.

 

[Viper09]

But, if UO turned up on Steam, it would be directly competing for sales with other MMOs. Any boost in sales it got would be dependant on being able to sell itself to a customer above the other MMOs sold on Steam. Let's be honest very few people, without prior knowledge of UO (which would make it likely they'd get it from elsewhere), would select a game with 13 year old visuals over a modern game.

Compared to the current advertising? Er, 0 advertising. People might see UO on steam, assuming offering a simple trial with a free download of the client, and decide to give it a try. Steam would be, at the very least, a way to get UO out there. I mean seriously, not even EA has this game listed in their site! 771 games, and the only Ultima game they have listed is Lords of Ultima and that's just sad. A lot of people use steam, a lot of people search for games through steam, and a lot of people will then see UO on steam. Takes a couple to just try before it might start turning even more heads.

The first step is always to get it out there.

 

[Kiminality]

Simply offering the clients as a digital download holds no profit for Valve, so they're not likely to do that.
Selling anything like gametime or expansions would require the UO account management to be reworked (unless you're going to enable download of the clients for people who've bought a GTC or expansion, and then require the players to go to UO account management to input the code they receive manually).

Then, if you really wanted to take advantage of what Steam offers, you'd want to implement Steamworks support.
The overlay requires DirectX or OpenGL.

Besides, EA already have the EADM, which they don't use for UO... So why would they go to Steam?

 

[WarderDragon]

The Question I posit is not whether EA has or has not used Download Managers and Digital Distribution sources before; but whether or not UO should start doing that now.

A moderate revenue boost is better than none.

Numerous other EA Products (e.g. Warhammer Online) are available on Steam so I doubt the license and implementation would be an overwhelming procedure.

Ultima Online has received quite a bit of free advertising of late. Awards. Mentions in Gaming Blogs. If I were EA I would be doing all that I could to be making said title accessable to new subscribers.

 

[Viper09]

Simply offering the clients as a digital download holds no profit for Valve, so they're not likely to do that.
Selling anything like gametime or expansions would require the UO account management to be reworked (unless you're going to enable download of the clients for people who've bought a GTC or expansion, and then require the players to go to UO account management to input the code they receive manually).

Then, if you really wanted to take advantage of what Steam offers, you'd want to implement Steamworks support.
The overlay requires DirectX or OpenGL.

Besides, EA already have the EADM, which they don't use for UO... So why would they go to Steam?

Yes, that did occur to me after posting that, lol. So then let them charge for it. The real problem is whether EA is willing to give any attention at all to UO and try putting in on steam. Given how EA treats this game with little to no attention from them I am not very confident. Is Mythic themselves allowed to deal with advertising and distribution?