UO on Steam?

[Sargon]

I believe that selling a game through Steam is one of the best ways to advertise it. This is especially true in UO's case, where they have little or no advertising budget to speak of. If I were a new MMO player looking for a game to play, chances are very slim that I would be introduced to UO through the traditional UO Game Codes method of selling it. If it were available on Steam, that would potentially open UO up to a whole new audience who most likely would not have heard of it otherwise. That new audience may or may not actually purchase the game, but it couldn't hurt to try.

 

[WarderDragon]

You might want to explain what Steam is.

 

[Nh'bdy]

Steam is a DD service forwarded by Vavle. It's a digital download program that allows the distribution of games in exchange for USD. It is untaxed, to my knowledge, and regularly cuts amazing deals, including exclusive content, box deals, etc.

I am a regular steam using, and while you will pay more for a game on average, you can never lose the key or discs as all of your information is stored. It's also a decent community tool.

I added UO to steam via their 3rd party settings, but I'd love to be able to purchase Ultima from it.

 

[Oppurtunity]

Steam is like iTunes for video games, pretty much. You can search for games and purchase them.

 

[Heimi]

I Steam

 

[Warsong of LS]

I like Impulse better, but it could not hurt to make it available on steam

 

[G.v.P]

My friends started me up on Steam via Left 4 Dead 2, and I was thinking the other day it would be cool if UO had achievements like L4D2 or even such as other MMORPGs. Like Star Wars Galaxies had certain things you could achieve in a list. Be fun.

 

[Alezi]

My friends started me up on Steam via Left 4 Dead 2, and I was thinking the other day it would be cool if UO had achievements like L4D2 or even such as other MMORPGs. Like Star Wars Galaxies had certain things you could achieve in a list. Be fun.

No thanks to artificial achievements. The sense of achievement when completing a character, killing a boss or being succesful in PvP should be enough.

 

[lucitus]

I think EA has already contracts with Steam, Many EA Games are available on Steam. I also cant understand why they are not publishing Ultima Online there?

 

[aarons6]

if uo starts requiring me to run extra programs in the background to play that would probably be the last month i pay to play uo..

steam sucks, it uses up alot of resources and it crashes.. its like running the SA client to log into the 2d client..

 

[Aran]

You might want to explain what Steam is.

Seriously?

 

[WarderDragon]

No thanks to artificial achievements. The sense of achievement when completing a character, killing a boss or being succesful in PvP should be enough.

Ultima Online already has a working achievement system. Sort've. The Slime Hunter Quest. The Library, Zoo, and Museum Achievement Titles. I'm sure you can think of others.

The problem is, if you're going to imitate an advancement system now being popularized in other titles, you need to finish it. Its like the two different versions of the quest system we currently have floating around (the older version actually looks better).

 

[Nh'bdy]

Steam has been a polarizing subject for the PC community since it's inception, I'd extend my humble opinion as far as to say it's found much of the same reaction in the industry it's self. I can tell you honestly that in four years of having a steam account and six years of owning my own Ultima account I've booted into UO via Steam perhaps a shy two percent of the time.

In speaking with an associate of mine, discussing steam, he conjectured that Battle Net 2 would be a steam clone, and the thought of a game using a virtual store and distribution method, along with social networking, guild networking and all the little 3rd party bells and whistles! Think..Steam, Stratics, Uoherald, UOEM.net, UO game codes, and the UO Facebook all jammed into one .exe. Hell, search UO too.


I'd install it.

 

[Kiminality]

If the classic client ended up on Steam, it'd probably be the first non-DirectX game on there.
I doubt any of the steam functionality would work out for it.
The overlay requires DirectX.
Steam achievements and such would require the needed Steamworks(?) functionality to be coded into both clients, along with whatever security they require.
So, aside from the whole digital distribution side of things, you won't gain anything much from Steam. Even if Steam was used for updates to the client, there's the problem that it would necessitate more work for the devs, especially if Steam wasn't going to be a requirement (which would be important, since people like to rage against things like Steam).

 

[Aran]

Rage? Nobody rages about video games.

 

[Kiminality]

*Pokes Aran with the Enhanced Client*

 

[Aran]

I will tear you limb from limb and feed the remains to a dragon.

 

[Connor_Graham]

You might want to explain what Steam is.

Seriously?

I, for one, had never heard of it, so yeah, seriously.

 

[Tanivar]

Never tried Steam myself though I have heard of it.

What EA basically needs to do is some minor scale (low-budget) advertising, and instead of focusing like it's some kind of a psychotic fixation on the hardcore combat aspects of the game, play up the low & non-combat aspects of the game that could well draw those that are not interested in hack & slash and have gotten bored with games such as the Sims or such tame games.

Most Modern Games can't compete against anything other than other combat games. So take advantage of this and focus the UO ads where the competition can't compete.

Put an ad on whatever serves as a Straticsdotcom for the Sims games with a link to UO & UOstratics and see how many check out UO. If some do sign up for UO, word of mouth at their old game may get more to try UO.

Most of UO's Crafters would probably fall into this catagory of Player.

 

[the 4th man]

Steam?? They did "Nah Nah Nah Nah, Nah Nah Nah Nah, hey hey hey, goodbye"

(I retain useless knowledge)

 

[lucitus]

if uo starts requiring me to run extra programs in the background to play that would probably be the last month i pay to play uo..

steam sucks, it uses up alot of resources and it crashes.. its like running the SA client to log into the 2d client..

You dont need Steam running to play a pruchased game... and steam is successfull and stable.

Also it is not neccessary to pruchase Ultima Online via Steam, but it should be possible.

 

[Heimi]

if uo starts requiring me to run extra programs in the background to play that would probably be the last month i pay to play uo..

steam sucks, it uses up alot of resources and it crashes.. its like running the SA client to log into the 2d client..

Let me guess, the last time you used Steam was 5 years ago?

 

[Nh'bdy]

It was baaaaad back when CS was jumping.

 

[Kiminality]

Steam is actually quite bulky/heavy. But, the UO clients are worse, in all honesty.

 

[Granville]

I think Steam would be great. I currently have all my other games in my Steam account.

The Friends network/Steam Groups/Event Notifications is also a plus.

 

[Ender]

I love Steam, so sure. Also be great for letting UO friends talk to me while I'm playing some other game.

 

[Aran]

I love Steam, so sure. Also be great for letting UO friends talk to me while I'm playing some other game.

www.aim.com
http://messenger.msn.com
www.icq.com

 

[Ender]

www.aim.com
http://messenger.msn.com
www.icq.com

Alt + Tab/Windowed Mode = fail.

 

[G.v.P]

No thanks to artificial achievements. The sense of achievement when completing a character, killing a boss or being succesful in PvP should be enough.

UO already has achievements, just only a few of them, such as the Slime title on char mouse over and the Evil titles on char paperdoll. They do nothing for the user other than note their experience and they give the user fun things to look forward to aside from loot. Have you ever done a champ spawn, and if so, did you feel the experience was "artificial?"

A MMORPG might not want to model itself after an FPS (poor Tabula Rasa) in terms of the more crazy achievements, but then again, the great thing about achievements is the people who don't want to participate do not have to participate, while the people who do participate do not get any kind of unfair advantage.

In other words, it's just extra stuff to do for those who have done everything else in the game; it's like collecting a new set of items without needing to hoard pixels ;P.

One such example of an achievement could be killing one of each Peerless boss, another might be an achievement for killing Slasher, Navrey, the sand thief guy, and Tyball(sp).

 

[CroakerTnT]

Seems to be on steam power today...

 

[Trevelyan]

Put it on steam and there will be a wave of stupids playing!

But really, I think this is a good idea. As for achievements, they just ripped off Microsoft's achievement system. So as another idea, just put UO on xbox live! You can plug a keyboard into the 360, use the gamepad for movement and Robert is your father's brother!

 

[Clog|Mordain]

I think its not a bad idea.

Lets face it, its not going to hurt the game.

 

[Aran]

A MMORPG might not want to model itself after an FPS (poor Tabula Rasa) in terms of the more crazy achievements

World of Warcraft has achievements.

Let's not go down that road.

 

[G.v.P]

World of Warcraft has achievements.

Let's not go down that road.

Hehe but then again look at how successful WoW has been too ;P ...

 

[Tukaram]

You might want to explain what Steam is.

Seriously?

I, for one, had never heard of it, so yeah, seriously.

Never heard of it either.

But anything they can do to sell more accounts is good. So whatever Steam is, if it can sell accounts I say go for it!

 

[Aran]

Hehe but then again look at how successful WoW has been too ;P ...

Yeah, and look at the average WoWtard.