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Ultima Online's Call to Arms bringing back live events
Ready to take a trip down MMO memory lane? BioWare Mythic has your ticket to adventure in the form of Ultima Online's new Call to Arms event. Players signing up for new (non-trial) accounts will be rewarded with new-player tokens that grant 20,000 gold, skill gain boosts, and premium armor and weapons. Veteran players aren't left out in the cold either, as advanced character token templates have been updated, and there's also the prospect of increased skill advancement when partying with new players. Veterans and newbies alike can also pick up the latest Ultima Online expansion, Stygian Abyss, for a new lower price. PvP arena gameplay also makes its first appearance in the long-running MMORPG, as players can now engage in one-on-one duels in two new arenas. Finally, one of the staples of classic Ultima Online gameplay is making a comeback in the form of live events. Gamemasters will be leading in-game events and story arcs as well as re-introducing characters from the game's past, all centering around the town of Magincia.
Ultima Online still going strong, says lead designer
In all the hype over the new games being released these days, one might think that older MMOs would fall by the wayside as players scramble to snap up the latest offering on the market. Not so, says Tim Cotten in a recent interview with Gamasutra. The lead designer of Ultima Online says the game is still going strong. Ultima Online has "got a very core player base, and not a small one", says Cotten. A good MMO will earn player loyalty no matter how long it's around, and Ultima Online is still enjoying that player base after twelve years. They recently invited former players to return for a couple of free weeks, and new content is still a feature -- the eighth expansion was just released in September. Cotten hints at lots more to come too: "UO itself, if you want to go for a historical timeline, we're only around Ultima VI; we've got tons more of content left to play with." It looks like there's definitely something to be said for old favorites. Keep it up, UO!
Ultima Online expansion launches, producer discusses challenges, fans and the future
Fans of the massively multiplayer online game genre know that Ultima Online paved the way for so many other titles. But twelve years later, should we still care? Though it's still touted as the first MMO to reach 100,000 subscribers, a lot has changed since 1997. The game's on its second engine, and its eighth expansion Stygian Abyss -- with a new playable race as well as new skills and play areas -- launches today. So while longtime fans of the franchise will no doubt be checking out what's new, we wondered if UO had anything to offer those who've never logged on. "Do we think we'll attract new players? Yes," says producer Calvin Crowner in an e-mail interview with Massively. "I think we will, simply because the average gamer out there is looking for a new play experience. I think they are finding the 'rail' method of adventuring is getting old and want a more expansive 'world' to play in... [Ultima Online is] a world without boundaries that every game since UO has tried to achieve, but not thoroughly captured." Crowner also talks about the challenges of working on the longtime-running game and if Stygian Abyss marks the beginning of a new era for UO... or the beginning of the end.
Stygian Abyss launching for Ultima Online Sept. 8th
Those of you playing the long-running Ultima Online will be happy to know that its eighth expansion, Stygian Abyss, will launch on September 8th. The expansion comes in two flavors, one for $40 that includes a month of playtime or one for $30 that doesn't. This is a digital expansion, so players won't have to drive on down to a brick and mortar store for their copy.Gargoyles are being added as a new player race, which means many of us can live out our late 90s afternoon cartoon fantasies -- we'll be named something like G0lie4th. Also being added are new enemies and arenas, one which Mythic has claimed is the game's largest dungeon ever. Subscribing players can check out the expansion during an open beta running from August 14th to the 23rd, just in case you need a little try before you buy.
Ultima Online's seventh expansion is now free
We have a couple of things to say to those that subscribe to Ultima Online and still haven't bought the Mondain's Legacy expansion. Firstly, get with the times! The expansion came out in 2005 for crying out loud. Secondly, you won't have to spend any cash to catch up, as Mythic Entertainment has put out a press release indicating that Mondain's Legacy will now be free and included as part of the base game client. Probably of slightly more relevance is the fact that the game's 14-day free trial will now also grant access to the expansion content, including the Elven race and several extra dungeons.No doubt this all has something to do with getting ready for the release of the brand new Stygian Abyss expansion this summer. Stygian Abyss will be the 8th expansion pack for the venerable Ultima Online and promises a playable Gargoyle race and the game's biggest dungeon to date. For anyone keen to try it out ahead of time, beta sign-ups are still being taken.[Via MMOWatch]
The cake of WAGGGGHHHH!!!
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/Ace_of_Cakes_s_Chef_Duff_makes_an_awesome_Warhammer_cake'; This last Saturday was Games Workshop's Games Day celebration, and Massively.com was on site to get you the latest Warhammer Online coverage straight from Mythic Entertainment. Want to know more about Ultima Online's Stygian Abyss expansion? Curious about Land of the Dead? Interested as to the future direction of Warhammer Online? Do your favorite devs play on order or destruction? Find all of these answers and more in our full coverage of the event starting tomorrow, including our hands-on impressions of the new mega-dungeon, Land of the Dead!In the meantime, if you're hungry for coverage, let your eyes feast on this awesome squig herder cake, made by Charm City Cakes. You know, Chef Duff from Food Network's Ace of Cakes? Yeah, he would be the guy who cooked this bad boy up. The cake lasted for the entire show, but we think there might have been some squig pieces shared amongst staff once the event's doors closed.Excited? Come back tomorrow and check out all of the tasty coverage. The squig is only the icing on the cake! Ok, we're done with the bad puns now, we promise.
Ultima Online cheats death with Stygian Abyss expansion
This summer, we're gonna party like it's 1997: on our computers, playing Ultima Online. That's right, the ancient MMO is still alive and kicking somehow, and EA has just announced another expansion for it. Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss adds a new playable Gargoyle class to the game, and adds new areas for exploration, including the Gargoyle home of Ter Mur and (naturally) the Stygian Abyss dungeon, which is the "largest dungeon area ever introduced to Ultima Online." Perhaps most importantly to longtime UO players, the download-only expansion will introduce a few new players curious about the long-running game. New, low-level players for the UO lifers to antagonize.%Gallery-51369%
News From the Wider MMO World: September 16, 2008
The MMO genre is more than World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, and Warhammer Online. Here's what's going on in the rest of the world.World of Kung Fu opens screenshot contestFrom September 15th to the 30th, VestGame Entertainment has partnered with zownder.com to create the first World of Kung Fu screenshot contest. "This contest really gives us the chance to showcase the awesome graphics and spectacular artwork that forms such an integral part of the game", says David Clarke, World of Kung Fu's North American Producer. The Grand Prize includes a permanent Xuan Wu mount and over a hundred rare items such as high level Forging Vouchers, Advanced Craftsman Charms, Sky Pearls, and much more. For more information, visit either founder's website.Gaia Online brings Snoop Dogg and the Incredible Hulk to the virtual mallEach month, residents of the virtual world Gaia Online have a chance to vote for their favorite real-world celebrities as part of the Celebrity Snare section of the website. As an example, the latest items to have been made available are Snoop Dogg's hairstyle, and the Hulk's torn-up purple pants. "Gaia Online is truly an extension of our users' real life interests and passions and Celebrity Snare is just another way we're enabling Gaians to customize their online persona and express themselves to the community," said Craig Sherman, CEO of Gaia Online. "The same way fans hang a poster on their bedroom wall or wear a t-shirt with their favorite band on it, we're enabling our users to establish a connection with the celebrities they admire." Further celebrities to go virtual will include Elvis Presley, Justin Timberlake, Tila Tequila, Paris Hilton, Raven Symone and Marvel's She-Hulk.
Ultima Online's Stygian Abyss expansion site goes live
Mythic passed on word that Ultima Online, the game a lot of folks think of as the grandaddy of modern MMOs, is getting a new expansion. Alongside games like Meridian 59 and EverQuest, UO launched the US fascination with massively multiplayer games, as well as the careers of several of the country's biggest online designers. The expansion continues that fascination with the realm of Lord British in a new content pack called Stygian Abyss. Stygian Abyss will offer a number of new features and gameplay elements for die-hard UO players. First and foremost is the ability to create a new character of the gargoyle race! The gargoyles have come through a portal in the land of Sosaria, visiting the lands of Britannia from their original home on the world of Tel Mur. As a gargoyle, players will be able to fly overland and have basic familiarity with missle weapons and Mysticism from the get-go. Other features of the expansion have yet to be fully detailed on the website, but it sounds as though there will be at least one new dungeon, new spells, and new equipment. The full release is below the cut.
