BREAKING NEWS: EA Announces Ultima Forever (July 12, 2012)

Discussion in 'News Discussion' started by Bandit LOAF, Jul 12, 2012.

Page 1 of 2

  1. Bandit LOAF Long Live the Confederation!

    Message Count:
    27,489
    Likes Received:
    101
    Trophy Points:
    69,485
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Ashton, MD, USA
    Bioware Mythic's Ultima forever website has been updated with the first details about the expected Ultima Forever game. Further information is expected later today.
    Lady British, huh?

    [IMG]
    [IMG]
    [IMG]

    --
    Original update published on July 12, 2012
    Bandit LOAF, Jul 12, 2012
    #1

  2. Quarto Unknown Enemy

    Message Count:
    11,126
    Likes Received:
    25
    Trophy Points:
    69,385
    Location:
    Poland
    Lady British indeed... that's just really weak. I assume that either they couldn't, or didn't want to get permission from Richard Garriott to use Lord British in the game. Disappointing.
    Quarto, Jul 12, 2012
    #2

  3. Bandit LOAF Long Live the Confederation!

    Message Count:
    27,489
    Likes Received:
    101
    Trophy Points:
    69,485
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Ashton, MD, USA
    Yes, Garriott retained the rights to the Lord British name when he parted ways with Electronic Arts.

    While I understand the need to not have Lord British in the game, I absolutely do not agree with this way of doing it. It comes off as petty instead of clever, and that's to someone who knows that there's a legal issue behind it. Instead of highlighting the fact that he's not in the game, just use some other monarch (like... one of the other three kings from the original Ultima.)
    Bandit LOAF, Jul 12, 2012
    #3

  4. Aginor Rear Admiral

    Message Count:
    914
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    21,535
    Location:
    Germany
    Wow. That's... <sigh>

    Apart from the fact that I almost get a heart attack every time a thread is called "BREAKING NEWS: EA Announces... xyz" because I hope for a new WC game and it is something lame like Ultima (lame compared to Wing Commander, I actually like Ultima) every time, I read the news and my thoughts were "WTF? action RPG? Just two classes? LADY British???"

    Does getting older (I'm not even 30 yet, albeit close) involve that everything you loved and were once excited about becomes disappointing? I hope the news get better. And I really hope that one will not be as gay lame as I imagine it now.
    Aginor, Jul 12, 2012
    #4

  5. PopsiclePete Mission programmer

    Message Count:
    1,204
    Likes Received:
    15
    Trophy Points:
    32,485
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Amos, Québec
    Not only am I still hoping we'll see a "BREAKING NEWS: New Wing Commander announced !!!" before I loose what's left of hairs on the top of my head, I am confident we will.
    PopsiclePete, Jul 12, 2012
    #5
    ChrisReid and Dundradal like this.

  6. Aginor Rear Admiral

    Message Count:
    914
    Likes Received:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    21,535
    Location:
    Germany
    Do you know something I don't? Any secret plans? Any Wing Commander fans EA keeps in cryostasis that would buy the game when it is released?
    Aginor, Jul 12, 2012
    #6

  7. PopsiclePete Mission programmer

    Message Count:
    1,204
    Likes Received:
    15
    Trophy Points:
    32,485
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Amos, Québec
    Oh, the secret plans have already been exposed on the CIC main page in the past. I know nothing more. I am just confident it will someday happen.
    PopsiclePete, Jul 12, 2012
    #7

  8. Quarto Unknown Enemy

    Message Count:
    11,126
    Likes Received:
    25
    Trophy Points:
    69,385
    Location:
    Poland
    That would definitely have been better - but I just wish they sat down with Richard Garriott and negotiated a deal to get his trademark into the game. Then again, maybe they did negotiate, and maybe his demands were too much. Either way, it's unfortunate.

    On the other hand, you also gotta admire the foresight Richard Garriott had in retaining for himself the Lord British trademark, which arguably these days may carry more weight than Ultima as a brand.
    Quarto, Jul 12, 2012
    #8

  9. LeHah 212 Squadron, "The Old Man's Eyes And Ears"

    Message Count:
    7,635
    Likes Received:
    8
    Trophy Points:
    59,385
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Blackmane System
    I can't help but feel the Lady British thing is more of a swipe at Garriott than a tip of the hat to the series.
    LeHah, Jul 12, 2012
    #9

  10. Bandit LOAF Long Live the Confederation!

    Message Count:
    27,489
    Likes Received:
    101
    Trophy Points:
    69,485
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Ashton, MD, USA
    Garriott actually contacted EA to see about licensing Ultima for his RPG; they have a copy of his letter on the wall at the studio that's doing this game. There is some bad blood...

    Certainly, it's a major part of his personal identity (genuinely so)... but it was also business at the time, as NCSoft wanted 'Lord British' to appear in Lineage (apparently the gaming community in Asia knows Lord British very well.)

    I can't help but agree, but the joke's on them: Garriott's daughter was born last week!
    Bandit LOAF, Jul 12, 2012
    #10

  11. Dundradal They're Everywhere! / Administrator

    Message Count:
    6,040
    Likes Received:
    27
    Trophy Points:
    51,985
    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    Yep, our day is coming. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
    Dundradal, Jul 12, 2012
    #11

  12. Red Baron Commodore

    Message Count:
    471
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    15,135
    Don't know why, but these news (and especially the first picture) make me glad i'm no Ultima fan.
    Maybe it's just that everything EA tends to slap the "Bioware" name on nowadays makes me raise an eyebrow in scepticism, even though this time it even is something related to their profession.
    Red Baron, Jul 12, 2012
    #12

  13. Delance Victory, you say?

    Message Count:
    4,336
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    36,985
    Location:
    São Paulo, Brazil
    Bioware making Ultima. Lady British. Action-RPG. Interesting.
    Delance, Jul 12, 2012
    #13

  14. Delance Victory, you say?

    Message Count:
    4,336
    Likes Received:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    36,985
    Location:
    São Paulo, Brazil
    I agree, but wonder if we would get something in the line of Enemy Unknown or more in the line XCOM and Syndicate – and, it seems, Ultima Forever.
    Delance, Jul 12, 2012
    #14

  15. Bandit LOAF Long Live the Confederation!

    Message Count:
    27,489
    Likes Received:
    101
    Trophy Points:
    69,485
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Ashton, MD, USA
    The formal announcement says Ultima Forever is for the PC and *iPad*... that makes a LOT more sense, given how it plays. I actually think it'll be a very good iPad Ultima.
    Bandit LOAF, Jul 12, 2012
    #15

  16. Dondragmer 2nd Lieutenant

    Message Count:
    53
    Likes Received:
    4
    Trophy Points:
    3,335
    Well, it's not like you could preserve all the esoteric elements of Ultima (like the eight virtues) while making an action RPG that defines a new sub-genre and becomes a beloved classic in its own right.

    Why do they take the time to specify "Western RPG"? Yes, I'm aware that certain game mechanics first appeared in "Western" or "Eastern" games, that Dungeons & Dragons and its tabletop relatives defined many "Western" mechanics, and that the early Ultimas were among the pioneers in adapting tabletop RPGs to the computer.

    But, mechanics get observed, copied, refined and merged. This is a good thing. The moment you make an "Action RPG", some of your mechanics first appeared in Zelda. This is also a good thing, but you're hardly "lovingly restoring" a "Western RPG" any more. You're taking 30 years of examples of good and bad game design, selecting mechanics that work, and implementing them in a familiar world. If you're clever, you'll choose mechanics that reinforce the atmosphere of that world.

    Bioware have made some clever games, so I won't judge the quality of this game by the quality of their advertising. On the other hand - Bioware PR people? Learn to speak like a Britannian. It's only the first step towards creating that Ultima atmosphere, but it's a good step.
    Dondragmer, Jul 12, 2012
    #16

  17. Bandit LOAF Long Live the Confederation!

    Message Count:
    27,489
    Likes Received:
    101
    Trophy Points:
    69,485
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Ashton, MD, USA
    As best I can tell, the dialogue in Ultima Forever is mostly Britannian free.
    Bandit LOAF, Jul 13, 2012
    #17

  18. Starman Rear Admiral

    Message Count:
    99
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    21,935
    Location:
    Essex, United Kingdom
    Starman, Jul 14, 2012
    #18

  19. Ultima13 Veteran Spaceman

    Message Count:
    2
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    175
    Gender:
    Female
    In Ultima Forever, players are able to fly in hot air balloons over mountain ranges, sail across oceans, survive storms, fight against sea monsters, and collect the eight Virtues.
    Ultima13, Jul 15, 2012
    #19

  20. Quarto Unknown Enemy

    Message Count:
    11,126
    Likes Received:
    25
    Trophy Points:
    69,385
    Location:
    Poland
    Uh... is this marketing spam, or something?
    Quarto, Jul 16, 2012
    #20
Page 1 of 2

Share This Page