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Ultima Returns! Now For The Bad News…

7:30PM January 27, 2010 | Luke Plunkett

Not content with kicking sand in the face of Wing Commander fans with the dreadful Wing Commander Arena, EA is now turning its attention towards bringing us a new game based on the Ultima franchise.

Look, EA, when I said I’d like a new Ultima game, I meant a new Ultima game. Not… this.

Meet Lords of Ultima, a “game where you build your own unique city and play with thousands of other players”. It’s been developed by Phenomic, the team behind Battleforge, and while I have no idea how it plays (the beta servers are currently full), I know one thing.

EA needs to stop this.

Ultima is not a house-hold name. It’s well-known in PC circles, yes, but as a role-playing game. So why dig it up only to completely misuse it? It is, like Wing Commander, a nostalgic indulgence. People remember the series for what it was, and for what it did around the time of its release.

Lords of Ultima could be great, I don’t know, I haven’t played it. But I know that, as an Ultima fan – surely the type of person EA is trying to appeal to by using the brand name – I don’t much care for the way a cherished brand is being plastered over something completely unrelated.

[Lords of Ultima]

Comments

  • Greg

    January 28, 2010 at 7:01 AM

    the Ultima games were overated

    • Nstac

      January 28, 2010 at 11:03 AM

      I totally agree with the author on this one, such a waste. As a mad fan i will check it out anyway. The ultima universe or ‘Brittania’ is so well layed out you know theres a reason everygame came with a cloth map. Origin creates worlds.

      Ultima VII and its expansions are the greatest games i have ever played. Underworld I & II where also great deep games. Check out ‘Exult’ its kind of like scummvm for ultima VII you can play it in high-res with graphic enhancements providing you have your own legit copy of the original.

  • Rook

    January 28, 2010 at 11:44 AM

    Give us a new Ultima Underworld instead. Get your Crytek engine license cranked up and just do it.

  • steve

    January 28, 2010 at 12:12 PM

    i was one of the heretics who started on ultima 8 and went backwards – and dare i say it, i still find ultima 8 the best ultima.

    although then again i am partially retardedly homosexual.

  • Luke Burdack

    January 28, 2010 at 6:10 PM

    There is a reason I have the Ultima 6 cloth map in a frame hanging above me right now. And it’s not so people can try to shift some shitty web-based game.

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