UO: Stygian Abyss

[Namoric]

http://uoherald.com/news/news.php?newsid=747

FAIRFAX, Va.--Mythic Entertainment, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) studio, today officially announced Ultima Online™: Stygian Abyss™ the upcoming expansion to legendary MMORPG Ultima Online™. Slated for release this summer, Stygian Abysswill be the eighth expansion to one of the longest-running MMORPGs in the genre’s history. The expansion will introduce a flood of new content for the citizens of Britannia to explore and conquer.

Stygian Abyss revolves around the introduction of the playable Gargoyle race. Since taking center stage in the original Ultima series, Gargoyles have been a fascinating part of the Ultima story – now, Ultima Online players can enjoy Gargoyles firsthand, with a variety of unique skills, including Throwing, Imbuing and Mysticism.

“Ultima Online has a unique place in the history of online games – it was the first truly successful MMORPG and it showed that there was a real market for these types of games,” said Mark Jacobs, vice president and general manager of Mythic Entertainment. “UO is still going strong and we can’t wait to throw open the gates to the Stygian Abyss.”

Players will find expansive new areas to explore, including Ter Mur, the Gargoyle homeland, and the Stygian Abyss dungeon itself – the largest dungeon area ever introduced to Ultima Online. The dungeon will contain new boss monsters of unparalleled difficulty including the Medusa, Primeval Lich and the Stygian Dragon, as well as Player vs. Player zones where adventurers will be turned against each other.

Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss expansion requires the original Ultima Online game to play and will be available in the Summer of 2009 via digital distribution only. To find out more information about the Gargoyle race, skills and lands, please visit the Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss website:http://www.uoherald.com/stygianabyss

[Tsunami]

I honestly don't know how this game still exists. They still charge like 13 bucks a month too!

[Brimstone]

I hear ya, Tsu. I have no idea, either, but part of me feels glad to see that it does still exist. :)

[Freejack]

Part of what made UO interesting was that everyone was human. No races, no classes, everyone starts out exactly alike and it's up to the player to differentiate the character. Then they go and add in races and unique abilities blah... sooooo missing the point!

[Kamui]

I hopped back into UO for a month, about two expansions ago.

Made a ninja character.

Completely different game. Gear driven, with weird abilities and magic items everywhere.

Seeing the graphics is a nice nostalgia trip, and I long for it to be done right again, but what exists today is a corrupt bastardization of what we knew and loved.

[Freejack]

Agreed, Kamui.

It's also kind of strange to think that UO is now hosted about 30 minutes from here. In fact, one of my friends works at Mythic now. It's strange how things change...

[cluck]

I think if they were going to re-do ultima, or make a sequel, it'd have to be like the kingdom reborn client ... but better.

they're sitting on a goldmine and don't even know it.

bring it back to the way things were.

improve some things. modernize it. throw some of the old ultima storyline into it.

hell, even make it a psp-only game with the current graphics.

not only would I pay $15 a month for a psp-only mmo, I'd enjoy it. think about it:

ultima online ... on psp.

you don't need a keyboard to type fast, either.

only thing is, you'd have to find some way to assure no cheating.