Ultima Online: Return to Britannia Campaign

While EA will never get me to return to Ultima Online (I got away and i’m never going back!), maybe it can entice you with the “Return to Britannia Campaign.” Honoring twelve years of service as an MMORPG, the new campaign will allow former players to re-activate accounts for unlimited free play starting today and ending on October 16.

Closed accounts in good standing have been already been re-activated allowing former players can log back into the game using their original user name and passwords, though your houses and all the contents therein are probably gone by now. I had close to 2 million dollars in the bank when I left - I wonder if it is still there.

New content available to returning players through the Return to Britannia Campaign includes Mondain’s Legacy, the 7th UO expansion which introduced the playable Elven race and dangerous, new dungeons to explore. Mondain’s Legacy was made available at no charge in August 2009 to existing subscribers and to new players as part of the Ultima Online 14-day free trial.

Players returning to Ultima Online through the Return to Britannia Campaign can download and install the UO client for free at www.uoherald.com/trial/. Players who no longer have access to their Ultima Online username and password can retrieve their account information at: support.ea.com.

Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss, the 8th expansion was released earlier this month and revolves around the introduction of the playable Gargoyle race. Players will also find new areas including Ter Mur, the Gargoyle homeland, and the Stygian Abyss – the largest dungeon area ever introduced to Ultima Online. Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss is available at UOGamesCodes.com and the EA STORE for $29.99. This expansion will not be available as part of the campaign.

Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss Dated

EA’s Mythic Entertainment announced that the 8th expansion to EA’s long-running MMORPG, Ultima Online, will be released in early Sept. Available via digital download only, Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss revolves around the introduction of the playable Gargoyle race. Players will also find expansive new areas to explore, including Ter Mur, the Gargoyle homeland, and the Stygian Abyss - the largest dungeon area ever introduced to Ultima Online. This sprawling 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 one another.

Current subscribers can also take part in the Stygian Abyss Open Beta from Friday, August 14th - Sunday, August 23rd by logging on the Retribution server on the server selection screen.

Stygian Abyss will be released on September 8. The digital download of the game will cost $29.99, while a package with 30 days of game time will cost $39.99
find out more at www.uoherald.com/stygianabyss.

Ultima Online: Mondain’s Legacy for free

EA’s MMO studio, Mythic Entertainment, announced that Ultima Online: Mondain’s Legacy is now available at no charge to subscribers of Ultima Online. Launched in the summer of 2005, the 7th expansion to the legendary MMORPG Ultima Online (UO) introduces the Elven race and several sprawling dungeons to the game world. For current Ultima Online subscribers that do not have Mondain’s Legacy, the game client will be automatically updated with the expansion content.

For players that are new to Ultima Online or for those interested in returning to the world, they can download the 14-day free trial which now features all seven expansions, including Mondain’s Legacy.

The next new expansion to the long running MMO is Ultima Online™: Stygian Abyss, scheduled for release this summer. The game’s 8th expansion revolves around the introduction of the playable Gargoyle race. Players will have new areas to explore, including Ter Mur, the Gargoyle homeland, and the Stygian Abyss – the largest dungeon area ever introduced to Ultima Online, according to Mythic. This dungeon will contain new boss monsters including the Medusa, Primeval Lich and the Stygian Dragon, as well as Player vs. Player zones.

Learn more about the game and all of the expansions by visiting www.uo.com.

Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss Beta Sign-Ups

Mythic Entertainment is accepting applications for the Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss closed beta test at www.uoherald.com/beta. There are some stipulations to signing up for this latest expansion like being a current Ultima Online subscriber and being at 18 years old. Other factors include computer system specs, game experience, and community involvement. The closed beta is set to begin later this month, and will offer only a limited number of available spots for eligible applicants.

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, visit the Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss website.

Eight Virtues in a Duffel Bag: The Richard Garriott Interview, Part II

In part II of our interview with Ultima series creator Richard Garriott we talk more about the “rooms full of killing children,” the dark nature of The Black Gate, creative ways to kill Lord British, fan mail, and the possibility of a new Ultima game from Garriott in the future. Read it after the break, and check out Part I if you haven’t already done so.

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Eight Virtues in a Duffel Bag: The Richard Garriott Interview

Richard Garriott, who is now spending more time thinking about space travel than virtual worlds, was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about the darker side of the Ultima series of role-playing games. This interview is a companion piece to The Black Gate Murders, an alternate playthrough of Ultima VII: The Black Gate that involves killing everyone in the game.

In Part I of our interview, the creator of Ultima reveals some little-known facts about Ultima VII, the origins of a room full of crazy children that caused a memorable family feud, and his feelings on selling Origin to EA so many years ago.

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Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss This Summer

The longest-running MMORPG in history will be getting its eighth expansion this summer, according to EA and its development studio Mythic Entertainment. Slated for release this summer, Ultima Online: Stygian Abyss will introduce new content based on the Gargoyle regions of the Ultima role-playing game series first introduced in Ultima VI: The False Prophet.

The main focus of the expansion is to introduce the Gargoyle race as a playable character in the game. Since taking center stage in the original Ultima series, Gargoyles will have a variety of unique skills, including Throwing, Imbuing and Mysticism.

In addition to the new race, players will have access to new areas including Ter Mur (the Gargoyle homeland), and the Stygian Abyss dungeon itself - which is being billed as the largest dungeon area ever introduced to Ultima Online. The dungeon will contain new boss monsters like the Medusa, Primeval Lich and the Stygian Dragon, as well as Player vs. Player zones.

The expansion requires the original Ultima Online game to play and will be available in the Summer of 2009 via digital distribution only.More information can be found at  www.uoherald.com/stygianabyss.