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18 Years On, Ultima Online Is Still Going
An anonymous reader writes: Ultima Online was released in September, 1997. It was the game that popularized graphical MMOs, and somehow, it's still running. Rock, Paper, Shotgun took a dive into the game to see how much it's changed, and who still plays it. As the community has shrunk, it's become increasingly tight-knit, and giving up the game now means giving up a social circle for many players. Even though newer MMOs have eclipsed the game's functionality, UO has a dedication to the full adventuring experience that later games haven't replicated. From the article: "While initially I couldn't understand the appeal of Ultima, when I decided to shake off the limitations of an early level character and simply explore for myself, I found a game world with a lot to offer. Player created civilizations, unique monsters, and the sheer mystery of the world combine to keep this ancient MMO compelling. For all the ways in which the genre has improved, Ultima Online remains one of just a few MMOs that let you live an alternative life. That feeling of ownership ... combined with the diversity on offer, keeps players coming back day after day."
It sucked then and it sucks now. MMORPGs didn't really get good until Dark Age of Camelot (with a nod to The Realm for not completely sucking), and my first was GMing for DSO(Dark Sun Online) on the TEN Network.
UO:R didn't kill it. EA did. It was just time for a sequel, it was getting dated. There was a sequel on the pipeline, but EA bought Origin and axed it in favor of making low budget expansions and milking what was there instead of risking a sequel. I hate EA to this day for that. They killed the beat mmo franchise to ever exist.
No to all of your questions. Better go skydiving or crocodile hunting instead.