EA/Mythic Entertainment mount Ultima's corpse so they can kill it again

[Vault Dweller]

http://kotaku.com/5925250/ultima-iv-gets-the-batman-reboot-with-ultima-forever-quest-for-the-avatar

Turns out that the problem is that the old Ultima games are incomprehensible and thus lost to this generation. So, EA took it upon themselves to reimagine it and give the fans the Bioware Ultima!

"It's like when someone tells you to read Chaucer," Barnett commented. "I know it's supposed to be brilliant, but it's incomprehensible! I mean, I'm aware that Battleship Potemkin defined modern cinema, but it's not a great view. You watch it and go, 'it's black and white and a bit crap, I'd rather watch something else.' And that's basically the problem we've been faced with, is how to reimagine and reboot a classic and make it so that there's a new generation that can have an Ultima.

"Every generation deserves an Ultima," Barnett declared grandly, "And we're giving this generation the best BioWare Ultima that we can."



"It plays fast, it's clicky, but the combat's fluid and fun rather than tactical and mind-numbing."

Mind-numbing? That's a new one.

 

[Infinitron]

Implying Ultima was ever tactical and mind-numbing. You disappoint me, Paul.

 

[Sceptic]

As has been hinted, Jaesun, taxalot and myself currently have access to the alpha of this game.

If you're trying to make me jealous, it's really, really not working.

I mean, I'm aware that Battleship Potemkin defined modern cinema, but it's not a great view. You watch it and go, 'it's black and white and a bit crap, I'd rather watch something else.'

So not only does this fucker have no taste in games, he also has no taste in cinema?

 

[Infinitron]

Also, he's playing up the Bioware angle here, but this really isn't a noticeably "Bioware" game in any way. Although the writing may yet evolve so who knows.

 

[Astral Rag]

"I'm aware that Battleship Potemkin defined modern cinema, but it's not a great view. You watch it and go, it's black and white and a bit crap, I'd rather watch something else.' And that's basically the problem we've been faced with, is how to reimagine and reboot a classic and make it so that there's a new generation that can have an Ultima."

Paul Barnett, creative director at BioWare Mythic

 

[Angthoron]

Whattafuuuuuuuuck?

 

[Rhalle]

"It plays fast, it's clicky, but the combat's fluid and fun rather than tactical and mind-numbing."

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

kotaku is reaching quite the retardation levels.

 

[epikitscheesy]

True, you're tired. But apart from the all the fan activity still going on, there are some basic things to consider:
take a peak behind the big business and you see retro gaming is in full bloom. Youngsters from the '00 generations are antiquing right now on GOG, Piratebay and elsewhere. You can't prevent all the old data from flying around the net. True Ultima is not going to die with you oldfags.

I'm sorry, but in this age of Kickstarter, Ultima deserves to "die", or at least to take its rightful place in obscurity along with Wizardry and Might & Magic.

What do I care whether it deserves to sink into obscurity or not as long as it doesn't. As long as things are possible, they will happen.

This is the time to put up or shut up. Brian Fargo and the rest of the ex-Interplay crowd have shown that they still care. Everybody else has proven that they don't give a fuck about their classics anymore, so why should any fan work on keeping their games alive?

As long as they feel like it, why shouldn't they? After all, it's their idea of Ultima they're perpetuating, not the franchise. EA and Lord British can go fuck themselves.
But hey, if you relish the self-deprecation, please carry on burying your beloved game with style.

 

[deuxhero]

Reaching? Between the blatant errors in articles and the "writer" who bans people for actually using the corrections field and all the other stupidity, I think it got there a long time ago

 

[SinVraal]

It's just frustrating that the "suits" don't see my old-school Ultima as worth making anymore. I mean, they were successful at one time and people wanted to play them.... right.... I wasn't the only one...? This, whatever it is, is so far removed from what I would want to play that it is sad and disheartening. This announcement is one of the BIGGEST/ MOST IMPORTANT reasons why I have supported Wasteland 2, Double Fine, Dead State, etc.!!! I've spent at least 4x the amount one each individual Kickstarter game than I would on any AAA game released by the Big Boy companies. Seems the only way to get a game close to what I want to play and they are all at least a year away.

No you weren't the only one. I hate to get completely oldfag here but there was something special about sitting down to play Ultima 4. With the cloth map on my lap and notebook for my extensive notes. Then to return in Ultima 5 and 6 as a recognized hero, meeting old friend who were memorable for reasons other than their graphic tities and gay tendancies. Even game play quirks made for characters I will never forget (fuck Iolo and him constantly shooting me with a crossbow).

There was no quick look up on the internet for a walkthrough, you did it all yourself or with friends who were playing with you (but not online like a couple of fags, you would compare notes and discuss it).

Same with Wasteland, Shadowrun, M&M, Wizardry, etc. The old games as an art form are different from old forms such as movies. You can certainly look at old movies and TV shows and notice their shortcomings. Those mediums are only engaging so far. Old school gaming requires the user to push the experience along. New school gaming proceeds as it wants and carefully drags the meek playerbase along with it "Oh its going to be a bit rough, here is a save spot and respawn point. Make sure to talk to all the !s so that your horribly over-sized armor and weapons gets scaled correctly".

I will continue to give oldfags like Brygo and the others my hard earned money. To me its worth 50-100 bucks for a game that plays like old days rather than 60 bucks a pop to "corps" for massive decline over and over.

 

[Alex]

"Be virtuous and spread the word"? What the fuck? So spamming your friends with advertisements is a virtue? Eat shit, EA.

There are three principles. Chattiness, Spendthriftness and Social Gameplay.

When Chattiness is present alone, you have the virtue of Spamming.
When Spendtrhiftness is present alone, you have the virtue of F2P.
When Social Gameplay alone is present, you have the virtue of Delay Based Gaming.
When Chattiness and Spendthriftness are both present, you have the virtue of of Character Reskin Shopping.
When Chattiness and Social Gameplay are both present, you have the virtue of Social Game Updating.
When Spendthriftness and Social Gameplay are both present, you have the virtue of Power Up Shopping.
When all are present, you have the virtue of Materialism, which is the denial of any soul the game might have.
When all are absent, you have the virtue of Loyalty, to your corporate overlords.

 

[Infinitron]

"Be virtuous and spread the word"? What the fuck? So spamming your friends with advertisements is a virtue? Eat shit, EA.

There are three principles. Chattiness, Spendthriftness and Social Gameplay.

When Chattiness is present alone, you have the virtue of Spamming.
When Spendtrhiftness is present alone, you have the virtue of F2P.
When Social Gameplay alone is present, you have the virtue of Delay Based Gaming.
When Chattiness and Spendthriftness are both present, you have the virtue of of Character Reskin Shopping.
When Chattiness and Social Gameplay are both present, you have the virtue of Social Game Updating.
When Spendthriftness and Social Gameplay are both present, you have the virtue of Power Up Shopping.
When all are present, you have the virtue of Materialism, which is the denial of any soul the game might have.
When all are absent, you have the virtue of Loyalty, to your corporate overlords.

 

[SinVraal]

"Be virtuous and spread the word"? What the fuck? So spamming your friends with advertisements is a virtue? Eat shit, EA.

There are three principles. Chattiness, Spendthriftness and Social Gameplay.

When Chattiness is present alone, you have the virtue of Spamming.
When Spendtrhiftness is present alone, you have the virtue of F2P.
When Social Gameplay alone is present, you have the virtue of Delay Based Gaming.
When Chattiness and Spendthriftness are both present, you have the virtue of of Character Reskin Shopping.
When Chattiness and Social Gameplay are both present, you have the virtue of Social Game Updating.
When Spendthriftness and Social Gameplay are both present, you have the virtue of Power Up Shopping.
When all are present, you have the virtue of Materialism, which is the denial of any soul the game might have.
When all are absent, you have the virtue of Loyalty, to your corporate overlords.

Blackthorn had nuthin' on EA

 

[TalesfromtheCrypt]

http://kotaku.com/5925250/ultima-iv-gets-the-batman-reboot-with-ultima-forever-quest-for-the-avatar

Turns out that the problem is that the old Ultima games are incomprehensible and thus lost to this generation. So, EA took it upon themselves to reimagine it and give the fans the Bioware Ultima!

"It's like when someone tells you to read Chaucer," Barnett commented. "I know it's supposed to be brilliant, but it's incomprehensible! I mean, I'm aware that Battleship Potemkin defined modern cinema, but it's not a great view. You watch it and go, 'it's black and white and a bit crap, I'd rather watch something else.'

I can't believe what the fuck I am reading. This reads like something out of a parody, yet the guys is totally serious. Gone are the days where people would at least try to hide their own ignorance and feel bad about it. Now it's a reason to be proud of, something you can boast about. Idiocracy is truly here.

 

[Shadenuat]

So, aside from people talking Bethesda making the greatest RPG ever Fallout, now we'll also hear about great Ultima series made by Bioware. Grand!

 

[taxalot]

I've got a bad feeling about this game.

 

[Infinitron]

Holy violated NDAs, Batman!

I'll just say that the text is obviously not final. It's a fucking alpha.

 

[taxalot]

Holy violated franchise, Robin !

 

[Lord Haw Haw]

Dumbfuck said:
"Battleship Potemkin defined modern cinema, but it's not a great view."


My God... what a dumbfuck.

 

[Ulminati]

I WANT TO BE A AVATAR!

 

[Gold]

This depresses me too much to comment on.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Now it's a reason to be proud of, something you can boast about.

Well, yeah, now it's cool to be an illiterate moron.

But why "Ultima"?

Why Fallout 3? Why Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes?

 

[SinVraal]

Dumbfuck said:
"Battleship Potemkin defined modern cinema, but it's not a great view."


My God... what a dumbfuck.

guys guys, the ships in "In Harm's Way" are totally models. Should reboot movie with CGI shots and reset during an imagined war with North Korea.

 

[Azalin]

"I'm aware that Battleship Potemkin defined modern cinema, but it's not a great view. You watch it and go, it's black and white and a bit crap, I'd rather watch something else.' And that's basically the problem we've been faced with, is how to reimagine and reboot a classic and make it so that there's a new generation that can have an Ultima."

Paul Barnett, creative director at BioWare Mythic

Player Character : "Eight virtues ? Why so many ?"
Shamino : "People are complicated.".

Virtues give you of course new abilities/spells and items to use. I got the sword of Compassion. I'm like that. Apparently, the item that symbolizes the most Compassion to Bioware Mythic is a fucking sword. To add insult to injury, as I receive the sword, Shamino says to me :

"Go show those thieves the Compassion this sword is made of !"

I think I am at a loss here,is all this real,or some elaborate prank?