A couple of people have asked me in email and a few weeks ago somebody mentioned it on the forums, whether or not Mondain’s Legacy will be a party of the Ultima Online 9th Anniversary Collection.

I said on the 9th Anniversary Collection page here: “Will upgrade you to UO: Mondain’s Legacy”

This is from the official 9th Anniversary site: “The Definitive Ultima Online Collection - Quest for adventure in one of the biggest, deepest MMORPG’s in existence. The entire UO universe, including the content and features of seven expansion packs, is yours to explore.”

From our release/expansion timeline:

1997 - Sep - Ultima Online
1998 - Oct - UO: The Second Age (First Expansion)
1999 - Oct - Ultima IX: Ascension (Offline, but relevant)
2000 - Apr - UO: Renaissance (Second Expansion)
2001 - Mar - UO: Third Dawn (Third Expansion)
2001 - Spr - UO: Renaissance/Ultima IX: Ascension (Bundle)
2001 - Oct - UO: Renaissance (Jewel Case)
2002 - Feb - UO: Lord Blackthorn’s Revenge (Fourth Expansion)
2002 - Sep - UO: Lord Blackthorn’s Revenge (No action figure)
2003 - Feb - UO: Age of Shadows (Fifth Expansion)
2004 - Sep - UO: 7th Anniversary
2004 - Nov - UO: Samurai Empire (Sixth Expansion)
2005 - July - Ultima Online Gold
2005 - Aug - UO: Mondain’s Legacy (Seventh Expansion)
2005 - Sep - UO: The Eighth Age

The answer is yes, it will contain it.

Five on Friday has been posted on UO.com

For all previous Five on Fridays, organized by topic, please see the master list here at UOCodex.com

1. It’s great that the Treasures of Tokuno event is back. Do you have plans to do other events like this, but with new rewards?

Aaron “Darkscribe” Cohen, Producer:
Yes. There are a few variations that we are talking over and will experiment with. We’d like to make a system that isn’t just about combat, but also involves other disciplines like crafting, fishing, mining or others. That would bring players together with different interests and abilities and give them a reason to work together. We’re working on something along those lines and will roll it out when ready. I can’t give a timeline at the moment, but we like the idea a lot.

2. I love the 9th Anniversary stuff! Will we get to see any of this on the Test Shard?
(more…)

From UO.com

A proud legacy, a bright future

From the pen of Darkscribe…

Happy birthday to us! Ultima Online is nine years old, nine history-filled years. This game has defied expectations, pioneered new ideas, and built one of the most devoted, passionate communities in the MMORPG universe. To celebrate, a character from the Ultima single-player games will be making her first true visit to the worlds within the shards. That event begins October 6th (PDT). If you are a fan of Britannian history, you are in for a treat.

Also, you might have noticed the announcement of the 9th Anniversary Collection. We’ve tried to make available just about every bit of art we could for housing decor, some of it nine years old and yet never available in the game. The official website for the 9th Anniversary Collection is here.

Looking back on nine years is fun, and humbling, but looking forward is what has us truly excited. Ultima Online is on the cusp of a new age, and we’re glad you’re with us.

See you in Sosaria,

Aaron “Darkscribe” Cohen, UO Producer

I guess people really were waiting to see what all the goodies would be. Ultima Online: 9th Anniversary Collection shot up to the top 5 on Amazon today (it’s hovering around #3 as we speak). Keep in mind that a week ago it was hovering in the #300-400 range, with it being in the Top Five and Top Ten in Japan fairly consistently. This isn’t simply in PC games, it’s all video games, and includes the actual gaming hardware (consoles, etc).

Right now, it’s #1 in Japan on Amazon.jp’s Top Ten list.

Just to give you a perspective, the top 11 at Amazon (USA):
1)Xbox 360 Console Includes 20GB Hard Drive
2)Microsoft Flight Simulator X Deluxe DVD

3)Ultima Online: 9th Anniversary Collection

4)Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (PS2)
5)Nintendo DS Lite Onyx Black
6)The Sims 2 Pets Expansion Pack
7)Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue Team
8)Okami (PS2)
9)Final Fantasy XII
10)Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Red Rescue Team
11) New Super Mario Bros.

If you purchase the Collection during the first 30 days of release during their Early Buyer program, you get to pick nine items from the following collections (note - there is a link to a large image of all items at bottom of page):

These three collections we’ve already seen:
Ultima Online 7th Anniversary Items
Ultima Online 8th Anniversary Items
Evil Home Décor Collection

These two collections are new:

The Broken Furniture Collection (2 sets of items, 1 shown below)
The civilization of Britannia has lived for uncountable centuries, seen days of amazing glory, and nights of epic tragedy. When that much time passes, and with millions of citizens coming and going, it’s only natural that sometimes the furniture will wear out. Available for the first time, this collection of broken and ruined furniture is available for you to create your own lived in look.

- Broken Covered Chair
- Ruined Bookcase
- Standing Broken Chair
- Broken Vanity
- Broken Chest of Drawers
- Broken Armoire
- Ruined Bed
- Broken Fallen Chair

All Broken Furniture Items

Ultima Online Heritage Collection (7 sets of items, 1 shown below)
The Heritage Collection features items from nine ages of Ultima Online, none of which has ever been available to citizens before. Some of these items can be seen in Lord British’s Castle, others come from the wilds of Illshenar, and others from the recently discovered Tokuno. Now, these relics of beauty and history are yours.
(more…)

“Two new sets of housing tiles-complete with furniture-allow you to create a palatial abode in enviable style.”

Larger Image

Larger Image

All Ultima Online 9th Anniversary Images

The official Ultima Online 9th Anniversary Collection site is now online (www.uo.com/uo9/).

Gamestop, EB Games, and Amazon.com are among the official pre-order sites, with international ordering information coming soon.

Official Description and Contents:

Fame, fortune, and power await
you in a fantasy world like no other.

This is your chance to experience the legendary game that launched the massively multiplayer RPG genre. In the Ultima Online: 9th Anniversary Collection, join a global online community and enter a world teeming with adventure and excitement. Discover distant locales, battle fierce creatures, and befriend fellow travelers. You can even design, build, and decorate your very own house within the living world of the game.

FEATURES

* The Definitive Ultima Online Collection
- Quest for adventure in one of the biggest, deepest MMORPG’s in existence. The entire UO universe, including the content and features of seven expansion packs, is yours to explore.

* Embark on a Hero’s Quest
- Hundreds of monsters to battle, human players to fight, treasures to hunt, artifacts to discover, real estate to claim, dragons to tame, powerful weapons to craft, fame to earn, fortunes to win, and much, much more.

* Exclusive Crystal and Shadow Housing Sets
- Build a home of dark stone carved from the black depths of a demon-infested mountain. Or, create a gleaming castle with walls of crystal grown in magic fields with the help of specially trained mages.

* Command Your Personal Attendants
- Four servants await your command: The Fortune Teller predicts your past and future. The Herald announces your noble presence. The Dealer rolls dice of all shapes and sizes, and The Guide makes sure you never get lost.

* Try It Today for Free
- New accounts get 30 days of free gameplay with this package.

* Early Buy Bonus!
- Purchase during the first 30 days of release and choose nine gifts from a selection of rare items from the history of Ultima Online. Select from more than 50 items including the Ultima Online 7th Anniversary gifts, Ultima Online 8th Age gifts, and a wide array of unique items, décor, and collectables.

(more…)

In honor of the 9th Anniversary this week, a brief look back at UO.

Arjuna_LS has posted a wonderful story with screenshots about the Trinsic Invasions at Stratics.

From UO.com:
- Two Year Anniversary: How UO has impacted your life
- A Brief Retrospective (1999)
- The Minax Interview
- Trinsic: Our Last Stand
- Third Anniversary Memories
- Looking Back: The Fourth Anniversary
- Fifth Anniversary Memories
- Sixth Anniversary Memories

Well, the debate may have finally been put to rest. Various pages on UO.com listed September 27, 2006 and, as the start date of Ultima Online, but apparently, that is not the case. According to Wilki, in this Stratics post:

Beta ended on September 23rd. While most Charter Edition players who pre-ordered and opted for overnight shipping didn’t get their box until the 25th, the servers were up on September 24th with a few players who obtained the game early playing, so that is the official launch date.

Wait, there’s more
UO.com - A Brief Retrospective (Sep 22, 1999) - SunSword comments

As many of you know, September 24th marks the second birthday of Ultima Online. This is a significant milestone in many aspects, perhaps not the least of which is the affirmation of the “100k+ Player Massively Multiplayer Online Game” as a viable long-term enterprise. The UO community continues to grow, and even as we approach the third year of service, our players have much to look forward to.

I remember taking off the 26th, which was a friday (I just checked again, it’s been a long time), to do some things, and actually received my Charter Edition that day and was able to login, but I had heard that the 27th was considered to be the first day. I wasn’t expecting it on the 26th (actually I can’t remember when I was expecting, just that I was expecting it before the end of the month).

Regardless, this week is the 9th Anniversary of Ultima Online :greatgift: :toot: and now we know the rest of the story.

Update: According to Wilki in this Stratics post, some information is still missing:

This is the problem with posting information here before we’ve officially announced it… the early buyer bonus information is missing, as well as international ordering information.

Both will be included in the 9th Anniversary Collection website that should be up this week.

Looks like Japanese Amazon had it right about the Personal Attendants.

According to the EA Store, the following are the official details for Ultima Online: 9th Anniversary Collection:

* The Definitive Ultima Online Collection - Quest for adventure in one of the biggest, deepest MMORPGs in existence. The entire UO universe, including the content and features of seven expansion packs, is yours to explore.

* Embark on a Hero’s Journey - Hundreds of monsters to battle, human players to fight, treasures to hunt, artifacts to discover, real estate to claim, dragons to tame, powerful weapons to craft, fame to earn, fortunes to win, and much, much more.

* Exclusive Crystal and Shadow Housing Sets - Build a home of dark stone carved from the black depths of a demon-infested mountain. Or, create a gleaming castle with walls of crystal grown in magic fields with the help of specially trained mages.

* Command Your Personal Attendants - Four servants await your command: The Tarot Card Reader predicts your past and future. The Herald announces your noble presence. The Dealer rolls dice of all shapes and sizes, and The Guide makes sure you never get lost.

* Try It Today for Free - New accounts get 30 days of free gameplay with this package.

* Early Buy Bonus! - Purchase during the first 30 days of release and choose nine gifts from a selection of rare items from the history of Ultima Online. Select from more than 30 items including the Ultima Online 7th Anniversary gifts, Ultima Online 8th Age gifts, and a wide array of unique items, décor, and wearables.

You can also pre-order it at Amazon.com (note: as in the past, if the price drops at Amazon between now and then, as they sometimes do with specials/pre-orders, you will be charged the lower price, not the price that’s currently listed - $19.99)

Discuss in the Forums

Thanks to the three of ya who emailed this in. It almost feels like Christmas :santabeard: