Ultima X: Odyssey
Official Press Release/Announcement:
Origin Systems Announces Development of Ultima X: Odyssey
AUSTIN, Texas - Aug. 22, 2003 - Origin Systems, an Electronic Arts (Nasdaq:ERTS - News) development studio, today announced the development of Ultima X: Odyssey(TM) (UXO), a next generation massively multi-player online role-playing game (MMORPG) from the award-winning Origin studio team. Powered by the latest version of the Unreal® Engine and based on the renowned Ultima(TM) single-player role-playing series, UXO will enable players to create personalized legacies in a massive new online world and will be one of the first of its kind to offer private areas on demand within the game.
“Ultima X: Odyssey takes the genre to the next level through its innovative new Odyssey Adventure System ensuring that players experience a greater sense of adventure and reward from both questing and combat,” said Andy Hollis, vice president and chief operating officer of Origin Systems.UXO’s proprietary and innovative Odyssey Adventure System delivers customized quests to players automatically and enables private adventure zones, providing adventures on demand as players journey through the world. An added bonus in offering players private areas is that they can’t be interrupted by “griefers” and other uninvited guests.
Strategic combat is another key differentiator for UXO that engages players in a fast-paced, real-time exchange of attacks and easy-to-use special moves. Players can choose their level of aggressiveness and a variety of combat styles, making the outcome of the battle as dependent on players’ actions as on their characters’ strength. In addition to individual combat, player guilds can challenge other guilds to gladiator-style dueling in privately created zones.
UXO offers a higher level of challenge, adventure and character customization through the Virtues, a popular component of the award-winning Ultima series. In UXO, players can ascend their characters to become the Avatar once they have mastered all eight Virtues. Mastery of a Virtue allows a player to unlock special powers and, eventually, create disciple characters. Players can build a pantheon of heroic followers, all of whom can aid one main character in pursuit of attaining the status of Avatar.
In addition to character customization, UXO provides an exciting level of customization through its item and virtue systems, allowing players to customize themselves, their inventory, their party or their guild in ways never before possible. For instance, players can enhance weapons and armor using either Virtue abilities or player experience points. Furthermore some magic items and weapons can level with players, gaining experience or Virtue as their character does.
Ultima X: Odyssey will debut this winter. For more information, visit www.uxo.ea.com.
Official Cancellation Announcement:
EA.com:
June 30, 2004
Dear Ultima X: Odyssey community members,
As of today, development on Ultima X: Odyssey has ended. We feel that Ultima Online is where we need to focus our online efforts and most of my team will be moving to the UO expansion pack, the UO live team, and an unannounced Ultima Online project. Development on UO will be greatly enhanced as we consolidate our resources behind that franchise.
This isn’t an easy decision but it’s the right move for the future of all things Ultima, including the community and the team. We look forward to sharing our plans for the future of Ultima Online very soon.
I would like to thank all of the Ultima X: Odyssey supporters who have been with us from the beginning. I hope you will continue to support the Ultima franchise and the development team as they transition to new projects.
Thank you,
David “InQWis” Yee
Producer, Ultima X: Odyssey
