Ultima Worlds Online: Origin
Encyclopedia
Ultima Worlds Online: Origin (UWO:O) — originally titled Ultima Online 2 (UO2) — was to be the first sequel to the popular 1997 massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Ultima Online
. Origin Systems
revealed that they were developing UO2 in September 1999 for release within a year or two, but development was cancelled on March 21, 2001.
UO2 was to be set in Sosaria but in an alternate timeline where a cataclysm has collided the past, present and future of Sosaria into a single world, thus bringing Industrial-Revolution
and steampunk
elements to the medieval fantasy
world. Players would have been able to choose from three playable races:
UO2, billed as a "2nd generation MMORPG
", was to improve upon Ultima Online and previous MMORPGs. The most noticeable advancement was the competitive 3D engine that replaced UO's aging isometric view. The design also changed several aspects that players voiced dislike for in the original UO
. In UO2, player vs. player combat was to be disabled by default (except in special areas, such as arenas). The game also would have emphasized grouping, including groups of 20-30 players, and reduced the ability of single players to become all-around grand-masters (i.e., prevent the notorious "tank-mage" characters that appeared in UO).
In March 2001, Electronic Arts
(parent company of Origin) announced that development on Ultima Worlds Online: Origin would cease in order to provide additional support for Ultima Online. Shortly after, EA announced it had laid off 200 employees including some at Origin Systems. EA feared that UO2 would compete for subscribers with UO, which was still profitable and not showing signs of slowing down. About one-third of the team that worked on UO2 joined Destination Games
to work on Richard Garriott
's MMORPG, Tabula Rasa. (Tabula Rasa ended up being canceled a year after going online in 2009).
Just a few years after Ultima Online 2 was canceled, history repeated itself when EA cancelled Ultima X: Odyssey
in 2004.
Origins used music by industrial band Grim Faeries, which featured Xtina X (Christina Petro of U2 fame), Mikee Plastik, and Curse Makey, for soundtrack work on the UO2 project. Their song Love Is Hell was used as the music on the first trailer for the game, which was released in a DVD format in the June 2000 issue of PC Gamer magazine. This helped propel the band to an international cult status among gamers and made that song a miner club hit. Origins then funded a second GF track (Faerie Raide) to be remixed by the studio of HiWatt Marshall (Skinny Puppy production guru), which was used for the music in a second trailer. Although the game wasn't released featuring more of their music, both trailers can be found on YouTube.
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
Ultima Online
Ultima Online
Ultima Online is a graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game , released on September 24, 1997, by Origin Systems. It was instrumental to the development of the genre, and is still running today...
. Origin Systems
Origin Systems
Origin Systems, Inc. was a computer game developer based in Austin, Texas that was active from 1983 to 2004...
revealed that they were developing UO2 in September 1999 for release within a year or two, but development was cancelled on March 21, 2001.
UO2 was to be set in Sosaria but in an alternate timeline where a cataclysm has collided the past, present and future of Sosaria into a single world, thus bringing Industrial-Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
and steampunk
Steampunk
Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...
elements to the medieval fantasy
Medieval fantasy
Medieval fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that encompasses medieval era high fantasy and sometimes simply represents fictitious versions of historic events. This subgenre is common among role-playing games, text-based roleplaying, and high-fantasy literature....
world. Players would have been able to choose from three playable races:
- Juka - warriors from the Logos, the land of technology governed by Blackthorn
- Meer - magically adept beings from ancient Sosaria
- Humans - from Britannia.
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
", was to improve upon Ultima Online and previous MMORPGs. The most noticeable advancement was the competitive 3D engine that replaced UO's aging isometric view. The design also changed several aspects that players voiced dislike for in the original UO
Ultima Online
Ultima Online is a graphical massively multiplayer online role-playing game , released on September 24, 1997, by Origin Systems. It was instrumental to the development of the genre, and is still running today...
. In UO2, player vs. player combat was to be disabled by default (except in special areas, such as arenas). The game also would have emphasized grouping, including groups of 20-30 players, and reduced the ability of single players to become all-around grand-masters (i.e., prevent the notorious "tank-mage" characters that appeared in UO).
In March 2001, Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
(parent company of Origin) announced that development on Ultima Worlds Online: Origin would cease in order to provide additional support for Ultima Online. Shortly after, EA announced it had laid off 200 employees including some at Origin Systems. EA feared that UO2 would compete for subscribers with UO, which was still profitable and not showing signs of slowing down. About one-third of the team that worked on UO2 joined Destination Games
Destination Games
Destination Games was a computer game development company created in April 2000 by Richard Garriott, Robert Garriott and Starr Long, following their departure from Origin Systems. Destination was founded in Austin, Texas to develop massively multiplayer online role-playing games...
to work on Richard Garriott
Richard Garriott
Richard Allen Garriott is a British-American video game developer and entrepreneur.He is also known as his alter egos Lord British in Ultima and General British in Tabula Rasa...
's MMORPG, Tabula Rasa. (Tabula Rasa ended up being canceled a year after going online in 2009).
Just a few years after Ultima Online 2 was canceled, history repeated itself when EA cancelled Ultima X: Odyssey
Ultima X: Odyssey
Ultima X: Odyssey was to be a massively multiplayer computer role-playing game based in the Ultima universe, developed by Origin Systems for Electronic Arts....
in 2004.
Origins used music by industrial band Grim Faeries, which featured Xtina X (Christina Petro of U2 fame), Mikee Plastik, and Curse Makey, for soundtrack work on the UO2 project. Their song Love Is Hell was used as the music on the first trailer for the game, which was released in a DVD format in the June 2000 issue of PC Gamer magazine. This helped propel the band to an international cult status among gamers and made that song a miner club hit. Origins then funded a second GF track (Faerie Raide) to be remixed by the studio of HiWatt Marshall (Skinny Puppy production guru), which was used for the music in a second trailer. Although the game wasn't released featuring more of their music, both trailers can be found on YouTube.