Aaron Cohen talks about Ultima Online’s future

Ultima Online (UO) currently holds the distinction of having survived the treacherous world of MMORPGs for almost a decade and this feat has been achieved even with the onslaught of new MMOs. Not many games have that much staying power, hence UO has been the poster boy for longevity in the MMO scene.

But with such achievements come criticisms, one of which is the outdated gaming engine being used by UO. With an aging game engine, a lot of players have jump-shipped to other MMOs, but all that should change once Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn is released in 2007.

In an interview with MMORPG.com, UO producer Aaron Cohen answered many questions about the game’s future and the role of EA Mythic in re-inventing the game.

Cohen thinks that UO is “still quite a healthy game with a very passionate community”. It has outlived its contemporaries as well as newer games which offered better graphics and features. He gave props to the passionate UO community that has kept the game alive. He admitted that the game’s subscriber base have decreased over the years, but still managed to be part of the top 10 MMOs in North America (top 3 in Japan, FYI).

The new expansion, Kingdom Reborn, will thrill the faithfuls for sure, but more than that, the new game engine will convince ex-players to return to the game and give it another shot. If the overhauled features couldn’t do the trick, then perhaps the non-consensual PvP features will. Nothing like a “no holds barred” match to keep the blood boiling.

Cohen also talked about the UO team being absorbed by EA Mythic studio, and he notes that he is thrilled to work with a team that “understands the importance of bringing new people into the game and keeping existing players happy”. With EA Mythic gearing up for the release of Kingdom Reborn, the grand-daddy of MMOs will most likely be alive and kicking for the next decade or so.

Ultima Online (UO) currently holds the distinction of having survived the treacherous world of MMORPGs for almost a decade and this feat has been achieved even with the onslaught of new MMOs. Not many games have that much staying power, hence UO has been the poster boy for longevity in the MMO scene.

But with such achievements come criticisms, one of which is the outdated gaming engine being used by UO. With an aging game engine, a lot of players have jump-shipped to other MMOs, but all that should change once Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn is released in 2007.

In an interview with MMORPG.com, UO producer Aaron Cohen answered many questions about the game’s future and the role of EA Mythic in re-inventing the game.

Cohen thinks that UO is “still quite a healthy game with a very passionate community”. It has outlived its contemporaries as well as newer games which offered better graphics and features. He gave props to the passionate UO community that has kept the game alive. He admitted that the game’s subscriber base have decreased over the years, but still managed to be part of the top 10 MMOs in North America (top 3 in Japan, FYI).

The new expansion, Kingdom Reborn, will thrill the faithfuls for sure, but more than that, the new game engine will convince ex-players to return to the game and give it another shot. If the overhauled features couldn’t do the trick, then perhaps the non-consensual PvP features will. Nothing like a “no holds barred” match to keep the blood boiling.

Cohen also talked about the UO team being absorbed by EA Mythic studio, and he notes that he is thrilled to work with a team that “understands the importance of bringing new people into the game and keeping existing players happy”. With EA Mythic gearing up for the release of Kingdom Reborn, the grand-daddy of MMOs will most likely be alive and kicking for the next decade or so.