This week in the MMORPG.com Way Back Machine, Lead Writer Bill Murphy takes a look back, way back, at Craig McGregor's first impressions of the ill-fated Ultima X: Odyssey at a hands on in San Fransisco.

Ever since getting my invitation from EA to attend the UXO special unveiling event I could not help thinking "why are these guys spending all this money to fly hundreds of fans, guild leaders, media and sleep deprived code-monkeys like myself to San Francisco from all over the country just to tell us about an upcoming MMORPG title?" I now have my answer…because they are creating one of the most breathtaking massive multiplayer RPG's and they wanted to see our faces and mop up our drool. This game has most of the elements that make MMORPG's great, as well as some new and creative additions.

Read more here.

Such a shame that these, for that time, innovative games gets cancelled where cookie cutter games like WAR, AOC and now Rift gets released...

Damns Suits have ruined the genre...

I just spent a bunch of time writing how this game sounds like crap, then realized it wasnt coming out, but was SUPPOSED to come out.

Well I failed, but regardles, I'm glad the mmorpg staff masks thier advertising better in their posts ;)

I still remember looking forward to this game. It would have been great and I have no doubt that if a game of this caliber would have been release WOW my not have been as popular today as it is. That's just my opinion though. I'm still pretty jaded with EA about this one. They would have made a fortune but instead used the resources for UO which is now just a shell of what it once was. 

Thanks! Great article, brings back lots of memories! Thinking back on it now, the accessibility and massive brand reminds me a lot of what WoW ended up being.

I wonder if UXO was released around the same time (or even before) WoW, would the current landscape be different? Would UXO have been serious contender at the time?

Wow that really sucks.

Wasn't there talk of reviving this title at some point? Likewise I was gutted when I heard they cancelled the project as active combat would have really advanced the whole genre at that point in time. They killed the game because they felt it would take players away from UO, not realising they'd have created a much bigger market for themselves with more people tempted to play mmos.

This and Wish were two that I was really looking forward to. Shame they never saw the light of day.

Originally posted by Ruinal

Wasn't there talk of reviving this title at some point? Likewise I was gutted when I heard they cancelled the project as active combat would have really advanced the whole genre at that point in time. They killed the game because they felt it would take players away from UO, not realising they'd have created a much bigger market for themselves with more people tempted to play mmos.

 

In my opinion they should have gone the GW route, pay for the box, expansions, further content etc, but F2P online. This would have kept their precious UO subs up.

Another "way back" article.  Things are slow in the current MMO world.

Originally posted by SBE1

Another "way back" article.  Things are slow in the current MMO world.

 Yes indeed, they are slow. But in this case, if this game were to be revived I would play it today even with the dated graphics.

The look back was worth it, and forces those that wanted this game to think "What could have been"

Originally posted by Emeraq

Originally posted by Ruinal

Wasn't there talk of reviving this title at some point? Likewise I was gutted when I heard they cancelled the project as active combat would have really advanced the whole genre at that point in time. They killed the game because they felt it would take players away from UO, not realising they'd have created a much bigger market for themselves with more people tempted to play mmos.

 

In my opinion they should have gone the GW route, pay for the box, expansions, further content etc, but F2P online. This would have kept their precious UO subs up.

Here's the thing though. Even if it did take players away from UO (which it definatley would have) what's the problem? They leave UO and come to UX:O and EA still have their subscription money. It was a horrible buisness move. I wonder if they are still kicking themeselves since UO only owns 1% of the MMO market now.

If only this had come out in early to mid 2004, people today would be complaining about games being "just another UXO clone!"

I almost cried when this game got cancelled.  I'd sub to it TODAY if it were resurrected.

Originally posted by Oy-jord

I almost cried when this game got cancelled.  I'd sub to it TODAY if it were resurrected.

I think most of us would.

I still have the trailer for this on my old PC.  I watched it the other day and cussed.  I miss Ultima.

I'm playing UO now.  Even it's corpse being dragged through the mud doesn't stop the brilliant parts of this game to still shine through.  Such a poor state this genre has taken up.  Oh well, until EA decides to put UO on the chopping block, I'll be here...

I think that some of you might not realize that UOX was a lot closer to WoW than UO in design.  Honestly, the game would have done great, but it would not have been UO 2.0.

I left UO the day they cancelled UXO, I still cant watch the UXO trailer without feeling sick in the guts.

This was at about the time that EA closed the Austin office and gave all the cool Origin devs the choice of moving to California or leaving. I still hate EA.

I'm still looking for something to replace UXO, Darkfall has come close.

Originally posted by Yamota

Such a shame that these, for that time, innovative games gets cancelled where cookie cutter games like WAR, AOC and now Rift gets released...

Damns Suits have ruined the genre...

 

None of those games are cookie cutter mmo's. Every one of those have something unique about them.. 

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