Znalazłem w necie ciekawy tekst związany z zamiarami EA. Wklejam go poniżej:
Here's the press release that appeared on many gaming and MMO sites:
Cytuj:
A brand-new version of classic online RPG Ultima Online is in the works for the Chinese market, thanks to a collaboration between Electronic Arts and Chinese online game company NetDragon.
EA's Warhammer Online house, Mythic, will support NetDragon in developing a version of the seminal game specifically for the Chinese market, and NetDragon will also maintain licensing rights to operate the game in Hong Kong, Macau and India as well.
"Capitalizing on our ability to create a strong online gaming experience, we are confident that Ultima Online will be a success in China and will also achieve remarkable results in the other markets where we'll operate the game," said NetDragon chairman and CEO Liu Dejian.
NetDragon develops and operates a broad portfolio of MMOs in China, including Zero Online, Tou Ming Zhuang Online and Heroes of Might and Magic Online, among others.
EA is among many U.S. video game publishers currently looking to new business models and online games in Asia as a way to drive global expansion and thrive in the economic downturn. It's been estimated that about half Activision Blizzard's World of Warcraft users are in China -- and with that game currently down for all of the region's users with no set uptime date in sight, it's an opportunity for other publishers to gain some of that marketshare.
Online gaming in China grew by 61 percent in 2008 alone to a staggering total $2.75 billion in revenue, according to research group Niko Partners -- 77 percent of which comes from MMOs. And the online market continues to swell, projected to reach $8.9 billion by 2013.
"Ultima Online is a well known EA property and we're delighted to bring the game to fans in China, Hong Kong, Macau and India," said EA Asia president Jon Niermann. "NetDragon is a proven partner and we're confident in their expertise to build and operate a great gaming experience for players."
Other games NetDragon operate, are 3D isometric and I would assume (given there's no early teasers or images), that their version of UO will also be 3D isometric, without the restriction of "tiles".
I'm also thinking that it will likely be FTP based, rather than subscription based, which means that it will also probably be item-centric.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if at some point, depending on its initial regional success, that it will roll out to other areas, including the wider Asian markets, the Americas, Oceania and Europe. Potentially, it could be the "UO2" that replaces Ultima Online as we know it.
So as the comments from EA Asia's Jon Niermann seem to suggest, they are already looking "outside the current user base to create a new game".
Personally, the only option I see for Ultima Online to sustain longevity in it's current format (certainly in Europe and North America), is to release a selection of "classic" orientated shards, in order to encourage former players to return.
It will still be a relatively small niche market, but one that should easily double subscription figures for North America and Europe, irrespective of graphics.
As for upgrading the graphics for "current" UO, I think you've had your lot with SA and the "Enhanced" client. I really can't see EA investing any more time and resources in any further client upgrades.
That's where NetDragon comes in with the new game. They have bought rights to make a new game. They invest the resources to produce that game. EA make a profit from initial rights purchase, whilst also retaining a healthy percentage of the profits.
