Ultima7 - Free Download

[Irdin]

Many parts of the Ultima series can be downloaded for free at [site name deleted].

[edit: link cut out]

While legal issues concerning abandonware are not totally clear, it shouldn't be a problem to link to this page.

[Guest]

Actually, it is illegal because its not really abandonware.

It some sort of gray zone, but its not technically abandonware.

[Cobalt]

I mean honestly. Who among us on this site don't have atleast 1 downloaded mp3 on there computer?

ultima 1 - 6 have been downloadable for ages.

[Gruck]

Not really the issue here. Ethics aside, illegal is illegal. The developers want nothing to do with potential legal issues. It's not an ethical question so much as the developers not wanting trouble. Also the forum rules clearly state no posting links to illegal downloads.

[marzo]

I edited out the link to the abandonware site. If you look at the Please read before posting frozen, sticky thread, you will notice that item #1 expressly says not to post links to such sites.

Moreover, saying that the "legal issues concerning abandonware are not totally clear" is completely and utterly wrong: if you live in any of the countries that are signatories of the Berne Convention (that is, one of the countries in blue in this map), then it is unlawful to distribute copies of games, with or without compensation.

[Irdin]

I'm very sorry for causing such an inconvenience. I should have read the faq. You've my apologies.

[agentorangeguy]

Looks like if you live in Somalia, your in luck!

[Andrea B Previtera]

We just have to wait the year 2062 (The Black Gate is from 1992, isn't it?), since the same laws that regulate international copyright state that after 70 years any "intellectual property" that falls under the categories of music, visual art and *gaming*, becomes free

[drcode]

Has anyone tried pestering EA to either sell copies of the Ultimas or give them away?

[Paulon]

A couple of Dragons tried to get permission for distribution a few years back. I don't think they ever got an answer.

[MeddlingMonk]

It used to seem very strange to me that companies kept such a vise-like hold on their old IP when they didn't seem interested in actually doing anything with it any more. Then along came The Secret of Monkey Island SE. For corporations, especially American ones, 'long range' is only the next quarter, but maybe they're actually being smart somehow.

[Colourless]

Its about trademark dilution. Ultima still makes money for EA and they don't want to 'risk' losing the abilty to trademark the name. You've got to remember Ultima Online is still active and still actively developed. Until it costs them more money to run it then they get back from it, they are unlikely to consider 'giving' it away.

I find that its extremely unlikely for EA to do anything with the Ultima brand now however, unless someone at Bioware is a real Ultima fan and wants to set something in the universe. A RPG developer was something 'missing' in the EA portfolio. They tried to ressurect Ultima a few times, and it failed each time they tried. EA is in the business of making games, and they do realize that you do need to make good games. EA has managed to earn a reputation of late of killing off titles that are not meating quality standards. EA seem to have decided that their internal teams were not good enough to make a good RPG after multiple attempts.

Hence they bought Bioware who brought to the portfolio a proven group of RPG makers with a new franchise being Mass Effect and a new anticipated title, and possible new franchise being Dragon Age.

[Luke]

Hmm... i wonder if EA could be convinced to freeware the game data (usecode, art work, scripts, dialog, etc), but not the trademark, copyright, etc.

[Warder]

No, they wouldn't. I'm fairly sure they wouldn't even reply if you tried to contact them about it.

[agentorangeguy]

Maybe this has been asked or answered before, so I apologize, but why did Richard Garriot sell out to them in the first place? Was he forced into it or was it a money issue? I read about the anti EA bits and pieces in U7 (Elisabeth & Abraham, the Guardian, the cube, sphere, and tetrahedron being the old symbol, etc.) so it seemed like he wasn't a fan of theirs. What happened?

[Dominus]

Wing Commander!!!

[monotremata]

RG didnt really 'sell out' to EA. Origin may have produced the games but they were always distributed by a bigger company since day 1.
Broderbund did it before EA did, as did Sierra before that, etc, etc..
EA suckered them into something more than just a distribution deal though which is obvious since they now own everything Ultima..

Sierra held ownership of Ultima II for years and the game was all but non existent until Origin got the rights back in like 1990 or so. The first Ultima Trilogy release (1991 I think) was the first time it had been available since like 1983 or so.

Id actually love a Bioware made Ultima.. I know there are fan-made modules for Neverwinter Nights that tried to recreate some of the Ultimas but a full blown Ultima with the NWN engine would rule!!

[Viking]

Basically, the development costs for Strike Commander more the less bankrupted Origin. At the same time their distributor at the time withdrew from the agreement they had (don't know the reason). Basically, the choice for Origin was to either go bankrupt and cease to exist (no more Ultima, Wing Commander, etc) or allow themselves to be bought out.

[Dominus]

in depth article on why Origin got sold:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/article ... -of-Origin

[Cobalt]

Good read.

So it wasn't necessarily that they ran out of money on strike commander but that they didn't have the ability to remain self sufficient because of the real estate market lending problem in Texas during the early 90's...

Oh the irony. (of then and now)

[Wizardry Dragon]

I personally approached EA on the behalf of a local computing store near me to try to get copies of the Ultima Collection made for them to sell, but it seems EA is only interested in Ultima Online, because the email I got back had nothing to do with the Collection, and a lot to do with trying to get me interested in UO.

Wizardry Dragon