Raise the Underworld
We are pleased to announce that our long-time friend and former Origin protégé, Paul Neurath, is launching a Kickstarter campaign on February 4th to reboot the legendary
Ultima Underworld games.
It has been more than a decade long wait, but the stars have aligned and Paul has long last freed the rights to move forward with the franchise, sans only the “Ultima” brand itself. He is joined by some of his Looking Glass colleagues who worked on the original franchise, as well as on
System Shock and
Thief, in the newly formed company, OtherSide Entertainment. The team has vowed to stay true to the spirit of the original Underworld, while at the same time innovating in all new ways. And they want you to be a part of it.
We're especially excited to reveal that, just as the original Ultima and Underworld shared a connection on backstory and fictional elements, so too will Shroud of the Avatar and Underworld Ascendant. There is a portal between the two worlds, which over the ages travelers have crossed, some bringing with them artifacts and arcane lore.
Our partnership, forged in the bonds of creativity, inspires us to continue the legacy. As backers of
Shroud of the Avatar, you know how pivotal you are in the development of the game. No longer is there a wall between the fans and the developers. Through the magic of crowdfunding, we can develop the game and check in with fans along the way. We can get a reality check at each step so we’re truly making the game you, the player want. Not only are we sharing storyline elements with
Underworld Ascendant, but we share this philosophy of collaborative development. It is a powerful time in game design, where game creators can connect directly to you, the community.
So as you have shown your allegiance to
Shroud of the Avatar, bring forth that same spirit and make your pledge to raise the Underworld on February 4th.
For more information on Underworld Ascendant, follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
Richard Garriott (Ultima, Shroud of the Avatar) – “For those of us lifelong gamers that go back to the early days of the Underworld franchise, created by Paul Neurath, it represented a watershed event on what an immersive 3D true role-playing game could be. Personally I am as excited about Underworld returning as any game I can imagine.”
Chris Roberts (Star Citizen, Wing Commander) – “Underworld was the first truly 3D textured first-person game… it influenced pretty much all first person 3D games that came afterwards.”
“Most modern gamers probably don’t realize how much their favorite games owe to classic first-person RPG Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss, which laid the foundations back in 1992 for games as diverse as Deus Ex, Bioshock and the Elder Scrolls series." – GameWatcher, January 2015
“But to cast the game as a distant godfather of modern gaming is to misunderstand it: Underworld isn’t done. Looking Glass’ first series was ended prematurely - and Paul Neurath intends to finish it.” – PCGamesN, January 2015
“After 20 years of trying –– and finally succeeding –– to acquire the franchise rights from Electronic Arts, Neurath said the decision to fund the project through Kickstarter has a number of appealing possibilities for the team –– artistic independence, creative leeway and transparency for backers”. – IGN, January 2015
On the other hand, only big names like Obsidian, inXile etc. manage to attract a more serious investment, and as we have seen, even that king of money is not sufficent for a "big buck" crpg and creative freedom. Why can't guys that are serious in trying to make a great and "magical" crpg attract huge funding, while some hipster shit gets money thrown at it? Fuck this gay world. 
World has gone to shit. But I still have a glimmer of hope for this, we'll see in about 3 days, I guess...
