Here's what we have for you in this week's edition of Update of the Avatar:
- Raise the Underworld
- New Pledge Rewards: Bank Slots
- Receiving Pledge Rewards and Add-On Items in Release 14
- Time.com includes SotA in Top 50 Most Anticipated Games of 2015
- The Release 15 Grand Tour Silver Jester Carnival Mask
- Limited Edition Jester Carnival Mask
- Massively Overpowered Kickstarter
- $10 for $10 Bonus Promotion
- Novia Overworld Work-In-Progress
- Changes to Store Credit Conversions
- In-game Community Weekend Events
- Last Chance Exclusives
- Steam Access Keys Available for All Backers
- How to Cancel Monthly Payment Plans
- This Week In The News
- Upcoming Events
Otherside Entertainment launched their
Underworld Ascendant Kickstarter campaign this Wednesday, February 4th. They got off to a great start and have almost reached half their funding goal in just a few short days!
As we described last week, our long-time friend and former Origin protégé, Paul Neurath, is rebooting 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. We're especially excited 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.
Additionally, we are teaming up with Underworld so that backers of both games can get special in-game items. Here's the description from the Underworld Kickstarter page:
Shroud of the Avatar Special Item
To celebrate our history with the realms of Lord British, we’re teaming up to prepare a special item for backers who also support Shroud of the Avatar. Watch this space to learn more soon.
We'll announce in an upcoming update what the special Underworld/SotA co-backer item will be, so stay tuned!
Be sure and
check out the Underworld Ascendant Kickstarter site, and if you are as excited about it as we are, then show your support and make a pledge to
Raise the Underworld!
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
At this point the focus is all on the core game, which will be a delicious singe-player experience.
