Editing Ultima Online (section)

==Reception==
===Reviews===
{{Video game reviews
| MC = 59/100<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/ultima-online/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=Ultima Online for PC Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=September 15, 2020}}</ref>
|rev1=''[[PC Gamer]]''
|rev1Score=55%<ref>{{cite web|first=Michael|last=Wolf|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/1109.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19990819085210/http://www.pcgamer.com:80/reviews/1109.html|title=Ultima Online|magazine=[[PC Gamer]]|archivedate=August 19, 1999|date=January 1998|accessdate=October 1, 2024}}</ref>
}}

''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' reviewed the game, rating it four stars out of five, and stated that "it's a very big world in there, full of lots of exciting things to try and accomplish, with more to be added over time and lots of real people around to know you did them. Brittania is what you make of it. Have fun."<ref name="NG">{{cite magazine |title=Caveat |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=37 |volume=4 |publisher=[[Future US|Imagine Media]] |date=January 1998 |page=162 |url=https://archive.org/details/NextGeneration37Jan1998/page/n163 |access-date=April 13, 2019}}</ref> ''[[GameSpot]]'' rated the game 4.9 of 10.<ref>{{cite web|author=Desslock|url=http://gamespot.com/rpg/ultimao/review.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19981205220823/http://gamespot.com/rpg/ultimao/review.html|title=Ultima Online Review|website=[[GameSpot]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|archive-date=December 5, 1998|date=December 17, 1997|access-date=July 8, 2019}}</ref>

===Sales and subscriptions===
Internal sales predictions for ''Ultima Online'' were low,<ref name=bigfranchise>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602101015/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1999/08/02/263639/index.htm | url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1999/08/02/263639/index.htm | title=The Newest Addiction Sony, Sega, Microsoft, and Electronic Arts are betting that games played over the Internet will be the biggest thing since ''Monopoly'' | author=Gunther, Marc | date=August 2, 1999 | work=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] | archivedate=June 2, 2013 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=graveyard /> as Electronic Arts president [[John Riccitiello]] remarked that ''Ultima'' "was never a big franchise."<ref name=bigfranchise /> According to an Origin Systems employee, the game's expected maximum subscriber count was 15,000 users.<ref name=graveyard>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20000818053637/http://www.gamespot.com/features/pcgraveyard_janes/index.html | url=http://www.gamespot.com:80/features/pcgraveyard_janes/index.html | title=PC Gaming Graveyard; ''Jane's A-10 Warthog'' | archivedate=August 18, 2000 | author=Geryk, Bruce | work=[[GameSpot]] | at=Origin Shifts Focus | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> However, Stefan Janicki of [[GameSpot]] later noted that it "quickly became one of the most commercially successful games ever".<ref name=graveyard2>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20021204231644/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/pc/graveyard_ultima/ | url=http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/pc/graveyard_ultima/ | title=PC Gaming Graveyard; ''Ultima Worlds Online: Origin'' | author=Janicki, Stefan | work=[[GameSpot]] | archivedate=December 4, 2002 | url-status=dead }}</ref> ''[[CNNMoney]]'' similarly declared it a "watershed event" and the first major hit in the Internet-only game genre.<ref name=cnnmoney>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050404070637/http://money.cnn.com/2003/03/04/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/ | url=http://money.cnn.com/2003/03/04/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/ | title=Electronic Arts' online folly | author=Morris, Chris | date=March 4, 2003 | work=[[CNNMoney]] | archivedate=April 4, 2005 | url-status=dead }}</ref> In the United States, ''Ultima Online'' debuted at #9 on [[PC Data]]'s computer game sales rankings for October 1997.<ref name=oct1997>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19990210083600/http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,1331,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com:80/News/Item/0,3,1331,00.html | title=October's Best-Sellers | date=November 26, 1997 | author=GamerX | work=[[CNET Gamecenter]] | archivedate=February 10, 1999 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=oct1997-2>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19980204090955/http://www.next-generation.com:80/news/120497e.chtml | url=http://www.next-generation.com:80/news/120497e.chtml  | title=''MS Flight Sim'' Tops PC Data Charts | date=December 4, 1997 | author=Staff | work=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] | archivedate=February 4, 1998 | url-status=dead }}</ref> It carried a [[list price]] of $65,<ref name=bizjournal /> and its average street price was $55 for the month.<ref name=oct1997-2 /> A writer for [[CNET Gamecenter]] found that the title was part of a trend of role-playing successes in October, alongside ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'' and ''[[Lands of Lore 2: Guardians of Destiny]]''. He remarked, "If October's list is any indication, RPGs are back."<ref name=oct1997 /> Between ''Ultima Online''{{'}}s launch on September 25 and November 13, the game sold 65,000 units. In Japan, its initial shipment of 5,000 units sold out within 15 minutes on shelves.<ref name=sales1 />

''Ultima Online''{{'}}s sales rate was the fastest ever for an Internet-only game by 1997, and it led Electronic Arts to declare the title its fastest-selling computer game of all time. A writer for ''[[PC Gamer US]]'' considered this speed the possible cause for "the many reports of lost orders, delayed pre-orders and stores out of stock that occurred when the game launched."<ref name=fastest>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19980218070412/http://www.pcgamer.com/news/news-1997-11-10.html| url=http://www.pcgamer.com/news/news-1997-11-10.html | title=''Ultima Online'' Tops the Charts | author=Staff | date=November 13, 1997 | archivedate=February 18, 1998 | work=[[PC Gamer US]] | url-status=dead }}</ref> In mid-November, Electronic Arts revealed plans to ship an additional 80,000 units of ''Ultima Online'' worldwide, including 15,000 for Japan. The majority of its first shipment had been targeted at the United States.<ref name=sales1>{{cite web | author=Jebens, Harley | title=Impressive ''Ultima'' Sales | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20000312120308/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_11/13_uosales/index.html | url=http://headline.gamespot.com:80/news/97_11/13_uosales/index.html | archivedate=March 12, 2000 | work=[[GameSpot]] | date=November 13, 1997 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> On November 20, the game became Japan's best-selling computer title of its launch month.<ref name=sales2>{{cite web | author=Staff | title=''Ultima'' Tops Japanese Charts | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20000420014528/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/97_12/24_uojapan/index.html | url=http://headline.gamespot.com:80/news/97_12/24_uojapan/index.html | archivedate=April 20, 2000 | work=[[GameSpot]] | date=December 24, 1997 | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> ''Ultima Online'' reached 70,000 global subscribers by early December, of which Japan made up 8,000 and Europe 5,000.<ref name=bizjournal>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040501090501/https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/1997/12/08/story3.html | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/1997/12/08/story3.html | title=''Ultima Online'' game hits record | author=Orman, Neil | work=[[Austin Business Journal]] | date=December 5, 1997 | archivedate=May 1, 2004 | url-status=live }}</ref> The game had fallen from PC Data's monthly top 20 for the United States during November,<ref name=nov1997>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19980204085151/http://www.next-generation.com:80/news/123097a.chtml | url=http://www.next-generation.com:80/news/123097a.chtml  | title=Cyan Takes Top Two | date=December 30, 1997 | author=Staff | work=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] | archivedate=February 4, 1998 | url-status=dead }}</ref> but the firm tracked 87,000 sales of ''Ultima Online'' in that country alone through the end of 1997.<ref name=87k>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190126063507/http://www.herald-journal.com/archives/1998/columns/bits012698.html | url=http://www.herald-journal.com/archives/1998/columns/bits012698.html | title=Bits & Bytes; Games on the Internet | author=Ollig, Mark | date=January 26, 1998 | work=Herald-Journal | archivedate=January 26, 2019 | url-status=live }}</ref>

By December 1998, ''Ultima Online'' had reached 100,000 subscribers, with an average simultaneous player count of 12,500 and an average weekly playtime of 20 hours. Declaring the game a hit, [[IGN]]'s staff wrote that its users "pay $9.95 a month to play the game. That's a million dollars in revenue a month. Twelve million dollars a year."<ref name=100k>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19991117091849/http://pc.ign.com/news/6139.html | url=http://pc.ign.com/news/6139.html | title=''Ultima''{{'}}s Population Reaches 100,000 | date=December 15, 1998 | author=IGN Staff | work=[[IGN]] | archivedate=November 17, 1999 | url-status=dead }}</ref> The game had risen to 120,000 subscribers by March 1999,<ref name=120k>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20010525115006/http://www.gamedaily.com/news/march_99/3_12/index.shtml | url=http://www.gamedaily.com/news/march_99/3_12/index.shtml | title=''Ultima Online'' Spring Promo | date=March 11, 1999 | work=[[GameDaily]] | author=Staff | archivedate=May 25, 2001 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and by June ''Ultima Online''{{'}}s global sales had surpassed 200,000 units. A writer for [[GameDaily]] described this performance as "almost like printing money."<ref name=meridiansales>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20010417170121/http://www.gamedaily.com/features/meridian/index.html | url=http://www.gamedaily.com:80/features/meridian/index.html | title=''Meridian 59'' - A GamesFN Analysis | date=June 1999 | work=[[GameDaily]] | archivedate=April 17, 2001 | author=Staff | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref> Its subscriber base continued to climb in 2000, reaching 150,000 users by February.<ref name=150k>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20000817110803/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-3802,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-3802,00.html | title=''UO'' Hits 150,000 Subscribers | author=Gentry, Perry | date=February 24, 2000 | work=[[CNET Gamecenter]] | archivedate=August 17, 2000 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Domestically, ''Ultima Online'' and its ''Second Age'' add-on together had sold 249,610 copies and earned revenues of $11.3 million at retail alone by early 2000, according to PC Data. Gamecenter's Mark Asher wrote at the time, "Add in its current subscriber base of 150,000 players at $10 per month, and you can see the appeal of online, fee-based games."<ref name=249k>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20010112165200/http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/Textonly/0,78,0-3868,00.html | url=http://www.gamecenter.com/News/Item/Textonly/0,78,0-3868,00.html | title=Game Spin: Daika-X-Box | author=Asher, Mark | date=March 10, 2000 | work=[[CNET Gamecenter]] | archivedate=January 12, 2001 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Subscribers rose to 165,000 by March, which amounted to $1.65 million in monthly revenue,<ref name=165k>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20000824045044/http://gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-3949,00.html | url=http://gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-3949,00.html | title=Garriott Leaves Origin | author=Ocampo, Jason | date=March 31, 2000 | work=[[CNET Gamecenter]] | archivedate=August 24, 2000 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and to 250,000 by October 2000.<ref name=250k>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20001206081000/http://gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-4963,00.html | url=http://gamecenter.com/News/Item/0,3,0-4963,00.html| title=''EverQuest'': 300,000 and Counting | date=October 30, 2000 | author=Ocampo, Jason | work=[[CNET Gamecenter]] | archivedate=December 6, 2000 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

By early 2001, ''Ultima Online''{{'}}s playerbase was estimated at 20–30% female, which was common to MMORPGs of the period.<ref name=women>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228081302/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/11/technology/men-are-from-quake-women-are-from-ultima.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm | url=http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/11/technology/men-are-from-quake-women-are-from-ultima.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm | title=Men Are From ''Quake'', Women Are From ''Ultima'' | author=Laber, Emily | date=January 11, 2001 | work=[[The New York Times]] | archivedate=December 28, 2013 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Japan remained a key market for ''Ultima Online'' by July 2001, and accounted for 64,000 of the game's 240,000 subscribers at the time. A representative for Electronic Arts reported, "While we do only a fraction of PC game business in Japan against EA's worldwide business, over 25 percent of ''Ultima Online'' business is done in Japan."<ref name=global>{{cite journal | author=Everingham, Max | title=Gaming Goes Global | date=July 2001 | volume=8 | number=7 | journal=[[PC Gamer US]] | pages=44–47, 50–52 }}</ref> Worldwide, ''Ultima Online'' retained 225,000 subscribers by early 2003.<ref name=225k>{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106223818/https://slate.com/business/2003/02/how-online-games-teach-us-about-economics.html| url=https://slate.com/business/2003/02/how-online-games-teach-us-about-economics.html | title=The Dismal Science; Fantasy Economics | author=Shapiro, Robert | date=February 4, 2003 | work=[[Slate (website)|Slate]] | archivedate=November 6, 2018 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Awards===
''Ultima Online'' was awarded "[[D.I.C.E. Award for Online Game of the Year|Online Game of the Year]]", as well as received a nomination for "[[D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement|Outstanding Achievement in Software Engineering]]", at the [[1st Annual Interactive Achievement Awards|inaugural Interactive Achievement Awards]] (now known as the [[D.I.C.E. Awards]]), presented by the [[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]].<ref name="Finalists1998">{{cite web |title=The Award - Updates |url=http://www.interactive.org/html/award/awardupdate.htm |website=Interactive.org |publisher=Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences |access-date=10 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980615090128fw_/http://www.interactive.org/html/award/awardupdate.htm |archive-date=June 15, 1998 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Winners1998">{{cite web |title=The Award - Winners |url=http://www.interactive.org/html/award/awardwin98.htm |website=Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences |access-date=10 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980615090115/http://www.interactive.org/html/award/awardwin98.htm |archive-date=June 15, 1998 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
''Ultima Online''{{'}}s success resulted in [[Guinness World Records]] awarding the game eight world records in the ''Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008''. These records include "First MMORPG to Reach 100,000 Players", "Longest Running MMORPG", and "First and Only Person to Kill [[Lord British#Assassination|Lord British]]", which was done by a player named Rainz during a server reset which turned off his invulnerability;<ref>{{cite book |title=Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008 |isbn=978-1-904994-20-6|last1=Limited|first1=Guinness World Records|year=2008|publisher=Guinness World Records }}</ref> however, the "Longest Running MMORPG" award was revoked due to an oversight and was instead given to the game ''[[Furcadia]]'', which was released nine months prior to ''Ultima Online''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/longest-running-social-mmorpg |title=Longest-running social MMORPG |date=October 3, 2016 |access-date=January 28, 2021}}</ref> In May 2001 ''Ultima Online'' won the MPOGD game of the month award <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mpogd.com/gotm/?Date=5/1/2001 |title=MPOGD's Game of the Month May 2001 |publisher=MPOGD.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020307010837/http://www.mpogd.com/gotm/?Date=5%2F1%2F2001 |archive-date=March 7, 2002 |access-date=April 13, 2019}}</ref> In 2010, ''Ultima Online'' was the first inductee into the Game Developers Choice Online Awards Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gdconlineawards.com/archive/gdcoa_1st.html |title=The First Annual Game Developers Choice Online Awards |access-date=April 13, 2019}}</ref> In 2012, [https://stratics.com/ Stratics] presented ''Ultima Online'' with a "Historic Achievement Award" to commemorate "fifteen years of innovation, imagination, and dedication in support of the Ultima Online community."<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://stratics.com/featured/stratics-presents-historic-achievement-award-to-ultima-online-team/ |title=Stratics Presents Historic Achievement Award to Ultima Online Team |date=September 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420051639/http://stratics.com/network-news/stratics-presents-historic-achievement-award-to-ultima-online-team/ |archive-date=April 20, 2013 |access-date=April 13, 2019}}</ref> [[Time (magazine)|Time]] designated it as one of the 100 greatest video games of all time in November 2012.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Peckham |first=Matt |title=All-TIME 100 Video Games |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=November 15, 2012 |url=https://techland.time.com/2012/11/15/all-time-100-video-games/slide/ultima-online-1997/ |access-date=April 13, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723230434/http://techland.time.com/2012/11/15/all-time-100-video-games/slide/ultima-online-1997/ |archive-date=July 23, 2013}}</ref>

===Controversies===
''Ultima Online'' had a number of serious bugs when it first shipped, with the vast majority of them being fixed with [[Patch (computing)|patches]] over the next few months. This ignited debates over whether the recently emerged technology for continuous patching would lead to companies routinely releasing games in an unfinished and/or bug-ridden state with the intention of fixing the problems after release.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Christian |last=Svensson |title=Joyriding: Ready or Not... |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=38|publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=February 1998|page=33}}</ref>

Since the designers of ''Ultima Online'' wanted to provide freedom and sense of agency, it was important to allow players to act in a villainous role. The consequences of in-game criminality were adjusted over time, but maintaining the general commitment to player freedom. As explained by designer Raph Koster, "Being safe from evil is, in my mind, an uneven tradeoff for the fact that you don't get to be heroes anymore, in that you can just opt out of fighting evil. It may be nobody wants to be heroes except when it doesn't count, when it isn't challenging, that people would rather fight 'pretend evil' than the real thing, but I don't personally believe that. I still think people are better than that."<ref>{{cite web |first=Raph |last=Koster |url=https://www.raphkoster.com/games/snippets/a-uo-postmortem-of-sorts/ |title=A UO postmortem of sorts Postmortem |date=April 2014 |access-date=April 13, 2019}}</ref>

''Ultima Online'' was sued by former player volunteers ("Counselors") and settled in 2004 without admitting wrongdoing.<ref>{{cite web |first=T.L. |last=Taylor |date=April 19, 2004 |url=https://terranova.blogs.com/terra_nova/2004/04/uo_lawsuit_sett.html |title=UO lawsuit settled |publisher=Terranova.blogs.com |access-date=April 13, 2019}}</ref> AOL had their volunteers train customer service personnel it hired, then shut down the volunteer program. Concern over future lawsuits led Microsoft to shut down their volunteer program for ''Asheron's Call''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Developing Online Games: An Insider's Guide |first1=Jessica |last1=Mulligan \first2=Bridgette |last2=Patrovsky |page=252 |year=2005 |publisher=New Riders |isbn=9781592730001}}</ref>