Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn Beta Signups Open

May 20, 2007 4:20 PM

Electronic Arts has launched the official signups for Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn, the in-development heavy revamp of the original Ultima Online being developed by the Ultima Online team and EA Mythic. First announced last year, the game features a new graphics engine and recreated artwork as well as a redesigned user interface, making the most significant overhaul the game has seen in its nearly ten years of operation.

We have a number of screenshots, some concept artwork, and some model renders from the game.

According to a news post on the game's news site, beta access for selected players will begin this week. The final version of Kingdom Reborn is expected to ship this year.

Chris Remo

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jake2000

 reply
May 20, 2007 4:28 PM

Is this realtime 3D, or basically a reskinning of the old game with pre-rendered 3D sprites?
- phokz
  
   reply
  May 20, 2007 4:37 PM
  
  reskinning/pre-rendered ala Diablo2
  - Sapiens
    
     reply
    May 20, 2007 5:04 PM
    
    The first graphical overhaul was (admittedly ugly) realtime 3D, I'm not sure why this would go back to prerendered sprites.
    - Schnapple
      
       reply
      May 20, 2007 6:08 PM
      
      Perhaps the target audience still doesn't have the 3D hardware to pull off good looking 3D graphics
      - Sapiens
        
         reply
        May 20, 2007 6:18 PM
        
        That would leave them with bad 3D graphics instead, which was kind of my point. I don't think they're using sprites. :P
        
        MH Knights
        
         reply
        May 21, 2007 4:54 AM
        
        Supposedly the 3D client was buggy and half-assed too.