[MUD-Dev] [News] Ultima X: Odyssey cancelled

[Steven King]

Luca Girardo wrote:

> --<cut>--
>   Electronic Arts kills Ultima X: Odyssey

>   Another major MMORPG is canceled as EA redirects resources
>   toward the upcoming Ultima Online expansion pack and a second
>   UO-related project.  Today, Ultima X: Odyssey was summarily
>   pulled from the production schedule by publisher Electronic
>   Arts. The game had been on track for a 2005 release, but rumors
>   of trouble had swirled around the project for some time.

>   In a post on the official UXO Web site, producer David Yee gave
>   the game an epitaph of sorts. "As of today, development on
>   Ultima X: Odyssey has ended," he said. "This isn't an easy
>   decision but it's the right move for the future of all things
>   Ultima, including the community and the team."

>   Yee said the reason the decision was made was to "focus our
>   online efforts and most of my team will be moving to the UO
>   expansion pack, the UO live team, and an unannounced Ultima
>   Online project."  GameSpot was told by another source within EA
>   that no staffers were laid off as a result of today's decision.

>   Formerly under the guidance of lead producer Rick Hall, Ultima
>   X: Odyssey went through an evolution when its design and
>   development staff were recently moved from EA's Austin, TX
>   studio to the company's main Redwood Shores campus. At that
>   time, Hall relocated to EA's Tiburon studio and UXO was placed
>   in the hands of Yee.
> --<cut>--

This news bothered me more than the Warhammer news, although I'm
sure everyone saw it coming.

My question is: What happens to all of the goods when a project is
cancelled?  There's all of this juicy source code and assets just
sitting on a computer somewhere collecting dust.  Quite a shame.  I
guess EA has enough money to blow to cancel projects mid-stride.
UXO had a potentially good USP with the Virtues and the Ultima name.
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