Ultima X – The Lost MMORPG, Windows 10 Upgrade Ends (PCGH-Retro, July 29)

…2003: Richard Garriott’s role-playing game series Ultima not only consists of nine single-player parts and countless offshoots, it also spawned a highly successful online role-playing game: Ultima Online, which still has many fans several years after its launch in 1997. Since then, the growing spread of fast PCs and equally fast Internet access has led to a boom in this subgenre, and countless titles are in development. And so it makes sense to continue the traditional Ultima series with another online title: On July 29, 2003, publisher Electronic Arts announces Ultima X – Odyssey. It is being developed without the involvement of Richard Garriott, who has already left his Origin studio, but is of course intended to continue the tradition of his single-player series. The powerful Unreal Engine serves as the technical basis. With a strong license and modern technology, Ultima X promises to be a sure hit. But nothing comes of the project: EA moves development from Texas to California, but the developers refuse to move, work comes to a standstill – and finally, in June 2004, development on Ultima Online is discontinued. This makes Odyssey the second scrapped Ultima MMORPG project since Ultima Online 2 was canceled in 2001. And the original? Ultima Online is still online twelve years after its release.

… 2016: Exactly one year after the release, the free upgrade period from Windows 7 and 8 to Windows 10 for private users ends. This ends a drama that lasted about a year, in which Microsoft tried with various means to persuade the users to upgrade. They didn’t shy away from reinterpreting the classic red X in the right corner as approval for an upgrade. There was a lot of criticism for this obtrusiveness, and in the end the realization remains that Microsoft has scared off many potential changers because they don’t want to support such “persuasion skills”. Windows 10 likes to remain controversial this year. In Europe in particular, where data protection is a sensitive issue, many dislike the fact that Microsoft allows itself to collect extensive data without being asked. Little has changed up to the last day. There were updates, but the collection of data can only be limited, not completely turned off – at least with on-board tools. Microsoft had certainly imagined starting Windows 10 to be easier – especially given the fact that it was offered free of charge. However, experienced users could not live with the restriction that the free upgrade only applies to the device on which Windows 10 is installed. Hardware binding of software is unusual and legally regulated, especially in Germany.