Updated
Updated · VICE · Jun 16
Electronic Arts Files 2 Ultima Trademarks for Online and Downloadable Games
Updated
Updated · VICE · Jun 16

Electronic Arts Files 2 Ultima Trademarks for Online and Downloadable Games

2 articles · Updated · VICE · Jun 16

Summary

  • Two new Ultima trademark filings surfaced this week, with Electronic Arts seeking protection for online computer games and downloadable video games.
  • The filings cover Class 0411 and Class 0092, a scope that suggests EA is preserving or preparing the franchise for modern gaming formats.
  • EA has not announced any Ultima project, and the series was absent from Summer Game Fest and other industry showcases last week.
  • Ultima has been largely dormant since 1999's Ultima IX: Ascension, leaving the filings as the first notable sign of movement around the RPG franchise in decades.

Insights

As its creator reclaims copyright, is EA's trademark the ghost of a franchise with no future?
Who wins the battle for Ultima's soul: the corporation with the name or the creator with the rights?