Underworld Ascendant - official sequel to Ultima Underworld!

Blade-Runner

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http://www.polygon.com/2014/7/1/5860464/underworld-ascension-otherside-entertainment

OtherSide Entertainment is resurrecting the Underworld series of dungeon crawling role-playing games with Underworld Ascension, the newly formed studio revealed today.

Paul Neurath, a veteran of games like Ultima Underworld and the former co-founder of System Shock and Thief developer Looking Glass Studios, founded the independent development studio, which acquired the Underworld brand and is looking to hire developers.

“With Underworld Ascension, we are excited to be bringing back the Underworld franchise, making it more vital than ever before," Neurath said.

Developer Blue Sky Productions' Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss was released in 1992. Neurath served as the game's designer, while Richard Garriott directed and Warren Spector produced the RPG. OtherSide's Underworld game is headed to PC at an unannounced date.

"As producer on the original Ultima Underworld games, I'll never forget the first time I saw a working prototype of the game — I felt as if the world had just changed," Warren Spector said. "As the first fully-textured, real-time, first-person game, Underworld paved the way for every other first-person game that followed. If that doesn't qualify as 'changing the world,' I don't know what does!"

Holy hell....I never thought I would see the old school RPG genre resurrected to its former glory, but it is now becoming evident that we will be spoiled for choice!
 
http://www.othersideentertainment.com/

Games Pioneer Paul Neurath Forms OtherSide Entertainment and Announces its First Game, Underworld Ascension™

July 1st, 2014 – Boston, USA – OtherSide Entertainment, a new independent games studio, today announced its formation. Fronted by game pioneer Paul Neurath, OtherSide Entertainment revealed that its first title, Underworld Ascension™, will mark the return of the groundbreaking and long fallow Underworld franchise.

Paul Neurath, Founder and CEO of OtherSide Entertainment, is renowned for his creative direction spanning three decades, notably leading the development of such classic franchises as Thief™, System Shock™ and the acclaimed Ultima™Underworld.

Underworld Ascension marks both the series and Paul Neurath’s return to his RPG roots, with OtherSide Entertainment aiming to innovate and revitalize the fantasy genre in the same way that its predecessor did in 1992. “With Underworld Ascension,” said Neurath, “we are excited to be bringing back the Underworld franchise, making it more vital than ever before.”

The original Underworlds transformed the traditional dungeon crawl into a truly immersive experience. Players felt as if they were actually walking through the great underworld halls; and encountering a living community of underworld dwellers.

Ultima Underworld inspired a generation, and its influence is still seen today in titles as diverse as Deus Ex™, The Elder Scrolls™, and BioShock™.

OtherSide Entertainment will reveal more details on Underworld Ascension in the months to come. To keep updated, visit our website at www.othersideentertainment.com.

facebook.com/OtherSideEntertainment

@OtherSide_games

Games Industry Testimonials for Underworld:

Richard Garriott, Creative Director, Portalarium: “For those of us lifelong gamers that go back to the early days the Underworld franchise, created by Paul Neurath, represents a watershed event on what an immersive 3D true role-playing game can be like. In these days, where we are seeing many of these greats return, I personally am as excited about Underworld as any game I can imagine.“

Ken Levine, Creative Director, Irrational Games: "Underworld had a transformative effect on my understanding of what games were. It was the first time I ever felt "inside" of an imaginary world. It was the game that primed all of my creative ambitions."

Chris Roberts, Chairman, Roberts Space Industries: “Ultima Underworld was truly revolutionary for its time – it was the first fully 3D textured first person game. As such it influenced pretty much all first person 3D games that came afterwards and could be truly called the granddaddy of first person Role Paying Games.“

Warren Spector, Director, Denius-Sams Gaming Academy: “As Producer on the original Ultima Underworld games, I'll never forget the first time I saw a working prototype of the game – I felt as if the world had just changed. As the first fully-textured, real-time, first-person game, Underworld paved the way for every other first-person game that followed. If that doesn't qualify as ‘changing the world’, I don't know what does!”

For press inquiries:

North America
Jim Redner
theRednerGroup

UK and Europe
Stu Taylor
Dead Good Media

About OtherSide Entertainment

OtherSide is a Boston-area game studio focused on bringing to core gamers reboots of classic game franchises. For its first title, the company has secured the rights to do new versions of the beloved Underworld games, which sold over 1M copies and is considered a landmark fantasy franchise of the 1990’s.

Underworld Ascension is a pending trademark of OtherSide Entertainment, Ultima is a trademark of Electronic Arts, Thief and Deus Ex are trademarks of Square Enix, System Shock is a trademark of Meadowbrook, BioShock is a trademark of Take-Two, and The Elder Scrolls is a trademark of Zenimax Media.
 
That's pretty exciting, I will have add this to my must follow development list.
 
Ultima Underworld was my first computer RPG, and the best game I have played.
 
I loved ultima underworld so much when it came out. It was the first FPS style game and really was a first of its time.
 
This is really good news! I hope the project goes well.
 
Never been that interested in a Kickstarter before, but this one....

Fighting the urge to do it on this one.
 
Hell with it. Sometimes you have to put your money where your mouth is.
 
I am kinda bummed out with Shroud of the Avatar which is still in Alpha but it just didn't click with me.
I'll give it another shot when it's finished....

Most of the Ultima games are top down games so this needs to be as good as the Legends of Grimrock ect...
 
Will be interesting to see how this one shapes up. Ultima Underworld received lots of playtime in my teenage years.
 
It's getting close to 430k for those who are interested in it. Only about 170k to go for the basic KS goal! :p
 
god i just hope it doesnt look anything like the early prototype demo cuz that looks horrrrible.
 
So apparently Stephen Russell, the guy who voiced Garrett in the Thief series, will be doing some voice work for Underworld.
 
FUNDED. 6 days to go still...

Yay!

C'mon folks, let's get some of those stretch goals!

So why do you guys think UA is getting such a lukewarm reception? The failure of video game Kickstarters in general?

Wasteland 2 brought in nearly $3mil. I would think a new Underworld game would be good for at least half of that.
 
I don't know... I thought it would do much better also, but the important thing is that the game will be made. I hope it reaches $750,000 for the Lizardmen stretch goal.
 
This is now fully funded with the 1st stretch goal down as well. Really looking forward to this game...
 
Not going to fund anything started by old time dev legends. Their failures show, that they lost their touch. Garriot tanked for example Tabula Rasa, which was PoS MMO. We have also Molyneux and his madoff games and so on... Not falling for the "give me your money and we will make those games we always wanted. Trust me mister, I'm legend and I want to be your friend"
 
Considering what a great game Ultima Underworld was and also considering some of the other titles, I am a little disappointed in the slow progress. I had really hoped they would clear the $1.2 million stretch goal quite easily. Now it looks like they may have difficulty in reaching $750k...
 
Willikers, how did I not hear about this project before? Underworld and Stygian Abyss were formative games for me in my early teen years and still hold up pretty well. Just backed.
 
I just backed it ... it had been awhile since I added a new KS project so I was due :)
 
Didn't realize that the next stretch goal was a Tracy Hickman novel, loved the Dragonlance Chronicles in my younger days.
 
The Tracy Hickman novel was the $700,000 stretch goal, which was just reached a few minutes ago. The next one is the Lizardmen at $750,000. Kickstarter ends in 60 hours.
 
The Tracy Hickman novel was the $700,000 stretch goal, which was just reached a few minutes ago. The next one is the Lizardmen at $750,000. Kickstarter ends in 60 hours.

Stretch goal, but you have to pay extra to get it. :rolleyes:

The begging to step up to a higher pledge tier is a little lowbrow.
 
With 4 hours to go it looks like they may reach $850k. Which means enhanced SFX :)
 
I upped my pledge so I have done my part ... I raised it to the Digital Protagonist level ... since they plan to keep funding in parallel after KS (like some other projects), they may hit the even higher levels ... Now, to wait the two years for release :)
 
This looks....pretty bad.

Just saying.
If it's a 14.99 title or something mebbe.
 
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