Hi! I am working on a Ultima Underworld 1 Remake as a non-profit hobby project. See: http://www.ogre3d.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=24625 Anyone knows how to contact Richard Garriot or Origin or whoever is owning the rights to this classic game, because i am using his (their) intellectual property and dont want to get into any trouble. Thanks, uwabyss

Origin were bought around 1992 by Electronic Arts (EA).

It's very likely EA own the current rights to the whole of the Ultima series.

Other people have been up to similar to yourself, it might be worth teaming up with them http://uwadv.sourceforge.net/


Final note: if your project is only for personal satisfaction and you have no intention of publicly releasing/distributing it, then go ahead, there's ~0% chance of you having any problems; however if you intend on releasing it for profit or even free, then permission should be obtained from the copyright holder.

Yes,

You need to contact Electronic Arts. They definitely hold the IP rights. As the above poster suggested don't worry about it if you don't plan on releasing it. However, if you do plan on releasing it, be warned that there's a 99.999999% chance that EA will say no.

-me

Well, dont just ignore Richard Garriot just because he doesnt have the rights you seek...

Maybe he could use a nice letter anyway.

Insensitive clods.:P

Summoning Richard Garriott requires five druids, a full moon, and the blood of a virgin hart.

Thanks!
I have contacted EA about this issue. They have a special email address for these kinds of requests...
Let's see if this project will ever see the light of day :)

What I'm doing for a game I'm remaking is to not include any of the original graphics etc in the distribution, and make it so that the user has to obtain a copy of the original game. My version then loads in the graphics from the original game.

It makes installation more fiddly, and this assumes that the original game can be obtained somehow (in my case, there are plenty of "abandonware" sites with it on...), but it means you can distribute something which doesn't contain their IP.

Long term, trying to find someone who is able to redo the graphics might seem more worthwhile than trying to obtain permission to use the original files?

Quote: Original post by uwAbyss
I have contacted EA about this issue. They have a special email address for these kinds of requests...

Hehe, the one with the autoresponder that replies "No" to every incoming eMail?

Quote: Original post by Thygrrr

Quote: Original post by uwAbyss
I have contacted EA about this issue. They have a special email address for these kinds of requests...

Hehe, the one with the autoresponder that replies "No" to every incoming eMail?

Heh, seems like they will be simply ignored atm ;)

mdwh:
Sounds like a good idea. I think i'll do it in a similar way (not distributing any of the original files/graphics/whatever), the data needed can then be generated from the original Underworld data files. Thanks.

Quote: Original post by uwAbyss
mdwh:
Sounds like a good idea. I think i'll do it in a similar way (not distributing any of the original files/graphics/whatever), the data needed can then be generated from the original Underworld data files. Thanks.

You're still a derivatory product, and they can still shut you down for infringment. Just look at how the recent fan games of LucasArts, Kings Quest IX and Space Quest III got shut down, after putting in a great piece of work.

http://www.fangames.co.uk/V6/

Why not just do your own game instead?

Allan