![]() Work began on Wing Commander Online and Privateer Online ( Privateer being a freeform spinoff of Wing Commander but set in the same universe). With Ultima Online's popularity giving Origin's namebrand a boost, the team had permission to build two MMOs out of its space sim franchise. It's almost breathtaking to think about what might have been. It made a certain sense to build an MMO off of a hit franchise, so if Ultima Online could launch off of the Ultima games, why not a Wing Commander Online? After seeing the strong reaction and rabid following by the gaming community, EA decreed that online gaming would be the focus of Origin from there on out. The studio stayed afloat, and a few years later EA gave Origin the go-ahead to develop one of the first big MMOs: Ultima Online. Chris Roberts and his team struck gaming gold with Wing Commander in 1990, kicking off a flurry of expansions, sequels, and spin-offs that took this franchise to the top of the charts in that decade.Įlectronic Arts acquired the studio in 1992 after Origin suffered a severe financial crisis. One of these titles was a space sim-slash-arcade shooter that featured valiant humans fighting among the stars against the oppressive Kilrathi empire. The studio was anchored around the hit Ultima franchise, although it soon branched out and started making great games all over the place. It was this year that Origin Systems, Inc., was founded by a few guys, including some dude named Richard Garriott. To dig into this interesting "what if?" scenario, we're going to start at the beginning: 1983. What happened and why aren't we playing one of these games today? Find out on this exciting episode of The Game Archaeologist! A pair of projects, Wing Commander Online and Privateer Online, promised the thrills of the hit space saga with the expanse of the online gaming world. Interestingly enough, there was an actual effort made to bring the well-known franchise to the MMO table back in the late '90s. Even if it can't be Wing Commander in name, gamers reasoned as they plunked down their money, it could be the Wing Commander MMO in spirit. He got more than just a few, as gaming nostalgia is one of the most powerful forces known to mankind. Jef's not alone it seemed as though half of the internet went bananas when Roberts came out of the woodwork to announce his title and ask for a few coppers for funding. Jef is so thrilled, in fact, that he started a column anticipating the title. Like many gamers who grew up playing the popular titles in the 1990s, Massively's Jef is understandably excited that Chris Roberts, creator of Wing Commander, is working on an original space sim MMO called Star Citizen. ![]()
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