00:00EA renews Ultima trademarks as creator Richard Garriott eyes possible return of the legendary
00:06RPG series.
00:08The long-dormant Ultima franchise may be back in the spotlight after Electronic Arts filed
00:13new trademark renewals for the series, while creator Richard Lord British Garriott has
00:20revealed he is exploring a legal path to reclaim aspects of the iconic RPG.
00:25The recent trademark filings sparked speculation that EA could be planning to revisit the franchise,
00:31which has not seen a mainline installment since 1999.
00:34However, the publisher has not announced any new projects or explained the purpose behind
00:38the renewed filings.
00:41Speaking to Inside Games after the trademarks surfaced, Garriott said he has repeatedly tried
00:46to work with EA on reviving Ultima over the years, but those discussions never progressed
00:52very far.
00:52Every decade or so, I try to work with EA on a revival of Ultima, Garriott explained.
00:58They always seem interested enough to start talking, then abandon talks just as quickly.
01:04Rather than continue waiting for EA to act, Garriott says he has been watching the calendar.
01:09Because EA acquired Origin Systems in 1992, he believes US copyright law may allow him to
01:16reclaim certain rights to his original work after 35 years, potentially opening the door
01:21in 2027.
01:23Even if that happens, the situation would not be straightforward.
01:26Copyright and trademark protections are separate legal concepts.
01:30While Garriott could potentially regain copyrights tied to his original creations, EA would still retain ownership of the Ultima
01:36trademark, meaning the publisher would continue to control the franchise name and related branding.
01:42As a result, any future project from Garriott could require a different title or distinctive
01:47branding, even if it draws heavily from the original series.
01:50He has suggested that something along the lines of Lord British's Ultima could be possible, though
01:57he emphasized that what such a project would actually become remains undecided.
02:03Garriott's desire to revisit the franchise is understandable given Ultima's influence on the RPG genre.
02:09Originally launched in the 1980s, the series helped define computer role-playing games and led Garriott
02:15to establish Origin Systems before the studio was purchased by EA in a deal reportedly worth around
02:21$30 million.
02:22Outside of game development, Garriott has become known for his colorful pursuits, including private
02:27space travel and constructing a Medi-Evil-style castle in Texas, adding to the larger-than-life
02:33persona behind the Lord British nickname.
02:36For now, neither EA's trademark renewals nor Garriott's comments guarantee a new Ultima game
02:42is in development.
02:43The filings may simply be routine maintenance to protect the publisher's intellectual property,
02:47while Garriott's legal strategy remains prospective rather than finalized.
02:52Still, with renewed trademark activity on one side and the original creator preparing for a
02:57possible copyright reversion on the other, fans of the classic RPG series have more reason than
03:03they've had in years to wonder whether Ultima could eventually make a return.
03:09I've never played the Ultima games, so I don't really have much to say.
03:16I do know it's kind of like, as they were saying, one of the earliest RPG games.
03:22So, like, um, just like the Dragon, um, was it Dragon Warrior?
03:27Like, an early dungeon crawler game that was also from, like, the 80s?
03:32Um, I think Ultima is kind of like, in that same, uh, I think it's close.
03:42But, um, you know, it's, it all comes down to, um, trademarks, uh, you know, obviously,
03:51you know, the trademark could expire in 2027, but what's to say EA, if they want to keep Ultima
03:57in their, uh, camp, they just don't, uh, renew the trademark when it's time.
04:05Um, it looks, I mean, what Richard Garriott should probably try, um, you know, like they
04:14said, he would have to, uh, like, at least give it a subtitle to distinguish it from the
04:19normal Ultima, which he could do, and then he could, uh, just pull inspiration from Ultima
04:26and he could continue that series on his own.
04:30But, as far as I know, and I'm not a lawyer, so don't take my advice for it, as, from
04:35what
04:36I understand, um, Electronic Arts, they can either let the trademark expire or they can
04:42renew it if they want to pay for it.
04:46And if they're, and if we're hearing rumblings about that, uh, which wasn't supposed to expire
04:51to next year, Electronic Arts obviously has something.
04:56I don't know if they're going to release it, like, say, on the Switch 2 Virtual Console,
05:01or the Nintendo, um, you know, they could do that if they haven't already.
05:06Uh, they might be planning a new game.
05:08Kind of would be weird, because, like they said, the last game was in 99, and games have
05:13changed from the 80s and 90s to now.
05:17Um, but it would also be interesting to see, like, if they took Ultima, the systems that
05:23was tied to it, and how that game works, and they tried to modernize it, would we get something
05:30like the Final Fantasy VII Trilogy, or would we get something completely lost of heart and
05:35soul?
05:38Um, I don't know why, uh, but the thing is, you know, you wouldn't renew a trademark, you
05:43wouldn't spend that money, unless you had a plan to use it.
05:48So, you know, while there's no reports yet of a new Ultima game coming out, that doesn't
05:55mean that the, uh, that's, it's not a possibility, especially with the creator wanting to get the
06:01trademark back, or work on it with EA.
06:06Um, and like I said, he just has to change the name, and he could even say it's inspired
06:11by Ultima.
06:14How about you?
06:15Have you ever played any of the Ultima games?
06:17Uh, let me know.
