Jonric: Since it seems to be the first step in the grand plan, what initial aspects of this vision are you looking to realize in Samurai Empire? To what extent will it radically alter the game's current basic style?

Anthony Castoro: Samurai Empire is largely a content expansion made to give more to our current players while we also work on the larger vision for UO. So in many ways, it is a conservative expansion and not a radical one. It gives our players exactly what they tell us they want - new lands to explore, new professions to choose from, and new items and loot to acquire.

If Samurai Empire is radical compared to previous expansions, it is only subtly so. On the face of it, some may think that the theme is a significant departure, but it is not. UO has had elements of cultures other than medieval Europe since the beginning. For example, the Katana was long the favored weapon of swordsmanship. And fans of the Ultima RPG series will note that it frequently incorporated eclectic concepts, from time travel to crashed Kilrathi spaceships.

UO's "reality" allows us to extend beyond the content that is currently in the game. Britannia is only one country in the world of Sosaria, so as we look to expand the world to give players new things to explore, it only makes sense to draw on themes from other cultures that are not emphasized in the current one.

"This emphasis on improving player systems and emphasizing our customer's demands is an example of how our new vision of UO will be carried out."

Jonric: Then referring back to the new overarching vision, how does this project set the stage for future steps to come?

Anthony Castoro: Perhaps the radical thing about Samurai Empire is the way we're going about developing it. With the combination of experienced new leadership such as Associate Producer Jessica Lewis and Art Director Walter Ianneo, and with long-time UO developers such as Lead Designer Jonathan LeCraft and Lead Programmer Tim Keating, this expansion is being developed to a standard of quality not seen in previous efforts. We've adopted EA's standards for development in order make sure we meet our heightened standards for quality.

Also, the emphasis on addressing long-time player concerns such as the Guild System and Factions is something that in the past has been somewhat lacking. We know our players want us to work on the existing game as much as they want us to add new content, and that's what we're doing. This emphasis on improving player systems and emphasizing our customer's demands is an example of how our new vision of UO will be carried out.

Jonric: How did the decision come about to utilize a Japanese theme? What kind of research has been involved?

Anthony Castoro: The decision to use Feudal Japan as the cultural background for this expansion came from a variety of impulses. The first was that we wanted to add something to the game that was new and fresh. We also have a very active and large Japanese audience that makes up almost half of our subscribers! Directly appealing to this audience makes sense, but only if it fits with the theme. Finally, we wanted to use the Ultima RPG series fiction in the next expansion. Eventually, we ended up selecting the Land of the Feudal Lords, which was originally referenced in Ultima 1.

The game designers and artists did a great deal of research on Japanese lore and history, and they worked with our co-workers in Japan to make sure that our choices would make as much sense to our Japanese audience as it would to our American one. It's important to note that this expansion is being designed and developed by the Origin team with support and input from EA Japan's UO marketing and customer support.

Jonric: In the context of the current environment where players have quite a few online worlds they can choose, what are the keys for an older one like UO to retain current subscribers and gain new ones?

Anthony Castoro: Good question. One of the keys for a game like UO to retain current subscribers is to respect and understand the players' investments in the game - to make changes only when they are needed and necessary, and to make additions only when they've been carefully considered against the existing game. Another, which can be easily overlooked, is to keep new players coming into the game. If current players feel like the game is growing stagnant, or the future is in question, then current players are more likely to consider leaving themselves. That, of course, brings us to new players.

One of the biggest challenges is to look competitive. New players are very likely to judge a game by its cover, literally. If you can't get people to pick up the game and play it, then you've failed before you've begun. Another key is to innovate. Give new players a reason to try a game that might otherwise be considered old. Interestingly, games that have been around a while are in some ways better prepared to innovate because they can have a pre-existing foundation to build on. Customizable housing is a good example.

With respect to building a foundation that will help us understand Ultima Online: Samurai Empire at a level beyond merely listing its assorted features and elements, it is desirable if not necessary to have some feeling for its historical background and rich, lengthy history. We thank Anthony Castoro for providing this context and information about the future, and we look forward to focusing more specifically on details of the content in EA's upcoming expansion at another time.