Ultima Forever Developed Specifically for the iPad, Will Incorporate BioWare-Style Storytelling

Concept art courtesy of EA

Last week at Comic-Con, EA announced that it's bringing Ultima Forever, a free-to-play action RPG from BioWare based on the 1989 title, Ultima IV, to the iPad. (Fun fact: Ultima IV was originally first launched for the Apple II.) Players will be able to start a game on their PC and continue the storyline on the iPad. While cross-platform gaming is not a foreign concept to the ever-expanding world of mobile games, this particular title takes a radical new approach. "It's a very high concept idea, but what we hope is that by bringing it to the iPad and presenting it in a very slick way, that it will appeal to a lot of different people," says Kate Flack, Lead Designer at BioWare Mythic. Unlike Zynga's titles, which are app- or browser-based, EA's new title allows players to fully immerse in the Ultima Forever game world by literally being able to pick up where they left off in the desktop version.

Currently, there isn't much information available on Ultima Forever other than that the game takes place in the fictional land of Brittania and the players must fight to protect their world from the menacing Lady British. The game is single player and will feature eight different quests to master. Like the original games, Ultima Forever relies heavily on ethics, and will have players dealing with highly sophisticated elements, such as spirituality. "It's a game all about who you are--like a personality quiz," says Flack. "You'll find yourself in situations where you're asked if you'd rather be kind or fair. It's challenging you to think about who you are and what you really believe in." Ultima Forever will also incorporate storytelling tactics similiar to ts sister games, Dragon Age and Mass Effect.

Ultima Forever will enable tap-to-control game mechanics on the iPad and play time will be limited to 15-minute increments. To make the game size efficient, it will also implement backgrounds that are hand-painted and tile-based so that they are looped rather than constantly generated. Texture sizes and sound packs are also built to fit the iPad, so 16GB iPad owners will be able to enjoy the game in its full capacity without worrying about it taking up precious gigabyte space. "We built it specifically with the iPad in mind," adds Flack.

Ultima Forever will be free to play and you can sign up for the beta now. There are no current details on whether the desktop version will be available for the Mac.

 

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Unconventional Learning with iPad, Mac, and iPod touch

— Tracey Bratley, teacher at Flitch Green Academy

The implementation

The staff first purchased MacBooks, and as the curriculum evolved, they quickly added iPad and iPod touch devices. Apple products have become an essential piece of how students learn at Flitch Green.

Flitch Green’s unique approach is taught through open-ended

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Apple Reports Record March Quarter Sales of iPhone, iPad, and Mac

today announced financial results for its fiscal 2012 second quarter ended March 31, 2012. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $39.2 billion and quarterly net profit of $11.6 billion, or $12.30 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $24.7 billion and net profit of $6.0 billion, or $6.40 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 47.4 percent compared to 41.4 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 64 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

The Company sold 35.1 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 88 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 11.8 million iPads during the quarter, a 151 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 4 million Macs during the quarter, a 7 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 7.7 million iPods, a 15 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter.



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Thursday Recap: Windows 8 on iPad, My First Five Years, Adobe Revel Hits 1.2

New parents: Drop those poopy diapers and head to the Mac App Store, immediately! (Or, you know, when you’re done cleaning up.) The best-selling Anne Geddes baby record book My First Five Years has now been converted to a Mac app and it looks pretty amazing. Don’t have a kid? Then gift it to someone who does! About the only way this could be even better is if they make it available for the iPad (hint, hint). While you ponder that, read on to find out what else is making news for this Thursday, April 12, 2012.

Splashtop Brings Windows 8 Consumer Preview to iPad

We’ve already seen Windows 7 running on an iPad, but that’s old news now that Microsoft plans to roll out the Metro-centric Windows 8 later this year. Splashtop Inc. today announced the availability of Win8 Metro Testbed, a remote desktop app for software developers and technology enthusiasts alike to simulate the Windows 8 environment on an iPad. Empowered with Windows 8 Metro touch gestures, the app allows developers to test this functionality as they code and compile new apps for Windows, without having to invest in a Windows 8-compatible tablet.

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New iTunes U App for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch

a web-based tool accessible from a browser. Courses can include a syllabus, handouts, quizzes, and other items. All of the course materials that you upload will be hosted by Apple and available to anyone taking your course. You can pull content and links from the Internet, iBookstore, App Store, and iTunes Store. Or you can gather material from among the 500,000-plus resources at iTunes U, including audio and video content from museums, universities, cultural institutions, and more. Once the course is ready, it’s a snap to distribute it to anyone who’s interested in the topic

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New iTunes U App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch

If you are a lecturer at a University, college or K-12 school, you now have an easy way to design and distribute complete courses featuring audio, video, books and other content. Students and lifelong learners can experience your courses for free through a powerful new app for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.