http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/03/ultima-4-now-free-ea-launches-ultimaforever-com/

humm ... I wonder how this will effect GOG?

(not that it really matters to me, I still have my Ultima collection disks so it's not like I even need a free version of this ...)

I think Ultima IV has been free for a long time. Also open source I think because someone made a port of it with better interface or something.

no, thats a common misconception.

there were a few explicit places that had limited rights to distribute the game for free, but that was only for promotional purposes and it was never fully set to "freeware" mode as people could download it for free but not redistribute it.

I'm not sure where I got it, but I thought it was official...
Was it illegal of me to have downloaded it?

lol, at this point in time thats really not the issue.

EA trying to enforce that "not quite free" BS was just ... well, typical of them. but then again the only thing not typical of them ATM (event his bogus "Ultima Historic" site) is that they are finally going to start working with GOG to bring back official avenues of obtaining Origin games that everyone has already pirated years ago.

*edit* so yeah, to clear up any perception of double speak on my part: Ultima 4 has been free for years, EA is just now finally ponying up to the fact (and in a douchey manner no less).

also: I kinda think this is a simi-shit-head-ish maneuver, the most important thing I'm getting from this pres release isn't that they will distribute that game for free, or that stupid site ... it's that they have now handed over the Ultima franchise to Bioware. if you read between the lines they repeatedly credit Bioware, but not Mythic and make no mention of Origin. this is something that hurts my inner child because not only do I not like Bioware's cookie cutter format, but it seems like EA and bioware are trying to white wash Origin out of the picture.

I know a secret y'all don't know!!

Wing Commander + Secret Ops is also being released free?

Man, I sure hope the fact that they made an Ultima site means they'll either be putting them on GOG or selling them for themselves.

Somehow, some way, I need the Ultima games!

I was even thinking of spending like 50 bucks on eBay for the collection...ugh.

How do you get this thing to run on DOSBox?

I know you didn't ask for this, but
http://sourceforge.net/projects/xultima4/

that's a port for Ultima 4. You don't even need to use Dosbox.

Annoyingly, I can't actually access the Ultima Forever website.

I just get a grey screen, or if I turn AdBlock off I get some basic advertising.

I've tried clearing my browser cache, but it doesn't appear to have any effect.

Hm, I hope you'll be able to reveal it soon.

I'll let GOG do it. ;)

Your worst nightmare.