Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss is a first-person role-playing video game released in March 1992 for IBM PC compatible systems running DOS. Set in the fantasy world of the Ultima series, it was developed by Blue Sky Productions (later Looking Glass Studios). The protagonist has to find and rescue a baron's kidnapped daughter from an underground cave system that contains the remnants of a failed utopian civilization. It introduced many technological innovations and has been hailed as the first first-person perspective role-playing game with 3D computer graphics. Although it was not an immediate commercial success, the effects of critical acclaim and word of mouth caused sales to reach nearly 500,000. The game has been highly influential. It is said to have inspired "all 3D RPG titles from Morrowind to World of Warcraft", and the designers of BioShock, Tomb Raider and other major 3D games have cited it as an inspiration for their own work. It resulted in one sequel, 1993's Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds.

Read the rest of this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_Underworld%3A_The_Stygian_Abyss

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1489:

Queen of Cyprus Catherine Cornaro was forced to abdicate and sell the administration of the island to the Republic of Venice. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Cornaro

1794:

American inventor Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin, the first ever machine that quickly and easily separated cotton fibers from their seedpods. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cotton_gin

1910:

Oil prospectors in Kern County, California, drilled into a pressurized oil deposit, resulting in the largest accidental oil spill in history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeview_Gusher

1931:

Alam Ara, the first Indian film with sound, was released. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alam_Ara

1991:

The "Birmingham Six", wrongly convicted of the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings in England, were released after sixteen years in prison. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_Six

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

annis Domini (adv): (of multiple years or of a date range) Taking place a specifed number of years following the assumed birth of Jesus Christ http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/annis_Domini

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

With wonderful deathless ditties

We build up the world's great cities, And out of a fabulous story

We fashion an empire's glory:

One man with a dream, at pleasure, Shall go forth and conquer a crown;

And three with a new song's measure Can trample a kingdom down. --Arthur O'Shaughnessy http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Arthur_O%27Shaughnessy