The incoming lines have been flooded with readers checking in with their own opinions on the worthiness of the class action suit brought against Ultima Online's developer and publisher Origin Systems Inc. (and Origin's owner, Electronic Arts).

　　The mail has been both serious and amusing. We start off with one letter that touches down in both camps. Others follow.

　　Dear GameSpot,

　　I came into work this morning and fired up my computer and logged into the 2000+ user Intranet. I was waiting for validation as I do every morning (hey it takes time to send information from place to place when 1999 other users are doing the same thing right?) and then launched my e-mail to see a blurb on the lawsuit that was filed against Origin.

　　I read it and the responses from both sides of the fence. It then dawned on me what is happening.... Our world has become sue-happy. So I have decided that after I compose this e-mail I am going to compose another resigning from my current position, and then I am going to sell all my worldly possessions and buy camping equipment and move into the mountains where I will compose the biggest lawsuit of all time.

　　Here are the first few entries:

　　1) My first girlfriend for breaking my heart. She did not tell me that she was going to do it.

　　2) My high school history teacher for making me memorize the Gettysburg address. I have yet to actually use the Gettysburg address even though I was told that it would benefit me in the future.

　　3) The company that wired the first house I lived in for not labeling the outlet with a warning sticker that said, "Do not stick fingers or other objects in wall receptacles as electric shock may occur."

　　4) Myself for sounding so ridiculous.

　　I have to say that this has got to be the most idiotic thing I have ever heard. The people involved in this lawsuit are obviously oblivious to the "real world" They want "real time" in a game that runs over a network so vast that it would boggle their minds to even try to understand the basics of it. The "real time" they get is about as real time as they are going to get without spending big bucks.

　　I build and repair large networks, and it is no easy task, let alone to make it perfect and lag-free even with millions of dollars spent. Maybe they were brought up with unrealistic expectations of what representation means?

　　What's next if they lose to OU in this suit? Are they going to sue their ISP for not being able to keep the packet count up, for occasionally transmitting a packet that contains an error? Or maybe the phone company because they represent themselves as having superior sound quality, and in all actuality heavy rain, thunder storms, high traffic volumes, etc. can cause phone line noise that affects the transfer rate of a modem? Or wait, maybe let's sue Mother Nature or God for creating these adverse conditions that may inhibit the flawless real-time play of OU over a phone line connection. Or maybe the modem manufacturer for not saying "This modem may not send packets 100 percent error-free for all eternity" or "You the user may not have the intelligence to configure your modem properly to maintain 100 percent optimal performance."

　　This could go on and on and on with no positive effects for the gaming/computer industry. If people sued every time they were disappointed, then this world would have gone by the wayside a long time ago.

　　These are the kinds of people that whine when the pickles on their cheeseburger are not exactly the same size, when their car engine blows up because they haven't changed the oil in ten years, when their underwear wears out (hey, maybe I should sue Jockey.... They did not say once that their underwear "would not last forever" - common sense tells me they won't, but not everyone has common sense).

　　If the plaintiffs feel they have a legitimate claim to sue Origin, then there is something seriously wrong with them and the ideals they have as far as what is false representation. It is a sad day for the computer world when it comes to this. Maybe Origin should file a countersuit on the grounds that the plaintiffs' represented themselves as gamers by buying the game when in all reality they are whiners looking to make a quick buck at the expense of the computer industry.

　　Message to the plaintiff:Take your computer and pack it back up in the box and return it to the original place of purchase because you do not have the common sense to own and operate it. You will save yourself from being disappointed in the future and make the computer world a much better place.

　　Signed,Still Shaking Head in Disgust

　　Additional letters follow. Thanks to all GameSpot News readers who have sent their opinions our way.Although I too do not like Ultima Online, my problems with the game grow entirely out of, shall we say, "difference of vision" rather than some misguided and juvenile claim that they, in any way, defrauded me. Hmmm.... Are these the same guys who tried to sue Hooters into hiring male wait staff?- Matt T.

　　As usual, this is another fine example of people trying to make a quick buck in our sadly litigious society. I hope OSI and EA all realize that all the true gamers are with them and won't stand by and let these shlubs drag your good name through the mud, without doing or saying anything.- Brian O.

　　I want revenge and damages....- Stephanie R.I certainly hope that this frivolous lawsuit gets thrown out, so the people at Origin can get back to real work instead of fending off greedy people who are out to make a quick buck at the expense of the entire online gaming community!- Jeff B.

　　See ya Origin.... I hope you go out of business because of this. Go get em boys!!! - Josh F.

　　I intend to step back and watch the suit unfold. Since it is the first of its kind it will be very interesting to see the different moves unfold (Some sarcastic people already say it might be more entertaining than a night playing UO...smile...). And who knows, maybe it will lead to a little more consideration of an advertising department in promoting a game. Stick to the truth, don't make any claims you can't keep, and you won't have unhappy gamers suing you! - Karsten L*Sigh*Why did people have to go and open up this can of worms? If this isn't thrown out of court, Origin will likely need to funnel money into defending itself, rather than improving the game. If it wins, game companies will be lawsuit-sensitive, which can only detract from services in the future.

　　When these people have destroyed my favorite game company, depriving me of future enjoyment, both in this and other games, can I sue them? No, I won't be able to, and that really is a shame. When other game companies slow productions to a crawl, and possibly go under, due to fear of this type of treatment, will I have recourse? No. It's very frustrating that a group of detractors can gang up like this, but the other side does not have that option. I don't really think that these things are going to happen, I'm saying I have no recourse for any damages this frivolous lawsuit causes me, or anyone else, no matter how severe.

　　Do I think it's fair that people are charged a monthly fee for the game? Yes, I do. If, as I hope, most of that money (or all of it) is going toward improvements and salaries for the people making the improvement, I'm all for it. And, as someone already pointed out, it says on the box that there will be fees and there is a credit card requirement.

　　Do I think it's fair that people who are not satisfied with the game after the first month can't get their money back? Not in the least. However, that's true of any game on the market, not just this one, and not justOrigin's. How many people were dissatisfied with Outpost, for instance? I personally purchased Lands of Lore: Guardians of Destiny, hoping for a game as good or better than the original, and played it for a few hours and never again. I can't get my money back from the store for it, but I'm not going to sue the company that made it. To do so would be absurd, because they aren't the ones that made the rules. The fact that the consumers can't get their money back for software that is unsatisfactory, unlike most other products, is the problem. It's just a shame that people don't see that. I understand this is done due to the rampancy of pirating software, but as a non-pirate, I don't appreciate being penalized for the behavior of others. If you could return a game you didn't like, I seriously doubt we would be seeing this lawsuit, regardless of alleged misrepresentation.

　　Do I think that Origin has been negligent in releasing UO "too soon"? Possibly, even though I still have enjoyed it most of the time. There are significant problems with the system, but the system is huge andunprecedented. Pioneers into new fields make mistakes, and saying "They should have known" from the hindsight point of view is hardly fair. I've sent my fair share (and possibly more) of nasty notes to UO customer support, as well as even-minded notes and suggestions. They could be more responsive to the customers, I expect, but they do have a lot of customers, and may just not be geared up to handle the volume. Remember: These people are, by and large, gamers, too. As such, I have a very difficult timebelieving that they actually released the game maliciously, or with purely selfish motivations. They may have gotten to the point that they said, "We need to start making money on this project!" before it was ready, but I can't blame them for that (though, if that is true, we should have been warned, but this is pure conjecture on my part).

　　To sum up: Did Origin make mistakes? Certainly. Is a lawsuit an appropriate, or likely to be effective, method of getting them to correct them? Certainly not. If we're all very lucky, it won't damage the gamingindustry or the game. If we are truly blessed, it may improve matters, at which time I will eat my words (a full meal, to be sure). We'll have to see.- James JI wouldn't be too quick to write this lawsuit off. I think it would be a bad thing for the entertainment software industry, and online gaming in particular, but objectively speaking, it was only a matter of time before someone filed a suit like this against a software maker. I'm kinda surprised it didn't happen with Battlecruiser 3000. This is the only industry in the world where the manufacturers consistently succeed in selling their customer base on imperfect goods. If you bought batteries that didn't hold a charge or a car without suspension (and I'm talking about every car off the assembly line lacking suspension, right?), you'd return the batteries or car and that company would go outta biz in a hurry. The fact that entertainment software has over the past few years evolved beyond a niche market means that: 1) many more units are now sold, meaning more money involved, more at stake for the content providers, more pressure to release games at key time(s?) of year, etc., and, 2) more "average consumer" types are purchasing games than ever before. The average joes are not as accustomed to the phenomenon of buying an item that really doesn't quite work as advertised. When they get home and find out that 10, 20, or even 50 percent of the functionality/features boasted in ads and on the box are not quite found in the box and require downloads/patches, they rightfully resent the manufacturer. Heck, some of these consumers still don't really know how to navigate the Net sufficiently to find, download, and install a patch anyway - and they shouldn't have to. I really think part of the success of Myst and Riven can be attributed to the lack of bugs. There must certainly be a few, but not enough to require the buyer to do anything to make the game work - it works outta the box well enough. Over longer periods of time, a Darwinian effect will occur, where companies that make mediocre products will either die or be acquired, and the ones left standing will the Broderbunds and EAs. But we live in an accelerated age when most consumers want instant gratification, whether that's outta the box they just bought or in a courtroom getting remuneration for an over-hyped, overpromising game like UO.

　　Just my two dollars and twenty cents,- John D.Let me say right now what I think: I think Origin deserves what they get, I hope they are forced to support their program, and I hope they lose a lot of money. When you try to scam consumers and screw them out of hard earned money, you deserve to be punished.- Alex

　　This lawsuit should send a message to developers such as Origin. Pushing software to be released before it's ready is not without repercussions. At the very least you are just going to lose the trust of your customers. Sure Origin released the game before Christmas and made a lot of money. But look at what they are facing in the long term. I myself will never purchase another Origin game again. And if I can jump onto this lawsuit to get back the $80 I threw away on an incomplete product, I think I will feel a lot better. - Larry D.

　　If you're going to sue anyone, it should be Microsoft.- Chris S.I'm proud to see someone standing up against Ultima Online. I have never been more furious with the quality of a game like I have been with Ultima Online. It is a very creative idea, and great game setup, I won't deny that. But the fact remains the game IS unplayable. The lag is constant, it never lets up, even if you have the most up to date computer.

　　People say this is another useless lawsuit in America. It's true many lawsuits in America are completely absurd, but this one is not. It makes sense, because I have one have lost money. People don't understand, many game stores DON'T accept returns just because "I don't like it". Considering I paid $53 for it, and can't resell it at even $35, it shows I made a big mistake.

　　This is partially my fault, but Ultima Online should have not advertised how great the game is, how it's constant gameplay. This is completely false, if you haven't played, imagine walking around life only able to walk 3 steps, then have to completely pause for 5 seconds. This is the world of Ultima Online. The only thing your paying for when you buy the game is a cool introduction movie, and a view of a town you soon won't be leaving.

　　I fully support the people filing the lawsuit.

　　- Carl C.