Exciting news from Broadsword Online Games: they are looking to expand the Ultima Online team and bring on another engineer:

Ultima Online is looking to increase our team again!!

As a software engineer at Broadsword, you will build and maintain some of the longest-lived MMO’s still running. You will work on client and server code, networking, databases, and UI/UX among many other tasks. The ideal candidate is a passionate gamer with a C++ background, strong English language communication skills and experience with both Linux and Windows development.

If you are interested in applying please send your resume to Careers@broadsword.com.

This is significant for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it communicates intent, on Broadsword’s part, to increase their development efforts on Ultima Online. How much so remains uncertain, but in light of the recent Greenlighting of the game and the “strong UI/UX” requirement listed above, my suspicion is that we may see UO moved to a single, unified, and much overhauled client in the not-too-distant future.

As well, it seems obvious that the move to Broadsword has resulted in a budget increase for UO; software engineers aren’t free, after all. At least, not in most cases.

And I daresay that this demonstrates that Broadsword is committed to a…long-term future for UO; there’d be little need to grow the team for a game on the verge of being put out to pasture, so to speak.

Interesting things are afoot here.