Ultima Online Opens Origin Shard

The UO team has created a fresh new server under the headline "Origin Lives!"

A new shard is born -- Origin. The Origin shard is now open to all Samurai Empire players. This shard is a place where you can get a fresh start, claim that prime piece of real estate you’ve always had your eye on, or just rediscover the lands of Britannia.
Because we have many demo and free trial programs available, this shard is only available to Ultima Online: Samurai Empire account holders for the first month. By limiting access in this way, we can ensure that our loyal customers have the first opportunity to claim the real estate and goods provided by the launch of the Origin shard. This restriction will be lifted in mid-January.

They are also holding a focus group soon. Check here for details, including a $75 reimbursement. Slashdot has also recently posted a commentary on the long term viability of the game.