Ultima 8 Magazine Ad Proofs

Pix posted a set of three images showing off a pair of original proofs for a magazine ad promoting Ultima 8, which he purchased from Rhea Shelley:

Side by Side

Proof 1

Proof 2

Sadly, one of the proofs got damaged after having been stored face-to-face.

A close look at the two proofs will reveal a few differences, including different screenshots, and a different arrangement of the pitch text (which was also re-worded between the two versions). Pix also notes an amusing feature listed on the first proof:

I thought it was particularly odd that the earlier advert lists compatibility with EMS and XMS memory in its short list of selling points as this wouldn’t have been high on my list of reasons to buy a game. Playing with DOS config files was par for the course for PC gamers back then the way I remember it. I’m sure this has to be a nod to the difficulties people had with the Voodoo memory manager Origin had used for Ultima 7 which was especially particular and continued to make the game tricky to run for years afterward.

No doubt!