OSI CONTEST

[Borg]

First the announcement about the UO Buddy Program, posted on UO.com:

THE ULTIMA ONLINE™ BRING A FRIEND TO BRITANNIA PROGRAM

Bring A Friend To Britannia and earn a free month of gameplay!

Welcome to the Bring a Friend to Britannia referral program! As a way for us to say thank you for introducing others into the world of Ultima Online™, we would like to give you ONE FREE MONTH of Game Time*! That's right, if you refer a buddy to the world of Britannia and Ultima Online, and they keep their account active and in good standing for 90 consecutive days, we will give you a FREE MONTH of Game Time!

Of course there are a few small requirements for qualification:

The friend you refer will be asked to identify you by entering your UO account email address during their new account registration. This email address must match the email address associated with your Ultima Online account. If your friend does not have your email address handy when they register for a new account, they will have seven days to return to the account management site and enter the information. In the case of a mismatch, your friend will be told the email was invalid and they will most likely tell you. You can, of course, avoid this by updating your email address today in our account management site.

To qualify as a "Buddy", you must be a citizen of Britannia in good standing (with an active account) for at least consecutive 90 days, including your 30 day free game-play period.

Once your friend has reached the 90-consecutive day subscriber period, we will email you a UO Game Time coupon that can be applied to your account at any time - so be sure to keep your email address updated - and start collecting your buddy rewards today!

For the Official Rules of the Ultima Online™ Bring A Friend to Britannia Program visit uo.com/buddyprogramrules.html. You can also view your current buddy program status at any time by accessing your account information at www.ultima-registration.com.

* If the friend you refer becomes a UO subscriber and maintains an active account for at least ninety (90) consecutive days, you are eligible to receive a reward of one (1) free month of service. Your UO account must be active, current and in good standing at the time of reward claim.

And now for the details about a special contest they are running, which includes giving away some Free Castles!!!

The Ultima Online™ Bring A Friend To Britannia Program Contest

Official Rules and Conditions

1. Entry. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. To enter, refer a person to become a member/subscriber of Ultima Online™ (UO) through the “Bring A Friend To Britannia” program anytime between Monday July 22, 2002, and Monday October 21, 2002 (the “Program Period”). If during the UO account creation/activation process the person you refer names you as their “Buddy” in the Bring A Friend To Britannia email entry field, you will both be automatically entered for the chance to win. You may also enter by submitting your user/screen name, email address, and date of birth to castlecontest@uo.com. No other methods of entry will be accepted. Each eligible entry will be considered a separate entry. You may be entered multiple times but are only eligible to win one prize. Completed entries (including any required parental consent form) must be received by 11:59 p.m. CST on Monday October 21, 2002. Entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be returned. Sponsor assumes no responsibility for lost, incomplete, incorrect, or misdirected entries. Use of a false email account or an incorrect mail address will disqualify an entry. Sponsor is not responsible for technical, hardware or software malfunctions, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete, garbled or delayed electronic or other communications. Sponsor, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any person who, tampers with the entry process or the operation of the web site, or who otherwise violates these rules. By entering, entrants accept and agree to abide by the terms of these Official Rules and Conditions.

2. Prizes; Winner Selection and Notification. One (1) UO Game Castle on UO Game Shards will be awarded as a prize during each of the 14 weeks of this Program (hereinafter, the "Prize"). UO Castles are in-game real estate and Shards represent in-game locations in which to live. There is no cash value to these prizes.

Winning entries will be selected, by random drawing from all eligible entries. Prizes will be awarded on Monday of each week for 14 weeks, beginning July 29, 2002. The last Winner will be selected and Prize awarded on October 28, 2002. Once entered into the drawing any entry not previously selected as a Winner remains eligible for the remaining weeks' random drawings for the duration of the Program.

Odds of winning each Prize depend upon the number of eligible entries in this Program. Winners may be required to complete and sign an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability/Publicity Release, in the form provided by Sponsor, within 14 days of notification in order to claim Prize. Winners will be notified by an email sent to the email address specified on the entry form. If Winner cannot be contacted at this email or mail address, is contacted and does not respond within 14 days of notification, refuses the Prize or is ineligible to accept the Prize, a new Winner for that Prize may be selected in a Second Chance Drawing held by Monday November 11, 2002. Prizes not claimed by winners of the Second Chance Drawing will not be awarded. UO Game Masters will transfer ownership of awarded UO Castle/Game Shard prizes to Winner's account via in-game support tools.

Prizes are not transferable. No substitution of prizes for cash or other goods and services is permitted, except Sponsor reserves the right to provide a substitute prize of approximately equal value. Weekly choice and selection of UO Game Castles and Game Shards to be awarded are within the sole discretion of Sponsor.

3. Eligibility. This Program is only open to residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 years of age or older at time of entry. Winners must have an active UO account to receive Prize. Employees of Origin Systems, Inc., Electronic Arts Inc., and their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, representatives, advertising, promotion and publicity agencies and the immediate families of each are not eligible. Program is void where prohibited, restricted or taxed by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.

4. General Conditions. Origin Systems, Inc., Electronic Arts Inc., and their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, representatives, advertising, promotion and publicity agencies, are not in any way responsible or liable for damages, loss or injury resulting from entrant's participation in this Program or the acceptance, shipping or handling, loss or use of any prizes awarded in this Program. Winners assume sole liability for injuries, including personal injuries and/or damage to property, caused or claimed to be caused by participating in this Program or the acceptance, shipping and handling, loss or use of any prize awarded. Sponsor has the right to cancel, terminate or modify this Program if it cannot be completed as planned due to computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, technical failures, or other conditions beyond Sponsor's control. Sponsor is not responsible for any failure to contact entrants, whether due to technical or human error. By entering this Program, each entrant consents to the posting of his or her hometown, first name, user, screen and/or UO character name on the http://www.uo.com/castlewinners.html website if chosen as a Winner.

5. Winners list. A Winners list will be available at http://www.uo.com/castlewinners.html after approximately Monday, October 28, 2002 and posted until approximately Friday, December 20th, 2002, and is also available by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope marked "Bring A Friend To Britannia Contest" to Origin Systems, Inc., 5918 West Courtyard Drive, Austin, Texas 78730.

6. Sponsor. This sweepstakes is sponsored by Origin Systems, Inc., 5918 West Courtyard Drive, Austin, Texas 78730.

Hmm........now isn't it interesting......at least we put our referral program up before the big boys did....hhehe and we give out 3 months free!!!

FYI....if anyone does refer someone and you want to donate the referral toward the Imperial Captial buildings.....tell your referral to use "emprborg@twcny.rr.com" as the email referral.

The major buildings of PGoH are secured on accounts so that we never lose them....any free months for those accounts would be great for the guild.....just a thought.