Star Trek Online 'rescued'
Monday, 28 Jul 2008 10:19
Star Trek Online will satisfy the desires of the hardcore fans, says Cryptic.
The troubled Star Trek Online project has been rescued from the brink of extinction by City of Heroes creator, Cryptic Studios.
This was rumoured months ago, of course, but it has finally been made official today.
The project is being developed by Cryptic for "both PC and console formats," although there has been no word on which consoles that is.
It is most likely to be the 360, since Cryptic's other game, Champions Online, will be taking its bow on Microsoft's machine.
Players will take the role of a starship captain for either the Federation or the Klingons, taking part in deep-space ship-based gameplay and planet exploration.
Ships can be outfitted and customised before engaging in space battles, with a crew to both recruit and train.
As for the plot and setting, something that has naturally concerned some of the hardcore fans of the series, it will take place just after all the existing movies and shows.
"Immerse yourself in the future of the Star Trek universe as it moves into the 25th century: a time of shifting alliances and new discoveries," the official website blurb reads.
Perpetual was the studio previously handling development duties, but it was forced to close last year, putting the destiny of the project in the hands of the Prophets ... I mean, Cryptic.
"Star Trek has been a part of my entire life," said Cryptic's chief creative officer Jack Emmert. "There are few other fictional backgrounds that fit the MMORPG medium so well."
"After all, Star Trek was never about a single character, ship or even planet; Star Trek was always about an entire universe. MMORPGs are uniquely suited to create such a thing and allow players to explore every inch."
Emmert attempted to assuage the fears of fans who are concerned about the direction of the project: "[It is] as much about exploration as combat. As much about the variety of alien civilizations as it is about the core Vulcans, Klingons, Humans, etc"
The game doesn't have a publisher yet, but you'd expect the big names to get involved in a bidding war to obtain the rights to this 'license-to-print-money' game.
Cryptic are unveiling the first proper game details and footage at the annual Star Trek convention in Las Vegas on August 10th.