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The Game Archaeologist: Perpetual's Star Trek Online
If you're among the legions of Trekkies, then you are almost certainly aware of Cryptic Studios' Star Trek Online. Since early 2010, players have boldly gone where no one has gone before in this MMO that blends spaceship battles, ground combat, and faithful tie-ins to the long-running franchise. Star Trek Online appears to be thriving following a free-to-play adaptation and two expansions, and some see it as the only official continuation of the TV series right now. But what players encounter in Star Trek Online is not what it originally started out as. You may or may not know that STO began development under Perpetual Entertainment, which handled the game for several years until it went bankrupt and passed the license and art assets to Cryptic. It's another tantalizing historical "what if?" scenario to think about what this game would look like if Perpetual had taken it to launch and beyond. But what did this version of Star Trek Online look like? Let's investigate.
Cryptic explains Star Trek Online's quick turnaround time
Star Trek Online fans have occasionally wondered whether Cryptic Studios felt pressured to rush the game toward its February 2010 launch date. Recent comments by new executive producer Stephen D'Angelo indicate that the company was under the gun due to a pre-existing licensing agreement between the Star Trek IP owners (CBS) and Perpetual Entertainment (STO's original developer). D'Angelo states that Cryptic acquired the license from Perpetual and had to abide by the original agreement in order to keep it. That meant that the new dev team had approximately two years to crank out an ambitious sci-fi MMO based on one of world's most beloved IPs (and featuring one of the world's most notoriously obsessive fan bases). The comments come during the course of a video interview on the STOked podcast, which you can watch after the break. [Thanks to The Grand Nagus for the tip!]
Heatwave shows off new Gods & Heroes screenshots
Gods & Heroes is one of those rare MMORPGs that get a second chance. The game hasn't suffered through a disastrous launch like Age of Conan or been shuttered like Tabula Rasa, but development on Perpetual's mythology-inspired title was shut down in November of 2008. Earlier this year, Heatwave Interactive announced the project's resurrection, and along with a bit of discussion at the recent GDCO convention, has released some new screenshots. Check out our gallery below, where you can view all manner of classical mythology mobs including a minotaur, cyclops, and various and sundry other creatures doing battle with player characters. %Gallery-105482%
GDCO 2010: Heatwave talks Gods and Heroes
MMOCrunch has checked in with an interesting bit of news from GDCO. The off-again on-again saga of the Gods and Heroes IP was the subject of a bit of show-and-tell at the recently concluded convention, courtesy of Heatwave Interactive. Development on the classical mythology MMO stagnated following the demise of project originator Perpetual Entertainment in early 2008 before Heatwave resuscitated the game. Heatwave confirmed that players will still take on the role of a demi-god, pledging their loyalty to the Roman deity of their choice and following a class-based progression paradigm that includes control over various types of pets known as minions. While Perpetual had initially planned on each player's being able to control up to 24 minions, Heatwave hinted at the fact that the team has scaled this number down considerably to a more manageable four minions per player. Read all about the resurrection of Gods and Heroes over at MMOCrunch, and keep your eyes on Massively for more news about the title as it happens.
What if...? Ten canceled MMOs that could've changed history
What if...? Some of the most intriguing questions known to mankind start with those two words, as well as the most maddening. What if...? An entire genre known as "alternate history" is derived from these questions, with scholars and average blokes alike speculating on what might have happened if things went just a little differently. What if Hitler got the bomb first? What if Microsoft developed the iPod instead of Apple? What if Abraham Lincoln decided to see a different play that night? When it comes to MMORPGs, what if's can drive one up the wall. In this volatile genre, more projects have started, canceled, launched, struggled, faded and morphed into new creations than most of us know. Today, we want to look at 10 MMOs that were axed before their launch, 10 MMOs that could've changed gaming history as we know it... if only they got the chance to prove themselves. Let's take a journey, you and I, through history itself, and ponder the greatest of questions: How would the MMO industry be different if these titles had made it to release? Click the first picture on the gallery below to start. %Gallery-94702%
Gods & Heroes returns from the dead
How many here remember Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising? We're hoping most of you, as the highly-anticipated MMO was near completion before it was scrapped in 2007. Perpetual Entertainment, who was also developing the first incarnation of Star Trek Online at the time, officially shut its doors in 2008, presumably killing any chance that Gods & Heroes would see the light of day. Until today. Heatwave Interactive has announced today that it has acquired the intellectual property rights and all assets for Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising to further production and pick up where Perpetual left off. We were able to sit down for a brief interview with Heatwave co-founder and CEO, Anthony Castoro, on this acquisition news. Keep reading after the jump for more information on Heatwave's plans for the game and more like it in the near future.
Some fresh Star Trek Online customization info (for humanoids only)
Cryptic Studios made clear the basic framework of its vision for Star Trek Online immediately after announcing the game, but the occasional interview or FAQ has revealed greater detail over the past few days. The latest example is a video interview at MMORPG with Cryptic's Jack Emmert, who in the interview reveals specifics about character, race, and starship customization. He also talks about Cryptic's relationship with the previous holders of the Star Trek Online mantle, Perpetual Entertainment.As far as the customization goes, you'll be able to customize the "skin, eyebrows, antennae, and hair" of your characters and races. At launch, it's likely that all players will be humanoids. Ship geometry, colors, decals, names, and even serial numbers can all be set by players. It sounds like they'll use basic "kits" of tools based on which faction (Federation or Klingon) they choose.Emmert also says that "war games" within factions would be possible, allowing players to engage in PvP with members of their own factions in a limited way. He doesn't sound at all certain that it will be possible at launch, though.
Star Trek Online fans look back at the Perpetual game-that-wasn't
The Hailing Frequency forum is a self-styled fallout shelter for fans of the now-canceled Perpetual Entertainment game Star Trek Online. Interestingly, the forum has begun a several-part series unveiling never-before-seen screenshots of the game. With Perpetual's demise one would have thought these images would remain locked into fan hard drives forever. Instead, the forum moderators have been given leave by the new owners of the project to "start generating some significant hype for Star Trek Online." Poster Zach Nicodemous offers not only a series of (admittedly fuzzy) images of the project, but offers a great deal of hope to Trek fans everywhere.According to Nicodemous, in the second post of the series, the new developer of STO has yet to make a Sci-Fi game. Just the same, they're looking to aggressively enter the marketplace, exceeding the game Perpetual was looking to make in numerous ways. Be sure to check out the screenshots, which includes hints that the game may have actually included ship interiors - a possibilty the developer initially ruled out.
The twisting tale of Champions Online's Dennis Adams
This week we get to meet an ex-Star Trek Online team member who made the move to Cryptic Studios last February, becoming Champions Online's associate producer. Who is this man? It's Dennis Adams and we have to say he seems like a very cool-headed cat.With a mind for art, Dennis got his start as an animation production supervisor for Walt Disney Studios. He spent five years there before getting a gig on The Simpsons Movie. Dennis finally made his dream-breakthrough into the videogame industry with Perpetual Entertainment, the then-developer of Star Trek Online. Of course, we all know how that unfortunate ship sailed. Not all was lost, however, as Dennis found a home at Cryptic Studios and is working diligently to bring all of our super-powered dreams to life. When asked to give his advice for anyone wanting to break into the industry his response was, "Love the craft -- you owe it to the gaming community." We always appreciate an impassioned videogame developer. So hats off to you, Dennis.
Rumor: Perpetual Entertainment closing down
MMO news network Warcry has confirmed via unnamed "multiple sources" that Perpetual Entertainment has closed its doors. The posting corroborates similar information provided to Joystiq from a few secondary tipsters, and the company's web site has recently been replaced with a static contact page, but we're still labeling this one as a rumor until we hear official word from the company.Perpetual has has its share of troubles recently, facing its second round of layoffs in as many years last September, putting fantasy MMO project Gods and Heroes on hold, facing a lawsuit from its PR firm and, last month, giving up the rights to the highly anticipated Star Trek Online.
GDC08: Cryptic's secret project
Jack Emmert, Chief Creative Officer at Cryptic Studios, gave an interesting talk about using episodic content (read: patches) in the morning's (yes, it's still morning in California!) first round of GDC sessions. While we'll be posting a detailed write-up of the session later today, Emmert dropped a tidbit that, like any good piece of gossip, we simply must share. Talking about what Cryptic was working on, Emmert mentioned the recently announced Champions Online as well as what he called "a secret sci-fi project." We could hardly resist squeaking with glee as this bit of information might lend some credence to rumors that Cryptic might be acquiring the Star Trek Online license. Of course, this is all speculation -- it's entirely possible Cryptic is working on an original IP or other sci-fi license. Right now we know: STO developer Perpetual closed up shop and announces the Trek license had been given to an unnamed developer in the Bay area. Cryptic was in talks with Perpetual for... something. We presume they were after some of Perpetual's development team, but no one would confirm or deny whether the STO license was involved. Cryptic is now working on a sci-fi project. This may not be proof, but if you put these pieces of news together it seems highly likely that they've become involved in STO's development in some way.
Kohnke drops its lawsuit against Perpetual
The breakup of Perpetual Entertainment has been a messy, messy affair. The death of Gods and Heroes, the uncertainty over Star Trek Online, and former Perpetual PR representatives Kohnke's lawsuit were all signs of MMO development gone horribly wrong. Thankfully, it seems as though these threads are quickly sorting themselves out. After Perpetual made some cranky throat-clearing noises early yesterday, saying the whole thing was "ambiguous and unintelligible", they must have decided it wasn't quite that ambiguous after all. Shacknews is reporting that Kohnke has dropped its suit after the two parties found some sort of mutual resolution. As might be expected, the particulars of the agreement are not forthcoming. The initial suit was for some $300,000, and with its conclusion that sounds like it may be some of the last news we'll hear about Perpetual for the time being.
The Digital Continuum: A Cryptic future
These days, if you don't keep your head down, a rumor about Cryptic Studios is bound to hit you in the face. In fact, quite a few of them probably already have at this point. It all started with a letter to the community. After that plural hit, it wasn't just Marvel Universe Online that people were chattering about, but upcoming "projects" from Cryptic Studios as well. Ever since they managed to take one of my favorite things in the world -- superheroes -- and turn that world into a fun and successful massively game, I've loved the people at Cryptic.So it was with plenty of excitement that I discovered Cryptic would be handling the Marvel Comics license for their next massively game. Unfortunately for all of us excited fans -- of Cryptic, Marvel or both -- the entire operation went into super-secret-silent mode. Aside from CoX news, (which came from a different team at Cryptic, now NCsoft NorCal) we haven't heard even a faint murmur of information. After a while, this leads to lots of speculation about whether or not Marvel Universe Online is canceled. So far, there still hasn't been any additional official information on the game and all we are left to is pure speculation.What could be in the future for Cryptic Studios? Nobody knows except them, but that shouldn't stop anyone from guessing.
Star Trek Online dev team laid off yesterday
According to WarCry's sources at P2 Entertainment, yesterday was the last day at work for the members of the Star Trek Online development team. We already heard that some of the team went over to Cryptic Studios for job interviews, but we didn't hear what they might be working on. It might be STO if Cryptic are the ones who purchased the license and content from P2.Everyone at Massively is anticipating specifics about the fate of STO, but the internet community is sitting in the dark for the time being. While we wait for the lights to come back on, we want to wish all the STO refugees the best of luck as they boldly go to whatever strange new worlds await them.
Star Trek Online is under new management
According to WarCry, The Studio Formerly Known as Perpetual Entertainment -- or just "P2 Entertainment" if you want to be less facetious -- has passed or sold ownership of the Star Trek Online project to a new studio headquartered in (fittingly) the Bay Area. This comes after a rocky history for the title, starting with the cancellation of Perpetual's other title Gods & Heroes, all sorts of corporate maneuvering, and a lawsuit.WarCry did not reveal the name of the new steward, but it did learn that while the game's license and content (such as artwork, one presumes) were transferred, the code wasn't. So the new STO team is starting from pretty close to scratch. If you were hoping for a 2008 release, it's time to be disappointed; though at this point none of this is a huge surprise.We don't know if the new owners are related to P2, if any of the old team will be moving with the project, or anything else, really. More info and some clarifications are sure to come eventually, though, so sit tight.
As the Worlds Turn: Learning from the past
2007, by some accounts, has been one of the best years for video games ever. While most would think of the tremendous console releases, MMOs have also seen their fair share of greatness. However, as the saying goes, you can't win them all. We're going to take a look back at 2007 at some of the higher, and lower, points in MMOs and game development. New Year's is over, so take some aspirin, get yourself a stiff cup of coffee and take a brief stroll through MMO memory lane.
Former STO designer: Star Trek might be "hardest MMO IP ever"
Star Trek Online is one of the most anticipated MMOs on the horizon, but it's no secret that Perpetual Entertainment has had a rough couple of months. There's an ever-present air of uncertainty around STO's future.Most of that uncertainty stems from Perpetual's legal and financial troubles, but one former STO team member has written up a blog post suggesting that making a Star Trek MMO might be a Kobyashi Maru scenario to begin with. "At first glance, Star Trek seems like the perfect setting for an MMO," said former systems designer Eric Heimburg, "but appearances can be deceiving. It's actually a huge landmine of problems."Heimburg wrote that it's an expensive and difficult task to produce both a space game and a land game, that making space interesting is challenging, and that it's impossible to please all Star Trek fans because everyone has a different opinion about what makes the franchise great. All good points; we'll see if Perpetual has what it takes to make it all come together ... if it can even survive its financial and legal woes.[Via TTH]
STO interview comes with first non-space screenshot
WarCry interviewed Perpetual Entertainment's Daron Stinnett, the head honcho on the Star Trek Online project. The interview itself contains very little new information; it covers the reasoning behind the new art style, the interaction system described in the most recent devlog, and the balance between space and land combat. Stinnett also squashes (again) the rumor that STO is going casual and tries to alleviate concerns that STO's future might be in jeopardy. He doesn't convince us that Perpetual is totally out of the woods just yet, but there's no way to know for sure.Really, the best part about the interview is the new screenshot, and the best thing about the new screenshot is the revelation of how dead-on that old tongue-in-cheek fan video was.
Perpetual plot thickens: lawsuit filed
For a minute there, we thought Perpetual Entertainment was clear of the post-Gods & Heroes-cancellation mess and that Star Trek Online would enjoy (relatively) smooth sailing from here on out. It turns out that drama isn't over yet. There's been a new development that raises new concerns and sheds light on what's been going on over the past two months.A few days ago, Kohnke, the PR firm that promoted Gods & Heroes, filed a lawsuit against Perpetual. Kohnke believes Perpetual owes it up to $280,000. Just prior to the cancellation of Gods & Heroes, the bigwigs at Perpetual sold Star Trek Online to another company they owned. So in other words, Perpetual sold STO to itself. Kohnke has accused Perpetual of doing this so as to avoid paying up -- which would be a violation of the law.We here at Massively are game journalists, not lawyers, so don't take this as an expert opinion, but it looks like the worst case scenario for Perpetual is that it'll have to sell STO in order to pay Kohnke. Alternatively, Kohnke could settle for a stake in STO as payment, or Perpetual could find another investor for STO to make paying Kohnke easier. All that assumes that Kohnke wins the case, though. If it doesn't, it'll be just another day for Star Trek Online.If only Perpetual existed in Star Trek's 24th century, in which there is no such thing as money -- except for Latinum, of course!
Star Trek Online dev sued by PR firm
Dark days are ahead for Perpetual Entertainment. After placing their mythology-based MMO Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising on indefinite hold, the Star Trek Online developer is being sued by their former PR company, claiming thousands of dollars worth of unpaid invoices, breach of contract, as well as several charges of fraud against the developer and its employees.The public relations firm Kohnke Communications had been in charge of marketing for Gods & Heroes, and is now claiming over $10,000 worth of unpaid invoices for their work, in addition to bonuses that would have been due to Kohnke upon the release of the MMO. In total, Kohnke seeks to claim between $70,000 and $280,000, which, according to the law document, are reflective of what Kohnke would have earned after Gods & Heroes' launch, depending on sales numbers and other factors.Kohnke alleges that Perpetual Entertainment took steps to directly avoid paying the PR firm for services rendered on the canceled title. Perpetual placed Gods & Heroes on indefinite hold following numerous delays and layoffs. After acquiring new investors, the company shifted focus to Star Trek Online, taking the sci-fi MMO in a more casual direction.
