THE ASSOCIATED PRESS reports that the long-awaited STAR TREK ONLINE game is nearing release.
Jack Emmert, Cryptic Studios' Chief Creative Officer said the player starts the game as the captain of a small Starfleet or Klingon Empire ship, customizing characters from pre-existing STAR TREK species -- from Klingons to Gorn -- or create a new alien race. Players increase in rank and gain larger vessels and more crew members as they progress.
"You'll venture through space exploring new civilizations and life-forms," Emmert said. "You'll also beam down to planets and have adventures inside your ship. It's a galactic-wide game. There's going to be tons of space to investigate. We have a great system for exploration, which will allow for almost infinite possibilities."
Cryptic previously announced it had obtained the rights to develop and publish STAR TREK ONLINE from CBS Consumer Products, after the now-defunct Perpetual Ent. killed the project.
"We had a friendly relationship with them," Emmert said. "As it became apparent they weren't going to continue to function, they decided to sell off the license. We swooped in and grabbed it. We took no assets. There was nothing to be had, to be honest. We're building everything from the ground up."
Other highlights of the game include battles with other vessels using lasers and missiles not dissimilar from THE WRATH OF KHAN and the Dominion War in DEEP SPACE NINE. The game is set a few generations after the last STAR TREK film, so don't expect to see Kirk or Picard running around.
"There might be a ship called Enterprise flying around, but it's probably not the same ship anymore," said Emmert. "Most of the characters will have either retired or passed on, but you'll definitely be going to all the places you know and love from STAR TREK. Expect to see oldies like Vulcan and Bajor but also fan favorites like Andoria and Qo'noS."
Footage and more details about the game will be unveiled at the annual STAR TREK convention this weekend in Las Vegas. Emmert will present with Leonard Nimoy, and the panel will be broadcast live on www.StarTrekOnline.com.
"You're going to see the actual game working and functioning," said Emmert. "This isn't renders. This isn't concept art. Everything that people will see on Sunday is going to be taken right from STAR TREK ONLINE as it stands today, so hardened people should know that a release date might be closer than they think."
No date has been announced for the release, but Cryptic has said it will be available for PC and possibly Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.
Cryptic developed CITY OF HEROES and CITY OF VILLAINS and is also working on the superhero online game CHAMPIONS ONLINE for PC and Xbox 360 coming next year.
Online games for franchises like THE LORD OF THE RINGS, THE MATRIX ONLINE, STAR WARS GALAXIES and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN ONLINE are available now. Sony Online Ent is currently working on DC UNIVERSE ONLINE and MGM Interactive is prepping STARGATE WORLDS.
