Just days after finding out that there are “no current plans” for the previously announced Xbox 360 version of Champions Online comes a status update for Cryptic Studios’ other MMORPG. If you were holding out on the Xbox 360 version of Star Trek Online, you may want to give up. Like Champions Online, Cryptic is putting console ports of the trekkiest MMORPG on hold.
Current, and prospective, PC players shouldn’t get down on the company. Yes, having a console port of the game would open a huge market to Cryptic, likely netting the company a ton of money for future development. But the decision was made to allow Cryptic to focus its efforts on making the current game more attractive. That’s a good thing.
Executive producer Craig Zinkievich told Videogamer that work on the console version(s) of Star Trek Online has ceased. “It’s something we can readily do in terms of technology. We’ve had it up and running on certain consoles, and had plans and designs in order to take advantage of those platforms. But as it stands right now it’s a little difficult to make that final leap on the business side of things. So, currently, just like Champions, the console version of Star Trek Online is on the back burner.”
Jack Emmert, new CCO of Cryptic Studios, previously blamed Microsoft for the delays the besieged the port for Champions Online. The statements made by Zinkievich – “business side of things” – mirror that frustration.
After announcing they are struggling to hold onto the 100k subs they have, I doubt they want to invest the money into a pit of fire.
They over hyped the game and now they are feeling the repercussions of it. It is no one’s fault but cryptic for putting out a half assed game and expecting people to stick around.
Ayupp. ST:O is pretty much City of Heroes/Villains set in space. It is so sad that a franchise that had the possibility to make such a wonderful game, with a deep and intricate social system, huuuuge galaxies, planets to explore, ended up with the shallow game that is now, Star Trek Online.