Rumor: Cryptic Studios Picking Up Star Trek MMO
Though the studio would not confirm if it is currently handling the development of Star Trek Online (PC), Cryptic's tapping of P2 employees seats the studio as the most likely candidate to continue the project. P2 Entertainment was revealed yesterday to have ceased development on the title, transferring the license to an unknown developer.
Rumors of Cryptic's involvement began with a story published this morning on w00tstudios. The company was previously known to be working on the superhero MMO Marvel Universe Online (PC, X360), though rumors strongly suggest the project has been scrapped, with Cryptic refusing to comment one way or another.
Both Cryptic and P2 were reached for comment, but have not responded as of this writing.
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How is this supposed to make $? I mean i liked it when I was a kid but I don't think hardly any kids nowadays like trek or even really know about it. Whats their customer focus on this? late 20s mid 30s nerds? thats a pretty small market share.
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All depends on how much it costs to produce doesn't it?
Almost everything is scalable and that scalability can relate to money.
For example, they could spend $10 million on the Star Trek MMO. Limit your character interactions to portraits. Outsource the portraits to contract employees - no health insurance/benefits, office space, equipment to carry. Since you don't have any characters, you could get away with one animator for effects. A few artists to do ships. Outsource the music, maybe a few space stations, concept art, etc. Who knows - maybe the game isn't about questing. Maybe they just make a sandbox MMO with planets and stations you can take over with your ships. Then the players create the entertainment just by being in the world with each other. Now you don't need an army of content creators.
Do some creative marketing and get the license holder to work out a deal with syndicate stations to roll in advertising for the game during Star Trek reruns.
Sure it won't be as tight as an MMO that spent $50 million but then it isn't going to attract the crowds that $50 million can buy is it? So it might actually make money.
Look at EVE or DaoC or shit, Club Penguin, Maid Marion, Runequest, Ashen Empires, Maple Story, Ragnorok Online, Puzzle Pirates, etc. They didn't have huge teams or budgets and did ok.
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