Star Trek Online, Cryptic’s MMORPG set in the universe from Gene Roddenberry’s imagination, has released its demo today. The demo gives you an unlimited amount of play time with the game, just with a limited amount of its content. In the demo you can only play as the Federation faction and only in...]]>

Star Trek Online, Cryptic’s MMORPG set in the universe from Gene Roddenberry’s imagination, has released its demo today. The demo gives you an unlimited amount of play time with the game, just with a limited amount of its content. In the demo you can only play as the Federation faction and only in the Tutorial and Stranded In Space levels. But, you can play it for as long as you want. In addition to the demo, Star Trek Online also offers some rewards programs for current or previous subscribers as well. Here are the details:

• Veteran Rewards program – “For every 100 days of playtime logged, players can collect rewards including new titles, ship and ship slots, boosts, costume pieces, character slots and more. Of course, Lifetime subscribers will also receive all Veteran rewards as they reach each 100-day milestone.”
• Referral program – “When a player successfully refers a friend, he or she will receive the title of Courier, a unique Tribble and non-stacking skill points for your Captain and Officers. When a referred friend subscribes to Star Trek Online, the referrer will receive an additional title of Recruiter, a unique holographic bridge officer and 400 Cryptic points!”
• Winback Weekend – “Users with a valid Star Trek Online retail account, but no current subscription, can log-in with their existing characters and play free for the entire weekend. This initiative will kick off on May 7, 2010, at 10 a.m. PST and last until May 10, 2010, at 10 a.m. PST. Pre-load begins on May 3, 2010.”

In case you don’t know it, this games is a PC only title and if your interested in checking it out you can download the installer for the demo right here. Beam me up, Scotty!

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In case you haven’t heard, between now and the game’s release on February...]]>
We’re coming very close to exploring the Final Frontier for ourselves in Star Trek Online and if you want to be flying in at warp speed with a bit of a discount, now’s the time to drop down your cash.

In case you haven’t heard, between now and the game’s release on February 2, 2010 inspired players will be able to purchase their Lifetime Membership or 12-Month Membership at a discount that will no longer be available once the game is launched.

The Lifetime Membership will cost $239.99, $60 less than the regular price of $299.99 and includes 2 extra character slots and “a playable Starfleet captain who’s been reclaimed from the Borg”, whatever that means.  The 12-Month membership on the other hand will cost $119.99 and also includes 2 extra character slots, which is about $60 less a year then compared to paying $14.99 a month.

Pretty solid deals for all the Trekkies sold on the game already and especially for those willing to throw down the big bucks for long term play. If the promising beta is any indication, Star Trek Online should have no problem living long and prospering. So, who’s in?

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“We are thrilled to give open beta access to fans...]]>
Atari and Cryptic have announced that Star Trek Online for PC has entered its open beta phase which will run through January 26, 2010. Fans with valid open beta keys can now explore the Star Trek universe in all of its glory.

“We are thrilled to give open beta access to fans as we draw nearer to the official release of Star Trek Online,” said Craig Zinkievich, Executive Producer on Star Trek Online. “We are looking forward to the launch of our first-of-a-kind MMORPG with anticipation and excitement and we expect Star Trek Online to explode onto the scene, giving fans and gamers a Star Trek experience like no other.”

Interested? Information about where to obtain open beta keys and where to download the open beta client can be found on the official Star Trek Online website at: http://www.startrekonline.com/openbeta.

Here’s what’s what and the MUST KNOW headlines from the event in no...]]>
So, the 2009 Spike VGAs are in the books and after some big announcements, world premiere trailers, and a crap ton of lasers, we’ve decided to bullet point the biggest headlines from the event to keep you “in the know”.

Here’s what’s what and the MUST KNOW headlines from the event in no particular order:

- Batman: Arkham Asylum 2 was teased, you can see the trailer here
- Zachary Quinto (Heroes/Star Trek) will be providing voice talent to the upcoming Star Trek Online.
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 was announced. Trailer viewable here.
- Tron Evolution was announced, shown for the first time. Trailer here.
- A downloadable game based on Deadliest Warrior was announced. First footage revealed.
- Activision and United Front will be delivering a new True Crime game in 2010.
- Green Day Rock Band was announced.
- A cinematic trailer for Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands was revealed.
- UFC Undisputed 2010 was announced and the first trailer was shown
- Spec Ops: The Line was announced/shown.
- EA’s revamped Medal of Honor was shown for the first time and it looks pretty much exactly like Modern Warfare 2…which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
- Halo: Reach was revealed via an “in-engine” trailer.
- Crackdown 2 was shown for the first time.

Oh yeah! There were awards handed out too and Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 2: Among Thieves took home top honors as Game of the Year as well as earning hardware for Best PlayStation 3 Game and Best Graphics. There were a lot of winners in a wide range of categories so hit the jump for the full listing.

* Game of the Year: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
* Studio of the Year: Rocksteady Studios
* Best Independent Game Fueld by Dew: Flower
* Best Xbox 360 Game: Left 4 Dead 2
* Best PS3 Game: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
* Best Wii Game: New Super Mario Bros. Wii
* Best PC Game: Dragon Age: Origins
* Best Handheld Game: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
* Best Shooter: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
* Best Fighting Game: Street Fighter IV
* Best Action Adventure Game: Assassin’s Creed II
* Best RPG: Dragon Age: Origins
* Best Multiplayer Game: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
* Best Individual Sports Game: UFC 2009 Undisputed
* Best Team Sports Game: NHL 10
* Best Driving Game: Forza Motorsport 3
* Best Music Game: The Beatles: Rock Band
* Best Soundtrack: DJ Hero
* Best Original Score: Halo 3: ODST
* Best Graphics: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
* Best Game Based On A Movie/TV Show: South Park Let’s Go Tower Defense Play!
* Best Performance By A Human Female: Megan Fox as Mikaela Banes in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
* Best Performance By A Human Male: Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in X-Men Origins: Wolverine
* Best Cast: X-Men Origins: Wolverine
* Best Voice: Jack Black for the voice of Eddie Riggs in Brütal Legend
* Best Downloadable Game: Shadow Complex
* Best DLC: Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony
* Most Anticipated Game of 2010: God of War III

So, what do you think? Feel free to sound off on the awards in the comments below. We’ll of course be offering up our opinion on the event and the big announcements throughout the week on EpicBattleAxe.com. Now, where’s the after party???

Spearmen to the front and drive back the fire serpent, its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! In this week’s skirmish we plot a course to Star Trek Online‘s release early next year, dig through some of the leaked Black Friday deals, play with Princess Zelda in Spirit Tracks, and gasp in shock at...]]>

Spearmen to the front and drive back the fire serpent, its time for another edition of EpicBattleCry! In this week’s skirmish we plot a course to Star Trek Online‘s release early next year, dig through some of the leaked Black Friday deals, play with Princess Zelda in Spirit Tracks, and gasp in shock at the news there will be more Call of Duty in 2010.

First up under the axe this week: Warhammer Online‘s recently announced “Endless Free Trial” will allow players to have as much fun as they want in WAR, up to level 10. Will giving away a big chunk of their game increase sales? Next up we take a look at Nintendo‘s holiday lineup and ponder whether or not New Super Mario Bros Wii and The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks can hold the line against Sony and Microsoft’s third party onslaught.

The Battle Cry of the Week goes to Halo: Reach, Machinarium, the debut Prince of Persia film trailer, and Ubisoft Montreal for listening to their fans feedback with Assassin’s Creed II.

Remember to sound off below and each week will pick our favorite to become the next Member Battle Cry! Stay sharp.

-iPod compatible mp4 download-

-Audio only download-

The confirmation comes on the heels of...]]>
Those looking to live out their ultimate Star Trek fantasies via Cryptic’s exciting new MMO Star Trek Online won’t have to wait too much longer as Eurogamer brings word that the title will be shipping February 2, 2010 in NA and February 5 in Europe.

The confirmation comes on the heels of both Amazon.com and GameStop listing the game’s early February release on their respective pre-order pages.

So, there ya go…February will see the highly-anticipated launch of Star Trek Online. Will you be beaming up?

In an official blog post yesterday, Cryptic Studios invited players to participate in the closed beta for Star Trek Online happening later this year. For those who bought a six-month or lifetime subscription to Champions Online, Cryptic says not to worry; you’re already signed up. Hit the link above to check out...]]>

In an official blog post yesterday, Cryptic Studios invited players to participate in the closed beta for Star Trek Online happening later this year. For those who bought a six-month or lifetime subscription to Champions Online, Cryptic says not to worry; you’re already signed up. Hit the link above to check out the full article with all the details on the announcement.

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Well, we recently caught up with Cryptic’s Craig Zinkievich, Executive Producer on...]]> Star Trek Online is going to be a big deal…with such a huge universe to pull from and a literal legion of fans, the game has the potential to fulfill many a fantasy while providing a refined MMO experience few franchises can offer.

Well, we recently caught up with Cryptic’s Craig Zinkievich, Executive Producer on Star Trek Online, to find out all about the highly-anticipated title and deliver some exclusive new in-game images (which you can click to enlarge).

EBA: First off, thanks for taking the time to chat with us Craig! So, what type of feedback have you been getting on Star Trek Online thus far?

CZ: We’ve been blown away by the amount of interest from fans, the community and the press. There is a lot of enthusiasm for Star Trek Online!

Inside Cryptic, we’ve been playing the game as much as we can. A few months ago, the team propped up an external server so that everyone in the company can play, and we’ve been getting great feedback from that. Space combat is awesome!

EBA: As Executive Producer, what do you consider the core goals of STO?

CZ: It’s easy for us to get caught up in the details, but I’d say that the core goal of STO is to provide a genuine Star Trek experience.

Starting with our first conversations about the project on, we’ve been thinking about what a Star Trek game needs to be, instead of what a standard MMO has and then how to skin it with Starfleet and Klingons.

We’ve actually scrapped some really cool ideas because they didn’t feel like Star Trek, but that has let us go in directions that we might not have considered for any other game.

EBA: The folks behind the upcoming Star Wars MMO tout an enormous story (and the ability to interact with it) as a major selling point for the game. What is the major selling point for STO?

CZ: I think that the selling point would line up with our core goal. We want to provide a Star Trek experience.

In addition to that are Cryptic’s unprecedented commitment to customization, content that is story-driven and takes you to space, on planets and inside space stations and starships, exploring a galaxy, tactical starship combat ….

Maybe I’m too close to the project to give you only one reason why I want to play the game. : )

EBA: Obviously, the MMO space is a pretty competitive one…What do you think it is about a Star Trek-themed game that will attract new users and perhaps cause some cross over from other MMOs?

CZ: We have the Star Trek Universe, which means we have more than 40 years of amazing stories to use as a base for our content. I think that gives us an edge right there.

Star Trek is a cultural icon. Almost everyone is at least familiar with it. And honestly – who hasn’t imagined what it would be like to be the captain of a starship at least once?

But STO is more than that. We have exploration, adventure, crafting, an economy … the list just goes on and on!

So take all of that and remember that Cryptic has a proven track record of making fun, successful games. I think that should give users enough of a reason to consider STO.

EBA: Considering the fact that you’re pulling from such rich source material, will there be specific nods to Trekkies in terms of the game’s story arch or instances from the shows/films we’ll experience in the game?

CZ: Definitely! We’re making the content in such a way that someone who has never seen an episode of Trek will be able to follow along easily and enjoy the story, but if you are a fan you’ll see a huge number of references to the races, characters, events and locations you know and love.

EBA: Alright, let’s talk about the game itself;) How have you balanced the ground and space experiences in the game? Have you been doing a lot of tweaking in these areas throughout development and are you concerned that one might be perceived as being a richer experience than the other?

CZ: Our goal is to have players spending about half their time flying their starships and the other half as their avatar on planets or in interior settings.

During our initial development, we spent a lot of our time working on space combat – it was something we at Cryptic hadn’t done before. It was also a little risky for us; because we wanted strategic play that depending on positioning and tactics. That’s a tall order to fill.

Now that we’ve got space combat working and fun, we’re turning our attention to ground play, which is faster and more action-oriented, and tuning it so that it’s fun and challenging.

Our goal is to make them different experiences, but they both should be as “rich”.

EBA: What new details do you have pertaining to customization options for both characters and ships?

CZ: You will be able to customize your ship, your Bridge Crew and your character.

Options for ships and Bridge Crew will be both cosmetic and functional. You will be able to add equipment to your ship that will enhance its performance in combat and gameplay, and also train your crew to expand their abilities over time. This lets players create exactly the ship and crew they want.

As far as character customization goes, you can either choose from a selection of canon races (and then customize your avatar’s appearance – not all Vulcans look the same) or create your own with our Alien Creator. There are an astounding number of options available, and our team keeps adding more every day. It’s staggering.

EBA: Are there plans to continually update the STO universe with new areas to explore and interact with?

CZ: MMOs are never really “finished” – you’re always developing. And MMOs give developers the rare opportunity to react to what players want – we can direct development based on audience feedback and desires. That’s where the fun is really at!

Cryptic believes that ongoing development is an essential part of the MMO equation. It’s so important to us that our development teams don’t change size after launch. We’ll have as many people working to expand our games as we have working to create them.

So we’re definitely building STO with the idea of free updates and other expansions in mind. The Star Trek Universe is so immense that there will be an incredible amount of space, races and storylines just waiting for us to get to them. The biggest challenge may be trying to pick what great idea we want to do next!

EBA: How will Star Trek-specific things like Holodecks be implemented into the game world?

CZ: Holodecks are tricky. They’re so powerful that everyone on the team has their own ideas of what they want to cram into them.

So we will have holodecks – they’re too much a part of Trek to leave out – but we’re not sure what they’ll be used for yet. Maybe you’ll be able to play Champions Online in a holodeck!

EBA: How will the player’s choice of career path impact their overall experience? How many different career paths will there be? Will you be adding new career paths over time?

CZ: You start by picking a career path, such as tactical, science or engineering. You can either stay in that path throughout your career, or cross-train in different paths.

The skills you choose, the equipment you outfit your ship with and how you train and develop your Bridge Crew affect what gameplay options you have and how you play the game.

These choices also affect your role on teams. A player who wants to take a support role will choose different skills and equipment than one who wants to be on the frontlines.

EBA: What about the economy in the game? How is that being handled?

CZ: We’re still iterating with our economy implementation, so I’m wary to talk in details.

But we’re looking to develop an economy that is deep but very much in the Trek genre. Gathering resources, inventing technology and understanding alien technology – and then trading those items and knowledge – will be the basis of the economy.

EBA: What new details can you tell us about the ground/space combat in the game and how will it be different/better than other MMOs?

CZ: Space combat is very measured and strategic. Positioning is extremely important, and you have time to take actions such as re-routing power to shields or weapons, or weakening an opponent’s aft shields and then maneuvering to take advantage of that. We want it to feel as much like Star Trek combat as possible, and we’re taking inspirations from some of the great fights such as Khan and Kirk in the Mutara Nebula and the battles of the Dominion War.

On the ground, choosing the right members of your crew for your away team is very important. The make-up of your team helps define how you play and what options you have. And when you’re playing in a team, your skills and equipment choices will be a major factor that affects your role in the mission.

EBA: Have there been any updated announcement in terms of pricing structure as of this interview?

CZ: No pricing decisions have been made at this time.

EBA: Where is the game at in development right now and what is the target release date?

CZ: We’re really happy with the game right now. All of our core systems are in and working, although we’re still iterating on some of them. We have dozens of hours of content in the game and the team is cranking out content at a good pace. As I mentioned earlier, we have an external server hooked up so everyone at Cryptic Studios can play from home. The development team is treating it like we’re in a live environment.

We haven’t announced any official beta or release dates yet, but when we do, you’ll hear it first on www.StarTrekOnline.com.

EBA: Alright, we like to open the floor to our viewers at EpicBattleAxe.com as well. Would you be so kind as to answer the following user-submitted questions?

USER SUBMITTED QUESTIONS

SupermansDoctor:

-How big is the universe? (Kinda came out a bit existential). What i mean is, initially will it just be the part of space that starfleet operate in or will you be able to take the ‘longer than your lifetime’ trip to get to the Delta Quadrant? Will they be expanding space in future expansions?

CZ: We’re making a game, not a space simulation. It won’t take days to get to Vulcan from Earth.

Space is BIG though – we want to make sure that the player gets that sense, but that content is always right around the corner. There will be ways such as transwarp conduits to move quickly from area to area, but sometimes players may just want to travel through a sector and see what is out there.

We’re very excited about our exploration content – there’s a lot out there just waiting for players to find it!

We’ll definitely be expanding explorable space in future updates.

SuperMansDoctor

-Also, I like the idea of creating your own race, but in terms of the overall story, will we be seeing any new races down the line?

CZ: Yes. Although the main players in the stories are races that fans of the Trek Universe know and love, you’ll see new alien races when you explore.

EBA: OK, thanks for your time Craig. We’re totally stoked to see the final game. Best of luck!!!

CZ: Thanks. We’re really excited about being able to develop this game. The team is really proud of what we’ve done so far and we can’t wait to start showing it off.