14 DAY TRIAL // The idea that gaming consoles like the Xbox 360 from Microsoft and the PlayStation 3 from Sony are the mediums that MMOs will conquer next has been around for some years but while multiplayer-oriented gaming has been on the rise on those platforms, no MMO managed to really gain traction on devices that are dominated by shooter, racing and role playing titles.
Now, Cryptic is saying that its upcoming Star Trek Online might be the videogame to make MMO history on home gaming consoles. Craig Zinkievich, the executive producer on Star Trek Online, had a long interview with Eurogamer and he stated that “I mean Champions runs on the console right now; Star Trek Online runs on the consoles right now; our engine - the Cryptic Engine - runs on the consoles. So I can guarantee that internally I can have Star Trek Online running on the consoles because I know I can, and we've done it.”
The problem is that because MMOs on console are such an unknown quantity, these versions might never see the light of day if they are deemed to be too risky from a commercial point of view.
Zinkievich also talked about the beta stage for Star Trek Online, saying that while Cryptic has been accepting applications from fans since September, there's no clear date yet when the closed beta goes live. The developers are at the moment busy creating a version of the game stable enough and having enough content to allow players to get a clear idea of what the game is about and offer developers the feedback they need to improve Star Trek Online.
The MMO is set to allow gamers to play as both Federation and Klingonian starship captains as they explore unknown planets, discover new life and new technology while battling each other and taking on and developing new crew members.