Interplay Scraps Vulcan Fury...For Now

Official word obtained by GameSpot News is that Star Trek: Secret of Vulcan Fury has been placed "on hiatus" and that Interplay's adventure division that was developing the title, Tribal Dreams, has officially been annihilated and no longer exists. The Tribal Dreams team was best known for its first and only title, Of Light and Darkness.

Vulcan Fury was to be an adventure title that brought the original cast of the syndicated TV series back to the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura were to be sent on an adventure as they delved deep into the mysterious past of the Vulcan and Romulan races. And although the game's development has ceased for the time being, Interplay still holds the Star Trek license until 2003 (when the license moves to Activision). Revival of the game isn't entirely out of the question, Interplay said.

In a larger scope, 10 percent (or fifty employees) of Interplay's worldwide staff has reportedly been dismissed. Interplay would not officially comment on that figure.

An Interplay insider said that these changes occurred because the company "had to eliminate products that were marginal or cash heavy."

Besides the unknown future for Vulcan Fury, Earthworm Jim 3D and Messiah have both been pushed back to the middle of 1999. Upcoming Interplay titles that remain on track and unaffected include: Star Trek: Klingon Academy, real-time strategy title Star Trek: New Worlds, and Star Trek: Starfleet Command.

The above news coincides with the release Wednesday of Interplay's financial performance during the quarter ending September 30. During that quarter, the company reported a net loss of US$15.1 million (compared with a net loss of $5.5 million the year before). The company attributed the loss to "shipping delays for Fallout 2 and overall lower than expected worldwide sales for Wild 9." Hence the slicing of staff and "on hold" status of Vulcan Fury.

The company's president, Chris Kilpatrick, said in a statement, "Due to the lower than expected financial results and near-term revenue outlook, the company is currently experiencing cash and liquidity pressures. In response to this, we are attempting to negotiate an expanded line of credit and are implementing a corporate restructuring program." GameSpot News was told today that Interplay's senior management would be forced to endure salary reductions though no specifics were offered as to how many staffers would be affected nor to what extent salaries would be reduced.

Kilpatrick added in the statement, "We are working hard to manage the company's expenses to better match our projected revenue base."

Gamers may question Interplay's decision to choose Vulcan Fury to take the fall for the current weak financial profile of Interplay. The back story was written by veteran Star Trek writer D.C. Fontana, a well-seasoned author responsible for writing episodes for several generations of Star Trek including: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and the best-selling Star Trek novel Vulcan's Glory. Vulcan Fury could well have been a title to reward Interplay with critical and financial gain. For now, it seems, we'll never know.