Confirmed: Star Trek OL crew laid off

Sources reveal today is MMOG designer team's last day, Perpetual shifting to "engine-only" business model.

In September 2004, the game industry was taken aback when a small developer acquired one of the most coveted licenses in gaming. That's when indie shop Perpetual Entertainment announced it had landed the massively multiplayer online role-playing game license for the Star Trek film and television series.

However, after an early bout of promising announcements, development of Star Trek Online became more cloaked than a Klingon Bird of Prey. Then, in late 2006, came the first of a series of layoffs, followed one year later by suspension of Perpetual's other title, the mythology-inspired Gods & Heroes. The following month, Perpetual was beamed up by a mystery buyer, which unconfirmed reports claimed wanted Star Trek Online to become "more casual."

Finally, this week saw reports surface on MMORPG-centric site Warcry.com that Perpetual was shutting down Star Trek Online entirely. Sadly, GameSpot has learned this report is completely true. A source with knowledge of Perpetual's inner workings confirmed that today is the last day of work for many game designers, programmers, and other developers at the company's San Francisco office.

The source also confirmed to GameSpot that Perpetual was indeed shopping the game license and art assets for Star Trek Online to "a number of interested" MMORPG developers. The source could not confirm or deny reports that City of Heroes developer Cryptic Studios was bidding on the game. However, one MMORPG developer has apparently passed on the project.

GameSpot can also confirm that Perpetual, now officially known as P2, will remain in business as an "engine-only" company. It is holding onto its proprietary MMORPG technology, which it has licensed to BioWare for work on its unnamed massively multiplayer project, which is rumored to be based on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

75 Comments

  • WulfenMortys

    Posted May 14, 2008 1:18 pm PT

    Better it be a company that can handle the name of Star Trek than a company that would simply end up ruining it.

  • tiggerlu

    Posted Apr 23, 2008 3:15 pm PT

    Another blow for the Star Trek universe...no new series, no recent movies, a game that looked promising finally scrapped...

    It's all about the money folks...everyone wants a WoW formula.

  • JMontagueII

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 7:32 am PT

    I have been sitting on my hands for two years, and this is all I get from these guys? some one just need to get the job done. Good thing perpetual is stepping out of the game making arena. After this there is no way I would get one of there games!

  • vaskaville

    Posted Jan 25, 2008 4:18 pm PT

    They shut down the production of Star Trek: Online? NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
    OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
    OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
    OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

  • DeathKnightZieg

    Posted Jan 24, 2008 11:11 pm PT

    Okay.... so....so.... they are going to sell the license to this off to a better company... right right?! It would be good if they could make it 63% exploration and 47% combat and then have the two shift during story arcs.

  • thestickman

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 6:40 pm PT

    Weird, after just reading an article about it like a couple weeks ago... x.x

  • vanhalendlrband

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 2:25 pm PT

    I could see it now a big fat rich texan (the secret owner) who likes Star Trek plays the game for a bit, running perfectly, a nice long MMO of Star Trek, and he goes "This games gotta be more casual (gunfire), i challenge Perpetual to a dual" then the project probably gets so stupid it would probably be funny if they showed us the changes that were made. Character completion in 30 hours? lol who knows, it just sounds fnuny.

    The only other thing i can think of is these guys made a game that just utilized the license and nothing else.

  • arterberry

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 11:43 am PT

    Sad. This was on my radar...and now I have to wait another forever for this to become a tangible, "worth-my-time" game. Hey Cryptic Studios - buy this thing and build us a toy to play with!

  • maestro78

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 5:53 am PT

    Is it just me, or does anyone else shudder when some one enters in the word "casual" into a video game converstaion?

  • Zoomer30

    Posted Jan 21, 2008 7:55 pm PT

    Well at least Bioware is still gonna do KOTOR.

  • sergio_afonso

    Posted Jan 21, 2008 1:49 pm PT

    Another one bites the dust...R.I.P. Star Trek Online...

  • spikedwraith

    Posted Jan 21, 2008 10:38 am PT

    Shame...coulda been something special.

  • redskinStu

    Posted Jan 21, 2008 9:01 am PT

    What a shame. the original 60's Star Trek would have been a great setting.

  • Lazdude

    Posted Jan 21, 2008 8:11 am PT

    A dark day for Star Trek indeed, though this turn of events may actually prove to be for the best. Only time will tell...

  • fluffebunnie

    Posted Jan 21, 2008 6:35 am PT

    Weak sauce. As much as I don't like MMO games, I would have liked to see a quality Star Trek game come out. If not quality, at least a popular one.

    I guess I'll have to figure out how to get Judgment Rites working in DOSBOX?

  • Targzissian

    Posted Jan 21, 2008 4:54 am PT

    So a couple months ago they abandon Gods & Heroes after the pre-order is already on store shelves so that they can focus all their efforts on Star Trek Online. Now they abandon Star Trek Online so that they can become an "engine-only" company!? What the heck is going on with this company? Why did they spend years working on Gods & Heroes and Star Trek Online just so they could abandon both projects as they were nearing completion? There's something going on here that they're not telling us. Time to start thinking up conspiracy theories...

  • Chief_Kuuni

    Posted Jan 20, 2008 8:43 pm PT

    hmm

  • Zoomer30

    Posted Jan 20, 2008 6:18 pm PT

    This will come out about the time "Duke Nukem Forever: The Holodeck Edition" comes out.....like....never.

    Sad to say but I think the only people who did NOT see this one coming like "an asteriod the size of Texas" was the people working on it. They had no clue they where on the Hindenburg of project and someone forgot to put up the no smoking sign.

  • RaiKageRyu

    Posted Jan 20, 2008 5:02 pm PT

    Lost in Space

  • gozalo

    Posted Jan 20, 2008 12:42 pm PT

    Anotherone bites the dust.

  • diablobasher

    Posted Jan 20, 2008 5:35 am PT

    KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!

  • Azwhtknight

    Posted Jan 20, 2008 4:42 am PT

    Oh well. At least they didn't just make an awful, rushed game that would have put a bad taste in people's mouths so that no one else would attempt another one. Evidently " givin' her all shes got capn'" just wasn't givin' her enough. (OK, I just couldn't resist at least one joke...sorry)

  • londonrider

    Posted Jan 20, 2008 2:01 am PT

    Though these are the good news- Perpetual is incapable to produce a quality game, so I hope a good company will continue developing Star Trek Online.
    And their Gods & Heroes Beta was a horrible game indeed.

  • marco0798

    Posted Jan 20, 2008 1:58 am PT

    back to WoW i guess I was looking Forward to this ALOT specially since the fgirst ingame pics looked great aww imma go drown my sorrows in beer cya

  • trodeback

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 9:02 pm PT

    I've never really been into online gaming but the Treky inside of me is waiting for this to come out.

  • jrxbond

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 6:17 pm PT

    thats interesting.. visted their studio back in january of 07. they were based right smack in the middle of san francisco. Their Gods and Heroes game actually seemed pretty promising. I'd like to see these guys make a Star Wars or a Star Trek game.. maybe even Alien. http://www.infinity-universe.com/

  • SS3_Vegeta

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 4:23 pm PT

    Man, that really sucks... although not really that surprising. I'll be waiting until the next developer tries their luck at making a good Star Trek MMO... even then, lets hope they know what they're doing.

  • sancezz

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 2:23 pm PT

    Reverse the polarity. That'll fix it. .

  • Pfc_Meanstreet

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 2:09 pm PT

    Who didn't see this comming a lightyear away?..

    Just between us - the Pirates MMORPG will be really crummy too and shouldn't have been made either.. but shhh...

  • gbrading Site moderator

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 1:56 pm PT

    I knew Star Trek had been stuck in development hell. Now they'll have to pass the buck to another development company...

  • peeweeshift

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 1:54 pm PT

    thank god. i hated hearing so many star trek jokes. im sorta the younger brother of the star trek fan that never really bothered to watch it really.

  • jrjcobra

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 12:45 pm PT

    They probably spent all of the money just to get the license

  • jamesjjjjj

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 11:59 am PT

    This is sad. I was so looking forward to losing hours of my life to this....

  • iliyun

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 11:47 am PT

    i like the EXPENDABILITY Poster. that's soooo funny and yet so true!

  • stakex007

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 11:38 am PT

    Well this is really for the better... if the company was struggling, no good game would have ever come from it. At least now, a more qualified company might pick the game up. Im not much of a Star Trek fan... but still hate to see struggling companies release half assed, under developed, and buggy games that they rush to release becuase they simply need the money.

  • Zoomer30

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 11:01 am PT

    Well looks like that game is dead. Star Trek Online was as good as cancelled from the day it was announced. There is just no way to make Star Trek work in a MMORPG type game and still make it "feel" Star Trek. When you watch the shows, they spend a good 80-90% of the show on the ship and very little time on the ground. Star Wars is much better for a MMO game, and if they can get the KOTOR MMO game right (they messed up SWG big time) it could be good.

  • jrjcobra

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 10:23 am PT

    I'm supprised SOE hasn't jumped on this they already messed up the Star Wars MMORPG why not go farther and do it to Star Trek too?

  • FallenMatrix

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 8:58 am PT

    I saw this coming... It was just too good to be true.

  • Z3R0B4NG

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 8:49 am PT

    Star Trek - Legacy was a cheap produced way to short and way to buggy game.
    The Stargate Ego Shooter got cancelled and now Star Trek Online too...
    Space Sims like Star Wars X-Wing Alliance or Wing Commander are a dead Genre since years...

    only bad WW2 Shooters and RTS everywhere plz SHOOT ME!

  • Lycen

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 6:46 am PT

    Dammit Star Trek looked so promising and now this.... *sob sob*

  • thekodaman

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 6:30 am PT

    God has spared us the torture of the nerdiest game ever created..... be grateful and hope some other devil spawn-organisation doesn't pick the project up.

  • Jd1680a

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 5:38 am PT

    Gods and Heroes may not be over if they were to find someone to buy it. Same goes for the Star Trek online license.

  • K_M82

    Posted Jan 19, 2008 4:49 am PT

    At least there is no bad star trek MMO yet.

  • Norstar24

    Posted Jan 18, 2008 11:59 pm PT

    Wow, how sad. I just hope that the boys running Star Trek over at Paramount don't take this the wrong way and decide to stop making PC games all together, cause that would suck.

  • ColdfireTrilogy

    Posted Jan 18, 2008 10:51 pm PT

    Dang ... thats a bummer

  • Metron4

    Posted Jan 18, 2008 10:05 pm PT

    Ack!

  • JackfnBurton

    Posted Jan 18, 2008 9:17 pm PT

    One more thing. KHAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!

    Sue me, I couldn't resist.

  • JackfnBurton

    Posted Jan 18, 2008 8:21 pm PT

    Aw hell, just shunt the warp plasma through the deflector manifold, divert phaser power to the structural integrity field, intra ship beam Ensign Ricky to sick bay and use a tachyon field to time travel to (insert current year here), get Mark Twain to help you write the thing while listening to Foghat and start all over! Wow, all that reminded my why I quit watching Star Trek in the first place...LOL

  • trekker1303

    Posted Jan 18, 2008 7:22 pm PT

    Damn it.......

  • Strike_Zer0

    Posted Jan 18, 2008 7:19 pm PT

    Khaaaaaan! A shame as I was looking forward to this. As a side note I like how Tor mentioned Bioware's MMO is rumored to be KOTOR as we all know how much he believes that it is. I sure as hell hope he's right too.

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