Now this may seem utterly ridiculous and it's really just a thought experiment. What if Cryptic built a storyline series based on the old Spectrum Holobyte game Star Trek: A Final Unity? I think it could be adapted to fit the current STO universe with a few tweaks and simplifications. If it were possible to do, I imagine it would take a looong time to develop and probably need an entire season devoted to it.
Microprose owned the rights to the original game and that was bought out by Infogrames which is now Atari - which means if the rights to the IP still even existed, they'd be in Atari's hands anyway.
Unfortunately, the races created for that game aren't covered in Cryptic's license and I THINK are not property of either CBS or Paramount. The biggest upside is that Spectrum Holobyte is owned by Hasbro, who does have a business arrangement with Atari through DDO and recently worked with Star Trek licensee IDW for the G.I.Joe/Transformers/Ghostbusters/Star Trek comic crossover planned for 2011.
On the downside, Hasbro and Atari have had some rocky points in their relationship with DDO. On the upside, they are working together for Neverwinter Online.
I think the most likely "crossovers" we'd see with other Trek games are the ones produced by Simon and Shuster, which is a sister company to CBS and Paramount... and S&S has already greenlit inclusion of some of its properties into STO such as Mackenzie Calhoun and published a tie in novel.
For the record, S&S Trek games were:
The Promethean Prophecy
The Kobayashi Adventure
The Rebel Universe
Star Trek: Klingon
Star Trek: Borg
Starship Creator
DS9: The Fallen
DS9: Dominion Wars
Unfortunately, while I'd suggest nods to S&S games seem fairly doable and nods to Spectrum Holobyte/Hasbro games are a remote possibility, Activision and Bethsheda's games are VERY unlikely to get nods since Activision runs Warcraft and Bethsheda is trying to get into the MMO game. (They were the studio who hired Gozer when he left STO.) Interplay has historically been difficult to work with and demanded huge sums for reuse of its assets; the one perk there is that Interplay has been selling off assets and trying to raise money quite vigorously over the last couple of years.
IF Interplay sold Cryptic its Trek assets, one major perk for Cryptic would probably be a very robust generic voiceover library for the complete TOS cast, with audio of them saying all their signature phrases and pretty much any generic thing you'd want a Trek NPC to say. (Including "The Secret of Vulcan Fury", which was the last time the TOS cast reunited and that material has never seen the light of day outside of a trailer.)
I'm not saying it would be worth Cryptic sacrificing much out of its standard game budget but it WOULD likely mean things like the ability to create a promotional cinematic with Shatner voiceover, as well as a pretty robust library of music and voiceover.
I do gather from a post yesterday that dstahl has been negotiating with other companies... And the only companies that would make sense to me are companies with libraries of Trek sound effects, music, and voiceover assets, since 3D models wouldn't transport over. The only other way I can think to read that statement is that he's negotiating with the comics publisher IDW for some extra uniforms (like early 24th century Terran Empire uniforms or extra Klingon designs) and maybe some kind of blanket extension of their likeness rights agreements.
I think it would rock, honestly, if he was looking at acquiring the better soundtracks to other Trek games to spice the music up here.
AFU was one of the best Star Trek games that I ever played. If they could somehow adapt it to be one of the storylines in this game, I would love it! It would be a nice blast from the past.
Unfortunately, the races created for that game aren't covered in Cryptic's license and I THINK are not property of either CBS or Paramount. The biggest upside is that Spectrum Holobyte is owned by Hasbro, who does have a business arrangement with Atari through DDO and recently worked with Star Trek licensee IDW for the G.I.Joe/Transformers/Ghostbusters/Star Trek comic crossover planned for 2011.
On the downside, Hasbro and Atari have had some rocky points in their relationship with DDO. On the upside, they are working together for Neverwinter Online.
Well even if the races created for the game aren't covered in Cryptic's license, Cryptic could use the races which are covered as stand-ins. The Remans could replace the Garidians. Both are portrayed as minor powers in the Galaxy living under the shadow of the Romulans.
Hell, the Iconians could replace the Chodak. I'd buy into the idea that the Iconians built a star-sized machine that could rearrange matter and energy into any form its user wanted and that their civilization disappeared in part because they lost said machine.
I hope someone at Cryptic notices this idea and has a comment to make about it because I'd really like to know how possible or impossible it is.
AFU was one of the best Star Trek games that I ever played. If they could somehow adapt it to be one of the storylines in this game, I would love it! It would be a nice blast from the past.
AFU was the first Star Trek computer game I ever played. I was about 13 when it came out and my parents got it for me for Christmas. My dad installed it on his Packard Bell computer and we fired it up. We didn't even do the mission the first day. We just flew around space getting into battles and getting blown up. It would always end with that Admirals Log saying the Enterprise had gone missing and he has no choice but to consider it destroyed.
Now this may seem utterly ridiculous and it's really just a thought experiment. What if Cryptic built a storyline series based on the old Spectrum Holobyte game Star Trek: A Final Unity? I think it could be adapted to fit the current STO universe with a few tweaks and simplifications. If it were possible to do, I imagine it would take a looong time to develop and probably need an entire season devoted to it.
Microprose owned the rights to the original game and that was bought out by Infogrames which is now Atari - which means if the rights to the IP still even existed, they'd be in Atari's hands anyway.
What do you guys think?
I'd totally LOVE if they could do remakes of the classic Star Trek adventure games like 25th Anniversary, Judgement Rites and A Final Unity. In fact, I just recently played AFU last year in anticipation of STO.
Obtain the rights for the voice overs and start recreating! After the current series, I think most of the tech is there to replicate what these games did in terms of game mechanics.
As far as I can see, Cryptic are doing things the right way these days, especially with Season 3. I doubt they would be as incompetent about it as you think.
Don't really have a lot to add except that I agree. A Final Unity, Judgement Rights, and 25th Anniversary are all very fun and excellent games with very intriquing storylines.
Comments
Loved AFU by the way, great game.
On the downside, Hasbro and Atari have had some rocky points in their relationship with DDO. On the upside, they are working together for Neverwinter Online.
I think the most likely "crossovers" we'd see with other Trek games are the ones produced by Simon and Shuster, which is a sister company to CBS and Paramount... and S&S has already greenlit inclusion of some of its properties into STO such as Mackenzie Calhoun and published a tie in novel.
For the record, S&S Trek games were:
The Promethean Prophecy
The Kobayashi Adventure
The Rebel Universe
Star Trek: Klingon
Star Trek: Borg
Starship Creator
DS9: The Fallen
DS9: Dominion Wars
Unfortunately, while I'd suggest nods to S&S games seem fairly doable and nods to Spectrum Holobyte/Hasbro games are a remote possibility, Activision and Bethsheda's games are VERY unlikely to get nods since Activision runs Warcraft and Bethsheda is trying to get into the MMO game. (They were the studio who hired Gozer when he left STO.) Interplay has historically been difficult to work with and demanded huge sums for reuse of its assets; the one perk there is that Interplay has been selling off assets and trying to raise money quite vigorously over the last couple of years.
IF Interplay sold Cryptic its Trek assets, one major perk for Cryptic would probably be a very robust generic voiceover library for the complete TOS cast, with audio of them saying all their signature phrases and pretty much any generic thing you'd want a Trek NPC to say. (Including "The Secret of Vulcan Fury", which was the last time the TOS cast reunited and that material has never seen the light of day outside of a trailer.)
I'm not saying it would be worth Cryptic sacrificing much out of its standard game budget but it WOULD likely mean things like the ability to create a promotional cinematic with Shatner voiceover, as well as a pretty robust library of music and voiceover.
Like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhGaUEWtUNU
And this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scLUJjVQPZk
I do gather from a post yesterday that dstahl has been negotiating with other companies... And the only companies that would make sense to me are companies with libraries of Trek sound effects, music, and voiceover assets, since 3D models wouldn't transport over. The only other way I can think to read that statement is that he's negotiating with the comics publisher IDW for some extra uniforms (like early 24th century Terran Empire uniforms or extra Klingon designs) and maybe some kind of blanket extension of their likeness rights agreements.
I think it would rock, honestly, if he was looking at acquiring the better soundtracks to other Trek games to spice the music up here.
Well even if the races created for the game aren't covered in Cryptic's license, Cryptic could use the races which are covered as stand-ins. The Remans could replace the Garidians. Both are portrayed as minor powers in the Galaxy living under the shadow of the Romulans.
Hell, the Iconians could replace the Chodak. I'd buy into the idea that the Iconians built a star-sized machine that could rearrange matter and energy into any form its user wanted and that their civilization disappeared in part because they lost said machine.
I hope someone at Cryptic notices this idea and has a comment to make about it because I'd really like to know how possible or impossible it is.
AFU was the first Star Trek computer game I ever played. I was about 13 when it came out and my parents got it for me for Christmas. My dad installed it on his Packard Bell computer and we fired it up. We didn't even do the mission the first day. We just flew around space getting into battles and getting blown up. It would always end with that Admirals Log saying the Enterprise had gone missing and he has no choice but to consider it destroyed.
Ahh, the memories...:cool:
However its not an S&S game but its one trek game I did enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEA-TEHeLaA&feature=related
Judgment Rites and the 25th Anniversary are the other two.
So paying tribute to those trailblazing Star Trek games by having their storylines adapted for STO would ruin their greatness? Why?
I'd totally LOVE if they could do remakes of the classic Star Trek adventure games like 25th Anniversary, Judgement Rites and A Final Unity. In fact, I just recently played AFU last year in anticipation of STO.
Obtain the rights for the voice overs and start recreating! After the current series, I think most of the tech is there to replicate what these games did in terms of game mechanics.
Regards,
Rachel
Because Cryptic would TRIBBLE it up some how.
As far as I can see, Cryptic are doing things the right way these days, especially with Season 3. I doubt they would be as incompetent about it as you think.
And yet you bought a lifetime sub? Why, if you have so little faith in them?