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Star Trek Online To Be Shut Down?

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
I have a nagging suspicion that STO is fizzling out in terms of active subscribers and game selling rates. Despite the efforts of season updates and The Foundry and the lowering of retail prices and the possible eventually F2P model...it appears STO is heading for the day when the servers close down. And this could be happening in a matter of a few months.

I don't mean to be a debbie downer. I would more than love there to be a Season 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and 9 if not more. But I see these boards pretty quiet, devs making less and less comments, and STO not being given any major media interviews.

I fear STO's days a rapidly being lessened.

Please someone tell me I am wrong with a reason to believe so.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Yeah, you pretty much have no idea what your talking about.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Your right, its illogical for devs to take vacations or holiday time during Christmas or New Year's....
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    If your going to troll, the least you could do is actually be good at it. You straight up suck.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    They are out until the 3rd...

    Although they are working on another game already....
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Woah! The boards are quiet around the time of one of the biggest holidays on the planet? No way!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Simeet wrote: »
    II don't mean to be a debbie downer.

    awww, you're not a debbie downer! In fact i found your post absolutely hilarious! :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Simeet wrote: »
    I have a nagging suspicion that STO is fizzling out in terms of active subscribers and game selling rates. Despite the efforts of season updates and The Foundry and the lowering of retail prices and the possible eventually F2P model...it appears STO is heading for the day when the servers close down. And this could be happening in a matter of a few months.

    I don't mean to be a debbie downer. I would more than love there to be a Season 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and 9 if not more. But I see these boards pretty quiet, devs making less and less comments, and STO not being given any major media interviews.

    I fear STO's days a rapidly being lessened.

    Please someone tell me I am wrong with a reason to believe so.

    "Joined Nov 2010"

    Certainly I can see how your indepth experience with STO, as well as your flawless reporting of no major MMO sites covering STO would lead you to believe such things.

    However, your fantasy does not necessarily equal our reality.

    Have a great New Year! See you in these very same forums in a year :D

    Regards,
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Debbie does Dallas was much better. Your threads can't even hold up to a 70's TRIBBLE flick.

    Get out of the basement, a SNL ref of doom!!!! That all you have?


    Happy holidays, and remember Debbie is not only a downer but a doer and a small yummy cake like thing. It's all in how you view things.............:cool:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Simeet wrote: »
    Please someone tell me I am wrong with a reason to believe so.
    You are wrong. Here's why:
    Th developers have taken their first major break since before the game launched.

    In game development cycles (especially MMOs), it's not uncommon to work overtime for years leading into a project's launch and months afterward. The holidays were the first major break for many on the STO team, aside from incidental leave and vacation days that were taken separately from one another(i.e. dstahl's paternity leave, etc.).

    That said, the developers have been in today and they've given over five interviews in the past month (ranging from dstahl to Zero to Farktoid and more). They also got a major Season update out the door during this time. They've also been busy beta testing the Foundry and getting it up on Tribble (you have no idea how hard they were working, along with closed beta testers) to get the Foundry working up this month. The developers were also extremely busy posting earlier in the month to ensure as much data would be in our hands before the holidays.

    People like ZeroniusRex were working on bugfixes today (and yesterday too). She was online and ingame until nearly 6 pm PDT. The support team got the servers back yesterday. Q appeared on the forums (and he hasn't appeared in ages as a forum moderator).

    If they're quiet this week, it's not because they're closing - it's because they're finally taking a collective breather before plunging back into development and the next Featured Series.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    You are wrong. Here's why:
    Th developers have taken their first major break since before the game launched.

    In game development cycles (especially MMOs), it's not uncommon to work overtime for years leading into a project's launch and months afterward. The holidays were the first major break for many on the STO team, aside from incidental leave and vacation days that were taken separately from one another(i.e. dstahl's paternity leave, etc.).

    That said, the developers have been in today and they've given over five interviews in the past month (ranging from dstahl to Zero to Farktoid and more). They also got a major Season update out the door during this time. They've also been busy beta testing the Foundry and getting it up on Tribble (you have no idea how hard they were working, along with closed beta testers) to get the Foundry working up this month. The developers were also extremely busy posting earlier in the month to ensure as much data would be in our hands before the holidays.

    People like ZeroniusRex were working on bugfixes today (and yesterday too). She was online and ingame until nearly 6 pm PDT. The support team got the servers back yesterday. Q appeared on the forums (and he hasn't appeared in ages as a forum moderator).

    If they're quiet this week, it's not because they're closing - it's because they're finally taking a collective breather before plunging back into development and the next Featured Series.

    That's good to know. My post was not a rant. It was my anxiety that I could not get to see Star Trek Online expanded and improved to the point where it becomes the game we all want it to be.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Simeet wrote: »
    That's good to know. My post was not a rant. It was my anxiety that I could not get to see Star Trek Online expanded and improved to the point where it becomes the game we all want it to be.

    Darren is one of the most logical posters I have seen on these forums. Myself, i've trolled the EVE forums for to long and find it difficult to change my stripes.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Simeet wrote: »
    Despite the efforts of season updates and The Foundry and the lowering of retail prices and the possible eventually F2P model...it appears STO is heading for the day when the servers close down. And this could be happening in a matter of a few months.

    STO is heading towards the day the server closes down, so is WoW, DC Online, SWG and every MMO out there... Thats like saying I am getting closer to passing away every day I live, no duh...

    As for a few months? Yeah no where near. Had that been the case the game would of been made Free 2 Play before Champions online and they would be fighting for it.

    I don't expect it to go Free 2 Play anytime soon as the Devs have been releasing some pretty awesome content with the weeklies.
    But I see these boards pretty quiet, devs making less and less comments, and STO not being given any major media interviews.

    Before Christmas they were busy getting ready to Season 3 released, and constantly busy with Foundry. Now they are having their holidays with their families, yeah the Dev's are in fact humans and not cleverly scripted AI trying to self replicate itself into games.

    Also note the C-Store release of an epic ship and some more costumes a couple of days before Christmas.
    Please someone tell me I am wrong with a reason to believe so.

    I think the responses on this thread have proven you wrong, just wait a couple weeks (probably less now) and enjoy the game :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Simeet wrote: »
    That's good to know. My post was not a rant. It was my anxiety that I could not get to see Star Trek Online expanded and improved to the point where it becomes the game we all want it to be.

    Fun Fact:
    I've seen developers like Farktoid log in at 3 am PDT (the same time zone as Cryptic Studios) and showed them bugs before. The galaxy bridge geometry that wasn't fixed for months? Farktoid had it fixed within a couple days after I jumped up and down on the ramp's gaps. His words: "Good catch! You can only see that from certain angle." Three days later: hotfixed.

    Also, Thomas the Cat just got hired and he said they have a lot of things planned on their whitebaord - things he can't talk about but as a former subscriber made him smile. :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Fun Fact:
    I've seen developers like Farktoid log in at 3 am PDT (the same time zone as Cryptic Studios) and showed them bugs before. The galaxy bridge geometry that wasn't fixed for months? Farktoid had it fixed within a couple days after I jumped up and down on the ramp's gaps. His words: "Good catch! You can only see that from certain angle." Three days later: hotfixed.

    Also, Thomas the Cat just got hired and he said they have a lot of things planned on their whitebaord - things he can't talk about but as a former subscriber made him smile. :D

    If it made Thomas The Cat smile it must be good...here's hoping for Boarding Parties, Leveling Bridge Officers, Aegis+Borg Ground Equip., and much more :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    I don't think STO is in danger of closing down. It may not have had a stellar launch or attracted the number of subscribers one would think a Star Trek MMO would, but it's not The Matrix Online.

    It takes a fair bit for an MMO like STO to shut down. It took a few years for SOE to shut down MxO, and MxO never had quite as many subs as STO does by most estimations. SWG has survived for 7 years on around 100k subscriptions.

    MMO development is hectic. It can be hectic for years, especially if it's a title based on someone else's IP. When I last worked on a title, we worked 12-14 hour days in the two years prior to launch. We worked 12-4 hour days for a good six months afterward.

    You start to get burnt out after working those kind of hours for that long. You need a break to prevent burnout. That's fairly essential when you work in a creative field like game development. If you live and breathe an IP for years, you will eventually stop being inspired to create new content or interesting stories.

    There's an IP I can't even think about touching and the title released some time ago.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    The numbers have [picked up not lower.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Oh come on mates, cut the man some slack. He prolly actually ate the Fruit Cake at Christmas. (you know the one no one wants and just keeps giving it to someone else. Best guess is it was made in the late 19th century) And we all know eating that can have some pretty odd effects on the human mind. So have a little sympathy OK? :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    I don't think STO is in danger of closing down. It may not have had a stellar launch or attracted the number of subscribers one would think a Star Trek MMO would, but it's not The Matrix Online.

    Even Matrix Online lasted for 5 years ... it's highly unlikely that any MMO with a major Franchise would shut down after just 1 year ... moreover Cryptic is a small Studio they don't need millions of subscribers to be successful ... i even remember them saying 100k Subscribers is their Definition for success -> consequently it might be more likely that SWTor will shut down after a year because they put so much money into the game they'll need WOW-like Subscriber numbers to be financially successful
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    It would be hard for STO to close I would think. Even if they lost a lot of subscriptions they have the income from c-store. We don't know how much monthly income that is. It could equal out to the same amount as hundreds of subscriptions each month or more.

    It had a low development cost too. So I really can't see it closing out.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    If EQ can hold on for more than a decade and still counting, STO isn't going anywhere.

    That said, STO as we knew it is already dead or dying.

    In its place, we have something better every update.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Simeet wrote: »
    I have a nagging suspicion that STO is fizzling out in terms of active subscribers and game selling rates. Despite the efforts of season updates and The Foundry and the lowering of retail prices and the possible eventually F2P model...it appears STO is heading for the day when the servers close down. And this could be happening in a matter of a few months.

    I don't mean to be a debbie downer. I would more than love there to be a Season 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and 9 if not more. But I see these boards pretty quiet, devs making less and less comments, and STO not being given any major media interviews.

    I fear STO's days a rapidly being lessened.

    Please someone tell me I am wrong with a reason to believe so.

    Oh my god! Sameet, it's been so long, how I've missed you :)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Hravik wrote:
    If EQ can hold on for more than a decade and still counting, STO isn't going anywhere.

    Heck, it's been over 22 years since Gemstone III came out, and it is still going strong at www.play.net/gs4/

    STO could learn a lot from them, though. Real quality product and amazing RP environment.

    That being said, STO could very well be here for decades, if they start thinking long term and not short term. That's how Gemstone survived.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    If they released SWTOR right now with what they already have, It would be a lasting MMO that will probably exceed all the other MMO's out there in lifetime.

    As a more successful IP and about 500% more in it right now than we currently have, I'd back that game first.

    Check out their website sometimes, I dare you.

    That said I love Star Trek as well and will probably be here when they turn off the lights.

    ( At least on STO so they can focus on Neverwinter Nights.)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Don't doom me bro.
    :rolleyes:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Thlaylie wrote: »
    If they released SWTOR right now with what they already have, It would be a lasting MMO that will probably exceed all the other MMO's out there in lifetime.

    As a more successful IP and about 500% more in it right now than we currently have, I'd back that game first.

    Check out their website sometimes, I dare you.

    That said I love Star Trek as well and will probably be here when they turn off the lights.

    ( At least on STO so they can focus on Neverwinter Nights.)

    I'd love to discuss this again once the NDA is lifted. ;)

    ===

    On another note, question is answered. let's move along.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Thlaylie wrote: »
    If they released SWTOR right now with what they already have, It would be a lasting MMO that will probably exceed all the other MMO's out there in lifetime.

    As a more successful IP and about 500% more in it right now than we currently have, I'd back that game first.

    Check out their website sometimes, I dare you.

    That said I love Star Trek as well and will probably be here when they turn off the lights.

    ( At least on STO so they can focus on Neverwinter Nights.)

    If by 500% more you mean 20 gigs of voiceover work, then yes. The rest of the game looks mediocre at best. The same exact ground combat style that's been around a long time now and a pitiful afterthought they consider to be space combat isn't exactly a great selling point no matter how popular the IP is.

    Hell I'm willing to bet Guild Wars 2 outdoes them...and this is coming from someone who is completely burnt out on over 10+ years of fantasy magic and swords type mmos.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Simeet wrote: »
    I have a nagging suspicion that STO is fizzling out in terms of active subscribers and game selling rates......I fear STO's days a rapidly being lessened.

    Please someone tell me I am wrong with a reason to believe so.

    STO will be around for a long time. Yes, it came out unfinished, but the devs have been adding content and fixing bugs. The game looks good, you can have a lot of fun in a Star Trek atmosphere, from changing Trek outfits to flying around on different ships from the Star Trek series to all kinds of things. It's going to be all right.

    As for everyone else, why did you gang up on Simeet? He asked a legitimate question. This forum is filled with complaints from people who are grumpy over the game not being perfect. It's not so weird, after all for someone who loves the game, loves Trek to wonder about this.

    New Year's resolution for everyone--chill!

    Okey-Doke?:)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    AaronH wrote: »
    Oh my god! Sameet, it's been so long, how I've missed you :)

    Lol....this is the first thing that popped in my mind {minus the "I've missed you"}. Was thinking is SAMEET back?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    It's just a shame STO was rushed to release. Although I guess they didn't have a choice. Cryptic needed money and they chose a timeslot when they weren't going to be overshadowed by other MMO releases.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited December 2010
    Quetzaal wrote:
    It's just a shame STO was rushed to release. Although I guess they didn't have a choice. Cryptic needed money and they chose a timeslot when they weren't going to be overshadowed by other MMO releases.

    Actually, it was written in contract that Cryptic had to launch before on on 'X' date. Presumably becuase Perpetual had done such a "marvellous" job. :D

    Saying that, 1 1/2 years to develop new tech, create all the artwork and map areas is really hard work. and do you know what? There's actually 2 games in one - Space and Ground.

    They had a list bigger than Santa's as to what needed doing and fixing. And they're slowly working through all of it. It doesn't help that we keep moaning and jumping up and down like Basil Fawlty. :p
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