It will stay until CBS is approached by another game company that wants to make Star Trek: The Old Federation, featuring simpler gameplay tailored to not tax the underdeveloped minds of the target playerbase, click-and-tp spacetravel to eliminate all that pointless flying around in ships (who, like, could like, like, that?? It doesn't earn xp, there's no kill points, and they aren't getting loot....therefore, it can't have any value!), and single-track game environments to make sure the players don't waste their time in any places that don't have to do with combat or looting.
At that time, CBS will politely inform the playerbase that they are withdrawing the license for STO, and then shut down the game to prevent competition and comparison. As a token of their respect for the love the playerbase has for STO, they will even make sure to promise that STO and ST:TOF will exist side-by-side to allow players to play in the game that suits them best, and then shut it down without any explaination other than that CBS and Cryptic have come to a 'mutual decision' to do so, and will not consider any plans to keep it in operation.
As a final measure to drive the playerbase to ST:TOF, they will then eliminate the forums two weeks after the end of the game, and unformat the STO website to make sure the playerbase cannot remember how good STO was compared to ST:TOF, or to keep in contact as a community.
So, no...I think STO will stay around only until the Execs in charge of the game can find a reason to grab the money and run. Because that's what Game Companies are, and how they view their 'product'.
I give it 2.5 years, 3 on the outside. F2P was a shot in the arm but with the lack of serious content, ease of advancement, and the business model that seems to be driving so many people away from subscriptions and the desire to spend money, I can't see the game lasting much longer than that.
Could be wrong of course. If they add some real end game content and stop with the time gated garbage, finish up the storylines, and make the game more than a couple hour grindfest it might last longer.
I could see Cryptic trying, somewhere-down-the-line..., to create spin-offs of the original game that take place in the TOS Era and even the New JJ Version.
Or maybe even create two new servers for each and connect them like WOW has done recently.
STO Member since February 2009. I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born! Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
I can see STO go as long as Star Wars Galaxy with a new Star Trek MMO coming out after STO's death.
The problem with your statement is that SWG didn't die...it was executed. And that execution came while SWG was coming back alive with some very revolutionary content (integrated land/air/space combat in a FP MMORPG environment, just to name one).
So, to correct your prediction, if it goes as long as SWG did (which is quite possible, given STO is now ftp), it will be killed by another Star Trek MMO -before- it is dead in order to prevent STO from holding onto players CBS would want playing their 'new' game.
With new features, new episodes, new factions, working correctly with KDF, making a decent work with the C-store and other things, who knows?
CBS can't close something that is keeping the franchise/IP alive in some way. Withou a new fighter in the dojo (new and improved ST mmo), CBS can let STO alive for some good time, because this keep the whole star trek idea alive.
Now we have to look carefully to PW/Crypt, to see if the current and future work give good rewards to everyone.
I'll be honest, right now I have the feeling STO got 2-3 more years in her. Providing PW lets Cryptic put out some interesting expansions that keep us involved. Else we will see STO go a slow death as people leave due to them being tired of grinding and lack of long-term playable content.
The original Everquest has lasted 13 years with players who can still buy new expansions. Fans of Trek, IMO, are far more rabid than the average EQ players. So it is possible that STO may be a longer lived game than some may suggest.
Can't really compare the two MMOs like that. Everquest's expansions keep people involved for months without obvious grinding. And given there is 13 years worth of content, there is a ton of things to do compared to STO.
With STO, Trek fans may be more "rapid", but they aren't stupid in selling out money on a whim (well, most of them). Look at those who left STO prior to the merger, it was due to lack of content and things to do. How long until the F2P crowd gets bored of doing that same routine?
As famously stated in Trek "We must expand or die".
If Cryptic can't make some major content releases by next year, this place likely will be a ghost town again.
Barring Cryptic/PW losing their licensing from CBS, I think STO has at least another 5 years of life left, at least. Frankly they could put it on autopilot for the next 5 years, and people would still play it.
But they wont, not at least for 2-3 more years. PW/Cryptic has found a way to shift the monetization into high-gear, and they're not going to stop for a while. Not at least til Neverwinter comes out.
CBS can't close something that is keeping the franchise/IP alive in some way. Withou a new fighter in the dojo (new and improved ST mmo), CBS can let STO alive for some good time, because this keep the whole star trek idea alive.
On that point, yes. They can. And they and Paramount have.
I have little doubt Cryptic can generate enough money to operate as they have.
However, Trek IP owners have a habit of yanking the license, even from highly successful products, if someone else offers a higher license fee.
The biggest thing I can see working in Cryptic's favor is that they apparently have a non-exclusive MMO license.
But much as we saw with Galaxies at the end, I think it would help STO if a rival Trek MMO started up. Because it would require competing with someone. If there's complacency here, it comes from having a monopoly.
The surest way to extend STO's life IMHO would be for Infinite Space to come back as a rival or a J.J.-verse MMO to launch.
But much as we saw with Galaxies at the end, I think it would help STO if a rival Trek MMO started up. Because it would require competing with someone. If there's complacency here, it comes from having a monopoly.
The surest way to extend STO's life IMHO would be for Infinite Space to come back as a rival or a J.J.-verse MMO to launch.
I can see your point of view, and it might work except for several things.
First is that SWTOR has set the example of eliminating active games that have a potential to rival your own game proactively by going to the owner of the franchise and cutting a deal to sink your rival rather than endure competition. Despite the fact that TOR didn't last a year before they started looking at going FTP, what is foremost on the minds of the business executives to whom games like STO are nothing more than a quarterly profit report is that they have seen that competition doesn't have to be accepted.
Second is that Galaxies was not helped by another MMO starting up but summarily executed by it out of fear that the new game could not survive if SWG were still around. The new MMO hadn't even been released yet, and just the idea of having the 'old' MMO around motivated the killing of it.
Lastly, the people in charge of these decisions are, as stated, business executives. They only care about money and their own lifestyles. They have no interest in developing a new MMO to promote growth in the current STO. They would only develop another Star Trek MMO with the goal that STO would be replaced by their own game. Anything else would be a failure of their own business venture, so it would -not- be a boon to STO to have this happen.
Sorry to disagree with your proposal that another ST MMO would be a good thing for STO, but the Gaming Industry has blatantly demonstrated already what the accepted business practices would produce.
there already is a staar trek game set to debut in 2013 with new trek movie it is set in the jj verse but lets hope they dont say that they want an exclusive licensing because if they pay better licensing than cryptic cbs will yank the license. they have in the past.
But much as we saw with Galaxies at the end, I think it would help STO if a rival Trek MMO started up. Because it would require competing with someone. If there's complacency here, it comes from having a monopoly.
The surest way to extend STO's life IMHO would be for Infinite Space to come back as a rival or a J.J.-verse MMO to launch.
I doubt CBS would let there be two Trek MMOs. After all Galaxies had to end to make way for TOR. And I doubt a real JJ-verse MMO would be even good, given that universe hasn't been developed enough to make a good long-term MMO.
Best scenario is if someone bought STO and created a MASSIVE expansion that covers all the needed areas and put out a good promotion to attract Trek fans. Have it be something that makes every Trek Fan drool over.
I doubt CBS would let there be two Trek MMOs. After all Galaxies had to end to make way for TOR. And I doubt a real JJ-verse MMO would be even good, given that universe hasn't been developed enough to make a good long-term MMO.
Best scenario is if someone bought STO and created a MASSIVE expansion that covers all the needed areas and put out a good promotion to attract Trek fans. Have it be something that makes every Trek Fan drool over.
You know, though, for the money that would take (including buying something that PWE wants and isn't putting up for sale), it would be simpler to develop your own original sci-fi MMO.
Maybe not a year ago.
But I imagine what you propose would cost several times what PWE paid, both to convince them to sell something that's now a cornerstone of their company in the west -- and that expansion itself would be more expensive than a new MMO.
All for something CBS can simply decide not to renew.
The WoW franchise was probably a bigger success because they couldn't get Warhammer and George Lucas was a bigger success because he couldn't get Buck Rogers rights.
If I had the money, I'd either pitch subletting content development for PWE and Cryptic through a cheap, east coast development house... Or I'd start my own sci-fi MMO.
I wouldn't mess with buying Cryptic outright unless I had someone like James Cameron willing to back it and then I'd be beholden to what HIS interests and desires are. I wouldn't take the risk myself on STO.
It really depends on your definition. Games are usually abandoned long before the lights go off. At some point PWE will no longer supply updates and the game could be considered "dead" at that point. But they won't shut the server's down until it no longer turns a profit, or they still have the license and make STO2.
Kobayashi Maru
Join Date: Sept 2008
"Holographic tissue paper for the holographic runny nose. Don't give them to patients." - The Doctor
It is F2P now...it will be around for years to come...and they are very active in creating new content...and dummies like me keep spending in the C-store...because I just have to have stuff I dont really need.
OHHHHhhhhh...its NEW and SHINEY...I must...buy it...:redface:
"Sips her PWE Koolaide and looks at alllll the goodies in the Z store"
Badname Betty (PvP...PvE...STF...Trophy Hunter...Latnium Collector...Federation)
Commander Morgana (PvP...PvE...STF...KDF)
1000 day vet and LTS
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] STO Join date: 7 Feb 2010
I like startrek online, so much that I just paid for a lifetime membership today. Alot of games I have found especially some online ones often die. One of the main reasons I have been paying for my membership is to try to support the game and also that there have been so many improvements being made to it. I just wanted to get other peoples thoughts about the popularity of the game. Ive been playing it for quite awhile and slowly they have been improving the game like bringing in the duty officer system, making the game free to play and a host of other things. Also since I have paid for the lifetime membership what are the main things that I should see happening? Also I read that lifetime membership means that I can change colours or something in posts is that correct?
i have neve been a "gamer". i quite playing video games in the early 80's at arcades. i never owned an atari, nintendo, xbox or anything like that. i only recently started playing star trek online because i have always been a star trek fan since it first came out.
a series that started in 1966 and ran for 3 seasons is still going strong. i think this game has a chance of lasting a long time for that reason. star trek fans are devoted. i have watched all the star trek original series hundreds of times and will watch anytime it is on TV; it never gets old.
i like the game and hope it is around as long as star trek the original series.
My guess would be it'll be around until about late 2014 or early 2015. Like others have posted, just too slow on content. Unless they have a full fledged expansion come out that really livens the game up... I can see a couple more years.
I enjoy the game, heck, I just got my LTS this past weekend. I figure if I can get a few years out of it it was worth it. The LTS was worth it in another game I play (and I was smart enough to buy it many years ago).
I hope I'm wrong and this game really shines after season 6... but I guess we'll just have to wait and see and enjoy what we've got for now.
Hi. Apparently I'm new here and joined in Jun 2012. Guess I'm in good company though... seems everyone else joined then too!
It would need a lot more updates to stay more than 3-4 years from now : engine update, major content uptades or extensions, and a lotof creativity from the dev not to make it a random MMO with the same features you find in every MMO.
The dev team said they wanted to target the Star Trek fanbase, but one question remains unanswered : how ?
Upon what information exactly are you basing this claim? ... has STO eclipsed 1 mil registered players? This game barely registers on ANY of the mainstream gaming media sites. AAA F2P = GW (>7 years - over 3 mil registered players who paid for the game client who still play and who eagerly await a much anticipated sequel, GW2). I don't beleive STO is even remotely in that league.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think STO is a horrible game or I wouldn't bother playing it. I get a chuckle and a couple of hours per week or so of pew pew fun from STO. I consider myself a passive Star Trek fan: I don't have a uniform, figurines, ship models; I can't quote episode and scene; and I couldn't care less about "canon"; however, I do like the TV shows and movies (I grew up watching TOS) ... and, yes, I thoroughly enjoyed the latest JJ Abrams version. Space combat is a nice deviation from the usual hack, slash and magic of the genre.
If they add some content (other than shiny's and dress-up) at semi-regular intervals, STO has a decent chance to survive for some time; however, passive Trek fans and gamers won't stick around long without playable content. Can STO draw the numbers and the all important $$$ as a niche game for Star Trek fans? It remains to be seen. I do hope it will.
Please forgive me for being the pragmatic devil's advocate here.
Nothing lasts forever, but I easily thought STO could go another 4-5 years. With all the recent developments on the eve of a season 6 launch, I feel uneasy, to say the least. The waters have become more murky than usual. I get the feeling Dobis P.R. might do a better job than PWE at running STO, will just have to sit back and see what happens. Hopefully everything works out.
It won't be around forever, but nothing is. EQ wasn't, Ultima wasn't. TOR won't be either. Even WoW probably won't still be active in ten years, certainly not with their current subscription model, and whatever Titan is looms over WoW's future like a hawk.
That said, STO will probably be around longer than some people might think. Remember that CBS has a stake in this thing. Regardless of what happens in the future with Cryptic or PWE or anyone else who becomes involved, the value of the IP might just extend the game's lifespan as CBS would rather keep it alive and kicking in someone's hands then let it die off completely and risk damaging their brand.
See also: why it took until TOR's release for SWG to finally end. Inversely, why no one fought tooth and nail for Matrix Online or others with less prestigious franchise attachments.
Star Trek is still one of the highest-regarded entertainment juggernauts in the world, despite not being on first-run television for several years and receiving a total revamp in theatres. It has survived lows far lower than the worst STO has to offer. So while we won't still be playing it by the time First Contact Day rolls around, the brand name alone could end up putting STO in a SWG situation where it'll only die when Cryptic or someone else decides that it's time for a STO2.
I am not sure what you mean by "It won't be around forever, but nothing is. EQ wasn't, Ultima wasn't." You are correct that no game will be around "forever." However, both EQ and Ultima are both still around. As far as WoW vs. Titan, EQ2 has been out for something like eight years, and EQ is still there.
Even the worst MMOs tend to last well above five years.
There are really only three things that sink an MMO:
- Losing the IP license.
- The publisher going bankrupt, generally impossible except if a company has just one MMO and is close to launch.
- Dwindling population/revenue, below $4 million or so a year.
Barring those three things, no MMO has ever shut down to the best of my knowledge. They may stop getting content but the servers stay up. While it's easy for MMOs to enter a phase where content/feature development ends, that's never killed one to my knowledge.
Bolded segment is False. I can state of several AA - AAA MMOS that have sut down:
Star Wars Galaxies (Mainly due to the new SW MMO)
Matrix Online
Auto Assault
Hellgate London
While granted they were mainly shut down because of revenue, they were shut down.
As to STO's longevity? Maybe five years at best. STO, as is, is not worth subbing and I really don't see any improvements that will change my mind on that.
Too fast a leveling curve
No KDF 1-50 game path
Idiotic faux lottery system for functional/QoL items
No constant direction for the game's future
Thank you for the time...
STO CBT Player - 400 day+ Vet, Currently Silver
Cryptic, would you actulaly like me to spend actual Money? It's Simple:
Full, Story-driven, select from start 1-50 Klingon Side
Scrap current Lock Box & Lobi system for something more reasonable
Expand Dil and Rep/Fleet Marks to regular story content
Comments
At that time, CBS will politely inform the playerbase that they are withdrawing the license for STO, and then shut down the game to prevent competition and comparison. As a token of their respect for the love the playerbase has for STO, they will even make sure to promise that STO and ST:TOF will exist side-by-side to allow players to play in the game that suits them best, and then shut it down without any explaination other than that CBS and Cryptic have come to a 'mutual decision' to do so, and will not consider any plans to keep it in operation.
As a final measure to drive the playerbase to ST:TOF, they will then eliminate the forums two weeks after the end of the game, and unformat the STO website to make sure the playerbase cannot remember how good STO was compared to ST:TOF, or to keep in contact as a community.
So, no...I think STO will stay around only until the Execs in charge of the game can find a reason to grab the money and run. Because that's what Game Companies are, and how they view their 'product'.
Could be wrong of course. If they add some real end game content and stop with the time gated garbage, finish up the storylines, and make the game more than a couple hour grindfest it might last longer.
Then some other company will come to CBS, and...well...read danqueller two posts above, that guy's got it.
Join Date: Sep 2008
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: CHANGE THE FORUMS BACK !!!
More to the point...
"While it makes dough... We'll still have STO"
I could see Cryptic trying, somewhere-down-the-line..., to create spin-offs of the original game that take place in the TOS Era and even the New JJ Version.
Or maybe even create two new servers for each and connect them like WOW has done recently.
I Was A Trekkie Before It Was Cool ... Sept. 8th, 1966 ... Not To Mention Before Most Folks Around Here Were Born!
Forever a STO Veteran-Minion
The problem with your statement is that SWG didn't die...it was executed. And that execution came while SWG was coming back alive with some very revolutionary content (integrated land/air/space combat in a FP MMORPG environment, just to name one).
So, to correct your prediction, if it goes as long as SWG did (which is quite possible, given STO is now ftp), it will be killed by another Star Trek MMO -before- it is dead in order to prevent STO from holding onto players CBS would want playing their 'new' game.
With new features, new episodes, new factions, working correctly with KDF, making a decent work with the C-store and other things, who knows?
CBS can't close something that is keeping the franchise/IP alive in some way. Withou a new fighter in the dojo (new and improved ST mmo), CBS can let STO alive for some good time, because this keep the whole star trek idea alive.
Now we have to look carefully to PW/Crypt, to see if the current and future work give good rewards to everyone.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Can't really compare the two MMOs like that. Everquest's expansions keep people involved for months without obvious grinding. And given there is 13 years worth of content, there is a ton of things to do compared to STO.
With STO, Trek fans may be more "rapid", but they aren't stupid in selling out money on a whim (well, most of them). Look at those who left STO prior to the merger, it was due to lack of content and things to do. How long until the F2P crowd gets bored of doing that same routine?
As famously stated in Trek "We must expand or die".
If Cryptic can't make some major content releases by next year, this place likely will be a ghost town again.
But they wont, not at least for 2-3 more years. PW/Cryptic has found a way to shift the monetization into high-gear, and they're not going to stop for a while. Not at least til Neverwinter comes out.
On that point, yes. They can. And they and Paramount have.
I have little doubt Cryptic can generate enough money to operate as they have.
However, Trek IP owners have a habit of yanking the license, even from highly successful products, if someone else offers a higher license fee.
The biggest thing I can see working in Cryptic's favor is that they apparently have a non-exclusive MMO license.
But much as we saw with Galaxies at the end, I think it would help STO if a rival Trek MMO started up. Because it would require competing with someone. If there's complacency here, it comes from having a monopoly.
The surest way to extend STO's life IMHO would be for Infinite Space to come back as a rival or a J.J.-verse MMO to launch.
Now them's just fightin' words.
Mine Trap Supporter
The new one will be set in the JJ verse.*nods*
No doubt. Limp wristed nerdy slapfightin' hipsterverse words.
I can see your point of view, and it might work except for several things.
First is that SWTOR has set the example of eliminating active games that have a potential to rival your own game proactively by going to the owner of the franchise and cutting a deal to sink your rival rather than endure competition. Despite the fact that TOR didn't last a year before they started looking at going FTP, what is foremost on the minds of the business executives to whom games like STO are nothing more than a quarterly profit report is that they have seen that competition doesn't have to be accepted.
Second is that Galaxies was not helped by another MMO starting up but summarily executed by it out of fear that the new game could not survive if SWG were still around. The new MMO hadn't even been released yet, and just the idea of having the 'old' MMO around motivated the killing of it.
Lastly, the people in charge of these decisions are, as stated, business executives. They only care about money and their own lifestyles. They have no interest in developing a new MMO to promote growth in the current STO. They would only develop another Star Trek MMO with the goal that STO would be replaced by their own game. Anything else would be a failure of their own business venture, so it would -not- be a boon to STO to have this happen.
Sorry to disagree with your proposal that another ST MMO would be a good thing for STO, but the Gaming Industry has blatantly demonstrated already what the accepted business practices would produce.
I doubt CBS would let there be two Trek MMOs. After all Galaxies had to end to make way for TOR. And I doubt a real JJ-verse MMO would be even good, given that universe hasn't been developed enough to make a good long-term MMO.
Best scenario is if someone bought STO and created a MASSIVE expansion that covers all the needed areas and put out a good promotion to attract Trek fans. Have it be something that makes every Trek Fan drool over.
You know, though, for the money that would take (including buying something that PWE wants and isn't putting up for sale), it would be simpler to develop your own original sci-fi MMO.
Maybe not a year ago.
But I imagine what you propose would cost several times what PWE paid, both to convince them to sell something that's now a cornerstone of their company in the west -- and that expansion itself would be more expensive than a new MMO.
All for something CBS can simply decide not to renew.
The WoW franchise was probably a bigger success because they couldn't get Warhammer and George Lucas was a bigger success because he couldn't get Buck Rogers rights.
If I had the money, I'd either pitch subletting content development for PWE and Cryptic through a cheap, east coast development house... Or I'd start my own sci-fi MMO.
I wouldn't mess with buying Cryptic outright unless I had someone like James Cameron willing to back it and then I'd be beholden to what HIS interests and desires are. I wouldn't take the risk myself on STO.
Join Date: Sept 2008
"Holographic tissue paper for the holographic runny nose. Don't give them to patients." - The Doctor
A: No
:biggrin:
OHHHHhhhhh...its NEW and SHINEY...I must...buy it...:redface:
Badname Betty (PvP...PvE...STF...Trophy Hunter...Latnium Collector...Federation)
Commander Morgana (PvP...PvE...STF...KDF)
1000 day vet and LTS
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] STO Join date: 7 Feb 2010
https://youtube.com/user/MyBalkanGaming
i have neve been a "gamer". i quite playing video games in the early 80's at arcades. i never owned an atari, nintendo, xbox or anything like that. i only recently started playing star trek online because i have always been a star trek fan since it first came out.
a series that started in 1966 and ran for 3 seasons is still going strong. i think this game has a chance of lasting a long time for that reason. star trek fans are devoted. i have watched all the star trek original series hundreds of times and will watch anytime it is on TV; it never gets old.
i like the game and hope it is around as long as star trek the original series.
I enjoy the game, heck, I just got my LTS this past weekend. I figure if I can get a few years out of it it was worth it. The LTS was worth it in another game I play (and I was smart enough to buy it many years ago).
I hope I'm wrong and this game really shines after season 6... but I guess we'll just have to wait and see and enjoy what we've got for now.
The dev team said they wanted to target the Star Trek fanbase, but one question remains unanswered : how ?
God, lvl 60 CW. 17k.
Upon what information exactly are you basing this claim? ... has STO eclipsed 1 mil registered players? This game barely registers on ANY of the mainstream gaming media sites. AAA F2P = GW (>7 years - over 3 mil registered players who paid for the game client who still play and who eagerly await a much anticipated sequel, GW2). I don't beleive STO is even remotely in that league.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think STO is a horrible game or I wouldn't bother playing it. I get a chuckle and a couple of hours per week or so of pew pew fun from STO. I consider myself a passive Star Trek fan: I don't have a uniform, figurines, ship models; I can't quote episode and scene; and I couldn't care less about "canon"; however, I do like the TV shows and movies (I grew up watching TOS) ... and, yes, I thoroughly enjoyed the latest JJ Abrams version. Space combat is a nice deviation from the usual hack, slash and magic of the genre.
If they add some content (other than shiny's and dress-up) at semi-regular intervals, STO has a decent chance to survive for some time; however, passive Trek fans and gamers won't stick around long without playable content. Can STO draw the numbers and the all important $$$ as a niche game for Star Trek fans? It remains to be seen. I do hope it will.
Please forgive me for being the pragmatic devil's advocate here.
http://www.everquest.com/
http://www.uoherald.com/
I am not sure what you mean by "It won't be around forever, but nothing is. EQ wasn't, Ultima wasn't." You are correct that no game will be around "forever." However, both EQ and Ultima are both still around. As far as WoW vs. Titan, EQ2 has been out for something like eight years, and EQ is still there.
Bolded segment is False. I can state of several AA - AAA MMOS that have sut down:
Star Wars Galaxies (Mainly due to the new SW MMO)
Matrix Online
Auto Assault
Hellgate London
While granted they were mainly shut down because of revenue, they were shut down.
As to STO's longevity? Maybe five years at best. STO, as is, is not worth subbing and I really don't see any improvements that will change my mind on that.
Too fast a leveling curve
No KDF 1-50 game path
Idiotic faux lottery system for functional/QoL items
No constant direction for the game's future
Thank you for the time...
Cryptic, would you actulaly like me to spend actual Money? It's Simple: