I'd be all for this and at the point where we have 46-ish devs, I'd probably take Shatner over Dev #50 (assuming that nobody's looking to hire me as Dev #50 -- Ha!)
As for CBS and Shatner:
Shatner himself may not be up to a movie (I don't know; he's actually pretty spry for a man of his age and build) but that's not relevant for a video game as the game Kirk could be younger or a hologram or any number of things. (Still gunning for a Holo-Riker ECH and Minuet as a married couple, personally!) If Kirk in game can look like Kirk at 45, I have no trouble seeing him as an active combatant.
Regarding CBS and TOS elements, I think there are a number of complicating factors. They certainly haven't said no to us visiting TOS but I personally think they may be shooting down anything that makes TOS too central to STO so they can license out TOS to other gaming companies to develop. Allowing STO to have too much of everything cuts back on what other games can hook people on. Limiting other games hurts CBS' chance of licensing Trek PC games to other studios.
Realistically, it would be hard to have another TNG game without STO or the other game suffering. But the more STO can be weaned off (or choked off from) TOS gameplay, the more room there is for CBS to license a TOS game to another studio and collect another licensing check for doing it.
STO has access to everything by virtue of being "25th century" Trek, which includes everything else as part of the past. Breen and Dominion ships probably don't hurt CBS' other prospects too badly because they'd be unlikely to make big licensing money from a Breen or Dominion game.
But a TOS MMO or co-op game could be fat revenue for CBS... But only if they keep STO from utilizing that side of Trek fully, to create room in the market for both games. If STO uses too many things that could be the centerpiece of another game, CBS will have a harder time getting a licensee for TOS online games or other big money ventures.
They had an shorty with Denise which was nice and have had narratives by Len Nimoy.Why not an episde where they bring Kirk back to life since this can't be done on the big screen.
William Shatner would be pleased to do the voise overs.I know he misses playing James T Kirk.
Shatner would cost way too much to do any voice work, and Im sure he would refuse anyway. I mean he allowed them to kill kirk at the end of Generations. Now if Picard came into the picture somehow, teaching cadets to be diplomats or something that would be sweet.
Some old news but talk of one more time for Kirk was brought up.
"Dammit J'mpok! I'm a Warrior, not a Worrier!"
- KDF Ambassador Syon vocalizing her objection to the discussions of possible peace talks with the UFP due to recent Borg and Undine activities.Hegh'bat, Stardate 66588.8
I loves me the original TV series. I was fortunate to pick up the complete series on DVD before they fiddled with the special effects. It was fantastic 1960s TV sci-fi.
But why is it that every single 'reinvention' of Star Trek has to maintain an umbilical connection with the original series? Ever since the pilot episode of TNG, the people making Star Trek have been completely unable to cut the cord.
How about, instead of continuously resurrecting the original characters, maybe someone could try creating something fresh and new.
I'd never fly another ship if they offered it. I'm First Fandom; TOS is Star Trek to me. I can't think of a ship I'd rather have than a T5 Connie, unless it was a T6 Connie. I'm all for it; CBS isn't. They had to be convinced to allow the starter Connie, and they only allowed it because as one of the weakest ships in the game, it would be quickly outgrown and thus there wouldn't be a million of them flying around.
^^^^
Preach it. (Yeah, I'm an old TOS fan too - saw TOS first run on NBC, and the above states how I would feel about a T5 Connie. I haven't bought a key, or opened a Lockbox since the F2P conversion; but if they had a T5 Connie in a Lockbox -- that would be enough to make me buy keys to open those to get one.)
Formerly known as Armsman from June 2008 to June 20, 2012 PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
Theres absolutely no way he'd do it for free, I promise you. No matter how much you might wish Shatner would do it for free or "cheaply" theres almost no chance that he would.
I loves me the original TV series. I was fortunate to pick up the complete series on DVD before they fiddled with the special effects. It was fantastic 1960s TV sci-fi.
But why is it that every single 'reinvention' of Star Trek has to maintain an umbilical connection with the original series? Ever since the pilot episode of TNG, the people making Star Trek have been completely unable to cut the cord.
How about, instead of continuously resurrecting the original characters, maybe someone could try creating something fresh and new.
Here's the deal for me:
I can't get THAT attached to a character without some longform storytelling and/or an actor attached.
I think things will improve and grow for STO but I'd be surprised if they grew THAT much in terms of NPC character depth.
So the things that will build an emotional attachment for me are either visual storytelling with STO's characters (official machinima series, comic book, etc.) or importing characters I have an existing investment in.
My strongest attachment to characters in STO are probably Drake or Obisek and even then I don't feel as intensely about them as I do relatively minor characters from the shows like Guinan or Eddington.
Not singling you out, but seriously - what's with all the Shatner hate?
Irrespective of what people may think of his acting or his real-life persona, the guy is as responsible for Star Trek being the phenomena it is as Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, heck - even Roddenberry.
Some of the Original Series episodes were hokey but that's hardly Shatner's fault, and several of the TOS movies are great - the best ones (WoK and UC imo) are superior (again imo) to anything CBS/Paramount did with Trek afterwards - I happen to think that Nicholas Meyer totally nailed what Trek should be - moreso even than Roddenberry did (sacrilege maybe but there you go).
Yes, he's hammy, yes he's arrogant but he's Kirk dammit - give the guy some respect.
You are assigning credit to the actor rather than the role, the series could have been made with Jeff Hunter as Captain Pike and Shatner to this day would be an unknown. Frankly Kirk's action sequences in the last 2 Star Trek films he starred in stretched credibility to the extreme, a portly semi retired veteran going hand to hand with characters decades younger and/or physically fitter than him was just inconceivable, he's a human not superman and should have been beaten senseless in those sequences. I have nothing against the guy as a person or as an actor but there comes a point when it's time to move forward. Shatner may have established himself as a part of Star Trek history but that is where he should remain. It's past time to pass the baton to a new generation and let them make their place in history.
If something is not broken, don't fix it, if it is broken, don't leave it broken.
I can't get THAT attached to a character without some longform storytelling and/or an actor attached.
I think things will improve and grow for STO but I'd be surprised if they grew THAT much in terms of NPC character depth.
So the things that will build an emotional attachment for me are either visual storytelling with STO's characters (official machinima series, comic book, etc.) or importing characters I have an existing investment in.
My strongest attachment to characters in STO are probably Drake or Obisek and even then I don't feel as intensely about them as I do relatively minor characters from the shows like Guinan or Eddington.
In an MMO you should be developing an attachment to the character you play, not to the NPCs. The point I was making is simply that ever since 1986, all Star Trek is still directly connected to the original series, otherwise it is not considered Star Trek. Even JJ could not let go when he made Star Wars Trek. He simply had to have one of the original cast in the movie in order to validate it.
You are assigning credit to the actor rather than the role, the series could have been made with Jeff Hunter as Captain Pike and Shatner to this day would be an unknown. Frankly Kirk's action sequences in the last 2 Star Trek films he starred in stretched credibility to the extreme, a portly semi retired veteran going hand to hand with characters decades younger and/or physically fitter than him was just inconceivable, he's a human not superman and should have been beaten senseless in those sequences. I have nothing against the guy as a person or as an actor but there comes a point when it's time to move forward. Shatner may have established himself as a part of Star Trek history but that is where he should remain. It's past time to pass the baton to a new generation and let them make their place in history.
And wouldn't it be nice if the baton could be passed without having to constantly reference back to the original shows? I love the original series, it is my favorite. And quite frankly there is more actual Star Trek in ST:TMP then ALL the Star Trek based anything that came after it. I see this thread as just another example of how much people really don't want anything new in Trek. Why they just don't sit down and watch the reruns is something I don't understand.
In an MMO you should be developing an attachment to the character you play, not to the NPCs. The point I was making is simply that ever since 1986, all Star Trek is still directly connected to the original series, otherwise it is not considered Star Trek. Even JJ could not let go when he made Star Wars Trek. He simply had to have one of the original cast in the movie in order to validate it.
And wouldn't it be nice if the baton could be passed without having to constantly reference back to the original shows? I love the original series, it is my favorite. And quite frankly there is more actual Star Trek in ST:TMP then ALL the Star Trek based anything that came after it. I see this thread as just another example of how much people really don't want anything new in Trek. Why they just don't sit down and watch the reruns is something I don't understand.
MY attachment to my character is conditional on my attachment to NPCs, just like how in real life, your sense of investment in your life and your situation is totally contingent on your investment in the people around you and the people you meet.
Theres absolutely no way he'd do it for free, I promise you. No matter how much you might wish Shatner would do it for free or "cheaply" theres almost no chance that he would.
It's moot anyway; I don't think you can have actors work for free, or their unions won't allow their members to work with you anymore. Unless you're a charity, and they're donating the fee.
Former moderator of these forums. Lifetime sub since before launch. Been here since before public betas. Foundry author of "Franklin Drake Must Die".
It's moot anyway; I don't think you can have actors work for free, or their unions won't allow their members to work with you anymore. Unless you're a charity, and they're donating the fee.
There would be a way around this and he may go along with it.That is Cryptic/PW donates x amount to a charity of his choosing.
How is that different than paying him? You're assuming that Shatner wants to donate to charity so much he'd agree, (rather than get paid) and that Cryptic/PW/Whatever has the money to pay him or the charity in the first place.
I don't personally know William Shatner...for all I know he may have the biggest heart in the world. But for all you know he might be the grinch. More likely he's in the various shades of grey like most of us.
You're assuming he wants to do this so badly he'd be willing to reduce his cost to do it. Trust me, he doesn't.
...and it wouldn't be that great for STO anyway. People have stated reasons for that already, but I'll weigh in. I grew up watching TOS. I thought Kirk was the coolest hero ever as a kid. But I don't care to hear Kirk in game, or see him in game with some stupid time travel plot. I'd rather see Sulu if they had to do an original crew thing, and thats stretching it.
50K is a large number. They can't afford the price and they shouldn't. Its not going to bring in enough new players to be cost effective.
We could wait a few years until Shatner decides to go on his final journey. Although there is a good chance that his final journey will be after STO closes its servers. I think that is how Cryptic got Scotty and McCoy in that Devidian series.
How is that different than paying him? You're assuming that Shatner wants to donate to charity so much he'd agree, (rather than get paid) and that Cryptic/PW/Whatever has the money to pay him or the charity in the first place.
I don't personally know William Shatner...for all I know he may have the biggest heart in the world. But for all you know he might be the grinch. More likely he's in the various shades of grey like most of us.
You're assuming he wants to do this so badly he'd be willing to reduce his cost to do it. Trust me, he doesn't.
...and it wouldn't be that great for STO anyway. People have stated reasons for that already, but I'll weigh in. I grew up watching TOS. I thought Kirk was the coolest hero ever as a kid. But I don't care to hear Kirk in game, or see him in game with some stupid time travel plot. I'd rather see Sulu if they had to do an original crew thing, and thats stretching it.
50K is a large number. They can't afford the price and they shouldn't. Its not going to bring in enough new players to be cost effective.
Shatner has several charities he's VERY active in and he personally does horseback riding and paintball tournaments to promote them.
Beyond that, the big thing that kept him from doing Enterprise was less price and more creative input.
My impression is, honestly, that he MIGHT do STO but, the charity thing aside, there are only two things he'd really be interested in:
- Bringing Kirk back from the dead. (He's gotten involved with lower scale projects for that reason and that has a lot to do with his relationship with the otherwise low budget "Free Enterprise" and his novels. He dislikes Kirk being dead and is known to negotiate on that.)
- Playing Mirror Kirk. That was his condition for appearing on Enterprise, which probably had a guest star budget not astronomically more than STO could pull off. They countered with a comedic story where he played Chef and he walked over it. He's not interested in comedic roles where Trek itself goes or, in general, little cameos. But if you had him as a returned Mirror Kirk and he got to be a grand scale magnificent villain...? I think he'd do it. You'd have to sell him on how evil and powerful he'd get to be for that though.
"Spock can't be getting the backs of his ears all burnt up and stuff."
"Dammit J'mpok! I'm a Warrior, not a Worrier!"
- KDF Ambassador Syon vocalizing her objection to the discussions of possible peace talks with the UFP due to recent Borg and Undine activities.Hegh'bat, Stardate 66588.8
Since when do we need Shatner to get Kirk? I'll do as good a Kirk as Shatner for 49,000 less...and it won't evennnnnn....be....theclassicdumbshatner impression.
But seriously, Eric McCormack did a great Shatner in Free Enterprise. Get him...or me.
MY attachment to my character is conditional on my attachment to NPCs, just like how in real life, your sense of investment in your life and your situation is totally contingent on your investment in the people around you and the people you meet.
Speak for yourself. I am not dependent on others to make me feel better about myself.
As I recall, CBS wanted the whole show recast. IIRC Roddenberry fought to keep Nimoy.
EDIT:
Actually, I think you are correct. I seem to remember Hunter wanted to go on to do movie roles. I'm fairly certain the studio wanted to recast everyone else though.
CBS had nothing to do with Star Trek as it filmed in DesiLu (Desi Arnes and Lucy Ball)Studios back in 1966.Paramount bough it sometime in the early 70s.CBS didn't own the name untill the separation of Viacom a few years ago.
I hated Generations ending as result and lot of old time fans do as well.
This movie is what Killed Trek.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Age StarTrek-Gamers Administrator
USS WARRIOR NCC 1720 Commanding Officer Star Trek Gamers
Comments
As for CBS and Shatner:
Shatner himself may not be up to a movie (I don't know; he's actually pretty spry for a man of his age and build) but that's not relevant for a video game as the game Kirk could be younger or a hologram or any number of things. (Still gunning for a Holo-Riker ECH and Minuet as a married couple, personally!) If Kirk in game can look like Kirk at 45, I have no trouble seeing him as an active combatant.
Regarding CBS and TOS elements, I think there are a number of complicating factors. They certainly haven't said no to us visiting TOS but I personally think they may be shooting down anything that makes TOS too central to STO so they can license out TOS to other gaming companies to develop. Allowing STO to have too much of everything cuts back on what other games can hook people on. Limiting other games hurts CBS' chance of licensing Trek PC games to other studios.
Realistically, it would be hard to have another TNG game without STO or the other game suffering. But the more STO can be weaned off (or choked off from) TOS gameplay, the more room there is for CBS to license a TOS game to another studio and collect another licensing check for doing it.
STO has access to everything by virtue of being "25th century" Trek, which includes everything else as part of the past. Breen and Dominion ships probably don't hurt CBS' other prospects too badly because they'd be unlikely to make big licensing money from a Breen or Dominion game.
But a TOS MMO or co-op game could be fat revenue for CBS... But only if they keep STO from utilizing that side of Trek fully, to create room in the market for both games. If STO uses too many things that could be the centerpiece of another game, CBS will have a harder time getting a licensee for TOS online games or other big money ventures.
My favourite series is TNG, then DS9, then VOY.
TOS does not even rate for me .... but they are my favourite movies!
There is no chance that Kirk will ever come back, and its doubtful we would here him here.
Just best to leave he good memories as they were.
hahaha Nice find.
Shatner would cost way too much to do any voice work, and Im sure he would refuse anyway. I mean he allowed them to kill kirk at the end of Generations. Now if Picard came into the picture somehow, teaching cadets to be diplomats or something that would be sweet.
I doubt Shatner, as an actor, had much say on whether Kirk died or not.
Shatner did have a recasting approval contract for the JJtrek movie, though.
Some old news but talk of one more time for Kirk was brought up.
- KDF Ambassador Syon vocalizing her objection to the discussions of possible peace talks with the UFP due to recent Borg and Undine activities. Hegh'bat, Stardate 66588.8
I loves me the original TV series. I was fortunate to pick up the complete series on DVD before they fiddled with the special effects. It was fantastic 1960s TV sci-fi.
But why is it that every single 'reinvention' of Star Trek has to maintain an umbilical connection with the original series? Ever since the pilot episode of TNG, the people making Star Trek have been completely unable to cut the cord.
How about, instead of continuously resurrecting the original characters, maybe someone could try creating something fresh and new.
^^^^
Preach it.
PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
Hahahahahahahaha!
Oh my ribs!
Hahahahahaha!
(sorry, but that did make me laugh. )
Theres absolutely no way he'd do it for free, I promise you. No matter how much you might wish Shatner would do it for free or "cheaply" theres almost no chance that he would.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyZ6oo0ktJQ Spock can get down when he wants to.
I thought Avery Brooks went insane, no?
Hah, Ambassador Picard, as voiced by Brent Spiner. Brilliant!
Here's the deal for me:
I can't get THAT attached to a character without some longform storytelling and/or an actor attached.
I think things will improve and grow for STO but I'd be surprised if they grew THAT much in terms of NPC character depth.
So the things that will build an emotional attachment for me are either visual storytelling with STO's characters (official machinima series, comic book, etc.) or importing characters I have an existing investment in.
My strongest attachment to characters in STO are probably Drake or Obisek and even then I don't feel as intensely about them as I do relatively minor characters from the shows like Guinan or Eddington.
And wouldn't it be nice if the baton could be passed without having to constantly reference back to the original shows? I love the original series, it is my favorite. And quite frankly there is more actual Star Trek in ST:TMP then ALL the Star Trek based anything that came after it. I see this thread as just another example of how much people really don't want anything new in Trek. Why they just don't sit down and watch the reruns is something I don't understand.
MY attachment to my character is conditional on my attachment to NPCs, just like how in real life, your sense of investment in your life and your situation is totally contingent on your investment in the people around you and the people you meet.
It's moot anyway; I don't think you can have actors work for free, or their unions won't allow their members to work with you anymore. Unless you're a charity, and they're donating the fee.
Who said free?
USS WARRIOR NCC 1720 Commanding Officer
Star Trek Gamers
How is that different than paying him? You're assuming that Shatner wants to donate to charity so much he'd agree, (rather than get paid) and that Cryptic/PW/Whatever has the money to pay him or the charity in the first place.
I don't personally know William Shatner...for all I know he may have the biggest heart in the world. But for all you know he might be the grinch. More likely he's in the various shades of grey like most of us.
You're assuming he wants to do this so badly he'd be willing to reduce his cost to do it. Trust me, he doesn't.
...and it wouldn't be that great for STO anyway. People have stated reasons for that already, but I'll weigh in. I grew up watching TOS. I thought Kirk was the coolest hero ever as a kid. But I don't care to hear Kirk in game, or see him in game with some stupid time travel plot. I'd rather see Sulu if they had to do an original crew thing, and thats stretching it.
50K is a large number. They can't afford the price and they shouldn't. Its not going to bring in enough new players to be cost effective.
Shatner has several charities he's VERY active in and he personally does horseback riding and paintball tournaments to promote them.
Beyond that, the big thing that kept him from doing Enterprise was less price and more creative input.
My impression is, honestly, that he MIGHT do STO but, the charity thing aside, there are only two things he'd really be interested in:
- Bringing Kirk back from the dead. (He's gotten involved with lower scale projects for that reason and that has a lot to do with his relationship with the otherwise low budget "Free Enterprise" and his novels. He dislikes Kirk being dead and is known to negotiate on that.)
- Playing Mirror Kirk. That was his condition for appearing on Enterprise, which probably had a guest star budget not astronomically more than STO could pull off. They countered with a comedic story where he played Chef and he walked over it. He's not interested in comedic roles where Trek itself goes or, in general, little cameos. But if you had him as a returned Mirror Kirk and he got to be a grand scale magnificent villain...? I think he'd do it. You'd have to sell him on how evil and powerful he'd get to be for that though.
LOL. Niice.
"Spock can't be getting the backs of his ears all burnt up and stuff."
- KDF Ambassador Syon vocalizing her objection to the discussions of possible peace talks with the UFP due to recent Borg and Undine activities. Hegh'bat, Stardate 66588.8
But seriously, Eric McCormack did a great Shatner in Free Enterprise. Get him...or me.
CBS had nothing to do with Star Trek as it filmed in DesiLu (Desi Arnes and Lucy Ball)Studios back in 1966.Paramount bough it sometime in the early 70s.CBS didn't own the name untill the separation of Viacom a few years ago.
I hated Generations ending as result and lot of old time fans do as well.
This movie is what Killed Trek.
USS WARRIOR NCC 1720 Commanding Officer
Star Trek Gamers
besides the Red Alerts sugesting a Link Between V'ger and the Borgs, is there anything in the game that implies the Shatner Novels are STO Canon?