Star Trek Online going F2P

**Reavs** · 01-09-2011, 05:29 PM

Perfect World, the China-based games company that wholly owns Star Trek Online developer Cryptic Studios, has revealed that the online MMO will be swapping to the free-to-play model before the end of the year.

As part of the company's Q2 2011 earnings conference call, CFO Kelvin Lau explained that the free-to-play model is currently in production, and the game will be updated before the year is up.

"When Perfect World acquired Cryptic, one of our contributions was to share our free-to-play experience with Cryptic," he explained.

"Cryptic is working on the free-to-play model for Star Trek Online," he continued. "This is going to be launched by the end of this year as well. So I think with the free-to-play model, we have bigger potential in the U.S. market and also in the Chinese market."

Publisher Atari announced back in May that it was divesting of its interest in Cryptic Studios, originally calling the development house a "discontinued operation."

However, Perfect World quickly stepped in and acquired the studio, paying approximately 35.0 million ($50.3 million) for the STO and Champions Online house.

Hopefully they will fix up the C-store. At the moment you pay a sub and still buy all the nice retrofits from the store which really sucks. Greedy bastards.

Sauce: Gamasutra - News - Star Trek Online To Go Free-To-Play 'By The End Of This Year'

**HarmonicPwny** · 01-09-2011, 06:51 PM

I might actually play it now.

**phalen** · 02-09-2011, 06:59 AM

oooohhhh! nice

missing my defiant alot! looking forward to this

**batboy** · 02-09-2011, 07:12 AM

I wonder if they going to give the long time subscribers any free stuff or access to certain perks like all the other MMO's that have gone F2P.

**Reavs** · 02-09-2011, 08:33 PM

i would be p***** if i were a lifetime sub. $200 dollahs and its going f2p with no real benefits.

**Reavs** · 05-09-2011, 09:22 AM

Constitution class at DS9

**Shrike** · 05-09-2011, 10:19 AM

Eish, the graphics in this game really has a good ST feel to it. I loved it while I played it then I realised how much bandwidth it was using, enough to only allow me to play 2 hours a day max.

**Reavs** · 05-09-2011, 10:22 AM

That reminds me. i need to check how much bandwidth its actually using. It now patches maps ingame like Guild wars.

**Luc** · 05-09-2011, 10:55 AM

You still playing Reavs ?

I thoroughly enjoyed Star Trek, the only problem was really that the "dungeons" were a bit of a pitfall due to players not knowing how to deal with the challenges in a group. Would love to go through the new content at some point, the missions were a little monotonous but I had so much fun doing them.

**Reavs** · 05-09-2011, 11:30 AM

Just started playing again. Rolled an engineer so i can tank in "dungeon" instances. Allot of content has been added since then. eg the diplomatic missions where if you level up through the diplomatic ranks, you can start doing first contact missions. They have added a fps mode for ground combat. Another feature they added is a "the forge" where players can create missions. Played a nice player created mission where you were stuck in a time loop with your ship being destroyed in the end of the loop before it all resets to the start.

**Shrike** · 05-09-2011, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by Reavs

That reminds me. i need to check how much bandwidth its actually using. It now patches maps ingame like Guild wars.

That is really bad news. Interested to see what your bandwidth usage stats are over a few days, per hour.

**Reavs** · 07-09-2011, 05:52 PM

**HarmonicPwny** · 07-09-2011, 05:55 PM

I looked at the FAQs it looks like it's being handled a lot better than CO was when it went F2P. Which is great! Think I will be playing this at least for a while.