Why Even THINK About a Star Trek Online Sequel?

Here at MMO Fallout, I consider myself the “odd man out” as far as MMO-oriented websites go. I’m not a big name, most studios that are not named Quest Online have likely never heard of me, most of my viewers are not the commenting type, and I only occasionally get my articles noted on bigger websites (MMOCrunch, Keanandgreav, etc). That being said, I still strive to be as professional and consistent as possible, which explains why my head spins when I see others who make my snark look professional by comparison. Case in point: Eurogamer’s review of Darkfall and Gamespot’s review of Global Agenda.

MMOs are a long term investment, both for the developer and the player. With a larger-than-norm development budget, not to mention several more years in the oven before it’s finished, a developer has to make back enough money not only to cover the initial costs, but also the maintenance and updates post-launch. With the market ever-changing, presently it is moving towards large updates that are free. Understanding this, it becomes much easier to figure out why developers wait years, usually until the original is no longer a viable contender in the market (See: Planetside 2).

Over at CVG.com, they asked the question on no one’s mind, is Cryptic Studios planning on a sequel to their Star Trek MMO, released just two months ago? The answer, as you guessed, is not just a no, but an absolutely no. Never. Cryptic responded by saying that they have ruled out the possibility of ever releasing a Star Trek Online sequel, barring a future new engine.

“I’m not really sure it makes sense to create a sequel in the MMO market. Typically, you see an MMO called a sequel because either a new team worked on the property or the original team wanted to reboot their IP.”

That’s another for the quote wall.