IndustryGamers - Informing the Games Industry

Star Trek Online Goes Free-To-Play

Posted September 1, 2011 by M.H. Williams

Cryptic Studios’ licensed sci-fi MMO Star Trek Online will be free-to-play by the end of 2011, according to new owner Perfect World.  Cryptic’s other MMO, Champions Online, is already free-to-play but a decision had yet to be made about the status of Star Trek Online’s transition. 

"Cryptic is working on the free-to-play model for Star Trek Online," said Perfect World CFO Kelvin Lau during an investors call. "This is going to be launched by the end of this year.  So I think free-to-play model we have a bigger potential in US market and also in China market."

"[Cryptic] will help us grow in the US and the Europe, and further strengthen our R&D and operations around the world,” said Perfect World chairman Michael Chi.

Will the switch help Star Trek Online find some success?

M.H. Williams has been writing in some form or another for ten years and has been a hardcore gamer since the NES first graced American shores.  You can catch him on Twitter as @AutomaticZen, Google+ as himself, or on his personal Facebook page.