Tagged News: bethesda softworks

FiringSquad.com confirmed today through Pete Hines that Bethesda Softworks, the official licensee of the Star Trek game franchise, and sister company Zenimax Online Studios are not interested nor pursuing the Star Trek Online IP:

Hines [...] stated that Bethesda Softworks's sister company, the new MMO based developer ZeniMax Online Studios, will not be taking over the development of Star Trek Online, the long-in-development MMO that has recently been let go by its now former developer Perpetual Entertainment. Hines told us, "I don't believe that is anything that we or ZOS is interested in or actively pursuing."

The fate of Star Trek Online is still a mystery with Cryptic Studios hiring ex-Perpetual employees minus the STO license.

As the new head of a company that's current mission is to find office space, Matt Firor wasn't exactly ready to spill all the beans on ZeniMax Online Studios at AGDC. A child of the same parent as Bethesda Softworks, there are some big expectations on this MMO startup, led by the former Executive Producer at Mythic Entertainment. While he wouldn't get into specifics, Firor was happy to share some of the guiding principals he brings to MMO development, principals sure to find their way into any product ZeniMax Online Studios ultimately develops.

All was not lost though, Firor did speak to us about some of the themes and principles the guide him.

"The game itself is not based on innovation, but has innovative features," he explained. At a conference like AGDC, there are usually two armed camps of developers. Those that believe the basic MMO is doing well and needs to be built upon and refined and those that believe everyone should do everything entirely differently. Firor is clearly a member of the former camp. He's happy to take lessons from games like EverQuest and World of Warcraft and put his own spin and innovative features into it, but he doesn't anticipate the reinvention of the wheel.

Read more after the click.