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Rumor: Final Star Trek Online release date set?


While there is no official outside confirmation of this year, the usually reliable Eurogamer site is reporting that Star Trek Online now has a set release date. According to their article, the US launch for the MMO will occur on February 2, 2010, with the Europeans getting the game few days later on February 5, 2010.

Developer Cryptic Studios had previously confirmed that they would launch the game, based on the massive sci-fi franchise, sometime in the first quarter of 2010. Pre-orders for the game are being taken right now with Amazon.com and Gamestop offering some pre-order bonuses for folks who buy the game from their outlets.

Klingons become the new old enemy in Star Trek Online

In the previous chapter of The Future Past, a series of developer videos that explain the backstory of Star Trek Online, the Klingons were fighting an ever escalating war against the Gorn. Well, it turns out that war lasted for several years, and soon that conflict reached its conclusion, the Klingon Empire set its sights on reclaiming territory lost to the Federation during the war from the original series. Old enemies and once allies of the Federation quickly become new enemies, and in comes a brand new war. Think you're ready for it? A gameplay trailer can be seen after the jump, demonstrating the glorious space battles players can look forward to.

Star Trek Online is expected to release in 2010.

Download HD Star Trek Online 'The Future Past' Part 2 Video (805 MB)
Download HD Start Trek Online Gameplay Trailer (89 MB)

Check out all Star Trek Online downloads

GameStop and Amazon reveal Star Trek Online pre-order bonuses


Cryptic Studios' next MMO game, Star Trek Online, is due for release in the first quarter of 2010 but retailers like Amazon and GameStop are already breaking out pre-order offers for people who want to beat the rush. GameStop's pre-order gives their customers an especially cool in-game treat; a Constitution-class starship just like the Enterprise in the original TV series. GameStop is also listing a Collector's Edition of the game that will come in a collectible box, include an art book and Starfleet comm badge (non-working, we presume) along with a way to give a free a free trial version of the game. The Collector's Edition will cost $79.99

Amazon.com's pre-order bonus for their version of Star Trek Online includes entry into the game's beta test and exclusive Borg Bridge Officer. Not quite as cool as GameStop's deal but we could be wrong.

Reminder: Free Champions Online weekend starts today


Just a quick reminder before you hit the Halloween parties this weekend: Cryptic Studios is allowing everyone to play their super hero MMO Champions Online for free beginnng at 1 pm Eastern time today through 1 pm on November 2. This will allow players to check out the Halloween themed Blood Moon live event. You can download the client now ahead of the free weekend.

Cryptic's Bill Roper posted up a State of the Game message on the game's forums earlier this week which goes over some of the stuff that's happening during the Blood Moon event. He also hints at some upcoming stuff they have planned for the game including another live event for December and " . . . the very big surprise we have in store for early 2010..."

Champions Online dev video howls at the Bloodmoon

The Champions Online Bloodmoon Halloween event started yesterday, but for those who still haven't logged into the game yet, the developers at Cryptic Studios give a complete run down of the features players can expect. Events include hunting werewolves, with the possibility of becoming a werewolf (and being hunted) if bit. There's also a new Celestial power set to try out and a special holiday PvP mode where a band of heroes must try to fend off a horde of zombies, but if any fall, they will become zombies themselves. The Bloodmoon event is live now and will end on November 5th.

Download HD Champions Online 'Bloodmoon' Video (87 MB)
Check out all Champions Online downloads

Steam has The Witcher on sale for 50 percent off until Thursday [Update]


It looks like Valve is going to be having more sales from their library of games on Steam more often than just the weekend from now on. We've already told you about their $5 sale for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. Today they have another pretty large sale for The Witcher, the fantasy RPG from developer CD Projekt.

From now until Thursday, you can purchase and download The Witcher for $19.99 via Steam, which is a 50 percent reduction from its usual price. The sale is apparently to celebrate the fact that the game is now available via Steam worldwide instead of just the US. And if you haven't tried out the game this might be a good time to do so as CD Projekt seems to be knee deep in production for the sequel, The Witcher 2.

Update: Impulse has the same sale price for The Witcher.

Champions Online free to play on Halloween weekend


If you have been thinking about checking out Champions Online but don't want to pony up the $40 to play the game, developer Cryptic Studios has got the perfect opportunity to check the game now soon. Starting on October 30 anyone will be able to download and play the full game for free until November 2.

The occasion of the free weekend is to give potential new Champions Online players a chance to sample the first live update to the game, the Halloween-themed Blood Moon. The first live event actually begins a few days before the free weekend takes place. Remember, Cryptic and publisher Atari recently lowered the price of the game permanently to $40.

Star Trek Online's closed beta begins today


Some lucky folks will be entering the final frontier beginning today, at least in a fictional form. Atari sent over word that the closed beta test for Star Trek Online is scheduled to begin sometime today. If you signed up to participate you may be one of the first folks to take a captain's chair and go where no one has gone before (well, except for all of those Trek characters that preceded you but you get the point.

You can still sign up for the beta at the game's official web site. Rep at the game's developer Cryptic Studios have said Star Trek Online is currently due to launch sometime in the first quarter of 2010.

[Via email press release]

Champions Online retail price now $40


Released about six weeks ago or so, sales of Champions Online were good enough that the super hero MMO debut at the number three spot in NPD Group's just released list of the top 20 best selling PC games in September. Now it looks like the price of Cryptic Studios' latest title has gotten a permanent price drop.

Our sister site Joystiq reports that the original $50 price point for the game has now come down to just $40 for retail sites like Amazon and GameStop and even download services like Steam and Direct2Drive. The game's first major live event, Blood Moon, is scheduled to begin on October 27.

Star Trek Online officially due in first quarter of 2010


We've known that Star Trek Online's release date was sometime in the year 2010 but it looks like developer Cryptic Studios and publisher Atari have now gotten the release date nailed down a little more. In a new chat at Videogamer.com, Cryptic's executive producer Craig Zinkievich stated the sci-fi MMO will be due out in the first quarter of next year.

Even better news for Trekkers who people who just want to play the game is that the closed beta test should begin soon-ish with Zinkievich stating, The closed beta is really just right around the corner. I think that there's a press release that's going to go out in just a couple of days." In the meantime our sister site Massively has posted five new and exclusive screenshots from Star Trek Online to check out today.
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