Star Trek Online for Consoles and Linux

[TJBTrek]

I know it said in the old wikipedia page that STO would be available for both PC and console formats, but it now just says 'Windows'. Microsoft windows is slow, riddled with problems and very annoying to install stuff to. Also, my PC would probably need upgrading to run STO. So what if it came out on console formats. Both the PS3 and the XBox 360 are capable of running the game - so it would be good if it was available for high-end consoles. And, Linux is better than windows - so a Linux version may save people from having to upgrade their PC.

Does anyone know anything about Cryptic's format plans?

[sir_theodorik]

Nothing set it stone, but they initially planned an XBox 360 release, but have since backed away from it. My guess is that it needs to be finished before they can work on the console version. To my knowledge nothing for the PS3, but who knows.

[thefrayl]

We know that they would love to have a console port see the light of day at some point. Sifting through and peicing together information from many interviews, it appears as though Cryptic has planned for console ports of both Champions Online and Star Trek Online. At this point, they say a 360 port of CO is basically ready to ship. The only thing holding it back is coming to an agreement with Microsoft over their monthly subscription fee (ie: the % MS might receive and/or the game requiring XBL Gold or not). It is likely that STO is in roughly the same boat (except for the whole 'ready to ship' part, obviously).

It seems that they are confident we will see a console version in the future. I, however am not so optimistic about it at this point.

[zanderj]

For Linux: Easy. Wine and or other tools.

Or a virtual machine. Same goes for Mac (bootcamp spings to mind)

Spoken by someone familiar with both Linux, Mac and Windows.

[emo_smurf]

console? what's dat?

[tyranastrasz]

I know it said in the old wikipedia page that STO would be available for both PC and console formats, but it now just says 'Windows'. Microsoft windows is slow, riddled with problems and very annoying to install stuff to. Also, my PC would probably need upgrading to run STO. So what if it came out on console formats. Both the PS3 and the XBox 360 are capable of running the game - so it would be good if it was available for high-end consoles. And, Linux is better than windows - so a Linux version may save people from having to upgrade their PC.

Does anyone know anything about Cryptic's format plans?

I hate to point this out, but the only MMO I know of that actively supported Linux (EVE Online) ended up dropping development on their Linux client because not enough people were using it to justify the development time they were spending keeping it updated.

[gair22]

You can simulate enviornments in Mac and Linux to support Win based games. That shouldn't be too big of a deal. Consoles they said is a business related problem. He made it clear that it could run fine on the consoles, so i'm assuming upgrading your PC probably isn't as dire as you may think.

[mrjohng]

I wouldn't count on Mac or Linux support ever. Consoles may eventually be supported, but I wouldn't count on it for release.

[Laphtiya]

I think the big issue with consoles is the input device, compaire the keyboard to the Xbox360 pad I think you'll find the keyboard has more buttons attached to it. And I know you CAN get keyboard attachments for the 360 pads but it would mean a total revamp of the user interface as well or atleast how it works.

[funnystuffz]

Craig talks about consoles in the latest interview with Eurogamer


Craig Zinkievich: We haven't announced which consoles it's going to be on. It will not launch simultaneously on consoles and PC, but we haven't announced which consoles yet, at all.

Eurogamer: We follow consoles MMO development closely, as no-one has managed to deliver one yet, apart from Final Fantasy XI. What reassurance can you give our readers that Star Trek Online is really happening on console and within an acceptable time-frame - not two or three years. It's starting to get silly!

Craig Zinkievich: I can only speak for the development side of things. When it comes to the business, I'll be honest, the business part of bringing MMOs to consoles has been really sticky... Trying to get Sony, trying to get Microsoft to really understand MMOs; really understand what needs to happen for MMOs, and then figure out all the business aspects of those games, has really been a difficulty for all of the MMO developers.

Final Fantasy [XI] has been on the Xbox 360 for a while, but so many exceptions were made for that game, because at the time, the Xbox was trying to take market share and whatnot. So when it comes to the business, to how the first-parties - Microsoft and Sony - support MMOs, and what technologies we need in order to have our games run well, networking-wise and chat-wise and all that sort of stuff - those have been the really big hangups.

In terms of actually developing the game on the consoles? I mean Champions runs on the console right now; Star Trek Online runs on the consoles right now; our engine - the Cryptic Engine - runs on the consoles. So I can guarantee that internally I can have Star Trek Online running on the consoles because I know I can, and we've done it. But it's that [business] side that I can't speak for. I can give you guarantees that if you really, really want, someone can come here and play it!

Sounds like it is issues with Microsoft and Sony and their business jargon. Knowing that the game is actually playable on a console must bring confidence to console fans. Still, by the sounds of things, they have several difficult business and logistical hurdles to get through.

[cyber_256]

Another query I have is whether moving between PC and console (if it is released for console) will be seamless. In other words you logon to the PC STO and your character comes up, you log out and move onto the console and logon and your same character with all its stats, etc come up.

I question this as I know with many games that are PC and console that when you go online for example on the PC you are not playing against console players and vice versa.


:)

[tyranastrasz]

While that's true for most normal multiplayer games, as far as I know there aren't any dual-platform console and PC MMOs that work that way. FFXI is the only example I can think of offhand and all its servers are shared between both platforms.

[mrjohng]

Another query I have is whether moving between PC and console (if it is released for console) will be seamless. In other words you logon to the PC STO and your character comes up, you log out and move onto the console and logon and your same character with all its stats, etc come up.

I question this as I know with many games that are PC and console that when you go online for example on the PC you are not playing against console players and vice versa.

As I recall, this segregation is mostly seen in FPS games, such as quake. It is done because mouse players generally destroy contoller players, regardless of respective skill levels. Since that probably won't be a concern for an MMO, I don't see why they couldn't allow you to play a single account on multiple platforms if you wanted to. Whether or not they decide to do this, though, is up to them.

[Sunborn]

Not necessarily responding to you, but it makes for a good segue

I wouldn't count on Mac or Linux support ever. Consoles may eventually be supported, but I wouldn't count on it for release.


By the time they work out the legal issues for Xbox or PS3 it wont be long until it's time for the next generation. The new home gaming systems will support MMO's for sure, and MS/Sony will have a new business and legal model by that time to be sure it happens.

[Dext]

I know it said in the old wikipedia page that STO would be available for both PC and console formats, but it now just says 'Windows'. Microsoft windows is slow, riddled with problems and very annoying to install stuff to.


My windows is not slow at all an what is annoying about installing stuff?

An all the OS out have a lot of problems with them.

But to get back on to what you was asking it is not up to Cryptic to get it on the 360 or PS3. They have to get the OK to do so an as of now they have not.

[kugis]

A linux version of STO would be awesome (I might never use Windows again unless school/work required it... and for old-school games) but I wouldn't hold my breath for it if I were you; there are fewer wide-scale retail games released for linux than MACs for cryin' out loud.

[TJBTrek]

tMy windows is not slow at all an what is annoying about installing stuff?

The annoying thing is when half the stuff you install fails!