CBS & Paramount behind Starfleet Command 4 development?

[Kinneas]

Recently it was announced that Paramount/CBS were considering getting into gaming themselves. 

That gaming was finally becoming sooooooo lucrative and games becoming so inexpensive to develop, maintain and  distribute (in most cases) that they should just control it themselves.

Today I found out the DYNAVERSE.NET crew is developing ' STARFLEET COMMAND 4' along with some 'professional help'. 

Who is the 'professional help' they won't mention yet?


I looked to see 'WHOIS' in control of the SFC4.COM, .NET and .ORG names.  It revealed:

SFC4.XXX  Domain whois

Domain Name: SFC4.COM
   Registrar: MARKMONITOR INC.     ((Kinneas edit: Markmonitor: A 'We'll protect your IP', kinda web site:  http://www.markmonitor.com/home ))
   Whois Server: whois.markmonitor.com
   Referral URL: http://www.markmonitor.com
   Name Server: NS1.PARAMOUNT.COM
   Name Server: NS1.SOFTAWARE.COM
   Updated Date: 30-jan-2008
   Creation Date: 24-apr-2002
   Expiration Date: 24-apr-2011

Domain Name: SFC4.NET
   Registrar: MARKMONITOR INC.
   Whois Server: whois.markmonitor.com
   Referral URL: http://www.markmonitor.com
   Name Server: NS1.PARAMOUNT.COM
   Name Server: NS1.SOFTAWARE.COM
   Updated Date: 30-jan-2008
   Creation Date: 24-apr-2002
   Expiration Date: 24-apr-2011

Domain Name:SFC4.ORG
Created On:24-Apr-2002 20:44:55 UTC
Last Updated On:29-Apr-2008 00:26:38 UTC
Expiration Date:24-Apr-2010 20:44:55 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:MarkMonitor Inc. (R37-LROR)
Registrant Organization:CBS Studios Inc.
Admin Organization:CBS Studios Inc.
Tech Organization:CBS Studios Inc.
Name Server:NS1.PARAMOUNT.COM
Name Server:NS1.SOFTAWARE.COM

------------------
So.  Is Paramount and CBS finally 'getting game'?

If so. Why not a direct announcement that they are?

I have had bets with Zach and Mr. Juliano that Paramount or CBS would get involved soon and this may be an indication of that.

With hopes we'll be able to get an interview with the DYNAVERSE.NET crew soon and see if we can find out more.  If not, during the Las Vegas Star Trek Convention in August, I'll be asking every representative from Paramount and CBS what they know.  :)

___
Related connection?

After SFC3 we all lost track of ERIK BETHKE (who was lead  on every iteration in the SFC series) for awhile as he went to ( I am guessing) learn how to bridge East & West and do 'GO-PETS'.

He returned last week with a vengance at the MMO Game Developer Conference, ION 08.  On every panel he seemed to steal the spotlight.

Alex Taldren seemed to be in a lot of news last week as well.

I wonder if either of those two are back in the Starfleet Command game too.


Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.   

from wikipedia:
Starfleet Command was released by Interplay lead by Erik Bethke at a time when the gaming franchise for Star Trek was at an all time high. Previously Interplay had released Star Trek: Starfleet Academy which placed Interplay on the top position with regards to the standings of the 3 main publishers at that time.

The release of Starfleet Command is considered in the Star Trek gaming community as that start of the "Golden Age" of Trek video games. This was a period in time between 1999 and 2001 when Interplay and Activision produced a number of games that were received as being of higher quality. In 2001, Interplay bowed out of the franchise and Activision took over as the most prominent developer of Trek-themed titles.

The success of Starfleet Command came as surprise to Interplay, and as a result, [1]Erik Bethke formed Taldren, Inc. together with 9 members of the original Starfleet Command team to create additional titles for the series.

---------------------------

An old ST:Oned cartoon that seems funny again today:

HOW DID SFC POSSIBLY MANAGE TO COME BACK FROM THE DEAD!???

[Bin hawkins]

Hmmmm fascinating.  Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me.  :ugh4: but really that's awesome another free star trek game.  Pretty soon we won't have to pay to play anything.

[Kinneas]

Hmmmm fascinating.  Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me.  :ugh4: but really that's awesome another free star trek game.  Pretty soon we won't have to pay to play anything.

I love good conspiracy theories. :muaha:

Yeah.  SFC4 for free?  Nothing could be sweeter! It is for me, as they say, 'The game people have wanted for years.'



Yet part of me wants to still pay them. Part of me still wants the folks involved with SFC working on ST:Online.

Since Dynaverse I had been a big supporter of the 'subscription fee' model to have supported the Dynaverse and the evolution of the SFC series to get us our own MMO!

Looking back, doesn't it seem easy to ponder that had Paramount and CBS (or whomever was in charge) went forward and had been charging 'any' kind of subscription for supporting the Dynaverse, patches, upgrades, expansions, research and development, they would be rolling in cash and we would have NEVER had to wait this long for Star Trek:Online. 

Anyway. From the start I've always wanted the folks involved with bringing us SFC to have 'whatever they need' to keep it going forward.

Oh. Never let me forget:  ALL Respects to groups like 'Amarillo Design Bureau' who created SFB (Star Fleet Battles) which SFC was inspired from.

I will continue being a big supporter of seeing Amarillo Design Bureau being involved in the creation of games like SFC and especially ST:O. 

[Alexraptor]

starfleetcommand4.com, starfleetcommand4.net and starfleetcommand4.org are also all registered by Paramount and CBS :)