If there is one thing we in the community have done for at least three years now is run projections on the number of subscribers that Star Trek:Online will get.
In one of Mr. Bethke's latest blogs he does his own thinking about Star Trek:online and starts running his own projections.
ERIK BETHKE's BLOG on ST:O
http://erikbethke.livejournal.com/------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Initially I find his numbers to be way low compared to ours which are closer to 1 million. We predicted if the MMO and film launched close to each other the number worldwide could be much higher.
This reader feels it is a mistake to release a game for free and pass on the box sales that could pay the whole development investment off in a day or week. If paper, printing and shipping is too much...distribute it through STEAM or a download service but still charge for the box price. Do not be apologetic about it. That is the way it is. Star Trek is a 'historic property'.
Taldren and those in charge of Star Trek gaming always want to give it away and prior to SFC3 when the idea of subscription service charges for Dynaverse was suggested to move towards a MMO it was shot down.
Had they gone with the subscription model...before MMO's...this community would 'already' have A tripple A MMO.
Enough on that...
Pushing Trek gamers for $20.00 a month: No, sir. No thank you. Trek gaming is still not all that and based on his proposal to lauch it will still take time. To ensure longevity, keep it on par with the market.
Micro-transactions: If that is what you want. I have no problem with it. Another revenue stream.
Second Phase: HUBS and planets and more revenue streams (Microtransactions/Branded Items). People like stuff for their creations, and as Mr. Bethke has pointed out in the past, not a lot of folks like creating content. In the Second Phase he can work with groups who can provide branded and non-branded content to users to fill their dwellings and the landscapes.
On a 5 Million dollar budget: If Mr. Bethke says he can do it for 5...I believe him. SFC is already a finished product that still needs serious tweaking and a graphics overhaul...but not much more to actually make it a viable candidate for a ST:MMO. (( It was announced yesterday that SFC4 is now in development)
This reader would suggest to him the idea contacting D.A.R.P.A and NASA to increase funding, contacting J.J. Abrams 'Bad Robot' and propose SFC4 as the game for Star Trek X1 and make money towards the initiall MMO that way. To contact CBS and become friends, to contact IBM and talk Blades and about what a Blue Gen could do for Trek gaming over the next 20 years.
Anyway. Is Bethke back in the history making game!?
I'll try and find out!
--Kinn
Add edit Kinneas: Dynaverse.net says: "No. Erik Bethke is not involved at all with the development of SFC4. Also. There is no 'mastermind behind SFC4" (To answer my pondering if any other groups like Quicksilver, Paramount, CBS could be involved).
