Shame there's no blooper reel. I just want to hear him say "pig iron" one more time...

While Nimoy won't be starring in the game, per se, he will be lending his voice to the intro, as well as "key scenes and events in-game".

This of course won't be the first game he's appeared in. Anyone who has played Civilization IV will, like me, have gone weaker at the knees for his description of pottery than at any previous juncture in the series.

Star Trek Online Casting News [IGN]

And by that we mean the inclusion of Mr. Quinto, famous for his roles in Heroes and JJ Abrams' Star Trek, in the massively multiplayer online Star Trek game. Quinto will be offering his Spock-like vocal talents to the forthcoming game, "teaching fans how to explore the Star Trek Online universe, improve their characters, attain higher ranks, and succeed in space combat."

The best aspect of tapping New Spock for something like this is that if Quinto's voiceover contributions are devoid of enthusiasm and warmth, that can just be chalked up to being Vulcan-esque!

Star Trek Online is due February 2, 2010 in North America and February 5, 2010 across Europe and Australia, Quinto in tow.

The publisher of Star Trek Online gave no reasoning for the switch, only saying outgoing CEO David Gardner will remain with the company as a member of the board of directors. He had been the honcho since January 2008, taking over for Patrick Leleu, who had been CEO for only nine months. Leleu had succeeded 24-year CEO and Infogrames (as it was known then) cofounder Bruno Bonnell.

Lapin was Take-Two Interactive's CEO in 2003 and 2004 and was also an exec for THQ. Gardner was known for hiring former Sony VIP Phil Harrison to be Atari's president. Harrison stayed in that gig for a year.

Atari Replaces CEO [GameSpot]

*Trekkies are true Star Trek fans, for all you readers unfamiliar with Sci-Fi**.
**Sci-Fi is science fiction for all you readers not familiar with science fiction. Don't ever call it SyFy to my face unless you want a dirty look.

The fancy case is only the beginning for Star Trek fans willing to spend $79.99 instead of the normal retail price of $49.99 on Star Trek Online, but it sure is lovely. It features magnetic closures and nested storage for the rest of the premium items included in the deal. Items like a combination hardbound instruction guide, art book, and disc container, or the cast metal communicator badge, styled after the one used in the game. The package also includes three credit card style buddy passes for you to share with your friends. Swanky!

The collector's edition also comes with the requisite in-game items, with a red matter capacitor for your ship and Deep Space Nine and Next Generation uniforms for your crew.

The Star Trek Online Collector's Edition will be severely limited, so if you want it, I'd highly suggest preordering as soon as possible. GameStop has an exclusive in-game Constitution Class Starship waiting for those that do.

Star Trek Online Collector's Edition [GameStop via Big Download]

Perhaps I am just not seeing the beast in the trailer, or perhaps the whole thing takes place inside said belly and I am just not versed enough in Star Trek lore to see it. I suppose it's a better title than "More Ships Shooting At Each Other," but I still want my money back.

I got a little excited when I heard the term 'boarding parties' in the video, but it turns out that the separation of starship combat and away missions remains intact, with boarding parties essentially acting as any other attack would. You launch shuttles, and your away team does the work behind-the-scenes. I would have enjoyed the chance to run around causing havoc on board an enemy vessel while it shook from the beating my ship was giving it, but I guess you can't have it both ways.

We've been harping on the space combat in Star Trek Online for quite some time, and now Cryptic gives you a look at what we're so excited about. It's possibly the best video game representation of Star Trek space battles so far, and utilizing bridge officers as special powers and abilities during combat is rather brilliant.

Once again I must point out that the space shots look incredibly pretty, and the on-foot bits not-so-much. It almost looks like you'll be playing two different games when Star Trek Online launches in February. I'll be sticking to the space lanes as much as possible, thanks.

Star Trek Online is Cryptic's massively multiplayer stab at the Star Trek franchise, but it won't take a system from 400 years in the future to run it. A PC with 1GB of RAM, an Intel Core 2 Duo of 1.8Ghz or higher, and a NVIDIA GeForce 7950 or ATI Radeon X1800 or better should do nicely. Those are pretty modest, all things considered. Hell, my toaster requires 2GB of RAM to burn a piece of bread, so this is downright child's play.

Of course, if you want the game to look good you'll have to step up from System Requirements to Recommended Specs, in which case you'll want a faster Core 2 Duo, enough RAM to power my toaster, and a beefier video card, but I'm sure you'll make due.

Check out the full specs below, and be sure to read AJ's preview to see how she felt about the game's mix of ground-based and ship combat.

System Requirements

OS: Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista / Windows 7 (32 or 64-bit)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 Ghz or AMD Athlon X2 3800+
Memory: 1GB RAM
Video: NVIDIA GeForce 7950 / ATI Radeon X1800 / Intel HD Graphics
Sound: DirectX 9.0c Compatible Soundcard
DirectX: Version 9.0c or Higher
HDD: 8GB Free Disk Space
Network: Internet Broadband Connection Required
Disc: 6X DVD-ROM
Recommended System Configuration

OS: Windows XP SP2 / Windows Vista / Windows 7 (32 or 64-bit)
CPU: Intel E8400 Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon X2 5600+
Memory: 2GB RAM+
Video: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 / ATI Radeon HD 3850+
Sound: DirectX 9.0c Compatible Soundcard
DirectX: Version 9.0c or Higher
HDD: 8GB Free Disk Space
Network: Internet Broadband Connection Required
Disc: 6X DVD-ROM

So forgive me if I can't come up with enough Star Trek quips or effectively weigh in on the Kirk vs. Picard debate. I can, at best, recite the lines from the J. J. Abrams film and shout out "Khan" when somebody cuts me off in traffic. Also, I can tell you about this here Star Trek MMO that's been something like six years in the making.

What Is It?
Star Trek Online is a massively multiplayer game previously under development at the now-dead Perpetual Entertainment. Cryptic Studios picked up the aborted project in 2008 and started almost completely over for the game we have now.

What We Saw
I saw a quick demo of a space combat and ground combat before being turned loose on the mission "Stranded in Space" which combines elements of the two.

How Far Along Is It?
The game is due out February 2, 2010.

What Needs Improvement?
Canon Clarity: Licenses are a funny thing – so much so that the developer couldn't exactly articulate to me what Star Trek Online can and can't do as far as incorporating stuff like the Borg and Space Lincoln. They did say that the MMO should be treated as canon since it takes place in the prime timeline (the non-J. J. Abrams one) and that canon things like the Borg might show up. However, there was some confusion about the alien races that players can customize right down to the skin color. As Cryptic seems to understand it, if a custom-made alien race gets really popular, it could become canon if enough people download it. The possibilities are heady and all; but it's kind sad to think somebody could put a lot of work into building an alien race of their own that then magically winds up in a new Star Trek movie and they don't get any credit for their creation.

No Catchphrases/Bridge Banter (Yet): Currently, the only talking that goes on between non-playable characters and the captain that you take the role of happens in text boxes. There's no free-flowing banter between bridge crewmates and no way to click on individual NPCs during away missions just to chat them up. Cryptic says they're currently looking into adding the catchphrases we're used to hearing from the series during space combat ("Warp speed," "Reroute power to the shields," "Great shot kid, don't get cocky," etc.) – but at the moment, it's all silent and somewhat stilted.

What Should Stay The Same?
Space Isn't Slow: I was afraid the space combat and travel would be too much like Eve Online – where you have to wait ages for anything to happen. Instead, I was pleased to see somewhat snappy movement and reasonable physics to account for the fact that you're maneuvering a huge starship, not a tiny fighter craft. And while the game confines the 360 degrees of space to just forward, back, left and right for the shields, you have the full range of 360 degrees to use in movement so you can evade fire and break line of sight (and tachyon blast) by getting behind asteroids and stuff. Also, the game gives the player the ability to throttle more or less power between the four sections of the shields. This comes in handy when you're too close to a ship about to explode and need to absorb the shock on your aft shields.

Ground Isn't So Bad: It's totally not regulation for a captain to take half the bridge planetside with him as an Away Team (that's what Red Shirts are for!), but the game lets you do it anyway with your three favorite bridge crew members. While in space, these members have special abilities and buff/debuffs depending on their class (Science Officer, Communications, etc.) – but on the ground, you can outfit them with whatever weapons and equipment you like and either let the AI drive them around, or command their every move. The Away Team will still bring some special abilities with them planetside like Harvesting or Diplomacy stats you can use. But if you don't feel like making room for them, you can always leave ‘em on the ship and meet up with other real-life buddies on some planet to shoot at stuff.

Set Phasers To Vaporize! During ground combat, when people are shooting NPCs, you'll sometimes see a yellow icon pop up on a disoriented enemy. Pressing the secondary fire on a certain gun vaporizes that enemy and it's pretty neat. Who needs a stun function, anyway?

Final Thoughts
I wasn't so wowed by the ground combat, but space blew me away. If this were a singleplayer game, I'd still be happy with it. But I guess with so many Trekkies in the world, it'd be a waste not to turn Star Trek into an MMO for the masses to enjoy.

Star Trek Online is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game based in the near future, or at least the near future of the Star Trek universe. Players become high-ranking Starfleet officers, customizing their ships and boldly going many different places, both in space on planet side. Beta testing is now underway, and will likely continue until the game's newly-announced February 2nd North American release date.

"Star Trek Online is poised to become the ultimate Star Trek gaming experience," said Jim Wilson, CEO of Atari, Inc. "Throughout the last four decades, Star Trek has been a mainstay in pop culture, influencing legions of fans through television, film, and more. Star Trek Online opens a whole new chapter and expands upon this incredible universe in 2010."

While I am excited by the concept of the game, the more stats-based side of me is even more interested in seeing how many Trek fans flock take to the game. It could become the new online destination for Trek fandom, or it could wind up one of those deserts where the crew of the Enterprise tends to run across the odd megalomaniacal robot.

It's strange. I don't remember Star Trek Online looking this pretty when I played it at PAX last month, but it was pretty early on the first day, and I was still getting my show legs. Perhaps I was too busy destroying Klingon ships and raiding the planet below to pause and take everything in. Or maybe someone on the Cryptic crew takes a damn fine screenshot.

Star Trek Online Video Talks About the Timeline, Shows Space Battles

The Blu-ray releases of the original Star Trek come packed with extras, as well they should, because when you make something very old very clear it generally makes it look even older than it is. Along with rare pilot episodes and various other bells and whistles, Star Trek: The Original Series season three on Blu-ray comes packed with a special code that will unlock an Admiral costume for your character to wear in Cryptic's Star Trek Online.

"For a limited time, sets will include an exclusive free offering in Atari's Star Trek® on-line game. Each set will include an insert that includes a unique code that will allow game players to outfit their avatar in an exclusive Admiral's outfit available only with this offer."

That's certainly one motivational extra for fans of the series and serious MMO fanatics. I just hope they keep things authentic, so when players don the Admiral outfit they suddenly find themselves trapped behind a desk, desperately trying to give orders to starship captains who have no respect for authority - for example, all of them.

The third season of Star Trek: The Original Series on Blu-ray ships in December.

Star Trek News [TVonDVD.com via Big Download]

What Is It?
It's the the future of the Star Trek universe as a massively multiplayer online game. Romulus is destroyed, the Klingons hate the Federation again, but they are still boldly going all over the place.

What We Saw
I got to take a spin in the generically named U.S.S. Light Cruiser, journeying to the Penn'Arc VI system where I did battle with several Klingon Bird of Prey squadrons before taking the battle to the planet's surface with my away team, fighting my way to a certain iconic talking time gateway.

How Far Along Is It?
It's hard to tell how far along it is at the moment, as this was obviously a special demo created just for the show. They've just announced registrations for the closed beta test, so obviously Cryptic is far enough along that they are getting ready to begin allowing people into the universe to try things out.

What Needs Improvement?
Ground-Based Combat: While the starship combat portion of the game felt pretty satisfying, something about the ground-based combat didn't feel nearly as polished. Perhaps the fact that an NPC away team accompanies you on ground missions threw me, as I'm more used to being one avatar in a world of other avatars. It just seems like there's a great deal going on that I had no direct control over. It could take some getting used to.

What Should Stay The Same?
Ship-Based Battles: Cryptic has chosen an interesting route to maintaining the Star Trek look and feel in space combat. Rather than go with full 3D ship movement, vessels move on a plane, able to climb and descend without ever actually going inverted. One would think it would be limiting, but it it helps the combat feel tactical and less chaotic...and definitely more Star Trek. How many times have you seen an upside-down shot of the Enterprise?

Crew Support: Having members of your ship's crew act as powers during space combat is a brilliant idea. Through combat you level your various officers, who appear with buttons next to their faces in the use interface during ship combat. The officers have different skills that are represented as skills during battle. One might be particularly good with energy systems, allowing you to regenerate shields faster than normal, while another allows you to empty all of your torpedo tubes in one large burst. It marries the standard MMO skill hot keys with the Star Trek universe in a rather ingenious way.

Ships of the Line: I spent several minutes at the beginning of my hands-on simply panning around the U.S.S. Light Cruiser, admiring the 3D construction of the vessel. Close attention has been paid to making sure that the ships in the game, both established and new, maintain the classic Star Trek look and feel. Customization options are there for those wishing to make the experience a little more personal, but strict limits keep players from going overboard. Don't worry - there won't be any pink Federation starships. Yes, I asked.

Final Thoughts
AS a Star Trek fan for far longer than I'd like to admit, I was pleased with what I saw of Star Trek Online, to a point. Cryptic has displayed a great deal of respect for the property, which shows in the graphical design, interface elements, and some of the odd design choices they've made in order to keep the feel of the franchise intact. I just hope the away team mechanic doesn't end up being an example of how their reverence for the series backfired.

Closed beta - the initial frontier. These are the voyages of the Star Trek Online beta tester. Your continuing mission? To explore strange new worlds; to seek up new bugs and report them to Cryptic; to boldly go where only a handful of people have gone before. Interested parties are urged to visit www.startrekonline.com to sign up for their chance to help make Star Trek Online the best game it can be.

"Closed beta registration is an important step in bringing Star Trek Online to the public," said Craig Zinkievich, Executive Producer on Star Trek Online. "We are looking toward the launch of our first-of-a-kind MMORPG with anticipation and excitement and we expect Star Trek Online to explode onto the scene, giving fans and gamers a Star Trek experience like no other."

I'd say your chances are pretty good if you sign up early. How many fans that enjoy both Star Trek and PC gaming can there possibly be?

Fight aliens in Champions Online, and you can be an alien in Star Trek Online, but Cryptic wants a commitment. Gamers who purchase either a six-month or lifetime membership to Champions Online, priced at $59.99 and $199.99 respectively, will be guaranteed access to the Star Trek Online closed beta, whenever that might occur. Those who opt for the lifetime sub will also get a Star Trek Online Mirror Universe costume set, which may or may not come with a removable goatee.

"Beyond the deep discount on the subscription rates, we wanted to come up with added incentives and exclusives that, as gamers, we could get excited about," said Jack Emmert, Cryptic Studios' Chief Operating Officer. "With an early commitment to Champions Online, granting guaranteed early access to our next big game, Star Trek Online, seemed like a great way to engage Cryptic's biggest fans in other projects at the studio."

Seems a little iffy to me. For some it's a great value; for others, it's paying $60 for closed beta access. As a big Star Trek fan...I'd probably consider it.

STO Beta Access [Star Trek Online]