Gameplay Trailer Available! - Star Trek Online Official Site

Star Trek Online Official Site

EARTHDATE 2008.08.10
Gameplay Trailer Available!
Posted by Kestrel

You saw the first look at Star Trek Online’s amazing gameplay on our webcast from Las Vegas, and now you can download the trailer in Windows Media and Quicktime formats! We have a low-res version for portable media or sharing with friends, and a high-res version for your home theater.

This is 100 percent in-engine gameplay footage. What you see is what you’ll play!

Check it out on our video page!

Talk about this on the forums!

The Quick and the Read #8 – More comic book reviews so soon? You gotta be kidding me…

Here we are for another installment of comic book reviews that everyone has already commented on to death.  I realized that I had missed writing reviews and found the last installment therapeutic, so I made an effort to write up some more.  With the book gearing up again, I definitely need the practice.

Batman #678 - Morrison’s “Batman R.I.P.” story is getting freakier by the second, but I have to say that I am enjoying it, even though he is messing with Batman. I just love how he is sneaking in all of those classic pieces of Batman history that were at one time wiped out by the first Crisis.  I look forward to reading this title every month.

Final Crisis: Rouges’ Revenge #1 of 3 - Just another example of the quality comics that I expect from Geoff Johns.  Really good stuff that makes me wish Johns was back on the Flash, but I will settle for him taking over the Legion J  You listening DC??  Seriously, I really loved this first issue.  I am looking forward to the rest of the series.

Justice Society of America #17 - Once again, Johns wows me with his writing skill.  Not many writers can have this many characters to deal with and give them all such distinct personalities.   This is another title that I look forward to every month, and the homage to heroes past makes this one of my true favorites to read.  I highly recommend it.

Batman #1-3 - I am really torn on this series so far.  The story is interesting, but I have never really cared for Kelley Jones’ art.  I don’t hate it, but I don’t really like it that much either.  I doubt that I will hang around for 12 issues.

Tangent: Superman’s Reign #2-5 - I never read any of the Tangent stuff the first time around.  For whatever reason it never interested me.  I got the first issue of this series out of curiosity, and I have to say it is pretty good.  The history back up stories have been a good read as well.  I am glad that I stuck around.

Green Lantern Corps #26 - Peter Tomasi has really surprised me since he started writing this title.  He has been one of the few that I have seen that has been able to write the Green Lantern Corp since their rebirth a few years ago.  This issue was really good, and this is another title that I look forward to reading each month.

The Associated Press: `Star Trek Online’ is ready to beam up

The Associated Press: `Star Trek Online’ is ready to beam up

`Star Trek Online’ is ready to beam up

By DERRIK J. LANG – 5 hours ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Star Trek Online” is finally going warp speed ahead.

After years in development limbo, the “Trek”-themed massively multiplayer online game will engage, according to game developer Cryptic Studios Inc.

Jack Emmert, Cryptic Chief Creative Officer, said players will begin “Star Trek Online” as the captain of a small Starfleet or Klingon Empire ship. They can customize their characters from pre-existing “Trek” species — from Klingons to Gorn — and can create entirely new alien races. As they progress through the game, players can increase in rank and gain larger vessels and more crew.

“You’ll venture through space exploring new civilizations and life-forms,” said Emmert. “You’ll also beam down to planets and have adventures inside your ship. It’s a galactic-wide game. There’s going to be tons of space to investigate. We have a great system for exploration, which will allow for almost infinite possibilities.”

Cryptic recently announced it had secured the rights to develop and publish “Star Trek Online” from CBS Consumer Products after now-defunct Perpetual Entertainment set the besieged project to kill.

“We had a friendly relationship with them,” Emmert said. “As it became apparent they weren’t going to continue to function, they decided to sell off the license. We swooped in and grabbed it. We took no assets. There was nothing to be had, to be honest. We’re building everything from the ground up.”

Players will also be able to battle against other vessels in laser-blasting, missile-firing deep space scuffles reminiscent of “The Wrath of Khan” and the Dominion War in “Deep Space Nine.” Because the game will be set a few generations following the last “Trek” film, players shouldn’t expect to run into James T. Kirk or Jean-Luc Picard.

“There might be a ship called Enterprise flying around, but it’s probably not the same ship anymore,” said Emmert. “Most of the characters will have either retired or passed on, but you’ll definitely be going to all the places you know and love from ‘Star Trek.’ Expect to see oldies like Vulcan and Bajor but also fan favorites like Andoria and Qo’noS.”

Emmert plans to unveil footage and more details about “Star Trek Online” — which has no release date set — with Leonard Nimoy at a “Star Trek” convention Sunday in Las Vegas at the Gene Roddenberry Theater inside the Las Vegas Hilton. The “Star Trek Online” panel will also be broadcast live at StarTrekOnline.com.

“You’re going to see the actual game working and functioning,” said Emmert. “This isn’t renders. This isn’t concept art. Everything that people will see on Sunday is going to be taken right from ‘Star Trek Online’ as it stands today, so hardened people should know that a release date might be closer than they think.”

Cryptic, the developer originally responsible for “City of Heroes” and “City of Villains,” is also working on the superhero-themed online game “Champions Online,” scheduled for release for Windows PC and Xbox 360 next year. Emmert said “Star Trek Online” would definitely be available for Windows PC and perhaps Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.

Other online games based on popular entertainment franchises include “The Lord of the Rings Online,” “The Matrix Online,” “Pirates of the Caribbean Online” and “Star Wars Galaxies.” Sony Online Entertainment is currently developing “DC Universe Online” while MGM Interactive is working on “Stargate Worlds.”
On the Net:

* http://www.startrekonline.com/

The Quick and the Read #7 - ACCCKKKK!! More Comic Reviews

Ok, I know it has been a while, but I have been crazy busy.  As well as the book starting up again, the Wife and I have a house guest for a while, my good friend Mike.  We worked together for a long time back in Washington St when I lived there, and have been friends ever since.

I helped him get a job where I work, since we had an opening that would be working with me, and I trust him more than anyone that isn’t family.  In fact, he is one of the few people on this earth that I would trust with my life.  That kind of friendship is very rare, and I am very glad that things worked out like they did.

We are a lot alike, and even call ourselves a “brother from another mother”.  This was his first week on the job, and I know that we are finally going to make some progress at work in making things better.  He is also a really great writer, so check out his blog if you get a chance.

Well enough about me, let’s get on to the reviews.  A lot of these have been out in a while, but the two of you that read this blog might be interested in my “unique” view on them.  Here we go.

Final Crisis #1-2: I have REALLY been disappointed in this series so far.  It seems really disjointed to me, and I had to read the first issue again to try to figure out what was going on in the second issue.  The whole New Gods rebirth thing and the way they are doing it, seems silly to me in a “jump the shark” kind of way.  This has been commented on a lot in other blogs, so there is no need to rehash it all.  The Martian Manhunter’s death was CHEAP and UNECESSARY.  As much as I liked the Barry Allen Flash, I think bringing him back is kind of cheap too, just something to sell books.  I cheered when they brought back Hal Jordan, and Oliver Queen, but their deaths weren’t good deaths and needed to be fixed.  Barry Allen’s death was a GOOD death.  He died saving the multiverse, for crying out loud!!  I know that the relaunch of the relaunch of the Flash character isn’t going like they planned, but I’m not sure bringing back Barry might not fix it if they don’t WRITE GOOD STORIES!!!

Trinity #1-8: I am little behind on this title since I am getting comics in the mail again, I have really been enjoying it.  I have always been a fan of Kurt Busiek since I read his Astro City stuff, and this series shows exactly why.  This series is already 100 times better than the mess that was Countdown.  I like what they are doing with the backup stories as well, I think it is a really good idea. Keep up the good work guys!

Astonishing X-Men #25 - I was a little disappointed with this issue after Whedon’s great run on this title.  Way to chatty for me, and it seemed that Ellis was trying to capture that dry wit that Whedon is so good at and failed miserably.  Not sure if I will keep getting this one.

Uncanny X-Men #500 - Now this was better than Astonishing X-Men #25, in my opinion.  Brubaker and Faction got me hooked on Immortal Iron Fist, and they might do the same here.  I like the “new direction” that Marvel is taking with the X-Men, I think it should’ve been done a while ago.  This should be interesting in the coming months.

Well that’s it for now, turn in for more soon!!

[Press] - NBC\Sprint “Create your Hero” contest

Create Your Hero Video

Last Fall, fans of the hit show Heroes created two new heroes. But only one will star in a new online live action series. To vote online, click here

To vote for Santiago: Text A to 6789 (exclusively for Sprint users)

To vote for Audrey: Text B to 6789 (exclusively for Sprint users)

Who will be the next great hero?

[Press] - The life and times of Martha Washington are finally collected!

Martha Gets a Makeover

Martha Washington is the twenty-first century freedom fighter created by comic book megastars Frank Miller (Sin City, 300) and Dave Gibbons (Watchmen).

A masterpiece nearly twenty years in the making, The Life and Times of Martha Washington is an archival, oversized hardcover volume with slipcase containing over 600 pages and the complete life story of this remarkable character.

Collecting meticulously remastered versions of every Martha Washington story and featuring an extensive behind-the-scenes section, this is the ultimate edition of a modern comics epic crafted by two of the medium’s greatest living masters.

Our story begins in the squalid corridors of a maximum-security housing project, where a young girl will rise from the war-torn streets of Chicago to battle injustice in a world insane with corruption. Her fight will take her far, from the frontlines of the second American Civil War, to the cold, unforgiving reaches of space. She will be called a hero, a traitor, and nearly everything in between, but all along the way, her courage, her integrity, and her unwavering commitment to that most valuable of rights-liberty-will inspire a movement that will never surrender.

“I know there are people that have been waiting for her to come back,” says Frank Miller about his beloved character Martha.

“She really lives her life in the best way she can,” explains Gibbons, “which is a heroism of a more truthful kind.”

The Life and Times of Martha Washington hits shelves in the summer of 2009.