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Star Trek Online Dev Suffers Layoffs

Round of layoffs affect both Cryptic Studios and Perfect World's office in Redwood Shores, according to insiders.

By Eddie Makuch on March 19, 2015 at 10:36AM PDT

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Perfect World Entertainment, which operates massively multiplayer online games such as Star Trek Online and Neverwinter, has suffered a round of layoffs, according to new reports.

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Massively Overpowered has heard from a source at Cryptic Studios, a subsidiary of Perfect World and the team behind Star Trek Online and Neverwinter, that 18 people were let go from the company, making up around 14 percent of the developer's total staff.

Meanwhile, the source added that Perfect World's office in Redwood Shores, California was hit "significantly harder" by the restructuring. In a since-deleted tweet, one former staffer referred to the layoffs as a "slaughter."

GameSpot has contacted Perfect World, asking for further clarification into the reports.

Affected staffers made their departures known on Twitter. Among those laid off was Matt Miller, who previously worked at the company as lead designer for City of Heroes.

Development on Champions Online and Perfect World's unannounced projects are unaffected by this week's reported layoffs, according to the source.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

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I've been playing STO for 5 years on and off. I still love it and it has come very far since it started. It is not pay2win, which a lot of us worried about when PWE took over. You can grind out what you need at end game and and get T6 ships through events if you want to stay F2P. If you don't have a lot of spare time like me, being able to throw a bit of cash at a game to save some time really helps and I'm happy to support something that I enjoy. Is it as polished as other MMOs; no. But it is fun. If you're going to play I highly recommend joining a decent fleet as it vastly improves your online experience.

Upvote • 10 years ago

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<< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >> Yes it is P2W. The game has hundreds of things you can buy with real world money that gives you a HUGE advantage over other players. I've played it since closed beta.

Not only that you can buy the game main source of currency with REAL WORLD money that will make you leagues ahead of other players. They CAP you on how much DILITHIUM you can earn per day. It was 8K a day if I remember, and things would cost 30-40K PER ITEM for Dilthium for decent items.

If you pay money it's UNLIMITED. That is the VERY DEFINITION of P2W. Hence why PVP is CRAP because all the people in there have super powered ships, buying all the best upgrades with real money.

Not to even mention the RIDICULOUS costs it is for different tiers of the starbase.

ANYTHING that does that is definition of p2w. Because you don't HAVE to buy it doesn't mean it isn't P2W. They also make it 10X harder to play fairly and earn things fairly, to attract people to spend money. It gets to a point where you almost have no choice.

"I never spent one dime on the game." yeah ok.

I hope this company and game go under so we can get a GOOD Star Trek game. Not this BS. It's a sin that Paramount let this crap company have the license to the Star Trek genre.

Seriously folks over on the STO reddit section are completely brainwashed, or just completely desperate.

Upvote • 9 years ago

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<< LINK REMOVED >> With respect, I think our definition of Pay 2 Win are different. That's fine. Quite frankly I'm surprised to see a response 3 months after the fact. The only thing throwing money at STO does is save you time.

I never said I haven't spent any money on the game, as I have. Quite a lot in fact. I have no issue with supporting something I enjoy. I am time poor, so I appreciate being able to maximise the time I get to play.

You are indeed capped on how much dilithium ore you can refine each day (8k is correct), but you can earn as much as you like. Completing events, story arcs, and reputation levels, grants you bulk dilithium rewards.

Starbase upgrades are scary numbers for solo players, but an active fleet won't even blink at it. I'm part of Stonewall and we have 3 bases completed, with a fourth well on the way. An active fleet WILL make you time in STO far more enjoyable.

I don't PVP, so I can't comment on who you were battling. But you can't purchase upgrades with dil or zen, you can only purchase crafting boxes from the cstore to make them, or buy upgrades off the exchange with EC (which you can make heaps of). And quite frankly you can max your gear during special events without spending a single energy credit, or an ounce of dilithium.

You don't like STO or the way its managed, that's fine, you don't have to. I'm sorry you didn't have a great run. Just know that there are a lot of people that DO enjoy their time in STO, and that doesn't make them brainwashed, it just means they had a different experience.

Hopefully one day we will get a new Bridge Commander or something, but there's room for STO too.

Upvote • 9 years ago

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We really need a good Star Trek game for next gen.... I don't know why they struggle to make a good Star Trek game.

Upvote • 10 years ago

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Matt Miller is the only developer confirmed to have left who was working on STO. The rest are either unconfirmed, support staff, or were working on Neverwinter (Probably the Xbox One port, and were likely only contracted till now anyway).

Upvote • 10 years ago

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I really want to get back into this game, I have a craving for a Star Trek game and watching TNG again is only helping somewhat. Star Trek Excalibur or Bridge Commander 2 needs to come out already, I can't take the wait for another Star Trek game(I don't care if it is official or not, unofficial is probably better now days though).

Upvote • 10 years ago

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Mass Effect is the closest we will ever get to a good Star Trek game.

Upvote • 10 years ago

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<< LINK REMOVED >> Good thing this was a great star trek game. I dislike people that don't give things a chance yet act like they know everything about it.

Upvote • 10 years ago

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Star Trek Online isn't that bad. Just be glad there is even a decent Star Trek MMO in the market. What's long overdue is a good singleplayer Star Trek game. May be something in the realm of an RPG...

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<< LINK REMOVED >> Obviously you haven't played the new 'end-game' that launched w/ Delta Rising. If you did, you would know exactly why everybody was let go. It's a complete and utter disaster. I wouldn't be surprised if the game is offline within a year.

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<< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >> It's only a disaster if you want everything straight away, and force yourself to run the same instance 2,500 times. In which case you only have yourself to blame. Delta Rising is NOT the best expansion ever, but it could have been a lot worse.

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<< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >> Every year I read the same statement and game is still online and all the time new content is one...

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<< LINK REMOVED >> I've been in the game since long and the only time I play it now (cause its so dam easy and boring) when I'm tired I play STO cause you can do EVERYTHING with : [SPACE BAR]

Upvote • 10 years ago

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I keep trying to tell them, make a proper Star Trek role-playing game. Take inspiration from Bioware titles, or get the devs themselves to do it. It's a win-win, fans get a worthy Star Trek game, gamers get a hardcore-friendly RPG. Hire me, I'll consult, I've got some ideas. These pay-to-win MMOs are garbage.

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<< LINK REMOVED >> I agree, I'd like to see Bioware take on this license and put out a title that'll blow people away..

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<< LINK REMOVED >> For sure Star Trek Online is not P2W game.

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<< LINK REMOVED >> an RPG would be great the only one that comes close to what you want was on the Megadrive (genesis if you're American) it was pretty good for it's time

but frankly all I really want is a Starfleet command 4

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<< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >> I really really liked city of heroes.....

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<< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >> Apparently so. Lol. Don't hire them again

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<< LINK REMOVED >> Please don't take inspiration from Bioware titles. Just take inspiration from the source material itself and we're golden.

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<< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >> Not inspiration for the story -- inspiration for the gameplay.

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I've been a ST fan for life, and I also have money and a job and spend lots of money on games. Yet never even considered spending any on this. I can't say why in a quick post, but something was very lacking about this game.

In 2001 if you had told ST fans that a ST MMO was coming, people would have applauded. But when this finally came around, and the design was revealed, people sort of shrugged.

It's sad. STO could have been something bigger and better.

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<< LINK REMOVED >> Yea I still can't get over how the launch game was made by only 15 ppl. It showed obviously. They tried to make it work, at the peak staff swarmed to 60, but from the sounds of it, it's probably back down to 15 ppl again.

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<< LINK REMOVED >> Took the words right outta my keyboard

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That's surprising news, STO is a fun game. I hope the guys and gals that have been laid off can get new jobs.

Upvote • 10 years ago

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Pay to win/attention seek mediocrity.

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<< LINK REMOVED >>

I've never spent a penny on the game but I've still had lots of fun. It's never felt very P2W to me but I don't really play P2P on it so that may be why.

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<< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >> Exactly. Try to get the goodies to be relevant in either PvP or the endgame PVE content will require you to either cough up lots of dough or spend huge amounts of time in mind-numbing grind. If you just want to have fun and tool around, you don't need to do either; but that's the way with most of these types of games.

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<< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >> EXACTLY. PVP was a crap show, because people with overpowered and decked out ships.

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Never played the game. I wonder if it was any good in the beginning?

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People still play Star Trek Online?

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<< LINK REMOVED >> Tens of thousands, every server is full of people all the time.

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<< LINK REMOVED >> There's only 1 server, and yes because of this you usually see a bunch of ppl running around mimicking a 'busy' MMO.

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<< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >> Well, I enter the game every day... see huge number of people in every place, many instances crowded with players. And it is the same "busy" game like it was for now years...

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<< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >> That's because they combine the instanced zones and make it look crowded, it's not.

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<< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >>

I play the game almost every day too. I do not know which game you are playing but it sure as hell is not the same as the one I am.

The game is really only busy during special events now.Delta Rising destroyed the player base.

Instance queues are desolate.Every new release is bugged beyond comprehension.It's like they don't have a test server to try out stuff . . . oh wait . . . they do . . . nvm.

The game has become a bit of a sad joke and I wish it wasn't like that.

Too many bad decisions, too many bugs, too much middle and upper management that are clueless and gumming up the works.

This game should be able to print its own money.It SHOULD be absolutely rolling in it.

Hopefully the new guy in charge can turn things around and PWE opens its eyes and stops treating this game like the ex-girlfriends step-children.

Upvote • 10 years ago

Use your keyboard!

ESC

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