Atari reveals subscription pricing plans for Champions Online

Written on August 5, 2009 at 7:03 pm, by James Fudge

Atari and Cryptic Studios have revealed details regarding Champions Online’s subscription programs, incentives, and final retail pricing. The super hero themed Champions Online, which is based on the Champion pen and paper role-playing game will be released in Sept. for PC and will carry an$49.99 USD, $54.99 CAN, €49.99 EUR, and £29.99 GBP.

Cryptic Studios and Atari will offer multiple subscription options for fans in monthly blocks, six month blocks and - for a limited time - lifetime game memberships.

The recurring monthly subscription will be offered for $14.99 USD, $16.49 CAN, €12.99 EUR, and £8.99 GBP. For a limited time Cryptic Studios is offering six-month and lifetime subscriptions at discounted rates. These deals come with many exclusives and incentives. The six-month subscription plan will be offered for $59.99 USD, $65.99 CAN, €44.99 EUR, and £35.99 GBP. Six-month subscribers will recieve guaranteed access to the Star Trek Online closed beta test and a Champions Online Retro-Future costume set.

The lifetime subscription plan will be offered for $199.99 USD, $219.99 CAN, €147.99 EUR, and £119.99 GBP. Lifetime subscribers will also receive guaranteed access to the Star Trek Online closed beta test, an exclusive Star Trek Online Mirror Universe costume set, eight additional Champions Online character slots, a Foxbat vanity pet, a Retro-Future costume set, and an Art Deco costume set.

Look for Champions Online this September. For additional pre-order and retail information, visit www.Champions-Online.com.

Rumor: Atari and Cryptic working on Neverwinter Nights Online game

Written on June 9, 2009 at 4:16 pm, by James Fudge

Chris Morris reports that sources close to either Atari or Cryptic Studios have confirmed that the pair want to create a massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on Neverwinter Nights. The article goes on to say that this was Atari’s intention all along when it decided to purchase Cryptic Studios. Cryptic is currently working on two games right now: Star Trek Online and Champions Online. With Atari owning both wizards of the Coast (who in turn own the old TSR Dungeons & Dragons license) and Cryptic Studios (who happens to own the Champions RPG property) it makes perfect sense to create an MMO based on the popular RPG series that BioWare — and later Obsidian — helped to make popular through its games and expansion packs.

Naturally there are no details on this alleged MMO project but we’ve sent a request for comments out to various parties in hopes of getting an official response.

And it should be noted that Neverwinter Nights Online, would not be the first Neverwinter Nights online game. that distinction belongs to publisher Strategic Simulations, Inc., America Online and developer Stormfront Studios. Neverwinter Nights was the first MMORPG to display graphics and provide large scale game play sessions through an online service. The game ran from 1991 to 1997 on AOL — and at its peak cost a whopping $6 an hour to play. Eventually, as the internet became more prevalent in American households, the hourly rate was dropped altogether by AOL, who would later roll it into its suite of services for subscribers. By the end of the game’s life it had over 100,000 subscribers. Pretty impressive if you consider that games like Ultima Online and EverQuest 2 didn’t exist at that time.

Cryptic Studios Confirm Star Trek MMO

Written on July 28, 2008 at 12:46 pm, by James Fudge

Another badly kept secret is revealed and made official today: Cryptic Studios is working on a massively multiplayer online game based on the Star Trek license. That license, which was previously owned by the now defunct Perpetual Entertainment, is now in the capable hands of Cryptic, who created City of Heroes and the upcoming Champions Online super hero MMO.

Cryptic plans a big reveal of the game at the Annual Star Trek Convention on August 10 in Las Vegas. The reveal, which will give gamers the first glimpse of the game and some gameplay, will also be shown via a webcast on the game’s official site located at www.startrekonline.com.

Today’s announcement comes on the heels of a weekend filled with rumors about Cryptic making the game, after a job opening was unearthed on the company’s web site.