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Various developers had released titles with little cohesion between them, ranging from film tie-ins to FMV-heavy “interactive movies” to even pinball simulations. In the decade prior, Star Trek game releases had been a mixed bag. The anticipation around the release of each new game was quite exciting.” I think I’m pretty lucky to have gotten to experience that time. “In turn the enthusiasm around Star Trek games was also at a fever pitch. “Back in that timeframe, Star Trek as a whole was basking in the glow of great content, with The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, movies and more, it was fantastic!” Koerner recalled.
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#Star trek games license#
I could see for myself that the license was in good hands. With some help from Koerner, I even got the chance to visit one of the developers’ studios while on vacation in Boston in the summer of 2001 for an exclusive firsthand preview for the site, which only amplified my excitement.
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Initially a small passion project, our site quickly became a central hub where fans would go to see exclusive screenshots, read interviews, and take part in Q&A sessions with the developers, who were just as excited to speak about the games they were working on as the fans were to play them. I, along with Chris Koerner, ran one of the biggest fan-sites (remember them?) for some of Activision’s Star Trek titles, and we witnessed the excitement surrounding Activision’s announcement firsthand. When Activision struck its licensing deal with Viacom, the Star Trek franchise was flying high, and it’s easy to see why the publisher was keen to invest in it. But as Activision would find out-to its detriment-it’s also vital for there to be new releases, continually refreshing the franchise. There will, of course, always be fans of the older material, of which there is plenty still available on streaming services such as Netflix, allowing new audiences to discover Star Trek. Star Trek’s popularity as a brand, and the success of properties based on it, primarily relies on the shows and movies. With no publisher or developer currently utilizing the Star Trek license in the way that Activision did, coupled with a games industry that is leaps and bounds ahead of what it was back then, the strategy employed by Activision over two decades ago could also be key to a new generation of Star Trek games succeeding today. By experimenting with multiple different genres, they created one of the most diverse collections of Star Trek video games, remembered fondly by fans to this day, and the likes of which have not been seen since.įast-forwarding to the present, Star Trek has returned to our screens in a way not seen since Activision’s deal was made.
#Star trek games tv#
However, it failed to break new ground, sticking to a familiar genre with limited mainstream appeal, a trap that most Star Trek titles had fallen into at that time.Īctivision certainly had its work cut out for it, but recognizing the strong presence that Star Trek retained on both TV and film, they had the wherewithal to strike while the iron was hot. For example, 1995’s Star Trek: TNG – A Final Unity blended a great point-and-click adventure game with an authentic Star Trek story. Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Final Unity.Ĭredit: MicroProse, Paramount, Spectrum HoloByte