Future Trek Games To 'Embrace Gaming Community'

Harry Lang, executive director of interactive product development for Viacom Consumer Products, told a fan site that Paramount is actively developing an initiative that "embraces the Star Trek gaming community."

Speaking to The Star Trek Gamers Directory and The Star Trek Gaming Universe, Lang said that Paramount was concentrating on "creating Star Trek games that make sense" following the decline of interest in Bridge Commander and Armada 1. "I don't want to make promises we can't keep...but there should be news before year-end," he stated. "Everyone wants something to fit his or her own tastes and we wish we could offer such an alternative. Unfortunately, developing a specific game for a specific group is very difficult."

Explaining that he was "directly responsible for approving all aspects of game development including greenlighting the concept and approving story, art, technology, gameplay, marketing, packaging, etc", Lang said that he worked with publishers and developers to see that they have access to resources from Paramount. He was both a fan of the show and a gamer when he arrived at the company, he added, and has worked with focus groups and read message boards for fan input.

Lang noted that he sees the future of Star Trek gaming becoming more focused. "You probably won't see multiple publishers out there releasing numerous titles competing with each other," he said, adding that it was unlikely that a single publisher would produce all future games.

"Whether or not any future games encompass all eras or just one remains to be seen...we have to consider that many fans prefer one era to another," he said. "Just as the principles of Star Trek are about bringing everyone together in harmony and peace, exploration and discovery, infinite diversity in infinite combinations - our goal is to recreate this illustrious franchise for all to enjoy."

The original interview is here.

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