Star Trek the Game gets Details and More at Sony E3 Presser

Star Trek

In the process of its unveiling of the first trailer and details of its upcoming new game set in the world of Star Trek -- Star Trek the Game -- Sony revealed exclusive content and information during its traditional pre-show press conference and keynote address.

In addition to the announcement of the first trailer and word of a series of trailers to follow, Sony announced exclusive Star Trek content including a Star Trek PlayStation Move Phaser attachment, and exclusive PlayStation Network stand-alone Star Trek pre-release downloadable content!

The game has been crafted to continue the adventure from the movie Star Trek (2009) and alternate timeline imagined by director and producer J.J. Abrams (Fringe, Undercovers, Lost, Alias ) and boasts a story filled with action-packed combat as Kirk and Spock work together to stop a legendary enemy race bent on conquering the galaxy.

For the first time ever players are cast as Captain James T. Kirk and Spock in an unprecedented co-op experience -- playing cooperatively as one of the most famous partnerships in the history of TV and film. In the original series the relationship between Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Commander Spock was actually two-thirds of the "troika" of Spock, Kirk, and Doctor Leonard McCoy, the doctor on the USS Enterprise.

As it was originally conceived, Dr. McCoy functioned as Kirk's conscience, helping him to recognize the higher moral ground and properly apply Starfleet's "Prime Directive" when circumstances pushed the very emotional and reactive captain to making potentially catastrophic decisions. In his role as part of the three aspects of command, Science Officer Spock provides the captain with an emotionally detached and coldly logical perspective, so that together the three men equaled more than their sum as individuals.

This relationship is both important and, with respect to its depiction in film and on TV, clearly based upon a deeper level of emotion than that which was acknowledged in screen, which may be one of the reasons why it has never served as the focal-point in any game until now. Spock's mixed Human-Vulcan heritage serves as an important plot element in many of the character's appearances and in defining the relationship between the two, and it was only very late in their history that the pair acknowledged the deeper emotional link that they shared, which while obvious to the viewer remained one of several subjects that the pair avoided discussing and defining on the screen.

Traditionally most teaser trailers for new and upcoming games feature zero game play, but with Star Trek the Game both Paramount and Digital Extremes (best known for Dark Sector the original Darkness and its upcoming new game, The Darkness II ) have decided to introduce Star Trek to the world via E3 with a first look made up entirely of pre-Alpha game play footage!

This is a bold move intended to demonstrate how great the game looks even though it is more than a year off, says Tom Lesinski, President of Paramount Digital Entertainment. "The level of quality and authenticity to the new Star Trek (2009) universe is a testament to talent of the team and the strong collaboration between Digital Extremes and the filmmakers."

The decision to use the game engine rather than animation to provide a first-look to the gaming public may have been heavily influenced by the simple fact that so many games have been proposed and developed all the way to the beta stage before being canceled that a meaningful gesture to show the seriousness of the project and their intention to see it through to full release was considered necessary.

Motion-Controlled Star Trek

"Sony's Move technology and built-in online community make for an unparalleled platform to bring the Trek gaming experience to life," says John Kavanagh, Senior Vice President for Paramount Digital Entertainment.

"Players will be fully immersed in the co-op action with an authentic Phaser Move controller in hand, and PS3 players will have the first chance to dive in to the adventure with Sony exclusive DLC before the full retail game comes out," he adds, referring to the fact that the game will ship with a Star Trek Phaser attachment for the PlayStation Move controller, as well as exclusive pre-release game-expanding downloadable content exclusive to the PS3 through the PlayStation Network.

PlayStation Move is a motion-sensing game controller platform for the PS3 game console that is based on a handheld motion controller wand working in conjunction with the PlayStation Eye camera, which tracks the wand's position while inertial sensors in the wand detect its motion. The new Phaser attachment allows gamers to insert the wand into the Phaser unit, effectively turning the controller into the traditional Star Trek sidearm for use in the game.

Gamer reaction to the announcement at the press conference was very enthusiastic, and speculation and hopes that the creation of the Phaser attachment might mean that the new game is the establishing title for a new series based upon J.J. Abrams interpretation of the Star Trek universe naturally followed.

The Game's Story

Star Trek (the Game) features an original story by BAFTA award winning screenwriter and God of War writer, Marianne Krawczyk, in collaboration with the writer/producers of the 2009 Star Trek films, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.

The game is under development by Digital Extremes (Bioshock 2, Unreal Tournament, Dark Sector, The Darkness II), working closely with Bad Robot, K/O Paper Products and Damon Lindelof, and published by Paramount Digital Entertainment through a license with CBS Consumer Products and whew that was a long list!

Star Trek will be coming to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC some time in 2012 -- with additional exclusive DLC for the PS3 version of the game to be followed by new DLC for all three of the versions shortly after launch.