Atari have decided to sell Champions Online and Star Trek Online developer Cryptic Studios. According to reports, as of 31st March 2011, Atari have classified the MMO developer as a “discontinued operation”.
The California based company has this to say in its latest earnings report about its decision to sell Cryptic Studios:
“In line with the previously stated strategy of fewer but more profitable releases and further expansion into casual online and mobile games, the Company has determined that external development creates more flexibility in the three changing marketplace. Therefore, the Company has made the decision to divest itself from Cryptic Studios. The divestiture process is underway and more details will be provided as appropriate”
Gamasutra has learnt that Atari will support all of Cryptic’s currently active titles, including Champions Online and Star Trek Online, until they find a buyer for the studio.
An employee of Cryptic Studios later had this to say on the Star Trek Online forums:
“Support for Champions Online and Star Trek Online will be continuing as normal, our staff is working hard on their projects (and the folks from the Champions team deserve an extra cheer for their new stuff by the way) and there are no planned changes to the way any of our games and projects will operate”
Thanks go to Eurogamer.net for this story, which should be of particular interest to the Chris Jones Gaming community.
It is good to see things will not change with the two MMOs. It does not matter who owns them, so long as nothing is interrupted.