GameForge clings on to Star Trek license

German publisher GameForce has entered into a worldwide agreement with CBS Consumer Products, allowing it to create and publish free-to-play online Star Trek games.

The company is currently planning both a Facebook-based game from a German studio, and a broader browser game from a Californian developer. While both studios will be external, neither have been named as yet.

"Because of the differences of the platform we produce two different games with different concept", GameForge's producer for the Star Trek franchise, Michael Hengst, told the German edition of GamesIndustry.biz.

"The acquisition of a well-known and high-level license is another significant step for Game Forge," said CFO Christoph Jennen. "We are very proud that the quality of our products and reputation as a publisher has enabled us to purchase a license of this size. The upcoming Star Trek online games will increase our international market share, and the US market is particularly of great interest to us."

"Normally, we pan our first rollouts in Germany and Europe. and bring into other international markets after that," added corporate spokesperson Kerstin Müller. "Having as strong a franchise as Star Trek, we have decided for the first time to rollout in the US simultaneously. The market for browser-based games is not as established in the US as elsewhere in the world, so we intend to prepare the ground with this valuable franchise."

Under the terms of the agreement, both games will be free to play. One will concern the 'classic' Star Trek universe, and the other the Deep Space Nine timeline. Rights for any MMO version of Star Trek remain with Atari, who last year published Star Trek Online to a mixed reception.

The Karlsruhe-based publisher's twenty-plus games are available in 50 languages, and sport 100 million registered users worldwide.