The drama at Perpetual Entertainment is continuing, as earlier reports of the company moving to work exclusively on Star Trek Online under the stewardship of new investors are appearing to be at least partly true.
An SEC filing by Ragnarok Online developer Gravity Co. yesterday revealed that Perpetual Entertainment’s assets had been acquired by Perpetual LLC, for liquidation and distribution among its creditors while the company was wound down. Prior to that, in early October, MMOG news site Warcry reported that Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising, an MMOG in development at Perpetual, had been placed on “indefinite hold” while the company focused exclusively on its Star Trek Online property. That report initially indicated the company had been acquired by new ownership, but later information suggested that the company would actually continue to function under its existing management, with new investors.
Shacknews is now reporting that Perpetual has in fact been acquired by new ownership which it describes as “a media company looking to use Star Trek Online to make its first major inroads into the videogame market.” Information coming from an anonymous source “close to the company” also indicates a change in the direction of the game, to a “more casual” approach which may forgo monthly fees in favor of charging for optional in-game items. The report also indicates that while the new ownership did not appear to force any significant layoffs, a number of employees have left the company voluntarily as a result of dissatisfaction with the game’s new direction.
