New Star Trek MMO in dry dock courtesy of Gameforge

"Boldly going where one MMO has gone before!" doesn't quite have a ring to it, but that's not deterring German developer Gameforge from grabbing a slice of the Star Trek IP for a new MMO. Gameforge hasn't exactly been a household name up to this point, with titles such as Gates of Andaron and Ikariam, but it seems like that might change now that they have a crack at one of the most recognizable science fiction franchises in the world.

The unnamed Star Trek MMO will be -- yes -- a free-to-play browser title, so don't expect it to directly compete with Cryptic's own Star Trek Online. TrekWeb reports that Gameforge signed a worldwide licensing agreement with CBS Consumer Products to develop the game in the original Star Trek universe, from the classic era of Captain Kirk up through the days of Deep Space Nine. However, Atari will still hold the exclusive MMO rights to Star Trek.
Trekkies may treat this news with reserved caution, although Gameforge's Ralf Adam promises the stars: "Honoring the Star Trek legacy and providing the global community with excellent free-to-play browser games is something we are very dedicated to and excited about."

While Gameforge certainly has been prolific as a developer, this Star Trek MMO will be its first high-profile project. So far, there is no word as to how this title will operate, or whether we'll be able to play a mean game of three-dimensional chess in it. Loose projections puts this title sometime in 2011.