Moving a flagship video game from computer to consoles

Star Trek Online is the first MMORPG set in the Star Trek universe – with over two dozen major updates and a player base numbering in the millions. In 2016 Cryptic Studios expanded the game to Xbox One and PS4.

We partnered with them to help build a version of their game that would be embraced by console players, but which also drew more heavily from the design aesthetic of the Star Trek universe.

Science Fiction History

Almost nothing conveys Star Trek like “LCARS” – a fictional graphical interface created by Michael Okuda for Star Trek: The Next Generation. LCARS quickly came to epitomize how humans interacted with the futuristic technology of their world, and today is identifiable as “quintessentially Trek.”

Futuristic Made Functional

LCARS looks great, but has no real functionality. As a UI, it’s an illusion. We began with an extensive discovery process that explored how we could transform LCARS into a real player UI.

Focus on Usability

Although the goal was a Trek look, player experience always came first. We worked directly with gamers to understand their needs, and used the feedback to ensure that our direction was intuitive and efficient for players.

STO Comes to Consoles

The finished product accomplished our goals – we were able to translate Okuda’s make-believe OS into a usable, modern console UI. This informed a look and feel that resulted in a clean, intuitive UX that was far more functional for players.

1.1

Million New Accounts

1617

New Fleets put into service

34.4

Player Base Expansion

2.7

Million Bridge Officers Created

Designer's Note

I grew up with Star Trek. I love the Trek universe, and that it is always growing, changing and evolving. It was an amazing opportunity to play a role helping Trek position itself in gaming, and to think about the fans who would play this game and feel the same awe and inspiration I experienced watching Star Trek as a kid.

And a special thanks to the team at Cryptic – you put together an amazing game, and it was a pleasure to work with you.