P2 Entertainment Removed As Star Trek Online Developer

Star Trek Online developer P2 Entertainment is no longer associated with the project, which has been transferred to a new Bay Area development studio.

WarCry is reporting that multiple sources at P2, formerly known as Perpetual Entertainment, are saying the project is no longer in the company's hands. Both the license and game content developed so far have been transferred to the new developer, although the code remains with P2 which could mean further delays in the game's development.

Perpetual was first revealed to be in difficulty in late November, when it was reported the company was liquidating assets in order to satisfy its creditors. The news followed Perpetual's October announcement that its in-development MMOG Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising had been put on indefinite hold, while a redesigned, "more casual" Star Trek Online MMOG was said to still be in development.

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Called it. Oh well, at least now we can all stop thinking about it.

There's a good possibility this is simply financial engineering. If the backers of P2 are troubled by lawsuits levelled against the company, it would make sense to create a new entity and transfer over the STO assets to it, while leaving enough for P2 to remain a viable entity that will still absorb the litigation. After all, lawsuits and claims follow the studio, not the license.

We'll know for sure when it's revealed who has the license, but my bet is a new studio that's really just the old studio.

But under that scenario, wouldn't the P2 backers still be liable for any litigation against the studio? Or is it just a way of protecting the STO assets?