Subspace-Radio.net has published a Q&A with Star Trek Online Executive Producer Craig Zinkievich, which includes a question on the possibility of Cryptic Studios recording more voiceovers for the game in the future:
Q: [There’s] been a lot of talk amongst the [fan] community about the [possibility] of Cryptic [Studios] fully voicing STO. Is it a [possibility] and likely or not, what are the difficulties involved in that sort of undertaking?
A: Adding voiceover to a game is a four-pronged issue.
1) It’s expensive. There are union rules in place for voice actors, and the talented ones who belong to that guild deservedly make good money. That’s something you have to factor in as part of development. 2) It takes a lot more time to add voice to something. Do we want to slow down the content we release to add voice? Does that best serve our customers? 3) Do our customers really want a lot of voiceovers in MMOGs considering content is designed to be repeatable? 4) Localizing can be slow and costly.
Personally, I like voice in every game I play, but I’ve also read a lot of complaints about MMOGs that featured a lot of voiceover in the past. Times are changing, though.
To answer the question: It’s something we’d like to do, but it’s not high on our list of priorities, at least right now. We’re more dedicated to getting a lot of content out to people at a fast rate.
As previously reported, Star Trek Online has a minimal voiceover cast: Leonard Nimoy (the game’s narrator), Zachary Quinto (voices a holographic doctor in the game’s tutorial), and a sound-alike for the late Majel Roddenberry provides the computer’s voice.
Fans have launched a campaign via StarTrekOnline.com to persuade Cryptic Studios to hire more Trek “alumni” to reprise their roles.