Kohnke Communication's suit against Star Trek Online developer Perpetual Entertainment is "vague, uncertain, ambiguous and unintelligible" according to a recent filing made by the developer.

While lacking in the vitriol found in Kohnke's original claim, which claimed among other things that they were paid to deliver good reviews for now moth-balled MMO Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, it does a pretty good job of denying everything without saying much at all.

Perpetual's response asks the judge to toss the original suit out and force Kohnke to pay for their attorneys' fees after outlining why none of Kohnke's 13 claims have any substance. So boring, I was hoping for more dirt on the whole delivering-review-scores-for-pay issue.

PR Firm Dishes on Influence over Reviews in Suit [Kotaku]

Perpetual Entertainment's new purse-string holders haven't only shaken up (read: cancelled) development on Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, they've got their dirty fingers in Star Trek Online, reports Shacknews. The results? They're a bit expectations-lowering. According to Shacknews' anonymous internal source, Star Trek Online is going in a new, "more casual" direction, a move that doesn't seem to be sitting well with some of Perpetual's employees, and one that drops monthly subscriptions for an in-game item buying model.

Little has actually been shown of Star Trek Online, but development resources were shifted from Gods & Heroes to the game and the developer's MMO platform according to Executive Producer Chris McKibbin. Further details on the dev's financial situation at the link.

Star Trek Online to Become "More Casual," Developer Perpetual Acquired by New Ownership [Shacknews]

SOE is a big name in the MMO business. Perhaps too big a name. Perpetual Entertainment has clarified Sony Online Entertainment's role in their upcoming MMO Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, assuming full publishing duties while SOE will continue to handle marketing and retail distribution of the title. Previously listed as co-publishers, Warcry explains that the move is to make sure credit for the development of the game goes solely to Perpetual as this is their fledgling project, with the power to define them as a company. I am wondering if similar steps will be taken for Pirates of the Burning Sea, which SOE is publishing for Flying Lab. With both games being presented at major gaming events by SOE the confusion over roles is sure to come up in Pirate's case as well.

Perpetual Reassumes Publishing Duties From SOE [Warcry Network]