Take one of my favorite sci-fi series of all-time, mix it with a videogame genre in which I'm always trying to find the next big thing, and suddenly you get an understanding of why I'm so interested in Battlestar Galactica Online.

"The new game will feature tactical space combat and mission-based gameplay."

You'll also be able to apparently play as humans and Cylons. Not a fan of browser-based games in general, but with the series pedigree, hopefully it will be excellent.

Do you like LEGO games? What about MMORPGs? If you answered yes to both of those questions, you better hurry on up and go sign-up for the LEGO Universe beta, which just opened up for applications. You'll need to get a sign-in ID, but that's nothing really. Good luck on getting into the beta!

Star Trek Online is a blast to play, but with that being said, I don't know how I'd ever be able to justify a lifetime subscription to the game - especially at $239.99. It would pay itself over about 15 months, but what guarantee do you ever have you'll still enjoy a game that long after it's been released. The thing that makes it tempting is the fact that it's apparently the only way you'll be able to play as a Borg. The Borg get the following features:

Borg Nanites: +10% Health Regeneration
Description: Ground Trait. Constantly regenerates shields and health.

Efficient: +5 Starship Shield Efficiency, +5 Starship Engine Efficiency, +5 Starship Energy Weapon Efficiency, +5 Starship Auxiliary Systems Efficiency
Description: Space Trait. Provides a bonus to efficiency stats, improving the effectiveness of many of your power management abilities.

The Liberated Borg also has a unique optional trait.

Neural Blast: 30 second debuff. Drastically reduces run speed. Every 4 seconds, Neural Blast has a 40% chance to hold the target for 3 seconds.
Description: Activatable Ground Trait. Inject the target with neural toxins, which continually attempt to hold the target for the duration. Also reduces the target's movement speed.

Second part after the jump

I'm hoping that I can get a review copy of the game, but if I do, I'll sadly not receive any of the pre-order goodies being offered by various box and digital retailers. If you're getting Star Trek Online I'd suggest pre-ordering from your favorite deal. Here's what each place is offering:

GameStop - GameStop customers receive the ability to command the exclusive and always classic USS Enterprise from Star Trek The Original Series.

Best Buy - Best Buy is offering their customers a fun in-game pet. As a Federation Captain, players own a famed Tribble of Star Trek lore that will accompany them on their travels into the final frontier. As a Klingon commander, players control the boar-like Targ, a beast found on the Klingon home world of Qo'noS.

Amazon - Amazon is offering an exclusive "Liberated Borg" Bridge Officer. This bridge officer, who comes with unique nanotechnology augmentations, assists in missions and gains experience as the player does.

Wal-Mart - With the Wal-Mart Bonus Skill Points package, receive addition skill points that enable players to improve their characters quickly.

Target - Target customers who pre-order Star Trek Online receive a unique ground weapon -- a TR-116. This rare projectile weapon is used in dampening fields and other challenging environments; it is also modified with a micro-transporter which beams the fired projectiles to targets at close range so that a user can fire without a direct line of site.

Direct2Drive - Direct2Drive customers receive an exclusive Multi-Spatial Personal Shield. This advanced personal shield system is based on Borg technology, which constantly regenerates itself and the health of its wearer.

STEAM - STEAM is offering customers Chromodynamic Armor. This armor is based on technology brought back from the Delta Quadrant by USS Voyager improves the damage and critical hits of energy weapons.

Personally, I'd go with Amazon's Borg officer, but Best Buy's pet comes in at a close second. What would you/are you choosing?

Are you a Star Trek fan? Do you like MMOs? Have a little more money to spend? If you answered yes to those questions, the Collector's Edition of Star Trek Online might be the package for you.

- Deluxe Packaging: Futuristic 3dX holography set in a high quality brushed aluminum finish. Heavy duty construction with magnetic closures and nested compartments for all components.
- Deluxe Manual: High end, hardbound, art book, manual, and disc case in a single, elegant package. “HD Printing” on over 40 glossy pages of exclusive art from the Star Trek Online Universe.
- Communicator Badge: High quality cast metal design based on the in-game badge model. Fully 3d Sculpted with recessed burst and curved contours.
- Guest Passes: Credit card style buddy passes to invite three of your friends for a three day trial of Star Trek Online.
- Red Matter Capacitor: A unique item that charges up and delivers extra energy to all of your ship’s equipment for a short time. A device that, when used, gives you a small bump in energy, has a long recharge.
- Next Generation Uniform: Uniform Options from and the Next Generation. The timeless look worn by Picard, Data and Riker.
- “Deep Space Nine” Uniform: Uniform Options from the “Deep Space Nine” Series. Grey shoulders, on a black uniform, just like Sisko, Worf and Dax.

On a side note: "Reserve Star Trek Online and receive a GameStop exclusive in-game Starfleet Constitution Class Starship. This unique, upgradable starship comes equipped with blue phasers and an extra engineering station mod slot."

Yep, that's the old school TOS Enterprise.

Flagship Studios had a promising looking free-to-play MMORPG on their hands by way of Mythos, but after the company folded it looked like the game would never see the light of day. Redbana have stepped up to the plate, however, and will be publishing the game in the States (it should release next year). As a teaser of sorts, a new trailer has been released showing what the game looks like in action.

Cryptic's upcoming Star Trek Online MMO has just been given a release date - February 5th 2010. The game has come a long ways since I first saw it back in some offices at GDC a few years ago; it was barely concept footage and art back then. The game is currently in closed beta right now.

If you're a big City of Heroes/Villains fan there's a good chance that you might be going to HeroCon - the official convention for the game. The con is even getting bigger by expanding over two days and offering some free swag and goodies. The big news is that if you attend the convention, you're guaranteed closed beta access to the game's upcoming expansion - Going Rogue (it takes place in an alternate mirror universe).

"Registered participants of HeroCon just need to be at the Doubletree Hotel during event registration to fill out a Going Rogue Non-Disclosure Agreement. (Of course, the usual rules apply: you need to have an active CoH game account, be a US resident, over 18, and must not work for a competitor or any of its affiliates.)"

If you can't wait for Star Wars: The Old Republic to be released some time in the future, you can now sign-up for a chance to get in on the closed beta and play the game and help tune it before anyone else. Hit the following link to go to their beta sign-up page and enter your information for a chance to get in on the closed beta when it starts.

There are already a lot of MMORPGs on the market and several more coming out soon or in the near future. When you have such a crowded market, you really have to bring something new to the table in order to entice fans away from the other more established games. One thing that has only really been done once before is the idea of a superhero themed MMO. Luckily for fans there's a new superhero themed MMO on the market, which just so happens to come from the same people who brought us City of Heroes. Is it a game fit for a hero or just a temporary stopover till something else comes along?