How to get on the Star Trek Online beta

Cryptic Studios and Atari have announced a range of preorder incentives for Star Trek Online this week, opening up access to the game's beta test, a head-start program and a number of exclusive in-game items for eager Trekkies to get all excited about.

Preordering Star Trek Online will guarantee you a place on the beta, which opens on January 12 and runs through to January 19.

Early fun for testers

The game's live servers will then grind into action on Friday, January 29 for these early beta testers, the weekend before Star Trek Online's official launch on February 2.

Atari has also announced a number of retailer-specific bonus items in the US, which are as follows:

· 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 preorder 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 U.S.S. Voyager improves the damage and critical hits of energy weapons.

Interested? For more on Star Trek Online you can check out the game's dedicated website.

Via 1up.com