If you're convinced that you'll love Champions Online - either because you played the beta or you just have a lot of faith in Cryptic Studios - you'll have the option of purchasing long-term subscriptions to the game before it even launches. Pre-order customers may now buy six-month or lifetime subscriptions to the super hero MMO.

The lifetime subscription costs $200 while the six-month subscription is $60. To sign-up for one or the other, enter your pre-order key into the form here. Note that you'll still need to pony up $50 for a copy of the game. Here are the benefits of the lifetime and six-month subscriptions:

Lifetime Subscription

• Access to the Star Trek Online Closed Beta, beginning later this year!
• Exclusive Art Deco costume set
• Exclusive Retro Future costume set, available only to lifetime subscribers
• Unique Mirror Universe outfit for Star Trek Online, available at the game’s release
• Exclusive in-game Foxbat action figure, available only to lifetime subscribers
• Eight additional character slots

6-Month Subscription

• Saves $29.95 USD (33% off) over regular monthly subscription
• Exclusive Art Deco costume set
• Access to the Star Trek Online Closed Beta, beginning later this year!

The idea of offering access to an MMO's beta in exchange for a long-term subscription to another MMO is an intriguing tactic. The vast majority of MMO players probably own a subscription to only one such game at a time. I suppose Cryptic is counting on you Trekkies to be so enthralled by the possibility of a Trek MMO that you'll lay out a bunch of cash up-front just for a beta key. Playing those games does take a certain obsessiveness so I wouldn't rule out the possibility that folks would go for it, though.

Champions Online launches on September 1st in North America and September 4th in Europe.