Following in the footsteps of Lord of the Rings Online, Champions Online is offering lifetime subscriptions for $200 if you pre-order the game. While this may sound like a good chunk of change , consider that a typical monthly subscription fee costs $15/month, so after a little over a year, you’re playing for free. Admittedly, it’s a risky undertaking as a pre-order. What if you play the game for a month and find that you hate it? Still, if you have money to burn (in this economy?) and faith in the success of the game, then why not go for it?

To sweeten the pot, the lifetime subscription comes with access to the Star Trek Online closed beta, which apparently will be “later this year”; two costumes for Champions Online ; an outfit for Star Trek Online; an action figure; and eight additional character slots.

If you can’t stomach plunking down $200 in one sitting for a pre-order, there’s also the option of 6-month subscriptions for $60/6 months, so instead of paying $15 you’ll only be paying $10/month. You still get one of the costume sets and access to the Star Trek Online beta.

Me personally, I would start off with the 6-month subscription and if I like the game enough, would move on to the lifetime subscription — that is, if they still offer it after release.