Hellgate: London Going Free-to-Play in U.S.? - briefly
(hx) 09:26 PM CET - Jan,26 2009
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Gamasutra
reports that Korean based HanbitSoft will launch global servers to keep the
game alive as a free-to-play game, though
HanbitSoft's
official blog does not specify territories for the forthcoming updates.
Though Hellgate: London was always technically free-to-play, those that
purchased an optional subscription received new content and areas. With
subscriptions now removed, the announcement implies that all players will have
access to new content.
HanbitSoft has asserted that it owns the IP, engines and source code for the Flagship Studios title worldwide, and will maintain Hellgate: London for its global community. HanbitSoft had previously been responsible for only the game's Korean operations. The switch to a free-to-play model was the first official announcement the company has made regarding the fate of the title, which during its lifetime suffered from perceived quality issues, and an insufficient userbase, playing a key role in the closing of Flagship Studios in July 2008.
HanbitSoft also says in an official press statement seen by Gamasutra that future updates for Hellgate: London are in the works, with a focus on "strengthening community features" while maintaining the core gameplay as is. The next "large-scale" patch, according to HanbitSoft, will be released "soon," and will combine the game's two play modes to unify its communities. The company also plans class balance improvements and further distinction between the game's five acts.
North American and European publisher Namco Bandai previously said that it would shut down the multiplayer servers in those territories on January 31, 2009, adding that "the servers will never exist in the US and EU again" as Hanbit does not have the rights. According to Namco, HanbitSoft "owns the IP and rights to publish anywhere other then the US and EU." Following the closure of Hellgate developer Flagship, Hanbit described itself as "the publisher and distributor of Hellgate: London in Asia."
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Updated:10:44 AM CEST Sep,20
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