"People are speculating and I don't want anyone shocked on January 31, 2009 when the server and forums shut down and there is nothing," said NAMCO's Diane Migliaccio in a post to the Hellgate: London forums.

Hanbit software had announced an expansion to the game but, explains Migliaccio, "Hanbit owns the IP and rights to publish anywhere other then the US and EU. NAMCO owns the rights to publish in the US and EU."

New's about Hellgate's Future [Hellgate Forums via Blues News]

Some of them were just bad timing in the PC market. The PC market was lousy last year. Some of it was the fact that we were an independent studio. We didn't have unlimited money, and we had to ship when we had to ship. Part of it was because we overreached, and that was a design problem that was totally our fault. We tried to do too much. We tried to be a standalone game and a free-play game and an MMO and an RPG and a shooter. We were trying to be something for everybody and ended up really not pleasing many people at all....

Sounds about right to us!

Bill Roper: 'Hellgate Wasn't As Good As It Should Have Been' [1UP]

Report: T3 To Continue Hellgate, Mythos Development In SF Office [Gamasutra]

If we made a mistake with Hellgate, it was trying to do too many things for too many people. We wanted a cutting edge graphics engine, we wanted multiple business models with subscriptions and free play, and single-player, we wanted to combine third-person play with first-person play, we wanted to do random 3D levels, and when you're starting with a brand new game studio with very limited budget and no existing technologies, that was probably biting off too much. We ended up rushing it to market and not keeping it in the oven long enough, just out of necessity.

It's still a shame, especially when the game had so much potential, but it's good to see Flagship accepting and learning from their mistake and moving on to bigger and better things. Hit the link for the full interview.

Flagship's Max Schaefer [Eurogamer]

"This milestone wouldn't have been possible for us to achieve without the incredible support of our publishing partner, Hanbitsoft, and our dedicated community in Korea."

Flagship Studios' HellgateTM: London Celebrates The Most Successful Online Korean Launch In Three Years

San Francisco, CA (April 11th, 2008) - Flagship Studios today announced that its action role-playing game Hellgate: London has become the most successful online video game launch in Korea of the past three years with over 1 million accounts registered within the first two weeks of its open beta test. Hellgate: London is the first online game in over three years to use a monthly subscription business model.

After launching the open beta on January 15th, Hellgate: London quickly rose to the ninth most played online game, fifth most popular RPG and most popular online beta game in PC Cafes*, with over 1 million accounts. Hellgate: London was released commercially on February 22nd, and achieved record sales in its first week of presales.

"To become the most successful launch in Korea for over three years is an incredible achievement," said Bill Roper, CEO of Flagship Studios. "This milestone wouldn't have been possible for us to achieve without the incredible support of our publishing partner, Hanbitsoft, and our dedicated community in Korea. We look forward to expanding the Hellgate universe and building upon this success in the future."

"Flagship Studios are well aware of how the Asian market operates very differently to the Western territories" said Alex Kim, CEO of HanbitSoft, "By listening to players' feedback and through constant updates to the game, Hellgate: London will continue to be an incredible success throughout Asia."

Hellgate: London combines the depth of role-playing games and the action of first-person shooter titles, while offering infinite playability with dynamically generated levels, items, enemies, and events. Whether online or off, a player creates a heroic character, completes quests, and battles through innumerable hordes of demons to advance through experience levels and branching skill paths. A robust, flexible skill and spell system, highly customizable appearances, and a massive variety of randomly generated equipment allow players to create their own unique hero.

For more information please visit the official Hellgate: London site at www.hellgatelondon.com
*According to Gametrics and Game Report

All the gory details of the patch can be found on the Hellgate:London forums.

Hellgate London To Get First Content Update [Gamasutra]

Congrats to our dual winners and much love to everyone else who entered! Finalist 2 and Finalist 4 shoot tips an email with your address so we can get your prizes to you.

Finalist 1

Roxeraz writes:

Well, since Nintendo keeps screwing us Europeans over and over, I
thought this would be fitting.
After I finally got the Wii I still don't get what the big fuzz is about.
It's overpriced. (Xbox Premium is cheaper in Norway) The motion controls
are horrible.
And it doesn't even have that many good games, in Europe at least...
So here you go Nintendo.

Finalist 2

Shawn writes:

So sitting at work I realized I hadn't entered the "Hellgate" contest. All
I had was some staples, a laser mouse, and some paper. Here's the
results...

Finalist 3

Mr. Fuzzypaws writes:

This is a scene from the end of 28 Days Later, an excellent movie and much better than the suckfest called 28 Weeks Later.
The picture even gets a little gaming flavor by having Mario with his Wiimote in it and I was playing the movie on my Playstation 3.

Finalist 4

Mujiber writes:

Hi, here's my submission. It's entitled 'Life in BSoD Hell'

Finalist 5

Solo writes:

Solo from Montreal

Finalist 6

Joey writes:

[Joey wrote nothing]

Finalist 7

Nasser writes:

...in Norway actually... I live in Norway too.. The first picture is in hell.. Have a nice day :)

For me this stressed the importance of a strong background story to the immersion of a video game. Having read many game-related novels over the past few years I can say that with few exceptions, I always enjoy the game more once I know details on the back story and the characters that lived through the game's events.

So what do you guys think? Has a novel ever convinced you to purchase a game you otherwise weren't too keen on? How important is story outside the frame of the game itself?

..in Norway actually....

I live in Norway too..

here is a link on google maps

The first picture is in hell.. The second leads straight to hell :)

Have a nice day :)

Hellgate: London [Official Site]

This is a scene from the end of 28 Days Later, an excellent movie and much better than the suckfest called 28 Weeks Later.
The picture even gets a little gaming flavor by having Mario with his Wiimote in it and I was playing the movie on my Playstation 3.

* Bill Roper, CEO Flagship Studios
* Aletheia Simonson, Art Producer
* Bill Manegold, Game Programmer
* Amir Ebrahimi, Graphics Programmer
* Guy Somberg, Audio and Gameplay Programmer

Hellgate: London Page at Xfire [Xfire]

Manhunt 2 (WII, PS2, PSP)
At long last it finally arrives, castrated but no worse for the wear.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (X360, WII, PS3, PS2)
Barracuda, here I come!

The Simpsons Game (X360, PS2, DS, WII, PS3)
One Simpsons game to rule them all.

The Witcher (PC)
It's witchcraft, wicked witchcraft...

Hellgate: London (PC)
Welcome to the 'ell 'ole.

Culpa Innata (PC)
What life will be like 40 years from now. I can't wait to see if it's accurate.

Dementium: The Ward (DS)
GameCock rolls out the monsters.

TimeShift (PC, X360)
The clothes make the man.

Battalion Wars 2 (WII)
Who knew war could be so cute.

Tabula Rasa (PC)
Richard Garriot's futuristic MMO finally arrives.

Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness (PSP)
YOU are the Overlord. Or at least you will be if you win.

Virtua Fighter 5 (X360)
Beat down in HD.

Whomever writes the press releases at EA or Namco Bandai Games reveals that the singe-player demo for the PC game will go live this Friday, October 19. Gamers will get their hands on the full version of the game on Halloween day. Yay!

HGL Gone Gold, Demo Coming! [Hellgate: London]

I think with Diablo, for example, the camera angle is a big part of it. I think with the Diablo series there is a level of expectation about only using the mouse to move.

To be honest, the way that Blizzard is approaching StarCraft II is really smart. They're saying, 'OK, what do the millions of StarCraft fans very specifically want from a StarCraft experience? Great, well that's what we're going to give them.

Bill Roper: What I'd do with Diablo 3 [cvg]

Welcome to the first installment of the Hellgate: London Tube Tours! On this first trip around the block, we'll be stopping by a variety of places that you'll visit as you play through the first of five Acts. First and foremost is Covent Garden Station. Now, this and every other station in the game act as a hub for just about everything you'll do in the game outside of actually battling Demons. Shopping for items, partying up with your friends, receiving quests, upgrading weapons - it all happens at the stations. Covent Garden Station is the first real one you'll come upon, and will get you familiar with all of the game's basics, as well introduce you to some key story characters.

After picking up some quests and possibly finding some fellow comrades to accompany you on your journey, you'll be transported deep underground into Kingsway Sewers. Dark, rank, and densely packed with Demons galore, the sewers themselves can span multiple layers, digging even deeper into ground below. There's a definite feeling of claustrophobia within the tight rooms and enveloping shadows, and depending on what beasts you encounter, your battle tactics will have to change on the fly to compensate for the low ceilings and multiple levels. Kingsway Sewers is also home to a few unique enemy characters, such as Big Ben and Typhoid Mary, who unlike other enemies, you'll only encounter once.

Bloomsbury is another level you'll reach early on. In stark contrast to the sewers, though, Bloomsbury takes the battle into the open streets. With wide layouts and chilling weather effects, the change in pace can feel fairly drastic for some. Thankfully, we've made these early levels so they continue to warm you up for what comes later in the game; expect to see some Zombie variants and minor flying Demons for the first few missions. Moving right along, we come to the Steam Tunnels. What makes the Tunnels so interesting are the numerous corridors and stairwells that connect it all together. Demons can pop up above you, below you, or behind you, and sometimes they're just lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce as soon as you get up on them. There's a definitely feeling of progression by the time you reach this point in terms of challenge, but again, by the time you reach the end of the game, you'll look back at this level as little more than a subtle tickling of the feet.

In Covent Garden Market, you may notice a giant organic blimp coasting through the sky. That is an Exospector. It's big, it's ugly, and you'll even shoot one down and go inside of it later in the game. Your goal around this point will be to make it to the British Museum - but you've got to make it through Covent Garden Market first. As you'll see in the video, there's a Hell Rift located in this level. Once you step through it, you'll have your first juicy taste of a boss encounter. Shulgoth is its name, and, well, that should speak for itself. By now you should have some good battle tactics developed making him tough, but beatable. This part plays exceptionally well when you have a party going due to the level being littered with ton of Imps. Perhaps the most gratifying moment of this battle is when you see all the loot drop after Shulgoth dies. Yes, it's really a jackpotof magic equipment and palladium.

When you finally reach the British Museum , one thing you'll immediately notice is the architecture. This will be your first glimpse of a grand, vast interior, with noticeably different colors and lighting. The shades of blue are a refreshing change, as you'lljust be coming out of Hell and all of its red glory and prior to that, the dingy sewers and rust-colored Steam Tunnels. But don't let the soothing colors bring your guard down - you'll fight one of the toughest battles yet in this level. As mentioned before, the first Act of Hellgate: London introduces a lot in terms of gameplay, graphics, and story. You'll learn to use your skills, how to defeat enemies, what weapons are your favorites,and much, much more. You'll also travel underground, above ground, in small interiors, in open spaces, and even to Hell. You can play through the Act in single player, or all the way through with your friends online. It's even likely that you'll go through more than once as you try out different classes to see which fits best with your preferred style of play. The point is, you'll see a lot, play a lot, and learn a lot in this first section of the game. But keep in mind that Act I is far and away the smallest of the five Acts, so trust us you ain't seen *nothing* yet.

• A key to an exclusive Beta starting next week and ending October 7, 2007.

• One of four exclusive dye-kits that will give your hero's gear a cool color theme right off the bat when Hellgate: London officially opens on Halloween.

• Eligibility to take advantage of the Hellgate: London Founders Offer, giving hardcore players a chance to purchase a lifetime subscription to Hellgate's premium service for $149.99.

This offer is extended to purchasers of both the regular and collector's versions of the game. It should be noted that the "dye kit" will become available to players once the game goes live and will not work within the beta. The color themes will vary depending on which retailer you get your pre-order from.

Full press release with more details and fine print after the jump.

EA AND NAMCO BANDAI ANNOUNCE A TRIFECTA OF PRE-ORDER TREATS FOR HELLGATE: LONDON

Here's Your Exclusive Chance to Open the Hellgate Before Halloween

Redwood City, Calif. - September 14, 2007 - Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. today announced three special pre-order promotions for the highly anticipated action RPG Hellgate™: London in North America. Gamers who pre-order either the regular or Collector's Edition of Hellgate: London will receive:

* A key to an exclusive Beta starting next week and ending October 7, 2007.
* One of four exclusive dye-kits1 that will give your hero's gear a cool color theme right off the bat when Hellgate: London officially opens on Halloween.
* Eligibility to take advantage of the Hellgate: London Founders Offer, giving hardcore players a chance to purchase a lifetime subscription2 to Hellgate's premium service for $149.99.

"We're excited to get our most passionate players into the early Beta test, and to reward them with a special look once the game goes live on Halloween," said Bill Roper, CEO of Flagship Studios. "The Founder's offer is designed for those die-hard fans that will have had time to really get to know the game during the Beta phase and plan on spending a lot of time with us online."

From the core team behind the global blockbuster action RPG Diablo®, Hellgate: London represents the next leap in the evolution of the genre, combining the depth and addictive gameplay of traditional RPGs with the visceral action of first-person shooters. Featuring a deep, story-driven campaign with over 40 hours of gameplay, Hellgate: London can be played alone offline or online through the entire campaign experience for free in a safe, client-server environment. For those players who want to extend their Hellgate: London experience, Flagship is offering an optional subscription service which will give players access to huge amounts of content on an ongoing basis in the form of quests, character classes, demons, items, etc.

Hellgate: London has been rated 'M' for Mature by the ESRB and has been rated '18+' by PEGI. Visit www.esrb.org or www.pegionline.eu for more ratings information. For more information about the game, log onto http://info.ea.com or the game's official website at www.hellgatelondon.com.

1 A Dye Kit is an in-game item that lets you color your online character's armor set to a particular theme, determined by the retailer you purchased your pre-order from. Your specific Dye Kit information can be found on your pre-order card that contains the code. This item is linked to your account when you enter your pre-order code. However, it is not available for use in the Beta, but only in the Live (retail) version of the game.

2 "Lifetime Subscription" refers to the lifetime of the online subscription component for Hellgate: London, not the user's lifetime. Lifetime Subscription memberships are limited to the first 125,000 pre-order purchasers of Hellgate: London from participating retailers who upgrade prior to November 30, 2007. Prior to purchasing a Lifetime Subscription, the purchasers of the Hellgate: London must complete their purchase of the Hellgate: London software and create a Hellgate: London online subscription account. The user acknowledges and agrees that: (a) the Hellgate: London online component, including, but not limited to the online subscription component may be cancelled at any time, without any refunds or other compensation to the user; (b) the Lifetime Subscription does not automatically grant access to expansions of Hellgate: London which are sold as individual products, as such products must be purchased separately; (c) the user must accept and abide by the End User License Agreement for Hellgate: London and the Terms of Service, Code of Conduct and Privacy Policy for the Hellgate: London online component, as each are modified from time to time, at all times prior to the purchase of a Lifetime Subscription; and (d) in addition to the foregoing, Ping0, LLC retains the right to cancel a Lifetime Subscription as set forth in the Terms of Service to the Hellgate: London online component.

EA AND NAMCO BANDAI GAMES ANNOUNCE NOVEMBER 2nd RELEASE DATE FOR HELLGATE: LONDON The Next Benchmark in Action Role Playing Games will Start Lighting Up PCs this Halloween Chertsey, UK. - August 6, 2007 - Get ready to hack, slash, and shoot your way through a demon-infested London this Halloween! Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. today announced that Hellgate™: London, the premier title from Flagship Studios, will start hitting retail stores in North America on October 31, 2007 and in Europe on November 2, 2007 for the PC. Hellgate: London represents the next leap in the evolution of the action RPG genre, combining the depth and addictive gameplay of traditional RPGs with the visceral action of first-person shooters.

"We wanted to hit the sweet-spot for release in terms of the development schedule and delivering the highest-quality game to our players," said Bill Roper, CEO of Flagship Studios. "Halloween was the perfect fit as it ensures that Hellgate: London will have an appropriate amount of beta testing, while also being an incredibly fun time to unleash the game."

One of the most anticipated PC games and RPGs of the year, Hellgate: London offers infinite re-playability with dynamically generated levels, items, enemies and events. The player creates a heroic character, completes quests, and battles through an innumerable amount of demons to advance through a deep, rich story-driven campaign. A robust, flexible skill and spell system, highly customizable appearances, and a massive variety of randomly generated equipment allow each player to create his or her own unique hero.

While some may prefer to slay demons solo, players will also be able to take the fight online*, teaming up with friends to save London in a secure, client-server environment and playing through the entire story-driven campaign for free. For those players who want to extend their Hellgate: London experience, Flagship is offering an optional subscription service which will give players access to huge amounts of content on an ongoing basis in the form of quests, character classes, demons, items, etc. More details about Hellgate: London's online options are coming soon.

The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB, PEGI or BBFC. Visit www.esrb.org, www.pegionline.eu or www.bbfc.co.uk for updated rating information. For more information about Hellgate: London, log onto www.electronicarts.co.uk or the game's official website at www.hellgatelondon.com.

Oh. The Hella lights are a nice touch, though most likely unintentional. Michael McWhertor

A pretty gal, Luke or a potato? [Angelace's Hellgate: London Blog, thanks Dennise!]

It's been a little while since we've heard anything from Hellgate: London, but GameTrailers is hosting some new footage of some gameplay featuring the different playable characters in the game. Looks like good stuff, but let's just hope it ends up making it into our hands sometime in the next century. maybe if Namco stops making new Pac-man boards and concentrates on it, we will. Flynn De Marco

A bit pricey at $225.00 USD each, but they sure look fancy. Perfect for your glass display case that no one is allowed to touch, smoke near or stare at for extended periods of time. In fact, don't even look at the pictures online too long, lest you somehow degrade the real-life versions. They're that precious.

There are four up for pre-order, including the Hunter, Cabalist, Templar Male and Templar Female, but only 1,000 editions of each. The Hunter and Cabalist are both female, too, but you've probably figured that out by the carefully sculpted breasts.

Anyone out there planning on dropping almost a cool grand on all four? If so, can I borrow a tenner? Michael McWhertor

Hellgate: London Collectibles [Weta, thanks Dennise!]

Simply, if you don't pay the monthly fee, purported to be $9.95 USD, you're going to be flying coach in Hellgate: London. Folks who pony up for the "Elite" tier will see a number of benefits which include, but are not limited to, additional character slots, a Hardcore difficulty level, VIP shuttles, and visual distinction from lower-class players.

More potentially contentious are restrictions on forming guilds for the non-Elite and server queue prioritization for subscribers. The full details are linked below. I'll wait patiently for my copy of GFW to show up in my mailbox in the meantime. Michael McWhertor

Elite Subscriptions - $9.95 a month and other details! [Hellgate Guru via Shacknews]

Crysis, Hellgate: London, Mercernaries 2: World in Flames and The Orange Box, yes, that sexy Half Life kit for the console: Electronic Arts will be showing all of them off during this year's Game Developers Conference.

The late night event will also give journos a chance to hobnob with the development teams. Is it just me or is GDC quickly becoming E3? Brian Crecente

A slightly smaller and Sony-less Taipei Game Show just kicked off! Microsoft rolled out HD BenQ monitors, displayed special to Taiwan two pack game bundles and localized THE IDOLM@STER clips and Blue Dragon demos. PS2 is still king in Taiwan (everywhere, isn't it?), but Microsoft put in a strong showing. Also, there was a huge Hellgate: London booth across from a giant World of Warcraft stage. Hit the jump for a gallery of the festivities. Brian Ashcraft

Taipei Game Show [Game Watch Impress]

This year NamcoBandai has Hellgate: London, a PC RPG cum, shooter that it is co-publishing that with EA. Given the company's newfound penchant for cross-platform development, I ask if an Xbox 360 version is likely. Karlsson won't confirm it, but he admits that it's highly unlikely that such a notion is far from the company's planning calendar.

So sit tight until there's a formal announcement and we get this BandaiNamco/Bandai Namco nonsense sorted out. Brian Ashcraft

Hellgate 360 Bound? [Next-Gen]

Electronic Arts and Namco Bandai today announced that online role-playing game Hellgate: London from Flagship Studios is shipping this summer.

"We are all committed to making Hellgate: London absolutely the best game possible," said Bill Roper, CEO of Flagship Studios. "The anticipation surrounding the game is immense and we are looking forward to its launch being a truly worldwide event."

This is one of those games I've heard a lot of buzz about but haven't really been following. Somehow it hasn't managed to excite me enough to make me want to track it. What about you? Brian Crecente

EA and Namco Bandai Games America Announce Summer 2007 Ship Window for Hellgate: London

Hotly-Anticipated Action-RPG From Flagship Studios Set to Heat up PCs This Summer
LAS VEGAS —(Business Wire)— Jan. 8, 2007 Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) and NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. today announced a summer 2007 worldwide ship window for the highly-anticipated online action RPG Hellgate: London(TM), the first original PC title from premier developer Flagship Studios.

"We are all committed to making Hellgate: London absolutely the best game possible," said Bill Roper, CEO of Flagship Studios. "The anticipation surrounding the game is immense and we are looking forward to its launch being a truly worldwide event."

Hellgate: London combines the depth of role-playing games and the action of first-person shooter titles, while offering infinite playability with dynamically generated levels, items, enemies and events. The player creates a heroic character, completes quests, and battles through innumerable hordes of demons to advance through experience levels and branching skill paths. A robust, flexible skill and spell system, highly customizable appearances, and a massive variety of randomly generated equipment allow players to create their own unique hero.

As I prepare to say the following, I am putting on my asbestos burqa, but I feel it needs to be said. You may flame when ready.

Despite the very cool-looking, ultra-spooky London environment, don't you think these screenshots make the game seem a little...scattered? I mean in the design of the creatures and weapons.

I get no sense of an aesthetic unity here; the models and effects just look like a modgepodge of space, the middle ages, cyberpunk, Diablo and DOOM3. I look at these screenshots and absolutely lack curiosity about the characters and their lives. Which is a shame, because the concept is a fun one and I have an unreasonable affection for the actual title, which is snappy and adventurous in a White Wolf sort of way. Eliza Gauger

Read More Here [Computer and Video Games]

Gamers With Jobs is claiming that Flagship Studios servers have been hacked by a nefarious Chinese cybercriminal and the source code for Hellgate: London has been stolen.

Weirdly enough, this all seems to be news to Bill Roper of Flagship, who says he has 'heard the same rumors' but 'cannot confirm or deny that any code has been lifted from their studios.'

Apparently, the source code is now available for sale on a Chinese website... a shiny no-prize to the Kotakuite who can find it! As for Hellgate: London, this news, if true, sucks. Everyone knows that the ultimate value to Valve of the HL2 source code theft was giving them a plausible excuse to miss their inexplicably optimistic release date. I want Hellgate sooner rather than later... let's hope this is just an unsubstantiated rumor. Florian Eckhardt

Hellgate: London Source Code Stolen [Gamers With Jobs]

Voodoo Extreme has posted some new screenshots for Hellgate: London, a game I have just started to get really excited about because I finally have a rig powerful enough to play it. This also qualifies as news because the screenshots feature what appears to be a sexy cyborg assassin hacking zombies apart with a samurai sword: we at Kotaku have an affinity not only for sexy assassins (see: Eliza) but also for brainless zombies (see: Ashcraft, Crecente).

But here's a serious question: is this game ever coming out? We're sure a complete movie of the game from start to finish could be put together at this point simply by lining up every screenshot that Flagship has hemorrhaged onto the Internet into chronological order as a flip book. Florian Eckhardt

Hellgate London Screenshots [Voodoo Extreme]