Topic: Hellgate: London - 2018 Update: Coming to Steam (Reply 61)

[MysterD]

UPDATE - 10-24-2018:
Steam Store - Hellgate: London to re-launch on Steam...as a Single Player Game.


ORIGINAL POST:
EA to co-publish Hellgate: London

EA Snags Hellgate London
November 07, 2006 - EA has signed a deal to co-publish Flagship's upcoming FPS/RPG, Hellgate London.

"Hellgate: London is more than just a highly-anticipated PC game. It is the cornerstone of a franchise and that requires a different approach than the average product," said Makoto Iwai, Senior Vice President of the Development Group at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. "With an industry-leading marketing and sales network, our co-publisher EA brings expert knowledge and resources to our partnership that will ensure this AAA title will reach the largest market possible."

"We are thrilled that NAMCO BANDAI chose EA as its partner on this highly-anticipated game," said David DeMartini, Vice President & General Manager, EA Partners. "We are very excited to be involved with Flagship Studios' first title. The talent at Flagship Studios and NAMCO BANDAI, combined with EA's marketing expertise and publishing resources sets the stage for a blockbuster worldwide launch."

"This partnership assures the best possible outcome for Hellgate: London from both a development and customer-reach standpoint." said Bill Roper, CEO of Flagship Studios. "By working with both companies in their undisputable areas of strength and expertise, we can bring the game to as many people as possible while maintaining our development focus and schedule at Flagship Studios."

-- Robert 'Apache' Howarth

[Quemaqua]

Eh.  At least they're only co-publishing and coming into the whole thing late in the game.  But still... fucking hell.  Why won't EA just fucking die?

[MysterD]

Lots of new screenies on IGN

Here's a few screenies...

[Pugnate]

What engine are they using? Proprietary?

[MysterD]

What engine are they using? Proprietary?

Yeah, I think so.

I think there is also some Middleware being used, like Havok Physics.

[MysterD]

Release date set for 2007

PRESS RELEASE: EA AND NAMCO BANDAI GAMES AMERICA ANNOUNCE SUMMER 2007 SHIP WINDOW FOR HELLGATE: LONDON
Press release supplied by Games Press 15:00 08/01/2007

Electronic Arts, Chertsey UK. – January 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™, 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.

Hellgate: London is currently being featured on the show floor of the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas from January 8-11 in Central Hall at the Microsoft booth (#7145) and Intel booth (# 7153) and in South Hall at the Dell booth (Level 3, #30363).

For more information about the game, log onto www.hellgatelondon.com

[Pugnate]

Its the guys who made Diablo. So by 2007 they actually mean 2037.

[MysterD]

Its the guys who made Diablo. So by 2007 they actually mean 2037.

But unlike Duke Nukem Forever, Diablo actually got RELEASED.

[Quemaqua]

I hate it when they give year dates.  Who fucking cares?  Don't even bother saying anything until you've got something at least *relatively* concrete.  Annoying.  Anyway, still looking forward to it, still pissed at EA's involvement.  I want to boycott, but I can't.  I want Flagship to do well and I'm not going to punish them in an attempt to get around EA.

[idolminds]

Get ready for a huge buzz kill: pay to play multiplayer.

In addition to yesterday's announcement that Hellgate: London will be shipping in Summer 2007, developer Flagship Studios revealed this week that the game's multiplayer component is a subscription-based MMO. Speaking to Shacknews at CES in Las Vegas, CEO Bill Roper noted that the game is a full scale massively multiplayer game, with genre trappings such as guilds, continually developed content, a full social system, and raid-type gameplay.

Drawing similarities to ArenaNet's Guild Wars, the Hellgate MMO is heavily instanced. Group and solo PvE is the game's main focus; PvP will exist in a small scale form, but is not a major element of the initial launch. It will also feature a Hardcore mode similar to that found in Blizzard's Diablo II, a game on which many members of the Hellgate team worked. Hellgate's MMO will contain all of the missions and story from the single-player aspect of the game, as well as exclusive gameplay modes and content. Like the single-player game, the MMO will be comprised of dynamically generated areas and items. Further content will be continually added over time by a dedicated Flagship team.

Flagship expects to launch an open beta prior to the launch of the game. Pricing details have not yet been determined, though Roper noted that there will be some kind of trial or free play system for those looking to get a taste of the game without commitment.

"I think that just as Diablo and Diablo II started this religious argument over whether they're RPGs or not, I think that Hellgate will spark that same debate over whether it's an MMO or not," commented Roper, who added that the game has been designed as an MMO from day one. Check back this week for an extensive interview with Roper, delving more comprehensively into the online aspects of Hellgate: London.

If its like $5 a month and offers something substantial, I'd probably still go for it. But...fuck, I already have Guild Wars for online instanced semi-MMO playing and it doesn't have a monthly fee. What will Hellgate offer on top of that to make it worthwhile?

*EDIT*

Heh...his little Q&A will be major damage control. Nearly everyone went from "I want this game!" to "Fuck that game!"

If they are smart, they will do this: regular MMO junk with a fee. You know, towns full of people, guilds, whatever (just forget Guild Wars has that for free...). However, you can simply host a game where you and a group of friends can go kill stuff free of charge. You don't get some of those extra things, but you don't really need them either. Who needs to form a guild when you play with the same handful of people anyway?

We'll see how this pans out. It was a dick move to just drop this on people now. This kind of thing you need to say from the first announcement.

Foil hat theory: EA publishing saw a path to easy money.

[MysterD]

Hellgate: London to have a MP fee? Bummer for MP news.

I will still want to play the SP, though.

[Quemaqua]

I agree that this was a dick move.  I'm pretty disappointed because suddenly however cool the SP stuff is going to be, it seems like nothing more than a shadow to what'll be offered online.  And that sucks balls.  Not to mention it isn't something I'm willing to pay for because, like idol, my needs in that area are currently fulfilled and I see little reason to go anywhere.  Besides, at this point I can't even pay for the game currently fulfilling my needs, so... wtf?  This is crap.

[Pugnate]

That is FUCKING BULLSHIT FUCKING HELL RAT BASTARDS!

"I think that just as Diablo and Diablo II started this religious argument over whether they're RPGs or not, I think that Hellgate will spark that same debate over whether it's an MMO or not," commented Roper

That's because you are calling it an MMO just to fucking justify your fucking bullshit fees. I've been following this game since forever, and not once do I remember anyone from your team calling it an MMO, so fuck you. And fuck you for sleeping with the devil.

I bet it was EA's damn idea.

edit:

I love how on shacknews the previous articles on Hellgate had on average 10 comments, and this has 140.

[idolminds]

Its such an odd comment as well. Guild Wars people debate if its really an MMO. You go into towns and there are lots of other people to meet, group with, trade with, etc. It "feels" like an MMO, but theres no fee. So is it? The world is instanced so...maybe it isnt. Hmmmm....

But as soon as you charge a monthly fee, its an MMO. Or at least, it freaking better be if you're charging us.

[MysterD]

Its such an odd comment as well. Guild Wars people debate if its really an MMO. You go into towns and there are lots of other people to meet, group with, trade with, etc. It "feels" like an MMO, but theres no fee. So is it? The world is instanced so...maybe it isnt. Hmmmm....

MMO = Massive Multi-player Online.

I think the core element for a MMO is that the game has a CENTRAL server ran by ONE corporation that you can hop on at any given time pretty much. NCSoft runs all the servers for GW; no players run the server. For WoW, Blizzard runs all the servers; not the players. 

But, GW is kind of an old duck -- b/c you don't run around w/ 7,000,000 other players all in the same area; y'all are cut off to only bringing so many w/ you per a "District"; in which this often just feels like a Co-Op MP game. Though, there are PvP elements, too....

NWN2 is a weird one, as you can play MP on NUMEROUS different servers ran by numerous players; hell, you can even keep playing over a CENTRAL SERVER that someone has set-up for a Persistent World like say an MMO.

[MysterD]

I agree that this was a dick move.  I'm pretty disappointed because suddenly however cool the SP stuff is going to be, it seems like nothing more than a shadow to what'll be offered online.  And that sucks balls.

Exactly.

Not to mention it isn't something I'm willing to pay for because, like idol, my needs in that area are currently fulfilled and I see little reason to go anywhere.  Besides, at this point I can't even pay for the game currently fulfilling my needs, so... wtf?  This is crap.

The game can be played either ONLINE (MP style) or OFFLINE (SP style), so this really begs the next question -- is Hellgate even an MMO???

At least w/ GW, you know it has the MMO element b/c it cannot be played offline.

[MysterD]

More on the ordeal of Hellgate: London having a monthly fee or not.

Looks like it is not final yet on if the MP part of Hellgate will be subscription free based per month, FREE, or who knows what....

...We'll have to wait, for more info on their final decision, I guess....

We have a short interview with Ivan Sulic, Flagship Studios' community manager of Hellgate: London concerning the recent hubbub that's been going around the gaming media concerning the online subscription fees for the game.


    Scaper-X
    You folks are the talk of the internet.

    Ivan
    Lots of hubbub over some Bill quote or misquote. I haven't even been able to follow up on just what he said yet. The directors still have not finalized what exactly our online component will be. So Moses didn't have the good lord blast a $500 a month price tag into stone or whatever.

    Scaper-X
    The phrase being quoted most of all is, "I think that just as Diablo and Diablo II started this religious argument over whether they're RPGs or not, I think that Hellgate willspark that same debate over whether it's an MMO or not."

    Ivan
    Well, that quote is more about the content. Since we're instance based and revolve predominantly on party gameplay and we're not technically a persistent state game. EA contacted Shack news? What'd they say?

    Scaper-X
    "Update: Since posting our original news item on the matter, Shacknews has been contacted by Electronic Arts, which is co-publishing the game along with Namco Bandai. EA noted that there has not in fact been any final decision made as to Hellgate: London's online pricing model, be it subscription-based or otherwise. We respect this situation, while maintaining that have reported fairly on statements we received. A full interview is forthcoming."

    Ivan
    Yeah, we haven't made a final decision. Seriously, the directors debate about this quite a bit. Basically, we want to do ongoing content. We don't want it to be like Diablo where we had a patch and an expansion and that's that. We really want to do ongoing content. So the directors have to just figure out how the hell we're going to pay for that. Could be anything. Really.

    Scaper-X
    Are continuing expansion packs still on the table in lieu of monthly fees?

    Ivan
    Could be the bonus dvd does it or subscription or real money transactions or auctions or micro purchases or lots of smaller expansions. Could seriously be anything. Which is why they still debate some. So... Until the reach a decision, whatever that is, and then print it across the web in a release, it's all going to be speculation and misunderstandings and odd quotes

    Scaper-X
    How's HG:L being received at the event, out of curiosity?

    Ivan
    People love it. But, its Consumer Electronics...so everyone wants to know about the machines first. Then they're like, oh yeah, the game looks good, too

    Scaper-X
    Heh. Ooh, that reminds me, you can snuff a rumor that rose out of the ashes of an old interview: will the game play properly on a dual core system? Supposedly someone found an interview from March 06 that said it would not.

    Ivan
    It will for sure. We're showing at intel right now on Core 2 Duo, Quad and Extreme around the show floor. We have specific optimizations going in, too

    Scaper-X
    Perfect. And is the game capable of utilizing hyperthreading?

    Ivan
    Yes. Yes it is

    Scaper-X
    Fantastic.

So there you have it. Monthly fees are not confirmed.
-- Scaper-X

[Quemaqua]

It makes me feel a little better... because this at least demonstrates that their main focus is just to keep new content coming down the pipeline, and it's a lot harder to fault them for that.  I have no issue paying for something worthwhile.  Paying for the right to play online?  Hell no.  Paying for new content?  Sure!  If the game is good, that's just great.  I wouldn't mind having had a little extra Diablo 2 to play back in the day when I was at it hardcore.   But I'm not digging the subscription idea, and I do wish they'd been a bit more up front about some of this.  I mean, we knew there was going to be an MP focus, we just didn't know they were pushing so much for a pipeline of new content.  Hopefully it isn't as bad as it sounded initially.

[MysterD]

More on Hellgate from Shacknews, in an interview w/ Bill Roper

Bill Roper on Hellgate: London Online
-- January 10, 2007 by: Chris Remo
In news that is either quite a surprise or somewhat expected, given how closely you've been following interviews given by Flagship Studios recently, company CEO and former Blizzard executive Bill Roper revealed that the company's debut title Hellgate: London is to feature a massively multiplayer component as its online side. Roper spoke extensively with Shacknews at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas about some of the current plans and ideas the studio has for the online component of Flagship's spiritual successor to the Diablo franchise, which was developed by many of those on the Hellgate team.

(Note: Since posting our original news item on the matter, Shacknews has been contacted by Electronic Arts, which is co-publishing the game along with Namco Bandai. EA noted that there has not in fact been any final decision made as to Hellgate: London's online pricing model--meaning that it may not even end up a paid subscription based service at all. In the interest of presenting to our readers as complete a picture of the situation as we had, below are Roper's opening comments given when asked about the model behind Hellgate: London's multiplayer mode.)

Okay.

"We'll probably have some kind of detail in the next month or two as to our pricing model, but the design is both a standalone as well as an MMO, so we want to be able to hit both markets just like we did with the Diablo titles.

Okay.

"There are a lot of people that in some instances actually can't get online, and there are also people who are online but for gaming they aren't sure if they want to make that commitment to pay the monthly fee and go online. They can get the game and play the standalone, and get 30 or 40 hours' worth of gameplay."

30 to 40 hours for SP sounds good to me.

"If they like that, they can go online and we'll have a good ramp of some kind for them to go online and check out some of the services. Exactly how we handle that, whether it'll be a trial or whether they can check out some of the game for free, we're still hammering out the final details. Then beyond that it will be pay to play, and again we're about a month out from announcing more on that. But what you're getting with that service is you're getting 24/7 customer service, secure servers, databases, and the biggest thing is that you're getting continuing content. We'll have a full dev team that's on the project from day one. Actually, right when you buy the game, when it launches there will already be content available that you can't get in the single-player--additional monsters, areas, all the community and economy things, you'll be able to form guilds, auction houses, all those things you expect from MMOs."

Interesting.

I wonder if they will add content to the SP for this game, as well.

Update: Today, Shacknews followed up with Roper, who clarified his comments and stated that the monthly fee subscription model is only one option currently under evaluation by the studio and its publishers Electronic Arts and Namco Bandai Games, and that his comments were intended in a theoretical context. For more on the matter, see our latest report.

MMO or not?

Drawing from games such as Guild Wars and of course Diablo II, Roper admits Hellgate: London's online component doesn't necessarily neatly slide into the MMO genre. So is it an MMO? "I think that just as Diablo and Diablo II started this religious argument over whether they're RPGs or not," he mused, "Hellgate will spark that same debate over whether it's an MMO or not." But what does Bill Roper think? "It's really an MMO," he said confidently.

Okay.

In many ways, the Diablo series and particularly Diablo II serve as a touchstone for Hellgate. Many of those looking forward to the game were massive fans of Blizzard's action RPG series, and Roper himself frequently refers to the franchise when talking about his game. The multiplayer concept, which revolves around individuals or groups trawling through legions of enemies in a heavily instanced world, is evocative of Diablo II's. "There's even Hardcore mode [available online], like in D2 where you get one life and that's it," he added. "Hardcore mode was very popular to a very vocal group of people who took a huge amount of pride in having a high level guy who's never died. You tend to play the game very differently."

Okay.

That said, there are major differences between the games. "The biggest differences between Diablo II online and Hellgate: London are that Hellgate: London has been built from the very beginning to be sustained online as part of the original design, whereas D2 really wasn't like that at all," he explained. "We had dreams of being able to do continuing content [in Diablo II] but it really wasn't possible at all from a code standpoint. Hellgate has been set up to do that from the beginning. The other big difference is that in Diablo II you were in a chat room. Here, it's like other MMOs: you're in a town, you are your character, you're interacting with people and getting quests. But we're also giving you that single-player experience, which World of Warcraft doesn't."

But will you be giving us some additional SP content in patches and expansion packs, as well?

Hellgate: London's main quest storyline is identical in single-player and multiplayer; players can get the full story experience either way. However, the online side will contain exclusive content and modes unavailable in single-player. These include guild-related and raid-level events, PvP arena combat, new enemies, quests, and items, and so on--all features familiar to MMO players.

Okay.

Unlike most MMOs, the primary storyline is actually finite, and can be completed even in online mode. "You complete the storyline, and get that big overarching sense of completion that you typically don't get in MMOs," said Roper. "Then what we do to continue the gameplay past that is to create all these quests you do that take into account that the world state has changed for your character. You've completed it, finished the task that was set before you. The thing that's really nice about that is that we can create all this online content that you don't get in single-player that takes into account that you did finish the storyline of the game."

Okay.

These changes can manifest them visually, so that after completing various parts of the storyline you actually see world physically differently due to events you triggered. NPCs might also react to you differently. "Depending on what you've completed in the storyline, there will be actual changes in the world that you notice. If I'm level 5 and you're level 30 and you've done a lot more stuff, your perception of the world is probably different than mine," Roper added. He explained that these are atmospheric changes rather than gameplay changes, allowing players to potentially coexist in the same virtual world even if they perceive it differently.

Ahhhh....kind of like how NPC's treat you differently when you finish Morrowind's main quest and Oblivion's main quest...

They should do stuff like this for the SP, as well....that'd be cool....

[Quemaqua]

See, that's what bugs me.  This isn't *really* an MMO.  He keeps saying that, but Diablo II was never anything like an MMO.  It was like joining a server with a couple buddies and having a killing romp, and this is sounding like the same thing more or less with some MMO-ish stuff thrown in for good measure.

And again, he's pissing me off because... why can't you make the same shit available for the SP stuff?  Because you want to have a pay-to-play design that squeezes more fucking money out of people.  Otherwise you'd have no reason not to include the SP stuff.  I wouldn't even mind if the stuff was made available to SP users just by paying for it.  That would be totally fine for me.  Few dollars for extra stuff in a game I love?  Sure!  But why do you have to separate it that way?  I'm fucking tired of paying to play stuff.  Why can't you just sell the stuff to everybody (people buy expansions packs, you know) and have a nice shitty MP service like battle.net where I can play for free?  I don't want to pay for customer support because I've never fucking used it in any game ever (except once in WoW to report a suspected gold farmer and a few gold farming ads), I don't care about secure servers and stuff since I play with friends, and the only other thing they're supposedly offering is content -- which they should just fucking make available to everybody!

I guess in the end it probably won't matter, though, since I'll probably end up playing this with other people here and won't want to play it SP at the same time... so maybe it's a moot point.  For some reason it's still bothering me, though.  I really don't now why.  I think I'm just entirely pissed in general these days.

[Pugnate]

If Diablo had been pay to play online, it would have never taken off. Diablo was about hitting the servers when the urge struck you, playing mindlessly without any pressure and then leaving.

[MysterD]

See, that's what bugs me.  This isn't *really* an MMO.  He keeps saying that, but Diablo II was never anything like an MMO.  It was like joining a server with a couple buddies and having a killing romp, and this is sounding like the same thing more or less with some MMO-ish stuff thrown in for good measure.

It has the MMO element of "I need to connect to *THEIR* main server to play online," but it also doesn't feel like one b/c the SP campaign is pretty much the same -- well, minus a few gameplay modes.

And again, he's pissing me off because... why can't you make the same shit available for the SP stuff? Because you want to have a pay-to-play design that squeezes more fucking money out of people.

Exactly.

Otherwise you'd have no reason not to include the SP stuff.  I wouldn't even mind if the stuff was made available to SP users just by paying for it.  That would be totally fine for me.

I can understand the SP not getting the PvP mode stuff since that is MMO stuff...

...but the extra content like quests, enemies and stuff that resemble SP type of stuff -- what the hell??? Why not make some of *that* available in a patch or as a DLC like Oblivion or as a retail expansion would do?

Few dollars for extra stuff in a game I love?  Sure!  But why do you have to separate it that way?  I'm fucking tired of paying to play stuff.

Amen.

Why can't you just sell the stuff to everybody (people buy expansions packs, you know) and have a nice shitty MP service like battle.net where I can play for free?

Exactly.

I always thought the reason for expansions was to add MORE content to a game you want MORE of.

I don't want to pay for customer support because I've never fucking used it in any game ever (except once in WoW to report a suspected gold farmer and a few gold farming ads), I don't care about secure servers and stuff since I play with friends, and the only other thing they're supposedly offering is content -- which they should just fucking make available to everybody!

They seem to be looking for an excuse to get everybody to join their MMO portion of the game -- and pay that monthly fee, too. That's why the MMO part is getting all the "exclusive" stuff that you *could* roll into the SP portion of the game, as well.

I guess in the end it probably won't matter, though, since I'll probably end up playing this with other people here and won't want to play it SP at the same time... so maybe it's a moot point.  For some reason it's still bothering me, though.  I really don't now why.  I think I'm just entirely pissed in general these days.

I think it's that the companies are trying to find every way to milk gamers for their $$$$ -- that's why you're pissed, as is most of the gaming community w/ the news of the MMO getting all this extra junk that you likely could roll also into the SP.

I wouldn't mind paying for Hellgate some sort of small DLC type-of-fee -- kind of like BethSoft has set-up for new premium-grade SP content to Oblivion. Though, I would prefer to think companies might want to do what EgoSoft did w/ X3: Reunion -- they added new expansion content of 10 more hours w/ a FREE PATCH.


I think Guild Wars got it right w/ their business model for that MMO:

1. No Subscription Fees
You never pay for online subscription fees w/ this online game. Count me in.

2. New Stand-Alone Expansions To Purchase Every 6-12 Months
NCSoft will just roll a stand-alone expansion out every 6 months for you to play online that you will pay full price for. The games are expansions since content from one piece (like say in Prophecies) can be used in another (like say Nightfall). But, they stand alone b/c you don't need to own any one piece to play another -- i.e. I don't need Prophecies to play Nightfall.  And since I don't pay them online monthly/yearly subscriptions fees, sounds good to me to charge $50 for the software; ONE FLAT FEE, END OF STORY. And, since these GW games are around normally 30-40 hours per game, w/ game length alone, I think that does also warrant the usual $50 tag.
(SIDE NOTE: Oh, if that isn't enough, they seem to update the game w/ new quests and content here and there...Go NCSOFT!)

[MysterD]

If Diablo had been pay to play online, it would have never taken off. Diablo was about hitting the servers when the urge struck you, playing mindlessly without any pressure and then leaving.

Right, I don't think that "pay to play online" concept would've worked for Diablo b/c namely the SP and MP campaign content were the same pretty much -- though, you had other players to deal w/ now in the MP, as well.....That was the major difference online....

Who'd want to pay a monthly fee to play the same game online, when you could play the same game content they could play ALONE for free?

[MysterD]

NamcoBandai's Director of Business Developement, Zach Karlsson, mentions that we might eventually see an X360 version of Hellgate

Big Games

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.

[Pugnate]

I think its a given.

[MysterD]

I think its a given.

Especially w/ EA being part publisher....

[Pugnate]

I think its a given.

Where have I said that before?

[MysterD]

Where have I said that before?

Somewhere on here

(well..."here", as in Overwritten.net's General Gaming board....)

[Quemaqua]

Pretty sure that was a rhetorical question, D.

[Pugnate]

*shakes head*

[MysterD]

*shakes head*

*scratches head*

[Quemaqua]

GSpot interviews Roper and he clears up some stuff.  My fears aren't entirely assuaged, but they are somewhat.

[MysterD]

FiringSquad interviews Mr. Roper on Hellgate: London


Here's some screenies

[MysterD]

1Up has a three-page preview on this game

[Quemaqua]

I just read the first tiny bit.  It was all I needed.  Man, I can't wait.

[idolminds]

Why stop at the preview? 1up did Hellgate for the entire week.

[Quemaqua]

That's awesome.  And did anybody notice the Electric Eel Injector gun?  Please tell me it has actual eels...

[scottws]

I'm getting tired of the fleecing of gamers.  I mean there is in-game advertising (and in some cases it gets data off your hard drive as well), then there is pay-to-play, pay for extra content, holding out certain features for an expansion pack, etc.

I have no interest in this game.  The graphics don't impress me and I'm not much of an online gamer, and I will never pay an MMO-type subscription fee ever.

[idolminds]

So I'm listening to the 1UP Yours podcast and the guy talks a little about Hellgate. Next issue of GFW magazine is going to have tons of Hellgate info, including the mutli free and not free stuff. The podcast guy gave a heads up and said this: Whatever is in the box when you buy the game. All that cool shit, the quests, monsters...thats all free to play online, just like Diablo. If you choose to subscribe then you get like new stuff.

I'll be sure to post more details whenever the mag arrives.

[Quemaqua]

So they did finally decide on a subscription model?  That's kind of a bummer, but... oh well, I guess.  At least you don't have to pay it.