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Hellgate: London subscriptions are now live
So, there I was, about to enter the Upper Kingsway Sewers for Mac Kenzie to help him create a strange brew, when I see that Tiggs announced that the subscriptions for Hellgate: London are now live. She also went on to say that they are only live for Visa and Mastercard but they are working on the other options.Who is Tiggs? Well, she was the Director of Community Relations for Star Wars Galaxies until she quit a couple years ago. Now she seems to be the official announcement maker on the forums and in-game.Subscription is $9.99 a month. Now I don't know if it is worth it yet, but they promise a lot of goodies for the future. It is an MMO-like fee for a game that is not really an MMO, but I am having a lot of fun playing it.The official benefits of subscription to Hellgate: London are after the jump.
Hellgate: London satisfies Diablo cravings
Every time Blizzard sneezes, I think Diablo 3 is coming, but now that I have tasted a little of Hellgate: London, my Diablo needs have been satisfied. Yes, it's buggy, but if you tried to get on Battle.Net for Diablo 2 updates when it was first released, you ran into huge issues for a few days there, too.Other than the lore, what do you look for in a Diablo game? Demons? Check. Undead? Check. Basic combat archetypes? More to choose from without an expansion. Intuitive and innovative UI? Check. Check. (Though the spousal unit disagrees.) Cutting edge graphics? Check. Story quests and side quests? Again, more to choose from out of the starting gate. Grid inventory screen for creative item arranging? Check. Single player and online multiplayer options? Checky McCheckerstein. It is obvious that the core creators of the Diablo series created Hellgate: London by the very familiar gameplay, look and feel of the game. There are differences of course. Hellgate: London is a 3D world that pushes the current technology. It is set in an alternate future of Earth instead of a fantasy D&D derivation, making the setting and in-game technology vastly different from the Diablo world.If and when Diablo 3 is released, I will be there with bells on. Until then, I will be happily questing for people who live in subway stations and helping make London safe for the living, while still remembering the dead.
Xfire chats with Hellgate devs, transcript online
For those too busy trick or treating Wednesday night to make it to the chat with the Flagship Studios folks hosted by Xfire, a transcript has been made available online for your viewing pleasure. Word has it that it was the most popular chat session that Xfire has ever hosted, which is no surprise to us, because excitement for Hellgate: London has been off the charts. Among the things that stood out to us during the chat, which featured at least one developer in nearly every area of production, including art, sound, design, graphics, programming and more, was a heavy focus on future content. One listener complained about the lack of visual diversity in the game, to which graphics programmer Amir Ebrahimi replied, "HGL's dynamic level technology was built with the idea that we'd be extending well into the future. As with any big-budget game today, building environments are costly in terms of man-hours. We've yet to tap the flexibility of our DRLG technology and you'll see more in the future. As we add more areas and tilesets, our designers will be able to mix and match to create new environments for your enjoyment."The transcript runs over 8000 words in its entirety, so there's a lot of content in there for you hungry Hellgate fans.
Hellgate: London subscriptions temporarily offline
As a whole, it's probably fair to say that MMO players are a tolerant lot. We're generally willing to put up with bugs, unbalanced players classes, and sparse content when we jump into an MMO for the first time. Usually the excitement of being part of a new world overrides the feeling that we're paying money for an unfinished product. What is likely to irk us however, is when we purchase a game, install it, and go to put in our subscription information and ... oops, the subscription system is bugged! Sadly, such is the case with Hellgate: London, with Flagship Studios announcing, " Subscriptions are temporarily unavailable due to technical issues."Now, as we understand it, that doesn't mean that players can't play the game, it just means that nobody yet has access to the subscriber content yet, which is supposed to be such a big feature for hardcore fans. Though I guess if you really look at what the subscriber content is (bells and whistles like new items, character classes, themed events, and the like), it's supposed to be the icing to the rest of the game's cake, and it's highly unlikely that players have already dug through all that cake in the span of a single day. Still, we'll keep you posted on the status of this subscriber bug. Hopefully it doesn't scuttle the launch completely.
Is Hellgate an MMO or not?
Being as Hellgate: London is seeing lots of installs this week, the question is going around: is it an MMO or not? As Cuppy points out, it certainly fits the bill. It is Massive, it is Multiplayer, and it is definitely Online. But on the other hand, Hellgate is a little different-- it's free to play, like Guild Wars, but also like Guild Wars, expansions will cost you. You can form guilds, but as I understand it, there is no "overworld," per se-- even towns are instanced.So is it an MMO or not? Depends, of course, on how you define MMO. A persistent overworld is a huge element of "normal" MMOs-- a world in which you can walk around and see thousands of other players playing the game alongside you, and Hellgate doesn't have that. On the other hand, its unique model lends itself to pulling in a lot of non-MMO players. Players turned off by the time and money commitment implied by a monthly fee have no such problems with Hellgate, and that will definitely be a nice draw for them (as it has been with Guild Wars).So maybe we need a new label for just what games like Hellgate are. Anyway Games says, wisely, that labels are how you sell games, and, for better or worse, Flagship can't call their game an MMO. So what can they call it? These "buy once, play in a virtual world" games will surely become more popular. Instead of simply being called MMOs, maybe we should put them in an "instanced multiplayer game" (IMG) market of their own.
Hellgate: How much?
If you're after the digital download for Flagship Studio's new title, Hellgate: London through the EA store, be prepared for a bit of a rude shock, if you're in Australia. You may have looked at the prices and thought, "US$49.95? That's not bad." Well, it gets worse. Put your card back in your purse. That download is going to cost you quite a bit more than you think.
Hellgate: London opens to online dungeon crawlers
This Halloween is full of treats, but if you can tear yourself away from the festivities in all the other online games, you can now roam post-apocalyptic London in search of weapon upgrades and experience points. Hellgate: London's public servers have gone live and are awaiting demon-slaying heroes and heroines.Flagship Studios' Bill Roper posted a launch announcement on the game's official website, and took the opportunity to thank the community, the publishers, and the friends and families of the development team for their support over the past four years.The single-player and multi-player 3D action RPG comes from a studio that includes some of the same developers who gave us Diablo way back in the day. If you haven't bought the game yet, you might want to check out our demo impressions or download the demo to check it out for yourself, but beware of possible in-game advertising if that sort of thing irks you.
Your chance for a live chat with Hellgate developers on Halloween
If you're anticipating Hellgate: London amidst its recent controversy, and want to find out more about the game, why not just ask the developers? 1UP.com has posted news that Xfire is hosting a live chat with a team from Hellgate developer Flagship Studios. Listed on the Xfire site, the developers participating in the event will be: Bill Roper, CEO Flagship Studios Aletheia Simonson, Art Producer Bill Manegold, Game Programmer Amir Ebrahimi, Graphics Programmer Guy Somberg, Audio and Gameplay Programmer To be in with a chance to talk to them, visit Xfire's website and enter your email address. If you're lucky enough to be selected, you'll receive an email from Xfire giving you the details of the chat. It is scheduled for 6pm EDT on October 31st, which as 1UP notes, is the actual release date of Hellgate: London, so chances are if you're a die-hard fan, you will have already been playing the game all day. Oh, and I guess October 31st is Halloween too.
Dev shop-talk on Hellgate: London's factions and classes
Say it with me: "It's not another Diablo clone. It's not another Diablo clone." Okay, on the outside maybe it is a little, and I see why people think that since a few of the same developers who whipped up this hellacious game set in a futuristic London backdrop did a little something-something called Diablo 2. Yea, it's easy drawing comparisons between the two because both games have different settings, different classes with different skill trees -- oh freakin' hell, that's Diablo 2 slapped right-on-top of Hellgate: London! I laugh giddily at those who think it's the same game without even trying it first. You should decide if the game is fun as hell to play and the best way to do that is opening the gates and checking out the Hellgate: London demo. If a download is out of the question, but you are still interested in the different classes; a developer-diary posted on Pro-G keeps the gates to hell open by discussing Hellgate: London's character classes, the factions, weapons, and the hellish cycle classes went through to get to where they are today.
Flagship responds to the Hell Gate: London EULA-Adware debacle
Many Hellgate: London players are crying, "don't adware me bro" after finding out that real-world deodorant ads for zombie slayers flicker on posters and signs during their gaming experience. Various adverts are implemented into the game by Massive Incorporated -- a company that specializes in accessible in-gaming ad distribution. Upon deeper inspection it was found Hellgate: London's EULA isn't all about rainbows and puppies and there is some cause for a revolt, I mean concern. If you aren't aware of what an EULA is, they "shrink-wrapped" contracts written in fancy legal word-play that most players click-off before diving into the game. Basically, the bedlam is over a clause in Hellgate: London's EULA that grants EA and its affiliates carte blanche with a player's sensitive data. 3. Consent to Use of Data. You agree that EA, its affiliates, and each Related Party may collect, use, store and transmit technical and related information that identifies your computer, including without limitation your Internet Protocol address, operating system, application software and peripheral hardware, that may be gathered periodically to facilitate the provision of software updates, dynamically served content, product support and other services to you, including online play. EA and/or the Related Parties may also use this information in the aggregate and, in a form which does not personally identify you, to improve our products and services and we may share that aggregate data with our third party service providers.Before those clenching their fists break a finger and swear to never purchase Hellgate: London because you think they are evil data moochers let me explain, hell, at least read Flagship's explanation first. This type of clause is standard in most MMOG EULA's -- go take a look at any MMOG EULA or check out ancient news about players discovering World of Warcraft's anti-cheating solution dubbed The Warden. Of course, most players are still ill-informed about EULA's, online security and what sometimes results is a nasty backlash over paranoia and fear. I definitely understand the negative reactions over the ads, but the EULA is there for several good reasons, one is to not only protect the developers but to also preserve the gaming experience. Flagship's well thought out response recapped after the jump:
Hellgate: London uses tailored in-game advertising
Following the release of the demo for Hellgate: London, a somewhat disappointing discovery has been made. Heartless_Gamer has a post that shows that the game's licensing agreement has provisions for them to collect information about users, to help them tailor in-game advertising. In other words-- adware. Hellgate: London is being published by EA, and as Heartless_Gamer points out, this isn't the first time they've bundled this helpful addition with their games. Battlefield 2142 caused a stir when the full retail version of the game did exactly what Hellgate: London is doing now. Is there really any point in hoping that this will only be included with the demo of Hellgate?The advertising seen in the demo is in the form of posters on the walls, but I'm willing to bet that they could be a lot more creative than that. There is also the question of whether we want to see ads in games at all, "dynamically served" or otherwise. If Hellgate is set in a post-apocalyptic London, then why am I seeing current-day ads in-game? Games in the sports genre include bucketloads of advertising, but in most cases, the fact that those ads are there at real life sporting events lends more authenticity to the games -- okay, perhaps not the Burger King's Fight Night cameo (coincidentally also EA's doing). Let us know where you draw the line in the comments section, and if Hellgate: London is collecting information from you, will you still buy it?
Optional Hellgate: London subcriptions set at $9.95 per month
Games for Windows Magazine (via Hellgate Guru) reports that the optional MMO mode in Hellgate: London will cost players $9.95 per month. The subscription service, provided in addition to a single-player campaign and basic online functionality, will benefit from a continuous stream of content from developer, Flagship Studios, as well as several other features. Compared to the once-off package, these include round-the-clock support services, a lack of server queues, four times the amount of characters allotted to each player, increased item storage, guild functionality and other typical MMO offerings. In essence, the monthly fee acts as a gateway to a different business model, netting you an "elite" version of the post-apocalyptic RPG. The absurdly lucrative business model that powers an MMO like World of Warcraft must be the ultimate temptation and source of envy to those publishing games in the more traditional vein. Whereas most transactions end once the game is purchased, consistent online universes have the player not only buy the game, but continue sending money month after month. Much like slipping on a patch of oil deposited on the driveway by your neighbor's recently discovered geyser, it's not a financial prospect you can easily ignore.
The top 5 "secret" games coming to 360
According to Planet Xbox 360, the latest Official Xbox Magazine dishes out what its editors believe to be the top 5 games being secretly made for the Xbox 360. More or less the list is a wish list of games that most of us would like to see make an appearance on our beloved console. Many of them have been rumored for quite some time, but it's a nice list nevertheless. Check it out after the break.
Hellgate: London bound for 360?
During an interview with Next Gen, Namco Bandai's Zach Karlsson speaks to the possibility of Hellgate: London arriving on the Xbox 360. Hellgate, for those who don't know, is sort of a hybrid shooter/MMO for PC. First of all, Karlsson notes that Namco Bandai is looking for a good multiplayer game to bring to consoles like the Xbox 360 and PS3. He notes that the online space is essentially a platform in and of itself, thanks to the ease of portability between PC and 360. Next Gen then asks Karlsson if a 360 version of Hellgate is forthcoming. He doesn't confirm it, but states that it is very likely. Given the company's focus on the "online platform" and that EA -- the game's co-publisher -- typically extends its franchises as far as possible, it's definitely looking good.[Thanks, Jonah Falcon]
