When we heard word yesterday that work on Hellgate: London was once again underway at HanbitSoft’s new San Francisco studio, we weren’t entirely convinced that the news meant anything for Western gamers. In fact, everything we read led us to believe something far stranger. HanbitSoft, it seemed, had set up a U.S. studio simply to attract former Flagship Studios employees — and set them to work producing content for the Korean market alone.
Yesterday afternoon, this was all speculation. But starting yesterday evening and through this morning, former community manager Diane “Tiggs” Migliaccio — now a Namco Bandai employee — has been telling the Hellgate: London forums that HanbitSoft simply doesn’t have the publishing or distribution rights required to re-release the game in the U.S. and European markets.
The following are direct quotes from Miglaccio:
**************************
10/3, 4:08PM: “Folks, January 31, 2009 Hellgate London and the forums for NA and EU severs will be shut down for good. No Hanbitsoft or joining their servers, no Redbanana ect.”
10/3, 6:12PM: “Ok it seems the best way to stop these threads is to reply and lock. Hellgate London will shut down forever on January 31, 2009 for the NA and EU servers. There will not be any access ever for NA and EU players on anyones servers.
I’m sorry folks, you’re holding on to dreams that will not come true.”
10/3, 6:36PM: “A studio in the US does not mean NA and EU players get to play. After January 31, 2009 the servers will be shut down for good.”
10/3, 7:55PM: “That thread was locked so people would see my response. The other threads were left open. 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.
Let me explain things a bit to see if it clears up any issues for you. Hanbit owns the IP and rights to publish anywhere other then the US and EU and I think the other territory is Japan. NAMCO owns the rights to publish in the US and EU.”
10/4, 7:27AM, in response to a fan’s insistance that either HanbitSoft or Namco might set up servers again in the future: “Yes, it does mean that and has been explained in a few threads tonight. The servers will never exist in the US and EU again. Hanbit aka Redbanana can not have servers in the US or EU.”
10/4, 7:28AM: “I work for NAMCO BANDAI and I do know that Hanbitsoft/Redbanana can not set up servers or release HGL in the US or EU.”
**************************
GameCyte has so far been unable to reach Namco Bandai or Electronic Arts — which last we heard, possessed the game’s sales, marketing and distribution rights — for further comment.
We did, however, manage to get through to RedBana U.S. Corporation, the studio HanbitSoft set up in San Francisco. They had no comment for us, except to mention that a formal press release would be forthcoming.
Leave a Reply