Seoul, Korea – April 1st, 2009 – HanbitSoft Inc. announced that HELLGATE: LONDON, an online action RPG developed by Redbana US Studio, will have stronger PvP system after its extensive 1.5 Patch.
Hellgate: London’s 1.5 Patch will introduce various PvP Modes such as ‘Team Death Match’, and a dueling system. Players will be able to choose a mode that best fits their play style, and experience diversity of PvP game-plays. There will be plenty of options to apply when players create the room which will allow the players to enjoy PvP in most favorable conditions. Another remarkable difference is that players will be able to play in 1:1 to 5:5 at most depending on the different modes. A button for inviting guild members will be updated to allow players to easily join their guild members. HanbitSoft added the announced details may change in future.
HanbitSoft posted the general introduction of 1.5 Patch on March 6th through Hellgate’s Korean official website, and is updating the details every Friday. So far, the company announced that there will be Mode Merger, Achievement Reward System, Instance Swtiching and Item Linking, and Consignment House. The company will be revealing more details every week on rest of 1.5 patch contents through Hellgate’s Korean official website.
HanbitSoft also made announcement regarding service in outside of Korea. “There have been many inquiries from US and European Hellgate players surrounding the availability of the game in those respective territories” said Kee Young KIM, CEO of HanbitSoft, and added “HanbitSoft does own the intellectual property of Hellgate: London and is interested in providing the game in the US and Europe, but is unable to do so at this time because Namco Bandai has the publishing rights for those regions. We cannot open up the server in Korea to allow access by US and European players as this will constitute infringing upon Namco Bandai’s publishing rights in the US and Europe. HanbitSoft is currently doing its best to improve the game.”
13 comments:
“HanbitSoft does own the intellectual property of Hellgate: London and is interested in providing the game in the US and Europe, but is unable to do so at this time because Namco Bandai has the publishing rights for those regions. We cannot open up the server in Korea to allow access by US and European players as this will constitute infringing upon Namco Bandai’s publishing rights in the US and Europe. HanbitSoft is currently doing its best to improve the game.”
What a load of rubbish how can that be infringing on Namco Bandais publishing rights when they (Namco Bandai) have already said that they won't ever publish the game again for the US\Europe markets, which to my way of thinking means they've given up the right to publish the game again. Let's hope Hanbit can stick it to them and release the game for those of us outside of Korea.
I understand the world no longer! Namco If the game is no longer for EU / US would like to run, why do you sell the rights to Hanbit not to play the game here in EU / US kann.Will distributed Namco not making money or have so much that it is not Namco interested in what happens to the players from the EU / US happens.
Namco to one does not forget, WE ARE THE PLAYERS, AND WE MAKE MONEY WITHOUT PLAYERS IN THE FUTURE, THERE IS NO MONEY !!!!!!!!!!!
My boycott !!!!! NAMCO GAMES NEVER AGAIN !!!!!
Yes what a load of rubbish! I totally enjoyed this game while it lasted in North America. Single Player mode is just not the same as Multiplayer online play.
Hope this game comes back to North America.
Maze
Level 50, Rank 30 Marksman, RIP.
Natural Born Killers Guild.
So...the logical next questions:
What are the chances that HanbitSoft can acquire the US/EU publishing rights from Namco Bandai? Are they trying? What's the holdup? Why would Namco Bandai want to keep the rights if they don't hope to use them again? And how did it happen that HanbitSoft got the IP rights without all the publishing rights in the first place?
Tune in next time for the answers to these and other burning quandaries...
Well two things actuallt are holding this up:
1- I don't think a big game publishing company or alliance (namco -EA) would like to have a game that backfired on them, being succesfull to someone else.
2- They'd have to succesfully bring back hellgate london playes.... count me in!
This is pure speculation, but I suspect this is part of the problem:
The US(etc) rights are currently near worthless.
Namco paid for these rights and has them on the books with that value. So selling them for a nominal sum would realise that loss and look bad on whatever year's financial report they make that sale in. Since they might become more valuable in future (they know Hanbit is continuing development) Namco is making a sensible business decision not to sell for their current value and instead hang on and hope they become valuable again.
Hanbit wants the rights, but sensibly doesn't want to pay more than they're currently worth. They know there is a fair way to go and a lot of work to do before the US rights become hot property again (if they ever do) and has already sunk a lot of money into Hellgate so isn't willing to risk the amount Namco needs to ask for on a maybe.
So both sides are making rational decisions and the result is bad for both (and for the players) - Namco isn't getting anything at all back for the investment it made to own the rights and Hanbit isn't getting access to the world market for it's ongoing work. It's a bit like the Prisoner's Dilemma problem.
Thank you for contacting NAMCO BANDAI's Customer Support Department.
We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced. Unfortunately, Hanbitsoft now owns all of the intellectual property for this title and as such Namco Bandai no longer has any affiliation with Hellgate: London. We can only recommend contacting Hanbitsoft for more information on the state of the game and its servers. Please feel free to contact us again in the future as the need arises. Customer Support
If Namco no longer has rights as you behaubten, then why should Hanbit here in EU / US server not up?
I wonder who really wants Namco muck?
NAMCO NEVER AGAIN! I do not support LIAR !!!!!
Ok!
Hanbitsoft is interested in EU/US market.Thats fine ;)
But why Namco still own the publishing rights?
Why Hanbitsoft and Namco dont make a deal?
Whats going on?
Namco wont sell the rights,or what?
Common let us know!!!
We want to fight for Hellgate London.
Can you tell us who is responsible for the rights at Namco Us?
You know that?I hope!
Does Hanbitsoft offer to less money?
We need any Solution for this problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Other Question:
Does namco send our Chars and Login Information to Hanbitsoft???
Please give us an answer!!!
Please!
Please
Please
Please
Please
Greetings from Germany
Please OPEN THE KOREAN SERVERS TO US PLAYERS! we love the new improved Hellgate!
If Namco's price for selling the US rights is too high, can't Hanbit just work in partnership with Namco, split the profits instead of outright buying it?
I agree with with what RippedBuff is trying to say. If you can work out a deal with the holders, say for one year the holders recieve a 10% proffit from all US subscribers then possibly at the end of that one year try to buy they rights or IPs from the holder. If they are not willing to sell, work out another deal.
The game is F2P right? I seem to have a problem accessing http://hg.hanbiton.com/ .. Is it because I'm from Singapore? Anyways, I just want to play this game so badly.. Will there be an english version? Someone pleas reply me..
Please bring hellgate servers back to US...
Is there anywhere i can download any patches or updates for this game.
This was an great game and I really enjoyed PvE with friends. I was sorry to see the game go. Having said that I have moved onto another game, (Warhammer Online), and don't know if I'd be willing to go back.
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