MMO Hellgate died. Then it was bought out, and is back (in Asia). In the West, however, it remains dead, despite the best efforts of new franchise owners HanbitSoft.

See, HanbitSoft want to bring the game back to the West. But while HanbitSoft own the rights to the IP itself, Namco Bandai own the publishing rights to the game in North America and Europe. So HanbitSoft can’t open up Western servers (or even allow Western players on asian servers) without Namco Bandai’s involvement.

And Namco Bandai doesn’t want a bar of it, as they have no intention of re-opening the servers they closed on January 31.

So, Western Hellgate players, looks like your goose is well and truly cooked. Time to make like most other humans and give up on the game.

HanbitSoft ‘Interested’ In Western Relaunch For Hellgate, Prevented By Licensing [Gamasutra]

Atlus Online has revealed the first game to be offered on the new online community, JoyImpact’s massively multiplayer online steampunk game Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent.

Announced earlier this month, Atlus Online is a community portal for fans of Atlus games and anime, which will feature a wide variety of online games for the community to participate in. The first of said games has now been revealed as Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent, developed by JoyImpact and licensed to Atlus by HanbitSoft. It’s 19th-century steam-based technology versus magic in a world where two nations battle it our over a resource called Neo Steam. Players will choose a faction, class, and a special customizable pet that acts as their guide as they explore the game world, even using special abilities to assist in battles.

“With an engaging, steampunk-inspired storyline and aesthetic, Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent is a fresh take on the standard ‘fantasy’ MMO game genre,” said Shinichi Suzuki, president and CEO, Atlus. “Atlus Online is excited to bring this popular game in its new incarnation to a wide range of players around the world. Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent is a great first entertainment experience to lay the foundation of the unparalleled content and unmatched social interaction planned for the Atlus Online portal.”

Players interested in knowing more can visit the game’s official website at http://neosteam.atlusonline.com to look at pretty artwork until Atlus gives us more information.

Despite news to the contrary back in November, Korean publisher and developer HanbitSoft still plans to maintain Hellgate: London as a free-to-play title on a global scale after Namco Bandai’s January 31st server shutdown.

HanbitSoft first announced plans to relaunch the game back in early November of last year, after Namco Bandai announced that servers would close on January 31st, 2009. Namco Bandai then dismissed the announcement, claiming the company did not own the IP for the US and Europe.

Now HanbitSoft is once again asserting that they own the worldwide rights to the Flagship Studios title, and will be maintaining it as a free-to-play game, with a large-scale patch coming soon, combining Hellgate’s two play modes and unifying the community.

The question we should really be asking ourselves at this point, is does anyone really still care? I suppose we’ll find out come February 1st.

HanbitSoft: Hellgate London To Continue As Free-To-Play Title [Gamasutra]

But wait! New owners of the Hellgate brand, HanbitSoft, have announced that they are hard at work on a new expansion for what they touchingly refer to as “the world’s best game”.

“Our US development studio is currently working on an update that is to surpass ‘The Abyss Chronicles’” HanbitSoft said in a letter to their own PR Manager, “This game will be available through our Web site.”

The letter is signed “Sincerely, Hellgate: London Product Manager – also a fellow user that loves to play Hellgate: London.”

Letter from HGLD Product Manager [Hanbitsoft-GameEspresso via au.Gamespot]

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

We got an anonymous tipster who said Flagship shut down abruptly yesterday, and that developers for both Hellgate (San Francisco) and Mythos (Seattle) have all been pink-slipped. “But there’s also hope that they will all have their jobs back at the end of next week at a brand new company”, our tipster says.

But wait, there’s more. Flagship’s Korean partners/owners, Hanbitsoft, were said to be taking over. That sparked a foofaraw regarding who owns the Hellgate intellectual property.

Fan site Hellgate Guru first reported that HanbitSoft was taking full control of Hellgate: London and intended to continue the game. That brought a forceful denial from Flagship, and confirmation from HanbitSoft’s own attorneys (who slipped in a backhanded dig at the failing studio, which pretty much confirms Flagship’s demise.)

HanbitSoft’s attorneys said that while they’re an exclusive licencee of Hellgate and Mythos, it’s been pledged only the Mythos IP. Secured lender Comerica gets the Hellgate IP as collateral on the loan. Either way, Flagship does not own either, and also:

[I]t is unfortunate that Flagship turned down additional investments HanbitSoft offered to make that would have allowed it to keep its doors open, but HanbitSoft hopes to work with Comerica and some of the team at Flagship to see if there is a way to continue to generate content to keep Hellgate online in Asia and to finish the development of Mythos.

That sounds like the “brand new company” possibility our tipster mentioned. Either way, HanbitSoft says it threw Flagship a lifeboat, and it chose to go to the bottom. Ouch.

Finally, VE3D says it got more confirmation early this morning:

Flagships’s Community Manager, Taylor Balbi, has revealed, through sources, that all Ping0 and Flagship Studios staff have been made redundant. Employees were notified at a company meeting and subsequently informed that the offices will be officially closed on Saturday. Balbi went on to reveal that three of the studio’s top brass dug into their own pockets to provide 30 days of pay to all employees.

Our source says an official announcement will come next week (like what, at E3?)

Flagship Studios’ Closure Confirmed, All Staff Fired, All I.P. Lost [Voodoo Extreme]