I’ve recently been invited to the local Hellgate: London launch, which is going to take place sometime during December next month. If you’re a regular here, then you may be aware that I’m not a big Hellgate fan.

Why then am I going?

Aside from the prospect of free chow, I’ve been itching to go because I’m very curious as to how IP e-Games, a local MMO publisher, would handle the game’s retail and payment scheme.

You see, Hellgate isn’t very cheap. It’s currently selling at over PHP 2,200 in retail (roughly a little over $50). Compare it to the majority of other local MMOs whose clients are distributed dirt-cheap or practically given away, and you’ve got yourself a problem.

If IP e-Games drops the price, it would suffer a huge loss for each unit sold. But wait! Consoles are sold at a loss, right? That may be correct to a certain degree, but the console gaming market is way different because while the hardware is sold at a loss, the console makers make money through the games themselves.

Oranges and apples. These new-fangled MMOs are very different from consoles from a business perspective. MMOs get their revenue from the monthly payments made by its players. If e-Games gives Hellgate away and manages to rake in a sizable number of subscribers, I don’t think the monthly revenues would make up for the losses for each copy of the game given away.

Another problem: how much would e-Games charge monthly? According to Flagship, the U.S. subscription is $9.95. Convert that to the local currency and you’ve got around PHP 420 per month.

Exactly how will PHP 420 compete with e-Games’ other free games? Interestingly, is e-Games still using its’ “Freedom to play forever” slogan?

Given the circumstances, I woud really like to know how the local publisher would handle the financial aspect of Hellgate because right now, I don’t think bringing the game here is feasible at all.

Post from: EveryJoe

Local Hellgate launch to answer questions about retail and payment scheme

Nvidia’s GeForce 8800 GT video card is hitting store shelves today. If you’re desperate to run Crysis, all you have to do is shell out from $199 to $249. With all the upcoming games for the PC (i.e. Hellgate: London and Gears of War), you’ll likely need the upgrade.

What’s under the proverbial hood, you ask? According to the hype people, their new money trap product comes with 112 stream processors, a 256-bit memory interface, and HD technology. The 8800 GT was created using the 65nm process.

Cevat Yerli, the big cheese at Crytek, believes that the 8800 GT is the “perfect card” for Crysis. With the card, you’ll be able to max out the resolution, Yerli says. Would you really appreciate the teensy details when your enemies are pumping you full of lead and you’re running for your virtual life? Perhaps not, but at least you can put in all that eye candy.

Here are more nerdcore details: The card’s 112 stream processors are individually clocked at 1. 5GHz, the 256-bit memory interface runs at 900MHz, and more importantly, this piece of hardware is designed for the new PCI Express 2.0.

But wait! I’m using the first PCIe! Fear not, the card is backward-compatible with 1.0. However, there’s a catch: I believe you’ll have to get a motherboard that supports PCIe 2.0 before you can enjoy the complete benefits of the 8800 GT.

If your board uses the ancient AGP, don’t bother. Get a new PC.

The new card also lets you run HD DVD and Blu-ray movies on your computer. You just have to pair it with a drive that runs one or both standards. More expenses down that alley.

My take? Nvidia’s new card may be able to let you run those spiffy shooters that I’ve been drooling for, but you’ve got to be ready with the dough. Even if you think you can afford the card, there are other factors to consider: Sony is releasing the 40GB Playstation 3 at $399 and the Xbox 360 now has a $279.99 arcade version.

These consoles may be worth more than the card, but that’s just it–they’re consoles. The 8800 GT is just a video card, so that means you’ll need the rest of the PC.

I would rather buy any of those consoles. Just think: freedom from those pesky system requirements! However, if you hate playing shooters on controllers, it’s another matter altogether. In any case, you’ll be able to play Crysis and Gears with all the purdy details turned on.

Post from: EveryJoe

New GeForce card can make new shooters look really sweet

Pedigree means a lot, even if a developer is rolling out its first game. This is why expectations are high for Hellgate: London. Its creator is Flagship Studios, whose core is composed of ex-Blizzard employees who were responsible for the development of Diablo, Diablo 2, Warcraft, Starcraft, and World of Warcraft.

The game is heralded as the spiritual successor of Diablo and you’ll notice that once you start playing. Specifically, Hellgate feels like Diablo brought into 3D, with a few modifications. Gone is the point-and-click movement scheme, replaced by the familiar WASD prevalent in shooters.

The level design is also very Diablo-like, and you’ll notice that when you switch between the small and large maps while playing. Perspectives may have changed from isometric 2D to behind-the-back (or first-person) 3D, but the overall feel of the levels are reminiscent of Diablo.

You’ll see the difference between Diablo and Hellgate when you try out the Blade Master. Hellgate mixes things up by letting you make different swings as you combine attacks with the directional keys. You can swing your sword repeatedly at an enemy, but if you consider timing and distance, you can be more effective.

Blade Masters can use projectile weapons, but not elaborate rifles like Marksmen. One interesting combo I used with mine was a grappling hook on the left hand and a sword on the right. You can snatch an enemy with the hook and pull it towards you, but as the beast approaches you must start swinging your sword. When timed correctly, the sword strikes your enemy before it can attack you point blank.

Marksmen change the experience entirely because you can play them in first-person and arm yourself with rifles and guns. Unfortunately, the shooter elements of Hellgate feel substandard. While your crosshair widens when you unload bullets, there’s no recoil and reloading. When you jump in first-person view, the gun doesn’t bob like it’s supposed to. If you want to see your avatar and his/her gun bob, you have to zoom out to third-person.

Note to Flagship: Letting players wield dual pistols do not give Hellgate any semblance to a real shooter, especially with the flaws I’ve mentioned above.

Between the two classes, playing a Marksman was a cakewalk. You can obliterate enemies even before accumulating aggro. If these two were to duel in PvP, the Blade Master could be at a disadvantage—unless the two are fighting in a box. A Blade Master may have better damage, but the shooting mechanics feel a bit overpowered (i.e. no recoil and reloading).

The missions provided by NPCs feel a bit too MMO-like. Kill X number of enemies; gather X number of items. Even the names floating above NPC heads are too WoW-like, especially with the question marks and exclamation points. Sure, these guys may have played a part in making World of Warcraft, but can’t they differentiate themselves from their former employers?

Hellgate is scheduled for release on October 31, but the 1.39GB demo still looks far from completion. Collision detection problems abound—your character passes through other NPCs, parts of dead enemies stick through solid objects, and corpses float in midair. Aside from the technical problems, the game doesn’t look too pretty either. The textures scream 2004 and even earlier.

You’ll be seeing references to Blizzard games like the familiar Warcraft peasant’s voice, Wirt’s leg, the deep Diablo skill tree, spherical health and mana indicators, and such. Despite the nostalgia, one can’t help but be displeased with the unfinished state of the demo, especially when we’re this close to launch day.

Fine, one may reason that the demo was created long ago and that the game is actually in a much better state. On the other hand, demos are supposed to drum up interest for an upcoming game. If Flagship is banking too much on pedigree and nostalgia, then I’m afraid they could be setting themselves up for a huge fall. If there’s one legacy that Blizzard is known for, it’s polish—and polished, Hellgate isn’t.

Mr. Roper, the ball is in your court.

Post from: EveryJoe

Hellgate: London hands-on demo preview

Flagship Studios made Hellgate: London’s presence felt as we enter into the game’s launch month. Their news? Hellgate’s theme song is available for download. The Hellgate soundtrack was composed by Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan. These guys worked on titles like God of War II, Splinter Cell Double Agent, and Quake III.

According to Flagship, they included the soundtrack in Hellgate’s collector edition, but there was no mention of future downloads. It’s a stark difference to what 2K did: Bioshock’s orchestral scores are free for download. Shame that you have to get the expensive Hellgate version just to listen to the tunes without playing the game.

You can get the Hellgate theme song from their site or here (just right-click and “Save Link As”).

Read

Post from: EveryJoe

Hellgate theme song is available for download and it sounds like hell in a good way

So you’re the world’s only hope to rid all demons. Does that make you a chick magnet? Perhaps. Adulation from the masses? Check. Free armor? Fat chance. You’ve been in this situation before when you played Diablo, Ultima, or some other similar game. You’re the savior and fans love you. But when it comes to your gear, you have to cough up the cash.

Tricia Gray, the director for global marketing at Flagship Studios was kind enough to explain in a podcast at Gamerscore why Hellgate: London is charging you for your armor even if you’re out to save humanity.

According to Ms. Gray, you’re not the only dude trying to save the universe. Other people are trying to do the exact same thing, so I reckon other people still need cash even if London is overrun by hellspawn.

Yes, you’re not special. What a shocker for people with issues.

Post from: EveryJoe

Show me the money: Hellgate charges savior of the world for armor

An article/blog entry from Philippines-based GAME! Magazine stated that there seems to be a confusion as to Hellgate: London’s pricing. The question: is the game free to play or not?

You see, IP E-games, an MMO publisher based in the Philippines, previously announced that it has “acquired the rights to Hellgate,” though no other details were revealed.

See, there’s the rub.

IP E-games uses a “free-to-play forever” business model for the MMOs that it publishes. The company’s revenue is primarily generated from the e-points that its patrons purchase. Well, Hellgate isn’t explicitly an MMO because of its single player component, but it does play like one with heavy instancing.

From the looks of things, Hellgate is one of the strangest brews we’ve ever seen. It has a single player campaign that comes complete with a story and missions. Hellgate also has free multiplayer, and that feature is similar to MMOs.

However, Hellgate also has an optional subscription service that would give you access to additional content on an ongoing basis (e.g. quests, character classes, demons, items, etc.). That means that you can still enjoy Hellgate with your friends, but if you want to take advantage of new content and other perks, you have to cough up the money.

I’m just curious though as to how IP E-Games will handle sales. Would the publisher give away copies of Hellgate just like its previous titles, or would it sell each copy?

I’m expecting Hellgate to be worth at least $49 in North America. If IP E-games sells each copy of Hellgate, then it has to ditch its “free-to-play forever” catchphrase and sell the game for over PHP2,000, which is way beyond the budget of its average patron.

I’d also like to know how the publisher would also handle the premium updates. If say my prepaid e-points ran out, would that mean I won’t get any new updates until I purchase more e-points? What if I was in the middle of updating my client?

Stay tuned for more updates on Hellgate. We just might get the answers soon enough.

Post from: EveryJoe

Hellgate’s pricing causes confusion and more questions

Never heard of the game, you say?

Hellgate is primarily an RPG set in a post-apocalyptic London. It looks and plays like an FPS, but there’s number-crunching happening under the hood. Yes, you can level up your character and increase stats too. The best part? You can use high-powered rifles and cannons (i.e. big guns).

You’ll also be able to take the fight online, teaming up with friends to save London in a client-server environment and playing through the entire story-driven campaign for free.

Almost everything seems to be looking good, except for one detail: Flagship is offering an optional subscription service which will give players access to additional content on an ongoing basis (such as quests, character classes, demons, items, etc.).

I could have sworn other games offer the same thing. They’re called patches, and they’re supposed to be free.

Bill Roper justified this by saying: “But we’ll be providing a secure client/server infrastructure, 24/7 customer support, and a live team to balance and fix bugs.”

Bill, you’re a game legend and we love you. You’ve played a key role in Diablo, Warcraft, and Starcraft. You’re like a Shiggy Lite! But isn’t this subscription service milking the cow a little bit too much? After all, the concept’s already been done. It’s called Steam and yes, it’s free.

Post from: EveryJoe

Hellgate: London set to make a Halloween debut