Dear $Account{AccountName},

Please be advised that NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. will continue to support customers of Hellgate: London with online server support and play through January 31, 2009. In a further gesture of support, we will provide this server support free of charge to all fans and players of the game up until the shut down date.

All of us at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. appreciate your enthusiasm for Hellgate: London and look forward to providing you with future entertainment products.

For questions regarding the shut down or additional information about Hellgate: London, please visit the game’s official website at www.hellgatelondon.com.

Thanks you,
Namco Bandai Games America Inc.

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Yeah saw that coming.

What is up with that old sig?

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"Creating Havoc and Pie Since 2001!"
My Website: http://www.anthonyhays.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cakvala

I like it and popped it in when pulling down my political campaign funneys.

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Make her a new one if you don't like it Cak!

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Avelle <Risen>
80 Mage
Ner'zhul Server (Fuck Illidan)
Avelle 75 PLD/DRG/DRK/BRD
Midgardsormr - Active again
Elidrin 75 Paladin
Midgardsormr - Retired
Elidrin 65 Ranger
Lanys T'Vyl - Retired

You know I saw this coming too, but it's really a shame when something like this happens. I know the game sucked and all, but I'm sure there were a couple suck...players still left. :/

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This thread brought to you by a tremendous dickhead!

Bill Roper has gone on to infect Star Trek Online as a Design Director for Cryptic Studios.

He should just change his name to Bloody Coat Hanger.

I thought he was going to take the helm for Cryptic on Champions?

Anyway, maybe Brad Mcquaid and Bill Roper will make an unstoppable MMO one day.

Maybe they're the same person, have they ever been in the same place at the same time? hmmm

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...

This is the one of the few MMOs that I actually didn't even bother trying.

Still, I agree with Kailtor - if anyone DID spend a shitload of time and actually enjoyed it, it would royally suck for them. I mean, even EQ1 and Vanguard are still going at this point.

People paid 200 bones for a lifetime subscription. Some even paid $500 or so for a giant statue and a lifetime subscription.

Ah good point, I forgot they did 'lifetime' subscriptions. I never even bought the game yet I got the notification, probably because I was in the beta.

I know I'd be pretty pissed, but those people really have no remedy.

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Are there any legal ramifications to them shutting it down like that, or is there something in the EULA that sorta says "we can shut it down whenever"? Man, I would be fucking pissed if I paid 200 bucks for a lifetime sub. Lifetime of a gnat? Geez. If Bandai bought them out, can they foot the bill for a refund, or what?

Man, talk about getting screwed.

Paying a "lifetime" subscription for ANYTHING internet based is a waste of money and is dumb, unless that service has ALREADY BEEN AROUND for several years without any sign of imminent failure.

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World of Warcraft: Kallaystra, Gweila, Steakumn, Tarathia [ Feathermoon/Horde ]

Newp.



Lifetime is lifetime. Those people have subscriptions for the 'lifetime' of the game. That ends 1/2009. Contract fulfilled.




Sure Bandai could make refunds, but they'd be stupid to. They're under no obligation to do so and it's not like they made the money off those subscriptions.

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The game also came out about a year ago right?

The 200 they paid should be sort of be used up by the time they shut down the servers. =\

That assumes they bought the lifetimes subscriptions right when it was released. If someone had bought a lifetime sub several months ago(or even before they announced potential monetary problems), they would be screwed out of $100+.

Just seems fucked up to me, when a company says "Yes, here's a lifetime subscription. You could've paid $100 less if you had chosen option 2 since we decided to shut down our servers, oh well, sorry." I'm sure technically you could argue that they have no legal obligation to, but that seems like irresponsible business practice to me. I would prefer "Since WE fucked up and our servers came down before you received full use($200+) of your lifetime subscription, we'll refund you that amount as you could have picked the other option."

I read somewhere the life subs ended in november of last year, other places said you could get them until the end of 2007. I hope it was that way, then whoever got them got most of their money worth.

I do however think it is shitty and hopefully they get get a refund for the unplayed time they will have, if any.

It's a gamble, I'm sure no one would be paying the company if they OVERUSED their 'lifetime' subscription and got say...5 years out of that game or some shit. They wouldn't say, "Oh no let me pay you more!"

When anyone buys shit like that they're gambling that it will save them money. It's a gamble because the company can fail (like this one did) or you could become bored with the game before you've gotten your 'value'.

All in all, given the low subscription costs of gaming, 'Lifetime' deals are a poor investment.

As far as the company liability...they DID give full value. The people who bought a lifetime subscription got it...for the lifetime of the game. There's no guarantee of how long that would be. They don't "owe" their customer base a thing.

Sure it sucks, but thems the breaks.

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I usually see this with people buying lifetime subscriptions to local gyms and they they close the doors and move to a new location under a new name. Sucks as lifetime does not imply the lifetime of the game, it implies as long as you live you can play this game. Bummer.