GB Feature: Hellgate Global Interview

The launch of the free-to-play Hellgate Global was a welcome sight to many of us who had been longing for some more demon-crushing after Flagship Studios was shuttered in early 2009, and the availability of all the Hellgate: Tokyo content as of this morning just sweetens the deal. But what does the team think of its North American reception so far, and what do they have planned for the future? HanbitSoft project manager Namo Kang answers our questions:

GB: How successful has Hellgate been for Hanbitsoft in Korea, Japan, and North America, and has the reception you’ve received since relaunching in North America surprised you? Are you able to give us any specific population numbers or revenue figures for each territory?

Namo: We can’t give you the specific population numbers and revenue figures. When we launched Hellgate Global, we were surprised at how many people were trying to access the Hellgate Global server. To keep up with user expectations, we have been working tirelessly.

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GB: Hellgate’s unique blend of third-person shooter combat, RPG mechanics, and numbers-heavy item and modding systems have given it a very devoted fanbase over the years. Have you ever considered developing a Hellgate sequel, either in-house or contracted through a third-party developer? If so, what are the odds that a sequel will eventually become a reality?

Namo: Of course we’ve considered developing a Hellgate sequel in-house. Now the developing is ongoing. For more information, we’ll notice about that over time.

Hellgate II, confirmed?