This entire weekend was filled with the kind of quality “this is what some guy who can’t go on the record told me” reporting we’ve come to expect on the internet, this time regarding Flagship Studios.

At the end of last week, rumors started spreading that quite a few members of the development teams for Hellgate:London and Mythos had been given the “light red ladies’ undergarment” treatment…rumors which quickly turned into “unnamed sources” releasing the information that the entire company had gone belly-up, with the IPs for the two games transferring to two different companies as the result of the IPs being used as collateral for business loans that were (it is assumed) going into default.

As usual, the internet was all over this like chins on Rosie O’Donnell. But one thing has been interesting…the activity on the Hellgate:London official forums. Tiggs (yes, SWG vets, that Tiggs) started the weekend throwing thread locks around like Mardi Gras beads, but did allow one thread to remain open as a “wailing wall” (a practice used to allow the community to blow off steam while making it a bit easier for a swamped community relations team to moderate things), and as you would expect, that one thread has turned into over 600 pages of…humor, lolcats and hopefulness?

Really? Really. Read for yourself. (Although it’s starting to turn a bit hostile around page 610 or so.)

The local Korean portal for Hellgate:London (managed by Handbitsoft, the party allegedly receiving the H:L IP) says the following:

<insert a lot of Korean text I can’t read here>

…which reliable sources tell me translates as:

[heyl] Development cause of death of the gate [phul] the lag ten stew D secret principles company operation was discontinued in overseas news [heyl] to spare the gate, with anxiety of all type those minutes and [heyl] the anxiety [manh] the [u] will be sour is thought in future about service progr-

Okay…never mind…I forgot that Babelfish sucks. The site that broke the story, VE3D.IGN.com, has a running update on the number of employees that are confirmed to no longer be employed with Flagship at their post here, confirmed by checking Flagship/PingO employees’ LinkedIn profiles which apparently several former employees have already updated.

There’s been no official word from Flagship (aside from Tiggs stating “If I had answers I would tell you”, and Tiggs’ minion Chosen on the official H:L boards saying, and I quote, “We’re all fine here,” which could mean anything from “We got donuts today” to “All the rumors are bunk” to a really good usage of a Han Solo quote), so until something a bit more official comes out, we’ll all just have to wait and see.

I am starting to worry a bit over the chances of finally getting that Mythos beta invite I had asked Santa for, however. (And yes, I realize it’s July…the fat man can get off his duff and do a mid-year run.)

Handbitsoft continues to make statements that they are now in control of the Mythos IP, but there’s some confusion on the entire issue, including VE3D’s newest report that Bill Roper and the Flagship crew are going to form a casual games company.

As an internet typer-guy, I think I speak for all when I say “Where the hell did THAT come from!?!”

Stay tuned for more.

Tags: Flagship, games, gaming, Hellgate, mmo, mmorpg, Mythos