Surely "responsible journalism" involves making sure your facts are correct, isn't that what you said?
Surely it would involve checking source links actually function?
Basic spellchecking, even, is generally considered good journalistic form. And feel free to play the "English is not my first language" card if you like (and can do so), it doesn't hold up when you're making claims to high quality journalism I'm afraid. Spellcheckers are cheap.

For some examples of "facts" that aren't:
Ping0 hosts the servers, not Flagship. That was part of the purpose of setting Ping0 up as a seperate entity - hosting servers for other games, not just Hellgate and later Mythos. They were attempting to establish it as a fully fledged service that would have a solid reputation, based on the success of Hellgate's multiplayer.

Guy Somberg was not a Ping0/Mythos guy, he was HGL. He was one of the ones laid off. I expect he was not the only non-Ping0/Mythos guy laid off, either.
That calls into question a number of your other suppositions which are based solely on the premise of severing ties with Hanbitsoft...

Unconfirmable by outside sources.
A little legwork will uncover that other reasonably popular beta applications such as Warhammer Online or the Stargate Worlds beta did not reach 1 million, though they might eventually.
HGL reaching a million? Yeah, I'd not put too much faith in those figures. Maybe 1 million signups were registered but I very seriously doubt that that represented 1 million individual Koreans.

That's a very basic 5 minute analysis of your "responsible journalism". I found various flaws in it with my own quick research. And I didn't even touch on the bits that are just springing from one unconfirmed article, such as the VE3D post. In other words, one of your "facts" is based on rumour, just as you're blasting IncGamers for doing.

FYI, I never said you were ex-FSS, I only wondered aloud whether people here might know you under another name. As I already said, it was not at all unreasonable to wonder, though I now see it's probably unfounded due to...
The "internet thugs" bit was a seperate reference and the fact that you didn't get it leads me to believe you really haven't been around HGL very long, or you're really blind. But probably the former.

I think you should take Dacar92's suggestion and try running a gaming site for yourself, if you haven't already. I think you'll find a lot of people will go elsewhere if you never ever make mention of rumours though. Especially in the absence of any official news, people like to talk, even if stuff turns out not so factual.

Posted tonight on the HG:L forums, many thanks to Brock Clark;

Here is what we know as fact.

1. Comerica allowed a loan to back the funding of IP devolpment for HG:L and Mythos ( only for NA and Europe)

2. Much like how film industries get a loan to Produce a movie this is how the loan was structured so there in if Fss tanks and cant pay the Loan Comerica OWNS THE SOLE right to DISTRIBUTE said game (HG:L) ( effective ownership of Title and licenesse) They however WILL NOT OWN the Engine (source code) this was done SEPERATE from finicing. This finiacing created a seperate Finicial instution for FSS which maintains servers for online play in NA and EU.

3. FSS created a seperate finicial vehicle to distribute HG:L abroad this Vehicle is called Ping0. Ping0 handles customer support and finiances for subscribers of HG:L. Does not maintain NA or Europes servers. Unknown which owns more of Ping0 FSS or HBS. If your a subscriber or a founder your account transactions are handled by Ping0

4. Flagship studios and Hanbitsoft were involved in 2 seperate ventures in distribution, sales, and finance in Asia. (Mythos and HG:L)

5. HBS management were bought out and ownership changed of HBS changed hands

6. Mythos a FREE MMORPG recieves additional funding from HBS and a share stake and undetermined amount of a loan to FSS Seattle division. Mythos Is a FREE MMORPG and was in beta devolpment based on the engine for HG:L. Which all rights and distribution will bw owned by HBS if FSS folded due non loan payment or chapter 11 or 7.

7. Upon release of Beta of HG:L 1 million Korean's attempted to sign up for beta of HG:L

8. Upon relese of HG:L in Korea 1 million NEW accounts were created for HG:L

9. Mythos recieves great first impressions from gaming press and gets noticed by HBS.

10. FSS and HBS entered addtional talks for increasing the intial backing of said amount in Mythos.

11. Dissatisfied with FSS performence on HG:L updates for content HBS declines secondary investment

12. HG:L tops Japan's pc games sales charts (amazon only) Pre order excluded

13. HBS ownership release's a statement to Korean press about dissatisfaction with FSS over Mythos and HG:L devolpment. Says intention of new ownership will be to pursue (IP) of Mythos and HG:L and if achieved continue devlopment.

14. Anything and I MEAN anything that was a joint venture or releated to HBS has its ties severed from FSS. Mythos closed, servers shutdown, strange departing messege from Schafer. Ping0 employee's which are deemed "redudnent" and laid off.

15. Offical statement from FSS stating studio is still in operation and running. Confirms rumors of staff layoff at (Mythos and Ping0)

16. Lawyers claiming to be from HBS prompt most sites carrying the devolpment of this story to remove it.

As it a appears Fss as a coperation laid of anyone that wasn't a part of the original team. Laid off anyone, scrapped anything that was related to HBS (Mythos and Ping0). Thats the summary all backed by relible reports from various gaming sites ( gamespot mostly)

Anything that is disputed or unconfirmed rumors I left out. This appears as though Fss cut all ties with HBS which any sane coperation with an software rights would do. It is beleived that Flagship finiacing was the vechicle for buying servers and distrbution and bandwidth. It is beleived that Ping0 wasn not in any way related to Core devolpment to HG:L or Mythos.

All servers are still in operation.

Please if you find any specifc detail which can be sourced from a realible place please tell me about it. I will edit//repost with the specified changes, source(s), and details.

The situation actually looks significantly better on paper for Fss than HBS.

I asume that by now both companines have legal counsel and will not comment on the situation.

Reserving for Sources of individual points

1. source
http://www.flagshipstudios.com/press...agship_studios
http://pc.ign.com/articles/862/862223p1.html

2. Source
http://www.flagshipstudios.com/press...agship_studios
http://pc.ign.com/articles/862/862223p1.html

3. Source
http://www.ping-0.com/about
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/hellg...ml?sid=6155959

4. Source
http://www.flagshipstudios.com/press...orean_launc h
http://www.flagshipstudios.com/press...r_three_mythos

5. Source
http://www.hanbitsoft.com/about/inve...ublication.asp

6. Source
will edit for clarification (9.5% stake only exists in the V3ed article)
http://www.flagshipstudios.com/press...r_three_mythos
http://www.mythos.com/closed-beta-announced
http://www.mythos.com/flagship-seattle-announced
http://www.mythos.com/mythos-announced

7. Source
http://www.flagshipstudios.com/press...orean_launc h

8. Source
http://www.flagshipstudios.com/press...orean_launc h

9. Source
http://www.mythos.com/press/pressreleases

10. Source
Unconfirmed only source is from the now (infamous) v3ed article
http://thegames.co.kr/main/view_test...ews_code=26461
11. Source
Still same situation only source availble comes from v3ed article
http://thegames.co.kr/main/view_test...ews_code=26461

12. Source
http://www.hellgatelondon.com/underg...-pc-game-sales
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...hp?story=19199


13. Source
warning download korean font translation
http://thegames.co.kr/main/view_test...ews_code=26461
(This affirms the original v3ed article but varies slightly as in no numbers were given.)

14. Source
http://www.ping-0.com/about
http://forums.mythos.com/
http://www.mythos.com/underground/going-hiatus
http://www.mythos.com/?theme=random
http://www.hellgatelondon.com/underg...till-operating

15. Source
http://www.hellgatelondon.com/underg...till-operating

16. Source
http://hellgateguru.com/2008/07/flag...llgate-london/
Look at update #3


Link to thread in HG:L forums; http://forums.hellgatelondon.com/sho...107367&page=93

Now, ... THIS is responsible journalism.

I reply in kind. I made a simple statement and my point of view and was insulted for it. Don't like what I have to say? Use the ignore function, deal with it or ban me.



http://forums.hellgatelondon.com/sho...6599&page=1229Source, post 12285

dacar, your tar looks like an outhouse.

/finger.

Don't be a jerk. Nothing is going to change in the game reporting world just because you don't like how things are reported. If you want to change things then start a gaming site of your own. What's wrong with reporting rumors? It may not be fact but isn't it news that rumors are flying?

We are happy that you chose to play HGL and also chose to come to this site to be a part of our community. It may be one of the the only forums soon so don't alienate others by giving them the finger.

How about I just found this site. Take your accusations and ...

So, all the nay-sayers and ****-talkers are ex FSS employees? Ridiculous.

/finger

No, of course not.
Does it make me suspect your motives? Hell yes.
If your motives are pure, that's fine and good for you, seriously. But when your only contributions here have been in the "closing down" threads, I don't think my assumptions are particularly wild. Any reasonable person would look at them the same way. You wouldn't be the first person to turn up on the internet with a new name pretending to be a new person.
It's certainly no more speculative than the legal issues cover you provided for FSS's silence.

Well, they employed them. Can't blame the fans for that.
Ahem.

Throw around a few more wild assumptions, please.

What difference does it make who I am? Because you have 2K posts and I don't, does that make my opinion any less valid than yours? I am a person who bought HG:L in April and have been enjoying it since.

One of the big problems FSS is having is the internet thugs and bullies giving them a bum rap. Maybe a few more people ought to stand up for FSS, instead of gloating over their demise.

http://hellgate.incgamers.com/n/6162...tudios-closing

That piece is a bit speculative.

I was more referring to sites like gamasutra.

So don't get your pantyhose in a bunch.

is your post a response to rush's? there is no speculation in his post...he is just passing on announcements from the official hellgate forums.

everything in his post is FACT.

all but two subforums were closed but then later in the day they were re-opened and tiggs(pingo employee) made her announcement.

as of right now, they are still up and running.

What's that got to do with this thread? It's not speculation, opinion or rumour that the forums were going to shut down...

Saying that it'd be good to know what's happening with the game is not really cause to start throwing insults around. The "trusted sites" can only report on what they know and with an almost total lack of official statements from Flagship all they can do is post unofficial things.
I don't think I ever saw this site or Diii.net post any speculation/opinions/rumours as fact. The closest was Flux (on Diii.net) posting that FSS were closing down based on what he'd heard from an inside source. That isn't speculation/opinion/rumour.

If you want speculation/opinion/rumour, try your guess of "legal issues being the reason for the silence"!
The reality is that Flagship are not answering the very valid questions of their paying customers. Any other business would quite rightly be pilloried for such an occurence. Why are you letting them slide for it? The company's going down, it's a bit late to be a kiss-ass now. ;)

Certainly raises the question of who you really are. Recently registered, only ever posted in relation to these rumours...
But far be it from me to engage in speculation/opinion/rumour...

I wish that trusted sites would start practicing responsible journalism and stop publishing speculation, opinions and rumors as fact.

My money is on legal issues being the reason for the silence.

I'm glad they decided not to close down the forums. I wonder when we'll hear what's really going on?

This can't be good.