Yep, two years before Borderlands delivered a much superior experience.

At the time I had spent six years playing EverQuest, Ultima Online, Anarchy Online and World of Warcraft in various capacities, and this was looking like an MMO borderlands like thing. Few MMOs had gone under so soon after release.

Apparently the same devs are making a sequel, and I think i'll make sure to pirate it unless they give it away to lifetime Hellgate London subscribers.

Nowadays I know better than to trust any kind of weird offer like this announced before launch. They'd only do it if they knew they were going to win... or were so worried they were going to go under.