In case anybody was wondering, Flagship Studios hasn't let up on those swift kicks in the balls. We've known for a while that there were going to be two tiers in Hellgate: London, depending on whether or not players paid the monthly subscription. Well, it seems that Games for Windows magazine has the scoop: the montly fee will be a comparatively meager $9.95, and those who buckle down will be given the sexy moniker of "Elite." Want to know what the Haves get that the Have Nots don't? Look no further:

Both levels have their characters held on secure servers

Elite players get bumped to the front of the line for servers

Elite players get 12 characters, regular players get 3

Elite players can hold 40 items in lockers around the city, regular players get 20 and can't move them to other players

Elite players have access to better shinier gear (the only difference is aesthetic) 

Elite players have access to shuttles to move easier around the city

Elite players can own property, regular gamers can't own a house or enter houses

Elite players get more game types

Elite players get monthly content additions

So, the question remains: are you getting screwed? Well, that depends on how you look at it. If you see the regular game as a gimped version of the Elite, then I guess so; however, if you see the Elite version as the normal version with tons of extra content (as the naming scheme would imply), then it seems like a good price for some excellent extras.

Hit the jump for my thoughts.

[Via Opposable Thumbs, thanks Jason!!]

Of course, we'd all like extra content for free, but it just doesn't work that way anymore. Personally, I think this is a great idea. It's a pretty shrewd way to get people playing Hellgate: London and populating the servers. Also, it allows players to give the game a test run for free -- if it's not your thing, then you still get a (hopefully) satisfying single-player campaign and some online capabilites, with the option to upgrade whenever you want. Conversely, if you decide that 10 bucks is just too much, you can downgrade without giving too much up. At $5 cheaper than World of Warcraft, I wouldn't write Hellgate: London off just yet.

But what do you guys think? Good marketing or a slap in the face? Is anybody looking forward to this when it drops this summer?