Hybrid Pulled From XBLA Due To Server Issues (UPDATE)

UPDATE: The game is back up and available for purchase, with the server issues reportedly resolved. 5th Cell’s creative director, Jeremiah Slaczka, made a statement on the fix, saying:

“We have worked with Microsoft to diagnose and resolve the server issue surrounding Hybrid. Our entire team appreciates the overwhelming response of fans logging in on day-1 and for bearing with us during this short downtime. We expect a smooth gameplay experience from here on out.”

ORIGINAL STORY: Were you hoping to play some fast paced and unique cover-based shooting today? This week’s Summer of Live Arcade game, 5th Cell’s Hybrid, launched this morning, but to call it a successful launch would be like calling the Titanic’s maiden voyage a success. Users were immediately beset with server issues, and if you can’t connect to the Hybrid servers, you can’t even access the game’s main menu, let alone hop into a game. As a result, after a tumultuous first day, the game has been pulled from Xbox Live entirely while Microsoft and 5th Cell try to iron out the issue.

Both companies have issued apologetic statements with vague promises of an upcoming fix, though right now it seems like they’re scrambling just to identify the cause. 5th Cell’s creative director, Jeremiah Slaczka, said “Many people from both 5TH Cell and MS are working together to sort the problem out. We are making progress, but it will take time unfortunately.”

It’s really a shame that Hybrid couldn’t be launched properly. I had a really good time with the beta earlier this year, and would have hoped that any server issues prevalent then could have been resolved by now. Instead, they are even worse. Here’s hoping the issue is resolved and the game is re-released before potential buyers lose interest and any semblance of a community is killed off before it even gets going.

[Via Joystiq]