<s>
Infantry	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
is	O
a	O
multiplayer	B-Application
combat	O
video	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Infantry	B-Protocol
community	O
subsequently	O
took	O
control	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
re-launched	O
it	O
independently	O
at	O
freeinfantry.com	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Infantry	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
uses	O
sprite	O
animation	O
graphics	O
to	O
model	O
complex	O
soldier	O
,	O
ground	O
vehicle	O
and	O
space-ship	O
models	O
on	O
typically	O
complex	O
terrains	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1997	O
,	O
the	O
now-defunct	O
development	O
team	O
Virgin	O
Interactive	O
Entertainment	O
(	O
VIE	O
)	O
released	O
the	O
2D	O
Space	O
Shooter	O
,	O
SubSpace	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Members	O
of	O
the	O
SubSpace	B-Protocol
development	O
formed	O
Harmless	O
Games	O
LLC	O
and	O
developed	O
Infantry	B-Protocol
during	O
the	O
late	O
1990s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
5	O
,	O
2000	O
Sony	O
Online	O
Entertainment	O
(	O
SOE	O
)	O
announced	O
its	O
acquisition	O
of	O
Infantry	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Harmless	O
Games	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
sole	O
game	O
,	O
Infantry	B-Protocol
,	O
was	O
bought	O
by	O
SOE	O
from	O
Brainscan	O
Interactive	O
for	O
an	O
undisclosed	O
sum	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Infantry	B-Protocol
lead	O
designer	O
Rod	O
Humble	O
,	O
together	O
with	O
other	O
developers	O
,	O
was	O
offered	O
a	O
job	O
with	O
SOE	O
to	O
continue	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cosmic	B-Protocol
Rift	I-Protocol
(	O
CR	O
)	O
,	O
meant	O
to	O
compete	O
with	O
the	O
still	O
popular	O
SubSpace	B-Protocol
,	O
was	O
developed	O
as	O
an	O
offshoot	O
of	O
Infantry	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2002	O
,	O
SOE	O
introduced	O
a	O
monthly	O
$6.95	O
pay-to-play	O
system	O
for	O
SOE	O
's	O
three	O
small	O
action	O
games	O
:	O
Infantry	B-Protocol
,	O
CR	O
and	O
Tanarus	B-Application
;	O
however	O
,	O
both	O
Infantry	B-Protocol
and	O
Cosmic	B-Protocol
Rift	I-Protocol
remained	O
free	O
to	O
play	O
with	O
limitations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Starting	O
on	O
June	O
26	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
SOE	O
gave	O
full	O
and	O
free	O
online	O
gaming	O
access	O
to	O
Infantry	B-Protocol
and	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
their	O
"	O
Station	O
Pass	O
"	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
29	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
via	O
mass-email	O
,	O
Sony	O
Online	O
Entertainment	O
said	O
that	O
they	O
would	O
shut	O
down	O
the	O
Infantry	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
servers	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
March	O
.	O
</s>
