Rubberlad

Keep your responses clean, but also lighthearted and fun.We could all use a good laugh.

Sorry, I don't have access to the Titan Network forums to reply directly but I'm reading along with "VV" this morning that she's going to approach Dr. Yoon at NCsoft one more time and try to distinguish CoH as some form of "ongoing art" but after reading this 2004 Wall Street Journal article I found this morning, I think we need to reconsider our sales pitch...

See attached link profiling Dr. Yoon in 2004 (she's the last entry. #24): http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1...465187,00.html

The article makes it sound like Dr. Yoon is strictly motivated by innovations in science and technology more than anything else (although she appreciates human imagination as the fundamental building block for both science and art). If that's true, then any sales pitch used for the purposes of "saving the game" will be considered worthless if the pitch speaks to artistic value and "maintaining" the status quo unless it incorporates a strategic technological vision for expanding/improving the MMO engine. In other words, any succeeding developer needs to show how they can *innovate* current MMO technology assets via CoH otherwise Dr. Yoon will not be sympathetic to our requests to cut the game loose.

If the right person stepped forward with an techno-innovative business plan, Dr. Yoon *might* agree to allowing a succeeding developer to continue working on CoH so long as NCsoft could co-own all future technology patents. Otherwise it's pretty clear that she isn't all that sentimental about the arts or outdated technology; Dr. Yoon wants to be at the forefront of future game technology and she has no second thoughts about burying an old fossil like CoH if she can repurpose the cashflow orignally tagged for CoH towards *newer* next-gen technology. That's what the market's hungry for and that's where NCsoft needs to focus in order to stay successful.

At this point, we "Westerners" care more about CoH because partly because its a superhero game, and because we've invested so much of our daily lives into it over the course of X months/years - so much so that we're willing to overlook its outdated engine purely because the game makes us happy. That kind of sales pitch is going to be our downfall (especially if that's been our message all along when trying to negotiate with Dr. Yoon/NCsoft).

No, the only way to save CoH now is to:

1) Produce a strategic business plan that introduces innovative, technological improvements to the core engine with minimal expenses. At the risk of Dr. Yoon asking: "Why jury-rig an outdated engine when we can invest in next-gen technology?" Our answer should be: "We can still drive next-gen innovations utilizing current-gen assets -- and here's how..."

2) Offer NCsoft a VERY lucrative buyout offer and remind Dr. Yoon that NCsoft's bottom line could use the significant cash flow bump.

3) If we don't have the cash in hand, ask Dr. Yoon what is NCsoft's "magic number" to let go of the IP completely and then turn to the media/Kickstarter to help fundraise the necessary funds.

There's still time to turn this ship around in our favor but appealing to Dr. Yoon's artistic sensibilities is not going to get us anywhere - she just doesn't appreciate art and sociology like she does science and technology.

Good luck! And thank you for a job very well done!

According to ML's most recent post this morning, it's all still under consideration.

http://www.cohtitan.com/forum/index....fhh61jkr03eav0

(post 250)

Well, I'll be damned. Now I understand what they're negotiating... Risky as it may result in a gap period before service is restored... And it would leave NCsoft to go their own way but...

(Said in his best maniacal Young Frankenstein voice)

IT. COULD. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORK...!

Hate to say it but now that NCsoft has posted an update on the front page, I think the days are numbered for these forums (as soon as September 30th).

I think the barrage of emails sent to NCsoft executives recently shocked the **** out of them - and now they're wise to folks using these forums to get organized. Kill the forums but leave the front page up and they'll eliminate the centralized voice being used by we, the protesters.


If you haven't found a *new* CoH forum community by now, I suggest you find one soon.

For Free/Premium players like myself who, as of the August 31st shutdown, weren't able to log in and experience I24 in all its glory, be advised the door is now open for everyone and there's a TON of new stuff waiting to be discovered and enjoyed by all (just make sure you do a hard search for new powersets, costume sets and super packs in the Paragon Market). Just being able to log in and enjoy I24 is probably the best thing folks can do right now to pass the time. There's a lot of fun to be had by all and I can think of no better way to recognize the dev team's efforts.

Keep in mind, this may well be our last hurrah with regard to experiencing new content in City of Heroes, so if you haven't yet seen I24, or played with the new Rogue/Vigilantes Superpack and soooo much more you probably didn't even know existed...

Then now's the time to log in and enjoy the final issue of City of Heroes in all its true glory!

Two questions:

1) These executives are Korean - are we sure they can read/communicate in English or do they need a translator?
2) Where is NCwest in all of this? Those executives should be getting emails just as much as the folks at NCsoft...


And a comment:

Try speaking in fiscal terms. Make a case for how the game was profitable, can be even more profitable and help raise their bottom line. Ultimately, the executives are concerned with profits for investors so emails that outline a credible business plan to improve CoH's profit margin (in a way that will greatly benefit NCsoft's IR) will be more appreciated.

I'm very tired of the gaming industry right now, and this post especially convinced me why:

Aye, I got that one too... But there's more - spamming in game, spamming on Twitter and Facebook, spamming in emails... (still not sure how they got mine but okay). It's just a little too much and takes away the focus from where it really needs to be (ie. "Save CoH" and not "Join my CoH Website").

I'm glad everyone's putting their best foot forward to help save the game (assuming it can be saved) and I'm happy to play my part to help further the cause. That said, I see a lot of people using the demise of City of Heroes as a reason to aggressively recruit new members for their own third-party websites (I'm talking unsolicited PMs, emails, and more) and the sheer volume of people blindly spam-soliciting on behalf of their own websites is diluting the main message we need to focus on --- ie. "Save City of Heroes!"

That said, Zwillinger was nice enough to post a thread dedicated to CoH/social networking: http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=296387

Please use it, and let's keep the PM/email solicitations focused on Saving CoH.


Thanks.

Best dev evar!!!!!

If the game can be saved, then I'm all for Sony, EA or whomever wants to take it over. Ideally, it'd be wonderful if they hired back the entire Paragon Studios staff as well.

Let's see what happens. I'm more than willing to commit if the game and staff get picked up.

Think about it: what's the worst thing you've always disliked about City of Heroes that now, upon learning the game is coming to an end, you wouldn't give up for more than anything in the world?

For me, it's gotta be those damn blue caves that are virtually impossible to navigate!