Rubberlad
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Posts
619 -
Joined
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/signed yesterday, and am continuing to pass the word along as best I can.
I hope it makes a difference. I really do. -
It must feel like a ghost town in that office for anyone who's left.
Does anyone know if War Witch/Melissa B. is okay? I've neither seen or heard a peep nor any mention of her since the floodgates opened yesterday. -
Quote:Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuudge!!!!Originally Posted by dechs kaison
you need someone who is subscribed to pay your rent. Premiums can't do that.
And I was gonna re-sub for I24!!!!
*facepalm* -
Just discovered this - the "pay base rent" option is gone from the super group registrar in Atlas Park. You can still use influence to boost the SG's prestige and see a list of all SGs but the option to pay your base rent is now gone...
I'm now forever locked out of my SG base... I wasn't ready!
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Quote:Originally Posted by SpaceNut
A lot of people are going "they shut down a successful game!" etc etc, but money speaks the truth. This news has been all over my facebook, and it's amazing now many people are commenting "I don't play anymore, but this still hurts".
Well, yeah, the fact that you don't play any more is why this is happening.
Quoted for truth! -
One more thing: also notice that the Earnings Report is calling Aion's game sales numbers "weak" by comparison (top of PDF page 5) -- a comment which speaks volumes considering that Aion's sales were *much higher* than City of Heroes and Guild Wars (1) combined.
If that statement doesn't convince anyone that NCsoft viewed CoH as an underperforming liability that was dragging down their bottom line into the negative, then I don't know what will. -
Quote:Guild Wars (I) is also:Originally Posted by Chazzmatazz
But CoH wasn't the lowest sales performer, Guild Wars (I) was.
1) A standalone game with a one-time fee (no monthly subscription, no 3rd party "real-time market" operating costs)
2) Arguably NCsoft's best-selling game in years past with a very loyal player base (like ours)
3) The cornerstone of inspiration for Guild Wars 2 (which has JUST LAUNCHED)
Guaranteed, if GW2's sales slump in 2 quarters time, we may well see GW1 fold as well. If the company goes back in the black next quarter however, they'll keep GW1 for sure (and I'm very sure that NCsoft dropping CoH will lift their bottom line by quite a lot). Again, if NCsoft hadn't gone in the red this quarter, I think we'd still have CoH. Unfortunately for us, they had to do emergency surgery on their bottom line to get it off life support -- which required euthanizing CoH/Paragon Studios.
It's also possible that Funcom's earnings report last week scared NCsoft as well. That report says in no uncertain terms that Funcom thought MMO games are not the way of the future and that they're getting out of the business after the losses incurred with The Secret World. With that kind of fear circling around the gaming industry right now (which is very desperate to reinvent itself as something appealing to casual tablet/smartphone gamers) then again it makes sense to dump Paragon Studios which was working on an unannounced MMO game. Bottom line: NCsoft couldn't afford to take the risk on another MMO game that was still a year or two under development (especially when they were operating in the red). Especially if marketplace analysts are worried that the genre as a whole is dying.
Now if you still can't see the madness in all these numbers, then put yourself in NCsoft's shoes (which requires trying to appease your investors who are upset that the operating profits/net income have gone in the negative): If you *HAD* shut down an IP to save your bottom line and recoup a profit again, and you *HAD* to choose between Guild Wars 1 and City of Heroes, which IP would *you* get rid of in order to save face with your investors? -
Quote:You have to look at the company's overall operating profit and net income (PDF page 4) and compare that to the Sales Breakdown - Sales by Games (PDF page 5).Originally Posted by Chazzmatazz
I am looking at the spreadsheets and report. Where are you seeing CoH-specific operating expenses?
The company's overall operating profits and net incomes are in the red, so it makes sense to dump the IP with the lowest performing game sales. And when investors see NCsoft is operating in the red, they need to move fast to get back in the black... CoH would've been viewed as dead weight bringing down their bottom line (in which case it had to be cut loose). -
It's not true. Cryptic was not at fault AT ALL.
Ultimately NCsoft was caught between a rock and a hard place... the answer lies in NCsoft's August 8th earnings report. See this thread for a fuller explanation: http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=296081 -
Ironically, had GW2 launched sooner, I think it would have saved City of Heroes.
The truth is in NCsoft's August 8th earnings report - see my thread here for a fuller explanation:
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=296081
Really no point in blaming GW2 now. -
Long story short:
1) Q2 2012 was the first time ever that NCsoft was operating with a significantly NEGATIVE profit margin (ouch!).
2) City of Heroes had the lowest performing game sales (even Aion was doing much better...).
In a word, it wasn't Cryptic Studios withholding license renewal that doomed CoH... It wasn't NCsoft hating on American gamers... At the end of the day, NCsoft was in the red and they cut the lowest-performing IP in their stable of games (and also the one with a significant mount of unjustifiable expense) just to rescue their bottom line... Can't say I blame them from an investment perspective. Unfortunately for all of us that turned out to be City of Heroes.
See for yourself by getting the 2Q 2012, August 8th unaudited earnings report here:
http://global.ncsoft.com/global/ir/quarterly.aspx
I'm sure if NCsoft had maintained a profit this quarter, we wouldn't be in the predicament we are now. But they didn't and the price of doing business in a very competitive industry right now had to be paid...
Sorry folks. -
I'm never touching another NCsoft game again.
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Thread title says it all. I just can't imagine why this game is getting the chop but not something like Aion which has a much smaller player base here (but has better visibility than CoH in Korea).
Anyone know for sure? -
I'll be here until the doors close.
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Oh sweet Hera, where do I start...?
Chicago, April 2004: I was hanging with a trick turned good friend who just started playing this game called City of Heroes. I watched him work the character creator over his shoulder and instantly became hooked. I waited two weeks for my next paycheck then bought in immediately. The first tool I rolled was a voudoun earth controller called Doctor Kananga. The second was a very kink-friendly superhero in glossy black and yellow tights called Rubberlad...
Later that year I started running with the Rough Trade crew on Victory (back when Wire was still in charge). Made a bunch of great new friends, eventually took over Rough Trade from Wire (who was leaving the game). And carried the mantle of the in-game SG and our external website for many years (which briefly became City Folk and then Guardhouse which still exists today).
On New Years Eve 2006, I met my husband for the first time. I was still in Chicago, he was in Georgia - and we used CoH to rendezvous on the weekends we weren't flying out to see each other. It was a magical time.
Over the next few years, I met a bunch of great new friends through CoH. Entertained some, pissed off others, but I was always happy to promote the game as being LGBT-friendly. Watched the community grow thanks to the efforts of DJ Blu and Ida Slapter, Ex Libris coming aboard as a Community mod and helping pave the way for greater community acceptance... Saw plenty of devs come ago but was always happy to see folks like War Witch, Positron, Back Alley Brawler, Castle, Sexy Jay and so many more stick by the game year after year and make the impossible very possible. And I remember *most* of the community mods - from Cuppa Jo to Lighthouse, Alexa, Mod 8 and -- you wouldn't think so many devs could make a mark in your life, now would you? But they did! Each in their own way were very unique and capable and equally loved. I'll miss them. I'll miss them all.
Oh sweet hera when I think of all the time I spent on my main, Rubberlad, running TFs, badge hunting, base building, costume contest judging, market shopping, auction browsing.... I just didn't appreciate how much of a second life this game became until today.
I've become such a different person than when I started in April 2004. Grown, changed, broadened my mind and my horizons and moved across 3 cities before settling down with my husband and our mini schnauzer Gigolo, and still every Sunday, week after week for the last few years, I pulled my SG mates together for CoH Night and we played our vast and many toons across *so many* experimental-themed SGs...
So long Rough Trade...
So long Spirit of Shazam...
So long The Slaughterhouse Boys...
So long The Agenda...
So long Golden Age Heroes...
So long Goons...
So long Alter Egos...
So long Hellbound...
So long Drifters...
So long Guardhouse...
So long, so long, so long... Oh how we played for so long! I can't imagine CoH not being a part of my life after November. I don't know what my SG mates and I will do; this game has been our *glue* through thick and then. And now? What now? What happens now? I don't know but I hope to sweet Hera there's SOMETHING else to look forward to after all the crying I and my SG mates have done today. Today's announcement feels like a premature burial for us all. We weren't ready yet. We just weren't ready...
Since the announcment I've seen Arcanaville post once but nothing yet from GG or Zombie Man. And is Lady Sadako still here? So many wonderful and legendary forum posters I've enjoyed clashing with over the years (except for Samuel Tow - we never clashed; he just made me laugh). Maybe they have and I just missed their posts. You'll have to forgive me if I have. I just can't stop myself from crying over my keyboard.
Oh I love this game and I hate it for leaving me so suddenly. November seems too soon! I want another year! Another lifetime! I want that ******* Post-Apocalypse pack I was just trashing the other day! I wish I'd kept my mouth shut. Even now I'd take the ********* costume pack possible just to have our CoH back.
Life without CoH... How will we ever do without you? -
Andy, I'm so sorry. For everything. You guys definitely did not deserve this.
You're 110% pure awesome. Hang in there.
Rubs aka Joe -
Cuppa!!!!!
Christ, this feels like a memorial service. Happily brought together for the saddest of circumstances. -
There's gotta be *something* we can do to help keep this game going! To help the devs keep their jobs! It just can't be the end! IT CAN'T!!!!
Devs! Anyone! What can we do to help?!!! -
/signed
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I put CoH aside for The Secret World (bought a lifetime subscription) then got scared last week when Funcom laid off have the dev team over there. Was splitting my time 50/50 between both games and now this today...? I don't think I have the strength to do another MMO game ever again. I just don't like the idea that a publisher can pull the plug at any time without any notice and without any explanation...
That said, I'm never touching another NCsoft product again. -
There's sooooo many reasons why this wouldn't work - and it starts with NCsoft agreeing to sell/give up the IP and brand franchise to someone else before anyone would be allowed to save it. Its a great idea and I'd contribute if I could but I don't think NCsoft would let it happen.
I'm really ashamed of NCsoft and I will never buy another one of their products again. -
Quote:That's how I feel. I'm REALLY afraid to invest in another MMO game after this (knowing they can just yank the plug at any time for any reason without explanation).Originally Posted by EvilGeko
^^^^
This. All of this.
I might be done with this genre of games for awhile. -
I don't think NCsoft would sell anyone the IP rights sadly... I think we're doomed. And I thought the game/market was still doing well after all these years.
I just can't believe it. -
My heart goes out to all the wonderful folks at Paragon Studios who made this game possible and kept it running to this day! You guys were great! You don't deserve this! I'M SO SO SORRY!!!!!!
OMG, I just... I can't. I just can't believe it. WHY?!!!!! -
OMG!!!
OH MY GOD!!!
I've been playing this game for over 7+ years!!!
THEY CAN'T!!! THEY MUSN'T!!!!
OMFG!!!! I'm so sorry I unsubbed! Put it back! I'll resub! I'll resub, I promise!!!!
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!