NCSoft acquires "City of" Franchise!
By
2Negative,
Posted on: 2007-11-06 13:34 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
I don't really care which company owns what. To me, people matter, and it sounds like all of the people who were working on CoH yesterday are going to be working on CoH tomorrow. I'd still like to hear something from Jack, though. After three years, he's almost like an old friend I've never met.
(But pbbbbbbttt to the folks at NCSoft and Cryptic who insisted, when it first happened, that the deal with Marvel wouldn't have any effect on CoH and that the games weren't really in competition and all that rot!)
Avatar: "Cheeky Jack O Lantern" by dimarie
Well hopefully all bodes well for CoH/V. The larger studio will hopefully allow them to maintain their current schedule as well as squash some bugs and put out additional "fun stuff". While there is a pretty limited number of people who can work on things like rebalancing ATs and such, artwork/animation is another thing...
I wish them luck and hope that NC Soft doesn't have any funny corporate ideas. (bosses love to read a magazine and think that makes them an expert)
True Story: Billion dollar company, Boss buys Oracle Database and Applications because he wants an "Object Oriented system" because that is the way system are going now.
"Oracle is relational, not Object Oriented" I tell him.
"Sure it is. The salesman told me it is. Look there is an object on the screen" he replies.
"That's GUI." I say in despair. Millions of dollars, a year plus conversion effort and the company nearly folded (Oracle Apps stink) because someone let him read their magazine and he thought he had to replace a perfectly good system. 
----------------------------
You can't please everyone, so lets concentrate on me.
Oh - and I hate to propose it - isn't porting from Windows to the 360 supposed to be ridiculously easy (relatively speaking)? I know a lot of people with computers that barely run COH, yet they muddle through anyhow. For less than the price of a decent full computer...
*whistles*
EDIT:
This means Cryptic has no obligations and loyalties to CoX, and can take what is great about CoX...improve on it, add more,........
[ QUOTE ]
..... They've moved all the team that wanted to go. That's why I'm not crying too much more dooooom than necessary. They offered everyone on the team jobs, and it looks as though the important bits and many of the less visible team members did take them up on that. So: same dev team, with the same control over their product, only under a different studio name.
That is working for me, I think. I just hope that everyone up the ladder *has learned from the mistakes of other publishers* that usurp - look at the disaster area that was Sony and SWG.
[/ QUOTE ]
This doesn't worry me as much as it might because NCSoft has been in the development chain for COX since before it's launch. Keep in mind that as the publisher and supplier of money they could lean a fair bit on the studio if they had wanted to. So from the sounds of it they basically bought the IP and the existing dev team minus one and are setting them up in their own studio.
Now if cryptic had sold COX to a publisher with no previous experience with COX then I would be concerned. That is usually where problems develop. In this case the existing publisher is simply the buyer. Not a frantic change, particularly since they appear to not have changed the internal command structure.
But it's MY sadistic mechanical monster and I'm here to make sure it knows it. - Girl Genius
List of Invention Guides
It's BS i got mod smacked but others who said the same didn't. Way to go.
50 Invuln/SS Tank/EM
The Martyrs of Paragon/Fallen Martyrs
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
We are here to field any questions you may have about this wonderful news.
Ex
[/ QUOTE ]
Ex, here's a question I've not seen raised:
Will there be any changes to billing or what-not in regards to customers paying with Mastercards? There was an issue a while back with one of the digital goodie packs (I think it was the GvE goodies). For about 15 days, mastercards were not accepted by NCSoft due to a higher rate of fraud in Asia with the cards (or something like that). After much uproar, an exception for the GvE $5 goodies was made.
Will this issue be returning to haunt those of us whose banks are exclusively MC? Or has it been resolved fully?
[/ QUOTE ]
I believe this issue has been dealt with, from my understanding it was caused due to a purchase of CC numbers from a fraudulent theft. The CC's were used in Asia to support RMT'ers from many MMO products, so when the theft was caught MC acted against all MMO subscriptions to avoid a spread of the problem.
Our billing department is doing their best to keep ties with all the CC companies as well as research other payment options for our player base.
Ultimately this is an area of concern for the player and the game company, it was a side effect of fraud.
Ex
I'm incredibly wary of this whole situation.
I can see that good things will likely come of it, as it's still the same team working in the same fashion on the same games. But all this talk of paid expansions and sequels being flung around... makes me a little nervous.
I'm sure they'll be good, and I'm not going to be pessimistic here. Want to approach this with as open a mind as possible. But at this point, being here since launch, I'm worried that things are going to be too different after this.
I dunno.
But if this means we're going to see the game engine get revamped, and wall-crawling, power-customization, elasticity powers, all of those sort of things potentially added? Well.
I'm definitely looking forward to watching this all unfold, for good or for bad.
Animation major and old-school CoHer.
Art, Animation, and Stuff:
DA Tumblr Vimeo Youtube
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
same dev team, with the same control over their product, only under a different studio name.
That is working for me, I think. I just hope that everyone up the ladder *has learned from the mistakes of other publishers* that usurp - look at the disaster area that was Sony and SWG.
[/ QUOTE ]
This doesn't worry me as much as it might because NCSoft has been in the development chain for COX since before it's launch.
[/ QUOTE ]
Of a similar mind on this point.
On the SOE's poor leadership and management example:
SOE has had a rocky record (and continues to do so), varying from product to product. (In some ways, the folly of the SOE acquisition and immediate downsizing of Matrix Online seems like a more apt "nightmare scenario" for what not to do with our game here...)
To those of you who have played a number of NCSoft products, how has the support been? Poor? Fair? Decent? Good? Is the City of franchise their best foot forward or is what we experience here par for the course? CoX is the only game they run that I've played.
I think I can guess as to what the first paid expansion will be:
Galaxy of Heroes/Galaxy of Villains
Both Marvel and DC have developed a galactic setting in their comic book mythologies. I think CoX doing the same would be appropriate, and help futher develop the CoX universe.
Dealing with issues across different worlds in galactic campaigns, and involving new ATs( probably racial ATs ). The content could include dealing with the Battalion, Shivans, Nictus, Kledians, I11's "Coming Storm", and any other aliens you could come up with. Throw in different environmental effects like different gravity on different worlds, and you come up with an interesting expansion. Imagine PvP in a zero G ( or double G ) zone.
Grizz
"When Chuck Norris can't go on, Petra Majdič perseveres!"
[ QUOTE ]
It's BS i got mod smacked but others who said the same didn't. Way to go.
[/ QUOTE ]
I am doing my best to field questions right now, I will go back through the thread and edit as necessary.
This acquisition was a positive move for both companies for different reasons. Jack as well as Cryptic Studios has been incredibly helpful in the transition, which I know was a very difficult decision for Cryptic Studios to make.
We would like to keep all our comments and the discussion about the positive aspects and what this means for the game overall.
Thank you for helping us in this effort.
Ex
Hey, I just realised. Everyone in all of CoX will be able to access supergroup bases now.
Maybe Issue 12 will have some cool base stuff in it. 
I've got a good question I think. Who retains ownership of the "Statesman" character? NCSoft or Jack Emmert? This sort of thing could have an effect on future canon and also any "live events" that may or may not be possible in the future.
[ QUOTE ]
Statesman has been involved with MUO since that deal was signed, he has had a great influence on COH/COV and the development decisions in the past but currently and moving forward those decisions have rested on the shoulders of Matt 'Positron' Miller.
[/ QUOTE ]
CoH robbed MUO blind on this deal.
It's no coincidence that the current run of SUSTAINED AWESOME has come on Positron's watch.
The Nethergoat Archive: all my memories, all my characters, all my thoughts on CoH...eventually.
My City Was Gone
[ QUOTE ]
I've got a good question I think. Who retains ownership of the "Statesman" character? NCSoft or Jack Emmert? This sort of thing could have an effect on future canon and also any "live events" that may or may not be possible in the future.
[/ QUOTE ]
Statesman is part of the Intellectual Property that NCsoft just purchased.
Jack Emmert played that role while he was working on the project, Jack has since moved on to work on MUO and posts from a different name on the MUO forums.
Ex
Something that keeps getting brought up that I think should be pointed out...
For all the "I bought both, I should get compensated" folks:
Yes, everybody will get access to both sides. You (and I, since I bought both games seperately as well, twice, Collectors Editions even) got to play both early. We got 12 slots early. We got guarantees SG base stuff early.
Not good enough? Still want an extra month?
*We already got it.*
Remember when you added the game to your account? Remember that free month?
They're not giving *everyone* a free month with this. Just access.
So we've already been compensated. In fact, we're ahead of the game. People who started with GVE only got ONE month free. We've gotten two - one for COH and one for COV.
You're welcome.
[ QUOTE ]
I've got a good question I think. Who retains ownership of the "Statesman" character? NCSoft or Jack Emmert? This sort of thing could have an effect on future canon and also any "live events" that may or may not be possible in the future.
[/ QUOTE ]
The Statesman character is part of the the City of Heroes intellectual property. He comes with it.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I've got a good question I think. Who retains ownership of the "Statesman" character? NCSoft or Jack Emmert? This sort of thing could have an effect on future canon and also any "live events" that may or may not be possible in the future.
[/ QUOTE ]
Statesman is part of the Intellectual Property that NCsoft just purchased.
Jack Emmert played that role while he was working on the project, Jack has since moved on to work on MUO and posts from a different name on the MUO forums.
Ex
[/ QUOTE ]
Is this kinda like Captain America? Can we expect another man to take up that mantle?
...let the speculation begin...
::radio announcer voice:: Who, dear listeners, will become the next Statesman?
*serial organ music*
dont we have like an official thread about this further up?
Oh yeah! we do!
[ QUOTE ]
Without being overly negative, what possible downsides does this deal have?
* Some staff may be unwilling or unable to move to the new office.
* NC Soft bigwigs may usurp more creative control than is healthy for the long-run of the game.
* A true sequel may be released, making upkeep and new content for the original a lower priority.
Anybody else think of anything? Will my purely hypothetical guesses be debunked?
[/ QUOTE ]
Cryptic looses a cash cow and steady income from their share of CoX monthly subscriptions.
That means that they are back to being a studio without a released, revenue generating product.
Cryptic has also reduced their expenses by the amount of their CoX support team, but I would have thought that their share of subscription revenue was >> maintainance & development costs.
So... here's hoping they have a chunk of ongoing funding from M$ / Marvel for MUO and that the game is a hit or that Cryptic's unannounced "secret" product is a home run.
Given some of their comments about CoH - they were surprised by how much of a hit the costume generator was, they were surprised at how many alts people created, they didn't want badges, Posi had to push for them, etc, etc - I will be really interested to see if they can strike gold twice or if the first hit was more of a fluke.
[ QUOTE ]
dont we have like an official thread about this further up?
Oh yeah! we do!
[/ QUOTE ]
This one was first.
[ QUOTE ]
Full Access to City of Heroes and City of Villains®
All players with City of Heroes retail* accounts will now have access to City of Villains, and all City of Villains retail* accounts will now have access to City of Heroes. Players that didn't previously have access to "the other side" will find that they do now. Just log in to check it out!
So for the people that bought CoH and CoV what do we get.
[/ QUOTE ]
You got to play both games years before the other people could access it for free. I dont see anything wrong with that.
I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
Voltaire
Devs, you need to post faster then.
[ QUOTE ]
We are here to field any questions you may have about this wonderful news.
Ex
[/ QUOTE ]
Ex, here's a question I've not seen raised:
Will there be any changes to billing or what-not in regards to customers paying with Mastercards? There was an issue a while back with one of the digital goodie packs (I think it was the GvE goodies). For about 15 days, mastercards were not accepted by NCSoft due to a higher rate of fraud in Asia with the cards (or something like that). After much uproar, an exception for the GvE $5 goodies was made.
Will this issue be returning to haunt those of us whose banks are exclusively MC? Or has it been resolved fully?