Discussion: NCsoft Acquires City of Heroes!
By
AaronH,
Posted on: 2007-11-06 13:55 in News, Events and Announcement Discussion
[ QUOTE ]
I thought I was the only that believed such things.
[/ QUOTE ]
Nope. We've got a support group that meets on Wednesday nights, a softball team, and a floating poker night.
This post brought to you by the Thunderfire Campaign to Out-Weird the Internet.
Score so far: Thunderfire-0, Internet-157893678
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I thought I was the only that believed such things.
[/ QUOTE ]
Nope. We've got a support group that meets on Wednesday nights, a softball team, and a floating poker night.
[/ QUOTE ]
okay if you guys are in the carolinas I am so there. Entitlement - name of the game in my business and can I say I am so sick and tired of it. . . Oooops, threadjack sorry all!
[ QUOTE ]
okay if you guys are in the carolinas I am so there.
[/ QUOTE ]
Sorry, Washington state here, though once I'm done with my software development classes in June, I'm hoping to have a good reason to move to Mountain View. 
Here's to hoping this announcement is DOUBLE good news for me. Staffing up GOOD!
This post brought to you by the Thunderfire Campaign to Out-Weird the Internet.
Score so far: Thunderfire-0, Internet-157893678
Okay, there is that part which I forgot about.
I should also clarify that I have no argument whatsoever on buying V when it came out and this lands, my argument was solely with how the bad timing of the announcement and how the games can still be purchased individually.
*retreats into corner now* 
Huron: "...with Coffee primary / Attitude secondary"
Charnage: "Please. Think of the poor defenseless desks."
"The Babylon Project was our last, best hope for peace. It failed... In the year of the Praetorian War, it became something greater... our last, best hope for victory."
QR part Deux
I thought NCSoft was also working on Marvel Universe online. Wonder how this will affect the future of COX
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
People who are complaining about everybody having CoH and CoV... stop complaining. You got one month of playtime with purchase of CoV. Overall, it's good news. Perhaps villainside will get some more exposure with the people who only got City of Heroes, and didn't get Villains. Villainside is mostly neglected, while on hero side, I can find a team at any level range...
[/ QUOTE ]
Agree
[/ QUOTE ]
Disagree. For people who bought CoV when it came out, or even 6 months ago, I agree. But for people who bought CoV less than a week ago (Yes, ME) the end result is that this month is costing me $20 instead of $15. I would hope that NCSoft would include something for recent adopters of CoV so they don't feel shafted out a couple bucks. Tack on 10 days on our subscription or something.
NCSoft has nothing to do with MUO. Cryptic Studios an Microsoft are th ones dealing with MUO.
I am an ebil markeeter and will steal your moneiz ...correction stole your moneiz. I support keeping the poor down because it is impossible to make moneiz in this game.
I thought the announcement states that Cryptic is now NCsoft. So MS now deals with NCSoft on this issue.
Again, no. NCSoft bought half of CoH/V from Cryptic (already owning the other half). Cryptic is more than just CoH/V.
This post brought to you by the Thunderfire Campaign to Out-Weird the Internet.
Score so far: Thunderfire-0, Internet-157893678
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
People who are complaining about everybody having CoH and CoV... stop complaining. You got one month of playtime with purchase of CoV. Overall, it's good news. Perhaps villainside will get some more exposure with the people who only got City of Heroes, and didn't get Villains. Villainside is mostly neglected, while on hero side, I can find a team at any level range...
[/ QUOTE ]
Agree
[/ QUOTE ]
Disagree. For people who bought CoV when it came out, or even 6 months ago, I agree. But for people who bought CoV less than a week ago (Yes, ME) the end result is that this month is costing me $20 instead of $15. I would hope that NCSoft would include something for recent adopters of CoV so they don't feel shafted out a couple bucks. Tack on 10 days on our subscription or something.
[/ QUOTE ]
Or you could just look at it as you have lost nothing. Some other people just gained something that they weren't expecting.
[ QUOTE ]
I thought the announcement states that Cryptic is now NCsoft. So MS now deals with NCSoft on this issue.
[/ QUOTE ]
The announcement states that NCsoft purchase City of Heroes & City of Villains from Cryptic Studios.
Cryptic Studios is also working on a project with Microsoft which is Marvel Universe Online a competitive product. NCsoft has nothing to gain from this venture.
And... further clarification, it is SOE that is publishing DCU.
So three publishers, three different IP's, three different pies. The only difference now is that Cryptic is part of the MUO/MS pie and no longer part of the COH/NCsoft pie.
I hope that clears everything up.
Ex
So, no more Statesman seeing as he was the head of Cryptic, right?
[ QUOTE ]
So, no more Statesman seeing as he was the head of Cryptic, right?
[/ QUOTE ]
Statesman the character in COH/COV is part of the acquired Intellectual Property that comes with "City Of."
Statesman as in Jack Emmert posting as and representing the signature character will be changed, as Jack Emmert is part of Cryptic Studios still.
Ex
[ QUOTE ]
[...] three publishers, three different IP's, three different pies.
[/ QUOTE ]
And I'm gonna play all three because I'm a ravening fanboi of the superheroic genre.
This post brought to you by the Thunderfire Campaign to Out-Weird the Internet.
Score so far: Thunderfire-0, Internet-157893678
Sort of. Jack Emmert now has nothing to do with CoH/V. (Other than always being a founder. No one can take that from him.)
Statesman is a character in CoH/V and thus part of the Intellectual Property of CoH/V and thus owned wholly by NCSoft now.
Dang... Ex beat me.
But did I like it?
Be well, people of CoH.
Thanks for the clarifying this for me EX. 
But I still wonder how this will still affect COX when MUO comes out. Gonna be interesting.
You should move the development studio to NJ, it's like California but with a shorter commute, a crappier Vegas and the Atlantic. We really need a good development studio here.
[ QUOTE ]
Statesman the character in COH/COV is part of the acquired Intellectual Property that comes with "City Of."
Statesman as in Jack Emmert posting as and representing the signature character will be changed, as Jack Emmert is part of Cryptic Studios still.
Ex
[/ QUOTE ]
Jack Emmert, that's his name!
I had forgotten it already :X
[ QUOTE ]
Or you could just look at it as you have lost nothing. Some other people just gained something that they weren't expecting.
[/ QUOTE ]
Uh, how have I not lost something. If a few nights ago in a fit of nostalgia I didn't purchase CoV to play it in my spare time and, instead, waited a few days I would have spent $5 less. That is not nothing. That's 5 flippin' items at Arby's if you want to put material to it.
Look, I agree with the people who got CoV months ago. They got all that play time in between. Heck, I didn't complain when Core Combat was bundled into Planetside for everyone. that's not the issue.
The issue is solely the 72-96 hours from my purchase of CoV to it being given out for free. That's a pretty expensive 72-96 hours compared to the rest of the time. I do not think it is beyond the pale for NCSoft to look at that small segment (say within 30-60 days of the activation) and addressing those users accordingly. That is just good solid customer service.
(QR)
Wow, scary news. Not necessarily bad news, just scary. Change is frightening, even if the ultimate result of the change is good.
That said, I don't see any particular reason to be either pessimistic or optimistic. This change could begin of CoX's transformation into a loot-centered, forced-teaming, raid-based grindfest with a level cap that goes from 60 to 80 to 100 in the space of a year, or it could foster all of the positive things that others have posted in this thread. It's simply too soon for anyone to know.
I'm glad that nearly all of our dev team will stay with the game. I just hope this is a long-term thing for them, not a stopgap while they seek other jobs. Aside from my selfish desire to keep them working on "my" game, I'm sure they've faced their moments of uncertainty over the change during the transition process, too, and I'm sure they could do with some stability by now. Regardless, I wish all of them the best at their new building.
Also, I'd like to add my voice to those offering appreciation to Jack "Statesman" Emmert. I didn't always agree with his decisions, but I always loved his optimism. As he pointed out a number of times on these fora, he created Statesman as a pen-and-paper character years before CoH was even a gleam in anyone's eye. It must be somewhat wrenching to give up the rights to a character that's been with him for so many years.
Also, thanks to Ex and Lighthouse for their work on this thread to allay everyone's concerns.
Nervously and Excitedly Yours,
-O'lantern
"Bombarding the CoH/V fora with verbosity since January, 2006"
Djinniman, level 50 inv/fire tanker, on Victory
-and 40 others on various servers
A CoH Comic: Kid Eros in "One Light"
Leave the boards for a day annnnnd.....
WOWS!!!!
-------------
@Portland Underground
[ QUOTE ]
Here's to hoping this announcement is DOUBLE good news for me. Staffing up GOOD!
[/ QUOTE ]
For those interested in gainful gaming employment, check out the NCsoft North America Jobs Listing. Positions for "Mountain View" would be in our newly formed NCsoft NorCal Studio.
Lighthouse
Community Relations Manager
If you have a specific in game, account, tech or billing problem please contact our Customer Support team via The Knowledge Base "Ask A Question" page.
I finally got round to buying COH to open up some slots ready for I11 goodness, literally 24 hours before this announcement! doh!
I'm not stressed out though, as I'm happy to throw some money towards a game that has given me so much enjoyment over the last year and a half.
Good luck to the new (and old) team!
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I would guess that each of us, without exception*, has a favorite axe to grind and hopes it gets more attention with a larger dev team.
*OK, maybe not EvilGeko.
[/ QUOTE ]
There's always MoG.
[/ QUOTE ]
The City of Heroes Community is a special one and I will always look fondly on my times arguing, discussing and playing with you all. Thanks and thanks to the developers for a special experience.
I payed $100 and I'm not bitter. Everyone gets all angry when someone tries to do something nice; you'd rather everyone get nothing than some people get something nice. Awesome.
This community really never ceases to amaze me. I'm not talking about just the forum community, mind you. Just say World of Warcraft in broadcast, and get ready for the hate to flow. I've played the game, and I'm not into it in the least, but I'm not going to go out of my way to bash the game because I'm jealous of the size of it's community. This rant is for another place, and another time however...