Discussion: NCsoft Acquires City of Heroes!
By
AaronH,
Posted on: 2007-11-06 13:55 in News, Events and Announcement Discussion
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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.
...
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.
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My gods above and below.... that's a whole...
.0694 to .0521 cents an HOUR!!!!!
Check your couch. You might get that back.
Be well, people of CoH.
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Here's to hoping this announcement is DOUBLE good news for me. Staffing up GOOD!
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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.
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Given that even you and Ex didn't know who was coming across until today, how many of those Mountain View positions are now taken up by CoH/V people?
Also, I noticed that nowhere on that list for Mountain View is the position of "Well-Paid Lackey". Since I am expertly qualified for such a position, I suggest you update that list post-haste so I can get to applying for it. ;-)
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Here's to hoping this announcement is DOUBLE good news for me. Staffing up GOOD!
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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.
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After looking at the link it looks like they are looking for 19 new Developers. That should give the quantity of content a shot in the arm.
Hopefully this means that Villain and Hero story and zone content can be developed at the same time and move in different directions instead of being the same content for example RWZ.
~MR
AE Arc: 305214 Blood Diamonds (Villainous)
Unleashed/Unchained/B.O.S.S.
Will the Mountain View studios be entirely dedicated to CoH/V? I ask because if so, that job listing page indicates a lot of new positions for our game here.
That many new devs=more shinies for us.
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Here's to hoping this announcement is DOUBLE good news for me. Staffing up GOOD!
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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.
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Given that even you and Ex didn't know who was coming across until today, how many of those Mountain View positions are now taken up by CoH/V people?
Also, I noticed that nowhere on that list for Mountain View is the position of "Well-Paid Lackey". Since I am expertly qualified for such a position, I suggest you update that list post-haste so I can get to applying for it. ;-)
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I currently hold the lackey position... the job specs list went up after we had our final notice from the current team, so you shouldn't see that list change overnight.
I'm sure there will be a party held in my honor when I free up the lackey spot, in the meantime, Lighthouse is my mentor and I try not to stray too far from him.
Course that doesn't mean I always follow orders, hence lackey and not side kick.
Ex
Has this thread grown.
Well it sounds all great news so far and I know some Heroes that been waitting for something like this to happen.
(freely given base access)
And with 07 being such a cool year they for sure are going to work hard to equal or surpass it. 
Thankyou Cryptic for all the late nights and being with us for this wild trip.
Frostyfrozen lvl 50 Pure Ice Blaster @Les Femmes Mystique
Meltalika lvl 50 - Snowdriftta lvl 50 - Icesong lvl 50 -Frostyblue lvl 50
Have Fun & Stay Safe
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[Keanu Reeves]
Huh. Whoa. Deja vu.
[/Keanu Reeves]
I've been in business units involved in acquisitions before, both as the acquirer and as the acquired. This could go very well for us as subscribers, very poorly, or unnoticeably. Judging by statements to effect of "we've got big plans" I don't think it will be unnoticeably.
I'm leaning toward hope over despair. In my experience, being acquired by another business unit that has in the past been intimately involved in your major efforts, if not your day-to-day operations, means the acquirer is coming into the deal with their eyes open and few or no misconceptions. When said acquirer also brings deeper pockets than yours and Ideas, then exciting times are almost certainly ahead.
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May I say: Ditto! Ditto!
Thank god it wasn't sony <faints>
You know the bad things that happen in acquisitions, and the good things, and the ugly things, all add up in the end.
I ponder if this isn't a move becuase of the rights to Marvel
"Muhahaha, a real comic book game! Here you take this..."
o.-
I fear change yes,but I welcome it as well, my only concern is that they will start favoring the upper ten percent like alot of games do o.-
Notes from a old time MMO gamer.
I used to play a game, lets call it Ultimus Origin. The game was made by a couple folks who had made a bunch of similar themed games in the past. The leader (lets call him King England) had a vision, and he made it reality. The land was like honey, and the sky like gold. Then, the King did tire and he sold the game (and his name) to another company (lets call them E-Aye} for many gold pieces.
and the women did wail, and there was much gnashing of teeth.
King British did roll upon his bed of gold, chose a new name, and made a new game.
E-Aye, the mega-corp that it is continued to accept all major credit cards, and it's creditors did rejoice.
The game it's self withered, dried and lost all forward momentum, but still lives on, played by a few die hards, and their dial-up connections.
The ICBM
Nuking the world since 1972
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In the end...Villains rule though and don't you forget it!
Ex
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Course that doesn't mean I always follow orders, hence lackey and not side kick.
Ex
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So, does this mean Ex plays villains?
"And yes, it worries me that people know how many pipelines their graphics cards have and the bus speed of a PCIe-16x, yet don't know how to convert between bordering time zones."
[COLOR="Yellow"]Avatar by Dragonberry, coloring by Bubbawheat[/COLOR]
So, I assume that the G vs E edition in-game item pack is still a separate purchase?
I think this is a great sign for the game.
I've felt for a while that the game was in limbo with MOU pending, and that this game might be treated as an afterthought when MOU comes online. Now, NC Soft has a stake in its success as one of their top games. I think that there really will be more creative energy put into the game now.
And Cryptic probably decided that it makes sense to have CoH/CoV out there as a competitor to MoU to promote the hero genre as a live field of gamers. In some ways, competition can be healthy for the growth of an industry, even between competitors. People might bounce back and forth between CoH/V and MOU, or even purchase accounts for both games (CoH/V is more of an underground hero game, while MOU will be more mainstream, and there may be appealing aspects to both games). This could help grow an online gaming market for superhero gaming like the WoW, Everquest, Lineage market of dungeon/mythic gaming.
Regardless of what this means for MOU and the broader gaming market, I think it definitely seems to empower the developers of CoH/V to plot out a more exciting creative future for this game with more investment in its success.
Red Warlock
- "The Shadow Rune of the Warlocks" (Arc ID 124319).
- "The Legion of Mutants vs. The Iron Agents" (Arc ID 200364).
- "The Children of Astoria" (Arc ID 217499)
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King British did roll upon his bed of gold, chose a new name, and made a new game.
[/ QUOTE ] You mean King England right 
Also, I don't know that this is remotely as bad an occurrence as the one you mention. We're keeping most of the same game designers that we had, and it's been said they'll have a fair amount of autonomy.
<shrug> Here's hoping anyway.
MA Arcs: Yarmouth 1509 and 58812
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okay if you guys are in the carolinas I am so there.
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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. ;
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WA state here too.. But I am from North Carolina....
http://derekl1963.livejournal.com/
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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.
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No, it's somebody trying to scam something for free that they don't deserve.
http://derekl1963.livejournal.com/
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I want to take a moment to raise a glass to Jack Emmert and Rick Dakan, and others with names unknown who are no longer associated with the City, but who conceived of it and made it a reality.
You did great work, and laid a masterful foundation upon which we continue to build. Especially you, Jack. You will always be Marcus "Statesman" Cole to me.
Good job, and thank you.
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Cheers!
Avatar: "Cheeky Jack O Lantern" by dimarie
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King British did roll upon his bed of gold, chose a new name, and made a new game.
[/ QUOTE ] You mean King England right
Also, I don't know that this is remotely as bad an occurrence as the one you mention. We're keeping most of the same game designers that we had, and it's been said they'll have a fair amount of autonomy.
<shrug> Here's hoping anyway.
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I think that would actually be King Colonel England now.
Maybe you had to talk to him at the Meet N Greet in Austin to get that one.
If the game spit out 20 dollar bills people would complain that they weren't sequentially numbered. If they were sequentially numbered people would complain that they weren't random enough.
Black Pebble is my new hero.
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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.
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Quick! Let's push Arcanaville into the Powers Designer spot! Finally a fix for Defense.
Head of TRICK, the all Trick Arrow and Traps SG
Part of the Repeat Offenders
Still waiting for his Official BackAlleyBrawler No-Prize
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I used to play a game, lets call it Ultimus Origin. The game was made by a couple folks who had made a bunch of similar themed games in the past. The leader (lets call him King England) had a vision, and he made it reality. The land was like honey, and the sky like gold. Then, the King did tire and he sold the game (and his name) to another company (lets call them E-Aye} for many gold pieces.
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E-Aye owned Ultimus Origin from Day One, no matter how much people try to pretend otherwise.
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The game it's self withered, dried and lost all forward momentum, but still lives on, played by a few die hards, and their dial-up connections.
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Ultimus Origin players (circa July 2006): approx 140,000
CoH players (circa July 2006): approx 160,000
( Source. )
http://derekl1963.livejournal.com/
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King British did roll upon his bed of gold, chose a new name, and made a new game.
[/ QUOTE ] You mean King England right
Also, I don't know that this is remotely as bad an occurrence as the one you mention. We're keeping most of the same game designers that we had, and it's been said they'll have a fair amount of autonomy.
<shrug> Here's hoping anyway.
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I think that would actually be King Colonel England now.
Maybe you had to talk to him at the Meet N Greet in Austin to get that one.
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Im not calling "DOOOOM", im just saying I remember what has happen to games that have been sold in the past.
The ICBM
Nuking the world since 1972
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I used to play a game, lets call it Ultimus Origin. The game was made by a couple folks who had made a bunch of similar themed games in the past. The leader (lets call him King England) had a vision, and he made it reality. The land was like honey, and the sky like gold. Then, the King did tire and he sold the game (and his name) to another company (lets call them E-Aye} for many gold pieces.
[/ QUOTE ]
E-Aye owned Ultimus Origin from Day One, no matter how much people try to pretend otherwise.
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The game it's self withered, dried and lost all forward momentum, but still lives on, played by a few die hards, and their dial-up connections.
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Ultimus Origin players (circa July 2006): approx 140,000
CoH players (circa July 2006): approx 160,000
( Source. )
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You must have missed this whole thing.
"June 30, 2004
Dear Ultima X: Odyssey community members,
As of today, development on Ultima X: Odyssey has ended. We feel that Ultima Online is where we need to focus our online efforts and most of my team will be moving to the UO expansion pack, the UO live team, and an unannounced Ultima Online project. Development on UO will be greatly enhanced as we consolidate our resources behind that franchise.
This isn't an easy decision but its the right move for the future of all things Ultima, including the community and the team. We look forward to sharing our plans for the future of Ultima Online very soon."
I would like to thank all of the Ultima X: Odyssey supporters who have been with us from the beginning. I hope you will continue to support the Ultima franchise and the development team as they transition to new projects.
Thank you,
David "InQWis" Yee
Producer, Ultima X: Odyssey
The ICBM
Nuking the world since 1972
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I used to play a game, lets call it Ultimus Origin. The game was made by a couple folks who had made a bunch of similar themed games in the past. The leader (lets call him King England) had a vision, and he made it reality. The land was like honey, and the sky like gold. Then, the King did tire and he sold the game (and his name) to another company (lets call them E-Aye} for many gold pieces.
[/ QUOTE ]
E-Aye owned Ultimus Origin from Day One, no matter how much people try to pretend otherwise.
[ QUOTE ]
The game it's self withered, dried and lost all forward momentum, but still lives on, played by a few die hards, and their dial-up connections.
[/ QUOTE ]
Ultimus Origin players (circa July 2006): approx 140,000
CoH players (circa July 2006): approx 160,000
( Source. )
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According to your source, UO dropped from 250K, to 150K at the same time they canceled UOX.
The ICBM
Nuking the world since 1972
<QR>
I don't know who I think I'm kidding that this post won't be one of the anonymous million that get posted in this thread, but...
I can't imagine anything but good things coming from this. The fact that NCsoft was willing to invest what had to be a lot of money into purchasing the complete IP from Cryptic AND hiring an entire development team says to me that they are VERY serious about making City of Heroes a long-term investment.
If they weren't 100% committed to the game and making sure it is more successful than ever, this would be the most stupid business move ever. I genuinely don't think that they're stupid, I think they're smart. Very smart. And that this move will pay off for them big time.
We've been saving Paragon City for eight and a half years. It's time to do it one more time.
(If you love this game as much as I do, please read that post.)
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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.
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There's always MoG.
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You make EG sad...