Discussion: NCsoft NorCal Executives on IGN.com
By
Altoholic_Monkey,
Posted on: 2008-04-03 15:48 in News, Events and Announcement Discussion
Yet the "obvious" benefit is "they have more to spend on the game".
That is enough for many. It obviously isn't enough for you - but do you ask "well why isn't Ford giving me a free car! I watch plenty of their commericals!" Or, do you like many of us, watch commercial free PBS and expect more than you're giving them? Even public broadcasting has always had to resort to getting corporate or local sponsorship because it's never quite enough to rely on the (what is it, they keep saying on the pbs radio station I listen to?) 4% of listeners who actually do contribute?
We're not in that boat yet. Everyone playing the game *is* sponsoring it with their dollars. But we've already been given the information we need to understand: this is EXTRA money, that they would otherwise have to merely wait for in sales of items, in game and out. By giving them more money more quickly, ads might help accellerate all the FREE issues we have on the roster upcoming.
That's pretty tangible, really.
Please read my FEAR/Portal/HalfLife Fan Fiction!
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Why do we still need more 'free' this and 'free' that (until we pay for it in one form or another) added into this game? What's wrong with the content and value-items we have now? Is this game not 'good enough' to continue playing on as is?
It has to do with being spoiled and/or cheap.
I was a proponent of boxed expansions from day one. This stupid everything is free now we can't charge for it model got you real ads.
I can't wait to see where it goes next.
How ya gonna do that? You've been quite vocal about how you've already cancelled.
Furio--Lvl 50+3 Fire/Fire/Fire Blaster, Virtue
Megadeth--Lvl 50+3 Necro/DM/Soul MM, Virtue
Veriandros--Lvl 50+3 Crab Soldier, Virtue
"So come and get me! I'll be waiting for ye, with a whiff of the old brimstone. I'm a grim bloody fable, with an unhappy bloody end!" Demoman, TF2
I wanted to post further to address any concerns about security with the implementation of the Double Fusion technology into City of Heroes. As has been stated previously in the discussion about optional in-game advertisement, the addition of this to the game does not change our User Agreement or [url=http://www.plaync.com/help/privacy.html]Privacy Statement.
From the Privacy Statement:
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We here at NC Interactive, Inc. (NCI) consider your right to privacy to be of paramount importance. Because the trust of our users is key to the success of our business, this Privacy Policy is intended to make you feel as comfortable as possible visiting our website and playing NCsoft games....
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If you are concerned about security or personal information, I encourage you to click the link above and read the Privacy Statement. We would never jeopardize our business with you, our customer, by releasing your private information or by exposing you to viruses, malware or spyware.
If you have further concerns or questions on the subject, please don't hesitate to send me a Private Message.
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.
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We would never jeopardize our business with you, our customer, by releasing your private information or by exposing you to viruses, malware or spyware.
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Thank you for clearing that up, Lighthouse.
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We would never jeopardize our business with you, our customer, by releasing your private information or by exposing you to viruses, malware or spyware.
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Thank you for clearing that up, Lighthouse.
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You're Paris Hilton, I'm not sure if that was a positive or negative response.
Since that's Paris, ANYthing NCSoft could do to help protect her privacy is, I am sure, greatly apprecitated.
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viruses, malware or spyware
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Just adware. 
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viruses, malware or spyware
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Just adware.
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All adware is malware, not all malware is adware
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure. --- Thomas Jefferson
Formerly known as YFNDBA
[color=yellow]So those with legitamit concerns don't hesitate to contact Lighthouse. Read the fine print of not only the User Agreement, but the company whom they're partnering with. Cut & paste all relevant sections (IN context I might add) that trigger those concerns. Then see how those concerns are delt with, with platitudes or thoughtful consideration. I have to be honest I've not come across Platitudes myself, slow responces on occation yes, but that's understandable.
Given how my hubby runs our systems (he's the household tech) if it causes serious problems he'll governmental wipe my comp, reload & I guess I end up unsubscribing if turning the ads off doesn't stop the problem from reoccuring. Otherwize I'm not worrying since I at this time have no problems with them generating extra revenue by using pre-existing ingame billboards. Though I definately like them to leave some of the billboards alone since they tie into the ingame content, like the Aracnos & Crey.
Confusion is Lord & Chaos is my Best Friend!! Shall I introduce you??
MArc# 5232 Bastet's Unleashing *a Solo-able arc*
Gae'Atha- lvl 50 Emp/Ele/Psi Def
Sekmet's Fel Blood- lvl 50 Rad/Ther/GW Corr
the car commercial is a slippery slope that i will not delve into (besides, watching commercials and actively paying for an mmo roughly $15/per month or $180 a year, and participating within it, is a little different [the key words here are passive and active]) its not a question of value its more of a "i pay to participate in a 'fantasy' world where i can somewhat pretend to do heroic things and fight bad guys, and knowing that Gatorade has a new energy drink wasnt really part of that.
it just feels like trickle down economics all over again. when reagan enacted corporate welfare, saying that the $$$ was goin "trickle" down to the employees and consumers. (I still wonder how people got suckered by this)
NCsoft is, as far as im concerned, a good company and not the type to liquidate employee pensions or rip off consumers, they really seem to listen the customers and they have 3 non subscription games, exsteel, DR and GW, each of which i have played and enjoyed, but i have desperately clung to COH cause, well... im a dork.
all im saying is advertising, as a medium and industry, is evil; as it breaks human beings down to our basic stereotypes, parts and emotions, exploits those very things that make us human and then tries to sell us crap that we dont need, that is cheaply made in a 3rd world country by a 12 year old. again, im not knocking ncsoft, just voicing my opinion in the forums about the ads (which is what they are for 
) and that i will be opting out.
sorry about the bad grammar and commas and parentheses.
There's nothing whatsoever Reaganomic about this process.
1) we pay for monthly subs which provide for the basic financing for this game.
2) They provide occasional other services or in-game options for a fee, none of which have any indication of being "required" to play with everyone else. These extra fees have generated funding to accellerate the process of putting out more content for our subscriptions to use.
3) Advertising adds to that 'extra' by pennies on the dollar (see BAB's recent posts about it, along with LH's) that won't supercede subscriber dollars nearly enough to change anything drastically, but will provide extra, non-raising-subscription-fee type income which they can use to directly bolster the game's development (all stated clearly in interviews/articles).
Essentially, advertising is not bad. I don't know why people really think that looking at demographics is akin to evil stereotyping or something. If I had a product, I would want to know exactly who is in the right place and mood to buy it.
and you know... some people playing the game and others like it, might, you know, BE in advertising... They are not inherently evil. It is merely their job to promote a product or a type of service to people who they believe will want to use it. If people are inclined to buy or use SOME product, an ad may sway them to THAT product instead of its competition.
That's all.
We start running Blipverts on tv or inserting direct code into brains? That's evil. but... that's still 20 minutes into the future.
Please read my FEAR/Portal/HalfLife Fan Fiction!
Repurposed
You've totally dated yourself with that reference 
oh damn. i just did, too *facepalm*
Furio--Lvl 50+3 Fire/Fire/Fire Blaster, Virtue
Megadeth--Lvl 50+3 Necro/DM/Soul MM, Virtue
Veriandros--Lvl 50+3 Crab Soldier, Virtue
"So come and get me! I'll be waiting for ye, with a whiff of the old brimstone. I'm a grim bloody fable, with an unhappy bloody end!" Demoman, TF2
Well, this doesn't bode well. Now NCSoft is going down this dark, dark path. I hate this trend...really really hate it.
I get enough ads crammed down my throat by advertisers as it is in the real world. Working in that field is one of those places you need to check morals at the door. I hate being profiled and stereotyped by companies.
I have no prob with ingame advertising as long as our monthly subscription fee is reduced as well. If we have to look at the signs then we deserve a discount to play.
If there is an option then let some players initially choose if they accept the adverts, so they can qualify for the discount.
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I have no prob with ingame advertising as long as our monthly subscription fee is reduced as well.
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I suppose you'll be choosing to opt-out then.
It is not reasonable to expect a discout on our monthly fee in exchange for in-game ads, especially if those ads are ottional. If they were to drop subscription prices it would defeat the whole purpose of the ads.
The ads are coming in order to provide "free' income to the game, if they were to off-set that by decreasing the subscritption fee they would most likely be making less money than they were. If they dropped the fee by an amount that would not effect their bottom line, then we would probably see a drop of less that 5 CENTS per subscription.
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I have no prob with ingame advertising as long as our monthly subscription fee is reduced as well. If we have to look at the signs then we deserve a discount to play.
If there is an option then let some players initially choose if they accept the adverts, so they can qualify for the discount.
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I'd have no problem with it either, IF the advertising money added up to enough that it would actually make a difference.
However, look at it from a business point of view: the money they get from subs (just as a number) is 100$ per month. The money they will be getting from these ads (again just a number, but based specifically on things that the rednames have stated within the last 2 days right here on the forums) is around 1$ at most. AT MOST. Pennies on the dollar, echoing the sentiment that this is merely *extra* for the company to devote to the game.
They don't want to raise our sub fees - they've also stated that. However, our sub fees have remained exactly the same (gosh this is sounding like another post I've already made) for almost 4 full years. Name anything else in the country that has done that? Gas? Water? Electricity? Food? nope. So...
If it means we take a penny off our subscription - that's what it'd be worth to them. They do not expect this extra funding to overshine their subscribers, and therefore have always tried to maintain that we come first.
Our sub money does not give them anything they didn't already have. The purchasable items and the ad income gives them extras which we have already seen bring us tangible results (VEATS an issue early for one real big one). This isn't trying to slice our costs to them, it's trying to gain them an extra penny or two, which add up in the long run.
Please read my FEAR/Portal/HalfLife Fan Fiction!
Repurposed
For greater game content, I for one would be all for additonal micro-purchases or game-packs or game-add-on programs or game expansions.
More costume content?---I'd pay for it. More gaming zones to explore with new story lines?---I'd pay for it. New archetypes and powersets?---I'd pay for it.
That's just me though. I know it's not a popular notion with many, but it's the reality of the consumeristic society that we live in.
~ Jonathan
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It is not reasonable to expect a discout on our monthly fee in exchange for in-game ads, especially if those ads are ottional. If they were to drop subscription prices it would defeat the whole purpose of the ads.
The ads are coming in order to provide "free' income to the game, if they were to off-set that by decreasing the subscritption fee they would most likely be making less money than they were. If they dropped the fee by an amount that would not effect their bottom line, then we would probably see a drop of less that 5 CENTS per subscription.
[/ QUOTE ] QFT
Lvl 50 fire/rad troller Wantonya - Infinity
Too many other alts and servers to bother counting
For all of you that want a discount because of the ads. How about this? Those that have ads enabled get all future issues released for free, and those that have ads disabled have to pay an extra 20 dollars for each future issue.
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It is not reasonable to expect a discout on our monthly fee in exchange for in-game ads, especially if those ads are ottional. If they were to drop subscription prices it would defeat the whole purpose of the ads.
The ads are coming in order to provide "free' income to the game, if they were to off-set that by decreasing the subscritption fee they would most likely be making less money than they were. If they dropped the fee by an amount that would not effect their bottom line, then we would probably see a drop of less that 5 CENTS per subscription.
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Hence my point. I thought I was stating the obvious, but apparently not. Thank you Shego for understanding what I was getting at.
Overall, I really don't care either way. I just thought I'd try to see if my idea could get players some potential financial benefits to this deal too.
Not that it should be expected, as CoX has done great with the free updates, but it never hurts to ask and see what is feasible.
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You've totally dated yourself with that reference
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it sucks cause im not even that good a kisser.
With inflation and production values of games goin up, subscription prices, of course are goin up, especially now our $ is virtually worthless at the moment (our penny and nickel are worth less than what it takes to make, imagine how many of each are in circulation right now). what im saying is that if subscription fees are goin up then i bet that the player base will shrink; and, if there is as many or more varieties of games (mmos) being played, that are subscription based, as there are now, i bet it will shrink even more so. will there be people to pay $15+ sub fee, sure there will be, but over time the number of people willing to do that will become smaller and smaller. the consumer is fickle, and when the consumer is having a hard time covering their mortgage (specifically, right now in north america), i doubt that a video game is the highest priority.
am i an economist, no. advertising just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and to quote one of the greatest comedians alive or dead, "if you are in advertising, kill yourself" - bill hicks
if there is no obvious and blatant benefit to opting in, then why would i? im not knocking content, everyone loves content but, why do i want to look at more ads when they are on every 2 minutes on tv, countless "normal" billboards blight the landscape of any available free space and the internet is basically all ads disguised as content. seriously, why would i want more images bored, oh so subtly, into my skull, i play this game as a way to get away from that stuff not to look at the varieties of gatorade
just my 2 cents