NCsoft Brighton more trouble?
By
3dent,
Posted on: 2009-02-11 11:33 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
By the way. Sony ran US and EU servers accessible through one client for Planetside.
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the truth of the matter is u wont see the full nature of i13's demise until the q1 fy 2009 is realease as i13 was only realeased on the 2nd of dec
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I didn't realise PvP'ers made up that substantial portion of the playerbase?
All the best for you and your colleagues. May your future be brighter.
On a personal note, I'm getting sick of having to say goodbye to people I like: first was Bridger, then Kerensky and Rockjaw and now Ghostraptor. Either NCNC stops swinging their axe or I stop caring... 
Rabbits & Hares:Blue (Mind/Emp Controller)Maroon (Rad/Thermal Corruptor)and one of each AT all at 50
MA Arcs: Apples of Contention - 3184; Zen & Relaxation - 35392; Tears of Leviathan - 121733 | All posts are rated "R" for "R-r-rrrrr, baby!"|Now, and this is very important... do you want a hug? COH Faces @Blue Rabbit
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Interestingly, the report for the last quarter should be out any day now...
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Independent sources indicate that it's within the next 4 days. Or is it today?
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Just been checking it out, and it looks like it's definitely tomorrow. The Investor Relations part of the NCSoft website has the '4Q FY 2008 Earnings Conference Call' event listed for tomorrow morning.
So, sudden and apparently unexpected cuts in staff, days before an earnings report released on Friday 13th. I don't think it's going out on a limb to predict that it might not be a good earnings report...
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i dont know the exact date of last year revamp, but in Q3 conference, wich was held november, nothing was ever said about brighton, even 'headcount' remained the same (people as FPU).
I listend the entire conference, if i get 1 month sub for each time they did mention brighton, then i g2g a sec and up my sub again, no free months for me.
50)Sinergy X/(50)Mika.
(50)MaceX/(50)Encore
Sign the petition, dont let CoH go down! SIGN!
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i expect theve lost more than 7500 subs
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Despite the fact that subs have been trending upwards since I13 came out...
Being made redundant doesn't turn GR into a liar now, does it?
"Idealism is such a wonderful thing. All you really need is someone rational to put it to proper use." - Kerr Avon
Myopic Aardvark on Twitter
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the truth of the matter is u wont see the full nature of i13's demise until the q1 fy 2009 is realease as i13 was only realeased on the 2nd of dec
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I didn't realise PvP'ers made up that substantial portion of the playerbase?
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Probably not but but if you lose a portion of players who lets face it ran most of the farms so they could get there latest pvp toon up. Plus the majority of pvp players had more than 1 account (1 I know had 5). So you may hanve a limited number of players leave but you could say between 2 times or 3 times that number of accounts. So if you say PvPers them selves are only 5% of the population, but infact could hold 10% of the accounts (just an example as no real way of knowing the exact number), But this is realy just the tip of the iceberg as PvPer's have friends who don't class them selves as PvPer's but team with members of that community. Who see friends leave then decide it's time to go and so on. If a clearly dedicated bunch as the PvPer's were decide to leave then the knock on effect isn't just felt with in that groupe.
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i expect theve lost more than 7500 subs
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Despite the fact that subs have been trending upwards since I13 came out...
Being made redundant doesn't turn GR into a liar now, does it?
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Depends how do you interpret "trending"
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i expect theve lost more than 7500 subs
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Despite the fact that subs have been trending upwards since I13 came out...
Being made redundant doesn't turn GR into a liar now, does it?
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Depends how do you interpret "trending"
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I wasn't interpreting, I was quoting...
"Idealism is such a wonderful thing. All you really need is someone rational to put it to proper use." - Kerr Avon
Myopic Aardvark on Twitter
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the truth of the matter is u wont see the full nature of i13's demise until the q1 fy 2009 is realease as i13 was only realeased on the 2nd of dec
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I didn't realise PvP'ers made up that substantial portion of the playerbase?
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Probably not but but if you lose a portion of players who lets face it ran most of the farms so they could get there latest pvp toon up. Plus the majority of pvp players had more than 1 account (1 I know had 5). So you may hanve a limited number of players leave but you could say between 2 times or 3 times that number of accounts. So if you say PvPers them selves are only 5% of the population, but infact could hold 10% of the accounts (just an example as no real way of knowing the exact number), But this is realy just the tip of the iceberg as PvPer's have friends who don't class them selves as PvPer's but team with members of that community. Who see friends leave then decide it's time to go and so on. If a clearly dedicated bunch as the PvPer's were decide to leave then the knock on effect isn't just felt with in that groupe.
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I would still be incredibly surprised if those that did unsubscribe totalled any significant numbers.
The fact that they implemented such sweeping changes to get more people to PvP tells us just how relatively small the dedicated PvP population is/was.
Best of luck for the future GR and dont you worry, i'll bust some noobs over in the US while my trial account is active there just for you 
@Damz Find me on the global channel Union Chat. One of the best "chat channels" ingame!
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Thanks for the well wishes, everyone.
My position is 'potentially redundant' within the Brighton office, and at the current time I intend to accept voluntary redundancy. I'm not interested in living in the US.
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Hope you manage to get new work soon - although you're nuts for not wanting to move to America 
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
extermus dont always believe everything u read if u do then u are indeed foolish (if i believe everything on these boards, then id beleive that these forums are in constant state of war between the realist and idealist (oh wait they are /em sracthes head))
Is not going to remain VIP after Jan 14th 2012, but may remain an active Premium account holder.
See some of you guys/gals in other/new MMOs Soon(tm)
N.B. If you are going to do smt, please do it or GTFO and STFU nab
also its just not the pvpers that have left a small minority also left becoz of the way the devs dealt with the i13 complaints and how they didnt take on board what the paying customers really wanted. im sorry but 1 dimensional veiwpoint from the devs back then has caused this choas from the view point of ppl leaving
just think many small minorities can create more than 10% of subs with ease
many pvpers have multi accounts and some have as mad_mud did more than 4, u whiltle these down and eventually the overall trend will decline
yes yu will get growth around a new issue but the trend has been sluming from q4 2005 (a drop of 35% sub from q4 fy 2005 to q4 fy 2007) the skew or line is pointing down and has been for 3 yrs and it looking like its continuing this tend this year due mainly to the recession (if im proved wrong i'll be one of the first to hold up my hands and say wow i was wrong)
I am taking this viewpoint from a mathmatical PoV and the numbers aint good we were at 125k sub q4 fy 2008 i expect we'll be at the 106-109k marker this year and from q3 to q4 i expect a flat line effect
the case still remains we wont see the full effects of what i13 has done until we see the q1 fy 2009 results and i doubt that they will make pretty reading.
Is not going to remain VIP after Jan 14th 2012, but may remain an active Premium account holder.
See some of you guys/gals in other/new MMOs Soon(tm)
N.B. If you are going to do smt, please do it or GTFO and STFU nab
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Thanks for the well wishes, everyone.
My position is 'potentially redundant' within the Brighton office, and at the current time I intend to accept voluntary redundancy. I'm not interested in living in the US.
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Hope you manage to get new work soon - although you're nuts for not wanting to move to America
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I'd hardly say "nuts" over such a big lifestyle change thrust at you to make over days.
Anyway, take care Alex, you did us as good as we could have wanted and although your tenure was short, I'd reckon you as loved as any that have departed prior.
I hope you find some work soon, especially the way the world is. and ofc my sentiments echo to all the unamed staff we can't say goodbye to.
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All the best for you and your colleagues. May your future be brighter.
On a personal note, I'm getting sick of having to say goodbye to people I like: first was Bridger, then Kerensky and Rockjaw and now Ghostraptor. Either NCNC stops swinging their axe or I stop caring...
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To be fair, Bridger went because of choice.
Thelonious Monk
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I have to say I'm pretty disgusted at NC West's behaviour, not so much now that this has happened because as FFM indicated earlier on in this thread, It is clear the EU.arm of operations for CoX is not sustainable, but more because there is no excuse for leaving us hanging in the wind like this.
I would suggest they just get it over and done with, concentrate on GuildWars and Aion and give us a full and comprehensive transfer to the US servers which clearly offers better service and forum feedback on this our beloved CoX. I'd say please be careful not to be haphazard or half-hearted about transfers, because as people have indicated... If they lose aspects of their characters they have worked hard to create they'll just leave. It may be easier for NCWest/NCSoft in the short-term to do a Tabula-rasa style offer but it will work out far worse for them in the longterm. EU.Subscribers will just leave.
I'm waiting to hear from NCWest next, but honestly!, they couldn't of done a better job at pushing 150,000 subscribers further towards the competition if they'd tried. How sad.
So, If the suspected transfers go ahead, I'll see you stateside - or If the US.account transfer offers are poor...Hope to see all your characters I love replicated in Millenium City or Metropolis/Gotham. 
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This is pretty much my feelings on the matter as well. I really really hope that if they do wind up the EU servers and send us stateside, they do it properly and in a way that will make sure they retain their players rather than sending us in the opposition's direction.
As for the staff at Brighton... guys, it's been a pleasure to have you as neighbours in Trafalgar Place for the past few years. I still miss chin wagging with Big K or trying to bribe Aero with pints in the Albert. So for those that are going, I wish you all the very best in whatever you go on to. This community is one of the reasons I feel incredibly disappointed with any other MMOs I try and the mods are part of that so thanks for all your hard work, especially in what has been a trying year.
Now, come on NCNC, pull your socks up and tell us what've going on. I pay your wages you know.
@Dante EU - Union Roleplayer and Altisis Victim
The Militia: Union RP Supergroup - www.themilitia.org.uk
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Very true. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on the other hand...
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....are even worse, and the increasingly pathetic insistence on all having national teams prevents a unified United Kingdom team in any sporting endeavour from having at least a vague chance on the world scene.
Even ****ing Korea managed to get together a unified Olympics team, that's how petty the UK is.
Chairman of the Charity of Pain; accepting donations of blood and guts.
Prophet of the Creamy Truth; "If it's empty, fill it with cream."
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Very true. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on the other hand...
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....are even worse, and the increasingly pathetic insistence on all having national teams prevents a unified United Kingdom team in any sporting endeavour from having at least a vague chance on the world scene.
Even ****ing Korea managed to get together a unified Olympics team, that's how petty the UK is.
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Well thats an obvious reason though isnt it. If one country has more representives than another then it'll start a huge "why arent you treating us fairly?!?!".
All four of them will always have a small grudge against the others, its fate . . . . . its meant to be
@Damz Find me on the global channel Union Chat. One of the best "chat channels" ingame!
Scotland may as well stop competing internationally. The football team stinks! And I'm Scottish!
It's a fact that the servers have experienced considerably more player activity since I13 landed.
My gut feeling tells me that the populations in the EU, whilst maybe not record breaking, were healthy enough, despite what some of the more sceptical population of the fora might wish you to believe.
I'm happy to concede there were no records broken here, but I have seen no hard evidence to suggest that the English speaking servers in the EU were significantly underperforming US servers. Were that not to be the case, I am convinced that NCSoft would not have hesitated to pull the plug the moment they thought the EU servers were not paying their way. (Also worth considering that whilst the US$ increases in strength vs the Euro, the TCO in the EU becomes lower.)
If I have to weight the major factors in the decision making process that led to this situation, based on what I know and can extrapolate I'd guestimate something along the lines of:
Panic due to Global Finacial Crisis: 30%
Slight concern regarding EU revenue: 15%
Internal politics at NC Soft: 45%
Other Factors: 10%
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Borked: 100%
Thelonious Monk
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Very true. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on the other hand...
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....are even worse, and the increasingly pathetic insistence on all having national teams prevents a unified United Kingdom team in any sporting endeavour from having at least a vague chance on the world scene.
Even ****ing Korea managed to get together a unified Olympics team, that's how petty the UK is.
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Ummmmm that's factually incorrect. The Great Britain team had arguably it's best Olympics ever and that is a team made up of the entire UK.
Thelonious Monk
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Scotland may as well stop competing internationally. The football team stinks! And I'm Scottish!
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Actually scotland football is getting more and more respect with every game they play imo, improved greatly they have i feel.
@Damz Find me on the global channel Union Chat. One of the best "chat channels" ingame!
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Ummmmm that's factually incorrect. The Great Britain team had arguably it's best Olympics ever and that is a team made up of the entire UK.
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Hence the example that even Korea managed a united Olympics team. Thanks for the condescension, but I suggest you keep it to use when....y'know, you're right.
Chairman of the Charity of Pain; accepting donations of blood and guts.
Prophet of the Creamy Truth; "If it's empty, fill it with cream."
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extermus dont always believe everything u read if u do then u are indeed foolish (if i believe everything on these boards, then id beleive that these forums are in constant state of war between the realist and idealist (oh wait they are /em sracthes head))
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Oh I don't. It's a well known fact that the subscriber numbers aren't stellar (even stateside) and that no server goes in to max capacity, not even Freedom.
From what you're spewing forth someone'd think that the PvP changes and the way they were handled were as bad as the ED/GDN situation.
News flash: Not even close.
Even if there's a significant subscriber drop I'd put a lot more money on it being because of a lack of any serious content in I13 than the PvP overhaul. But hey, y'know, that's just my brain using common sense.
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Interestingly, the report for the last quarter should be out any day now...
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Independent sources indicate that it's within the next 4 days. Or is it today?
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Just been checking it out, and it looks like it's definitely tomorrow. The Investor Relations part of the NCSoft website has the '4Q FY 2008 Earnings Conference Call' event listed for tomorrow morning.
So, sudden and apparently unexpected cuts in staff, days before an earnings report released on Friday 13th. I don't think it's going out on a limb to predict that it might not be a good earnings report...
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Less than the 6% last year perhaps?
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I wonder if they will mention how popular the i13 pvp revamp was?
Hehe, probably trivial in truth but would be funny if they did.
Or maybe pvp has has attained a macbeth level of notoriety in CoX circles. Devs cross themselves, "We dont speak of such things". They certainly dont in public anyway.