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more importantly, any exclusive items from buying said new pack?
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Well seeing as though it includes the Mac client, I take it the Valkyrie goodies are included as per the Mac only edition?, I would of thought so, at least... I hope so.
But yes a box update was necessary, you can't really push a product for people to find they need to update by a further seven Issue updates on connecting.
...and heres hoping its not the final box art.
We may not like the MMO product but WoW does have nice shelf presence with its colourful fold-out boxes. It really looks like they have made an effort with the shelf product.
In an age of digital downloads and manuals on PDF file, it is nice sometimes to have a lovingly crafted shelf package you can pick up and hold in your hands.
I'd agree it's just a mock box art purely to say 'yes, we're doing a new box' - especially with that Speeling erorr on it <cough>
Hi all,
Unfortunately there are currently no plans to release this in Europe as an actual box. Producing a box run is an expensive process, and there are other factors involved that will become clear in time (no, not server mergers or anything like that).
It will, however, be available via the PlayNC store.
A very unfortunate decision, and one which, unless we are soon told about these "other factors", WILL just foster more and more lack of confidence in the EU side of the game. 
I think they should re-evaluate this decision, otherwise they're just showing they lack confidence in their ability to sell the game in the EU.
Editing to add:
Question: What's the point of increasing the marketing role of NCSoft Brighton if you're not going to market one of your core products?
Answer: City of Heroes is not a core product for the EU market.
@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
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Producing a box run is an expensive process, and there are other factors involved that will become clear in time...
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Read between the lines people.
Now they are scaling down the European operation and moving stuff to America the only resource they have left to print boxes is an old Epson bubblejet with half a cartridge of red ink.
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(no, not server mergers or anything like that).
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You did that on purpose GR. Here I am ready to throw in some speculative Doommmm and you spoiled it before I could start!
Curses Foiled again, damn forum moderators and their dogs! 
Well, the lack of a new box in the EU will save me some money. But I was looking forward to a shiny new CoH box in case I ever need to update again. Shame, really.
�How do I like my MMOs? I like them the way Paragon Studios used to make them.� - a fitting tribute from kiasa.org
EU, Union mostly.
I think it's an easy guess, actually.
Consider:
1) EU NC is now mostly marketing and sales.
2) EU NC's budget has probably been slashed.
3) EU NC know what's coming in the future.
The only reason I can conceive of for not spending the time and money to print, box and ship this new disk is... there'll be another one coming later on in the year that they are going to be putting on shelves, and they need to save budget for it.
Expansion, perhaps?
The wisdom of Shadowe: Ghostraptor: The Shadowe is wise ...; FFM: Shadowe is no longer wise.
; Techbot_Alpha: Also, what Shadowe said. It seems he is still somewhat wise 
; Bull Throttle: Shadowe was unwise in this instance...; Rock_Powerfist: in this instance Shadowe is wise.; Techbot_Alpha: Shadowe is very wise *nods*; Zortel: *Quotable line about Shadowe being wise goes here.*
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I think it's an easy guess, actually.
Consider:
1) EU NC is now mostly marketing and sales.
2) EU NC's budget has probably been slashed.
3) EU NC know what's coming in the future.
The only reason I can conceive of for not spending the time and money to print, box and ship this new disk is... there'll be another one coming later on in the year that they are going to be putting on shelves, and they need to save budget for it.
Expansion, perhaps?
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That's a possibility, and could be what these "other factors" are that GR is alluding too. However, not telling people what's going on + not releasing this Architect Edition box in the EU = more things for players to worry over.
@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
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Question: What's the point of increasing the marketing role of NCSoft Brighton if you're not going to market one of your core products?
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Not releasing a new box at this point does not equate to not marketing the product at all.
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Question: What's the point of increasing the marketing role of NCSoft Brighton if you're not going to market one of your core products?
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Not releasing a new box at this point does not equate to not marketing the product at all.
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Of course not; they're clearly marketing it, in the US. But what it DOES appear to equate to, is not marketing it in the EU.
@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
This new box will only have a limited run even in the US. There's a lot that goes into deciding whether or not to produce a box. For the US, this box makes sense for very specific reasons that do not currently apply here in Europe.
For us here in Europe, this boxed version does not make good economic sense right now. I know you all want to see new boxes on the shelves, however this specific box, at this specific time, is not the right box for us to be trying to convince retailers to stock.
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Hi all,
Unfortunately there are currently no plans to release this in Europe as an actual box. Producing a box run is an expensive process, and there are other factors involved that will become clear in time (no, not server mergers or anything like that).
It will, however, be available via the PlayNC store.
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Hi GhostRaptor,
With respect, what has the price got to do with anything?, It is NCwest which is supposed to be overseeing the product in the Western world and last thing I heard Europe was still classified as 'The West'.
NCwest is not short of a pretty penny - or is NCsoft Europe still being told they have to run their end of the business on and from their own seperate budget? as they were with funding the playermeets in years past and getting no support whatsoever from the parent company.
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NCsoft has confirmed earlier reports by GamesIndustry.biz that it is to unify its operations outside of Korea under the tentative banner of NC West.
The new wholly-owned subsidiary will take responsibility for activities in the US and European regions and will be headed up by Chris Chung, who has been named as CEO.
Jeff Strain will become president of product development for the new company, with David Reid as president of publishing and Patrick Wyatt as CTO, with a new headquarters set to be established in Seattle by the end of this year.
No announcements have yet been made regarding the positions of European executives such as Geoff Heath, although GamesIndustry.biz understands that the previously-planned product development in the Brighton office has been halted, with as many as 70 staff made redundant today.
The statement made by the company with respect to the formation of NC West made no specific mention of whether or not NC Austin's future was secure, or which jobs would be based in Seattle, amid earlier reports that some positions would be axed.
"We are confident that by combining our subsidiaries into a unified global organisation under Chris Chung's leadership, NC West will become a more powerful force to be reckoned with in the western MMO market," said NCsoft CEO TJ Kim. "Chris has become a guiding force within our company and has been extremely successful at every position he has held with us. His detailed first-hand knowledge of all aspects of our business is invaluable and will help establish NC West as a global leader."
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NCwest are saying one thing and doing another. Have they got the company chequebook out and done one single positive thing for Europe yet?, past decimating/streamlining the UK office for profit (profitable for them that is).
If they are serious about the future of this MMO in Europe they will include Europe in the distribution of the new box. 
Sorry but this has really 'got my goat', chalk this up as the 2nd thread I'll be pushing Avatea for re:answers from the States on the EU.side business of this MMO.
Sorry for this but, ANY box on the shelves would be nice.
This has to be visible for anyone to see it, A lot of people are still reticent about buying over the internet.
So what box at what time are you going to release here?
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Sorry for this but, ANY box on the shelves would be nice.
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But as GR says, NCSoft cannot force retailers to put a box on thier shelves.
I believe they had a lot of problems getting retailers to stock the GvE edition, I remember a lot of people complaining that they wanted to buy it but it wasn't in thier local shop.
I really should do something about this signature.
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This new box will only have a limited run even in the US. There's a lot that goes into deciding whether or not to produce a box. For the US, this box makes sense for very specific reasons that do not currently apply here in Europe.
For us here in Europe, this boxed version does not make good economic sense right now. I know you all want to see new boxes on the shelves, however this specific box, at this specific time, is not the right box for us to be trying to convince retailers to stock.
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See, now this just hints of some other box they ARE planning to release here, but doesn't actually answer any questions.
I'm sorry GR, but IMO, it's really not good enough. People who have played this game for YEARS deserve to see some sign of confidence in the EU product from NC West, and hints at possible things to come are NOT signs of confidence. I'm not blaming you, you can only tell us what you're allowed to tell us, but NC West are really not helping themselves here. All they're doing is making a section of their EU community think that we're being forgotten about more and more.
@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
[ QUOTE ]
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Sorry for this but, ANY box on the shelves would be nice.
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But as GR says, NCSoft cannot force retailers to put a box on thier shelves.
I believe they had a lot of problems getting retailers to stock the GvE edition, I remember a lot of people complaining that they wanted to buy it but it wasn't in thier local shop.
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And contrarily, they cannot stock what their suppliers don't have.
@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
There are still lots of supplies of GvE floating about. Check out the old stock bins occasionally. If retailers can't shift those, they aren't going to want to buy in more stock of the same game.
I expect the US verison has been done with a deal with a retailer to stock, as they did with Wallmart for GvE.
I really should do something about this signature.
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There are still lots of supplies of GvE floating about.
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And would you honestly stock a 2 year out of date game in your shop if you had one?
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There are still lots of supplies of GvE floating about.
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That they're floating about just proves that retailers DID put them on shelves. As to why they didn't actually SELL, that would be down to not actually marketing it very well. A couple of website ads are not marketing. They need point of sale material, ads in actual print magazines, and paper reviews. You know, the stuff Blizzard do to push Warcraft.
I'm not expecting NC West to be able to match Blizzard, but they didn't even TRY to market the GvE pack anywhere offline, that I was aware of.
@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Completely signed your post, Mr. Questionmark... I don't know the situation in the UK or the rest of Europe, but at least here in Spain CoV boxes are quite hard to be found (the ones on sale are the SAME ones that the one I bought years ago with Issue 6 or so), and forget it about the CoH ones. ANY kind of box would be appreciated.
If you really want to get much more customers, you should run the same policy as WoW, as I posted about this several times... the HUGE amount of the WoW different editions filling the shelves, T.V. advertisements, while it's almost impossible to find anything related to CoH/CoV.
Proud Coleader of: Fuerza Letal (H), Liga de las Sombras (V), Legion del Fenix (H), Infernal Justice (H), and a happy member of GammaForce (H) and D.O.A. (V).
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There are still lots of supplies of GvE floating about.
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And would you honestly stock a 2 year out of date game in your shop if you had one?
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If it was marketed by the publishers decently, yes. Warcraft still has plenty of shelf presence, even in it's original box... That's because Blizzard market it aggressively.
@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
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Also, I wonder if the total lack of mention of Villains anywhere means they've kinda abandoned the CoH/CoV thing, and the "offical" title of the game is just "City of Heroes"?
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Try typing in either the CoV UK or US web Address and see what happens....
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OMG thats well strange! so they have abandoned it!
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Well, it makes sense - it's how the game started out, and even calling it "City of Heroes and Villains" is a bit of a mouthful, so calling it just "City of Heroes" is better, especially as they seem to be looking to get it back on the shelves pretty soon.
@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork