Where is the logic in not selling the Game/IP, Ncsoft?
By
Brillig,
Posted on: 2012-09-04 14:20 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
Quote:
The same as the logic for my not selling the crap in my garage.|
Originally Posted by DarkBlaster_NA
Correct me if I'm wrong, But
It's been made clear that NCsoft has no intention to keep the CoH franchise going, Even if they do, It won't be the same without Paragon. Since they aren't going to make money by keeping it in a flash drive in the corner, or by keeping the license contract/whatever in the attic. What the hell is making them so hellbent on NOT MAKING MONEY!? I mean, was this not done due to financial reasons, You know, MONEY? I mean, Apparently When NCsoft puts two and two together, it gets "WE NEED TO LOSE MONEY, NOW!" Am i stupid for thinking this? Selling the goddamned IP is the most logical way to handle this. And i might have to add, Competition? City of Heroes has a different playstyle compared to ALL other MMOs, If there is competition, The audience wasn't interested in "LolAion" anyways. Someone please tell me I'm just an idiot and this somehow makes total sense in Korea. |
I might use it again some day.
No, I don't get it either. Clearly selling the game to someone else is a good way to make a quick buck.
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They won't. Seriously.|
Originally Posted by Brillig
The same as the logic for my not selling the crap in my garage.
I might use it again some day. |
Unless they are somehow planning to merge CoH, Auto Assault, Tabula Rasa and *insert game here* It isn't going to happen, Stop thinking it's going to happen.
And even then, Could they not sell the game but keep the rights? CoH could be left alone and NCsoft will just kinda be able to make a spin off/whatever the hell they feel like doing.
*Edit: I'm not sure if that was secretly a joke, If it was, I apologize.*
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And I'm not going to use the stuff in my garage either. I still haven't put it up on Craigslist though.|
Originally Posted by DarkBlaster_NA
They won't. Seriously.
Unless they are somehow planning to merge CoH, Auto Assault, Tabula Rasa and *insert game here* It isn't going to happen, Stop thinking it's going to happen. And even then, Could they not sell the game but keep the rights? CoH could be left alone and NCsoft will just kinda be able to make a spin off/whatever the hell they feel like doing. |
I don't actually think they're going to ever use the IP, I'm just telling you one possible reason why they wouldn't unload it (much less give it away.)
They most likely won't sell it for the same reasons they didn't sell Dungeon Runners, Exteel and Tabula Rasa. If the chance is there to make money on it with another company at the helm, why compete with a product you wrote off as a failure?
If people are on the "we hate NCsoft" kick now and it carries over to other non-ncsoft players, if the game was bought out you can be sure that you will have the entire fanbase flock to it along with people looking to help support it since the big bad wolf is no longer in the picture.
pohsyb: so of all people you must be most excited about the veats
Arachnos Commander: actually, I am
pohsyb: I mean you kinda were one already anyways ^_^
Arachnos Commander:
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If i was NCsoft, I would rather make money and hate my neighbors than make no money and ask my neighbors for help and not get it.
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Originally Posted by Commander
They most likely won't sell it for the same reasons they didn't sell Dungeon Runners, Exteel and Tabula Rasa. If the chance is there to make money on it with another company at the helm, why compete with a product you wrote off as a failure?
If people are on the "we hate NCsoft" kick now and it carries over to other non-ncsoft players, if the game was bought out you can be sure that you will have the entire fanbase flock to it along with people looking to help support it since the big bad wolf is no longer in the picture. |
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Don't be so sure. Brillig might be right, unfortunately. COH is still a valuable IP. They could create some simple facebook app or iPhone game. Don't think they wouldn't consider it either.|
Originally Posted by DarkBlaster_NA
They won't. Seriously.
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For example, EA loves to trot out the long dead corpse of Origin Systems and the Ultima franchise - weekend at Bernies style - when they think it will make them a buck, even though it makes long time Ultima and Richard Garriott fans cringe. They don't care one bit. Just prepare yourself for NC Soft to do the same. I'm not saying it will happen, but it could.
[QUOTE=that_darn_lurker;4380357]Don't be so sure. Brillig might be right, unfortunately. COH is still a valuable IP. They could create some simple facebook app or iPhone game. Don't think they wouldn't consider it either.
It would fail on release >_>
Nobody would download it,
Truth is, NCsoft didn't want to compete with it's newest hero game:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-li...512456155?mt=8
pohsyb: so of all people you must be most excited about the veats
Arachnos Commander: actually, I am
pohsyb: I mean you kinda were one already anyways ^_^
Arachnos Commander:
[QUOTE=DarkBlaster_NA;4380366]
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I'm pretty sure you and I won't paly it, but there are lots of people not exposed to the City of Heroes IP that would consider playing a super hero type farmville game. (Doesn't that give you the willies?)
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Originally Posted by that_darn_lurker
Don't be so sure. Brillig might be right, unfortunately. COH is still a valuable IP. They could create some simple facebook app or iPhone game. Don't think they wouldn't consider it either.
It would fail on release >_> Nobody would download it, |
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...|
Originally Posted by Commander
Truth is, NCsoft didn't want to compete with it's newest hero game:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-li...512456155?mt=8 |
You know, The past week NCsoft has really demonstrated some "Pants-on-head" Behavior.
Honestly I suspect that selling the IP -- and thus suggesting that they would actually need the money, whether they do or not -- would come across as too much of a sign of weakness for the corporate ego to handle.
Global: @mythicfox
Servers: Virtue, primarily
Published Arcs: The Lost Scion of the Vane Consortium (#410978)
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Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
No AT/powerset, AFAIC, is "undesirable." Give me a halfway competent player - or at least one willing to listen and go with the rest of the team - and we're good.
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I honestly don't get that argument, This was done for financial reasons anyways, and I'm pretty sure someone reading this could post a link that proves Ncsoft's financial crisis and is available to the public.|
Originally Posted by NorvellDevelopment
Honestly I suspect that selling the IP -- and thus suggesting that they would actually need the money, whether they do or not -- would come across as too much of a sign of weakness for the corporate ego to handle.
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If that's the case, Then people probably already know how "Weak" they are, Could they not just suck it up and make some cash in the process?
[QUOTE=that_darn_lurker;4380390]
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Lisa grins....actually....it doesn't give me the willies. I could swoop through other people's crime ridden city and beat up the Villains while not having to feel bad about my lack of hand-eye coordination because nobody would see me do it |
Originally Posted by DarkBlaster_NA
I'm pretty sure you and I won't paly it, but there are lots of people not exposed to the City of Heroes IP that would consider playing a super hero type farmville game. (Doesn't that give you the willies?) |
Good idea that
Lisa.
Wistful edit...and I wonder if COH would have had larger numbers had the Devs made incarnating our toons easier for the solo set...I lost a lot of Global friends who soloed like I did, and left when they found out how unfriendly the end game was to soloers.
So don't wait for heroes, do it yourself
You've got the power
winners are losers
who got up and gave it just one more try
***Dennis DeYoung
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Possible, but the only place I've seen that theory advanced is that blog people keep linking to, and since Lemur Lad pointed out that it's written by Unsub I'm finding it hard to take as serious analysis. I haven't read these forums regularly for months, but I still remember him as having an axe to grind. Actually, not so much an axe as a full armory.|
Originally Posted by Commander
They most likely won't sell it for the same reasons they didn't sell Dungeon Runners, Exteel and Tabula Rasa. If the chance is there to make money on it with another company at the helm, why compete with a product you wrote off as a failure?
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Of all their IPs I think CoH is the most likely that they would let go elsewhere. It's never fitted in very naturally with the rest of their games - on the NCsoft games page I always did think Statesman looked out of place next to all those pouting, semi armored fantasy females of Aion, Lineage, even Guild Wars.
Sure they might want to keep it for a rainy day, but if they are intending to refocus their business on the far east markets there doesn't seem much point in them holding onto a property that's proven not to work there.
It's cheaper to hold onto a name than a game.
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Sadly, corporate boards, lawyers, and accountants don't think like this.|
Originally Posted by DarkBlaster_NA
Selling the goddamned IP is the most logical way to handle this.
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The CoH IP doesn't just consist of the artwork, character names, story text, and other visible assets. There are probably any number of user-interface elements, program code, and other methods of processing stuff, any or all of which NCsoft might hold patents on. They may even have re-used some of it in their other projects.
If the IP were ever sold to another company in any meaningful form (enough to resurrect the actual game), NCsoft would find itself in the unenviable position of having to license some of it BACK from the new owners, just so their ongoing MMOs could continue to operate legally.
We can always hope that this isn't the case, and the IP can be sold without such encumbrance. But we have to be realistic...
TargetOne
"If you two don't work this out RIGHT NOW, I'm turning this invasion around and going home!" - Emperor Cole
Have they actually announced that they wouldn't sell it for any price? Because I haven't read anything like that anywhere. I kind of doubt they had enough time to even consider such a thing.
The price will be in the millions though and I have my doubts our player base can come up with that.
Did anyone *want* to buy Exteel, Auto Assault or Dungeon Runners?
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Not yet - but their track record on selling off MMOs that they want to close is not very good.
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Originally Posted by The_Entropist
Have they actually announced that they wouldn't sell it for any price? Because I haven't read anything like that anywhere. I kind of doubt they had enough time to even consider such a thing.
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@Golden Girl
City of Heroes comics and artwork
It probably doesn't cost NCSoft much to hold on to the IP and if someone comes out with a game like "Suburbs of Super-Powered Guys" they can sue the pants off of them.
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In theory they could. But rational human logic and corporate ego logic don't always work the same.|
Originally Posted by DarkBlaster_NA
I honestly don't get that argument, This was done for financial reasons anyways, and I'm pretty sure someone reading this could post a link that proves Ncsoft's financial crisis and is available to the public.
If that's the case, Then people probably already know how "Weak" they are, Could they not just suck it up and make some cash in the process? |
For instance, in the corporate world, cancelling a profitable game might conceivably come across as 'bold' and 'daring' and a sign that they've got something so brilliant up their sleeves you'd be a fool not to invest in the company.
Global: @mythicfox
Servers: Virtue, primarily
Published Arcs: The Lost Scion of the Vane Consortium (#410978)
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
No AT/powerset, AFAIC, is "undesirable." Give me a halfway competent player - or at least one willing to listen and go with the rest of the team - and we're good.
|
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the Studio that made Auto Assault wanted to buy the rights/ip back but couldn't meet NCSoft's price. So it's not that they didn't want to it's that they couldn't afford to.|
Originally Posted by The_Entropist
t.
Did anyone *want* to buy Exteel, Auto Assault or Dungeon Runners? |
As for Exteel and Dungeon Runners I've no idea.
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Originally Posted by The_Entropist
Have they actually announced that they wouldn't sell it for any price? Because I haven't read anything like that anywhere. I kind of doubt they had enough time to even consider such a thing.
The price will be in the millions though and I have my doubts our player base can come up with that. Did anyone *want* to buy Exteel, Auto Assault or Dungeon Runners? |
In just the three months, maybe not (although it would be interesting to see what could be done via kickstarter, should NCSoft name a price).
But, I see there is a petition with over 10,000 signatures. And I know that if you have just a thousand who spend what I do on CoH annually ($300 to $400), you've got a million dollars in about three years. Assume most players spend less -- as little as the base subscription cost of $180 -- and it still adds up over the course of a few years if you can hang onto several thousand players.
So, if NCSoft can be convinced to turn over the service, surely it's a fairly safe (not stellar, but safe) investment given we have well over 10,000 players begging to pay their money.
The main problem I see with rallying a kickstarter to fund such a transfer, is that individuals who pitch in will expect value for money in terms of game time or something else that cuts into that long-term profit potential. Then again, when you can make just about anything in the game, incentives that don't cut into profits might not be too difficult to offer. How much would people really pay for exclusive content? Or to have their character(s) included in the game lore (appropriately enough, given they'd be stepping up to save Paragon from certain doom)?
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Or people might remember "New Coke" from the 80s and smell failure.
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Originally Posted by NorvellDevelopment
In theory they could. But rational human logic and corporate ego logic don't always work the same.
For instance, in the corporate world, cancelling a profitable game might conceivably come across as 'bold' and 'daring' and a sign that they've got something so brilliant up their sleeves you'd be a fool not to invest in the company. |
total kick to the gut
This is like having Ra's Al Ghul show up at your birthday party.
Correct me if I'm wrong, But
It's been made clear that NCsoft has no intention to keep the CoH franchise going, Even if they do, It won't be the same without Paragon.
Since they aren't going to make money by keeping it in a flash drive in the corner, or by keeping the license contract/whatever in the attic. What the hell is making them so hellbent on NOT MAKING MONEY!?
I mean, was this not done due to financial reasons, You know, MONEY? I mean, Apparently When NCsoft puts two and two together, it gets "WE NEED TO LOSE MONEY, NOW!"
Am i stupid for thinking this? Selling the goddamned IP is the most logical way to handle this.
And i might have to add, Competition? City of Heroes has a different playstyle compared to ALL other MMOs, If there is competition, The audience wasn't interested in "LolAion" anyways.
Someone please tell me I'm just an idiot and this somehow makes total sense in Korea.