Why bother?

So I've been watching this since I heard about it and i don't get why people are bothering with it. No, I don't mean I don't know why you are feeling bad and trying to save this game. I mean why bother trying to get NCsoft to change their position when regardless of why they are doing this the reality of the matter is that this keeps happening over and over again with CoH. Loyal fans and Dedicated (well mostly dedicated) developers are great at what they do be damned.

The idea that CoH had to be cut to make up for lost money elsewhere is ridiculous. MMORPGs pay for themselves after they've got to a certain point in their life cycles and until they fall below a certain point. Are you really believing that one of top most subscribed to games in the world is below the point of self sustainment? That is just foolish. So why would NCsoft do it? I have no idea. Most actions that people take look dumb to me.

The fact is, let's say you all get this saved and celebrate, given the track record, what makes you think that this isn't just going to happen again? What makes you think that CoH as a product in the hands of NCSoft isn't damaged to a large degree already? This matters because if it is, then that will be used for the next argument to shut it down. Your subs are slipping again. So now they have a reason and now it looks like you're just complaining for the sake of complaining and all this outreach will have been wasted.

So I say, why not do something relatively unique. You claim you have a great community here so why not try something more community based. As a community BUY the game. BUY Paragon Studios. Put up the money via kick starter or indiegogo or one of those sites. Show that you mean business with hard cash and grab control of the game that is as much if not more yours as it is theirs. All you are doing currently doing is relying on other people to work out the stuff with their money. You want it. You buy it. That's capitalism and we now have tools to do it so why not?

Obviously there would have to be something worked out for the ownership and control and all like that, but that should be easily handled by anyone with a keen enough business mind. My point is. Put your money on the table and show them you want it. Many of you pay months ahead and that's a big amount of money quarterly. The worst that can happen is it doesn't work out, but if it does. You've then done something amazing and unique that no other community can say they've done and you essentially have control over the game and don't have to worry about these things that keep cropping up every few years.

No one has been asking NCSoft to keep the game running, we've been trying to get them to sell it to another publisher or studio (the most optimal solution is selling it to Paragon Studios and letting them be their own studio, in the same way that CCP was allowed to split off and buy EVE from Simon & Schuster years ago and became their own studio and publisher). This is a HUGE distinction that people shouldn't be confused about this late in the process (especially because it might lead to other people being confused about it, too). There are ZERO efforts aimed at getting NCSoft to keep running the game.

What you're suggesting about US buying the game has already been discussed, a lot, here and on the Titan Network. Our ability to crowd-fund several million dollars has been a sticking point in every discussion.

It is more complicated than that. Paragon Studios isn't a publicly traded company; you can't buy it unless NCSoft agrees to sell it. NCSoft has not yet given an indication that they are willing to do so, other than rumors of talks taking place with the Paragon Studios management.

I would love for NCSoft to name a price and allow us to try and crowdsource funds for it, but unless they do, you can't set a fund raising target because you don't know what they would actually sell it to you for. Further, you can't just fund raise as the playerbase; you need to incorporate as an entity that can actually do multi-million dollar deals, which means you have to found some type of corporation or non-profit entity. This requires legal resources and has tax implications that could severely burn those setting it up if they do it wrong, and takes time to do. Things get further complicated because everyone has a different idea of what exactly buying the game would entail and how it would be run post-acquisition.

And that is mostly why no credible attempts have been made to buy the game via crowdsourced funding--yet. I hope it gets a chance to happen, I have a decent chunk of cash blocked out from my budget in case we do get that chance, but am not holding my breath. I know I wouldn't want to be trying to set up a corporation to do this, so I am not terribly surprised noone else is either.

Typical Durakken post.

"...if not, sink that into a newer better venture that is the "spiritual" successor."


Now this might not be the worst idea. I admit I have not kept up on ALL the efforts and whats going on, but have any of the Dev's said they would be willing, with start-up cash provided by the community, to do this?

I know I would drop a lifetime sub for something that I knew was going to have the same feel and flair of CoX, but under a different name. That cash would fly from my wallet so fast it would make my wifes head spin. And I'm talking sight unseen with the game even. Just lemme know that the folks at Paragon were putting together a new hero game, and Im there.

Someone who's familiar with Durakken, please tell me if we're being trolled.

All I remember about him is when he made that City of Heroes Lore wiki (and worked his butt off on it for a couple weeks before forgetting about it and eventually letting the domain lapse). Fortunately, all of that content made it over to the Titan Network's Paragon Wiki, because I loved what Durakken managed to pull together. His master timeline was and is epic.

But then I see this and it's like seriously, main screen turn on what is this I don't even know???

Durakken, obvious trolling aside, it was said at one point (by a redname, IIRC - Zwill?) that a Kickstarter campaign can't be used here, because this is an established, owned property, and Kickstarter doesn't allow that kind of funding.

A Pay Pal account would be the only feasible way, but I can't imagine a community of private citizens has the kind of liquid capital that would be needed.