NCsoft Response to City of Heroes player and fan suggestions
By
Adar_ICT,
Posted on: 2012-10-02 13:46 in News, Events and Announcement Discussion
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Seriously. It comes off more like an "I have money in excess to waste on something regardless of it's true value" kind of number. No one in their right mind would offer $80 million for CoH. Aging technology, medium-sized player base, modest profit. $8 million would be closer to the ball park if there were any merit to the rumor.
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Originally Posted by Arcanaville
False. One person mentioned it, one person suggested it was possible, everyone else correctly stated that if nothing else the number was wildly unlikely.
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"Later, Ace!"
Robin Everheart
(Global: @Robin Everheart)
(Server: Virtue)
=sigh=
Another epic fail for me. I did not need that.
Les Gardiens de l'Equilibre / Les Disciples de l'Equilibre / Les Traqueurs de Chaos
I just read the news today and it is very disappointing to say the least.
Those of you suspecting that NC Soft will get more money from a tax write off than the game is worth are probably right. I would imagine that NC Soft should be able to fudge the books on their end since they seem to bundle sales of certain games/markets together and get a hefty return on shutting down City Of Heroes. I'm sure that if there were any offers NC Soft was asking for way much more money than the I.P. is currently worth. I have a feeling they stonewalled the dev.'s when it came to selling off the studio. NC Soft has a long track record of shady actions. I think our assumptions are probably spot on about what they're doing. Unfortunately, we may never be able to prove it.
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I don't like to double post, but if their stock is really on the decline and they continue operating in the red, at least we'll ll have our revenge come a year or two. I agree, Robin, there is no way in hell Guild Wars 2 will survive in its current form on a microtransaction format. What game companies don't seem to understand is that microtransactions may only be a passing fad. I can't see the nickle and diming going on for much longer in the gaming world because people have less and less money to spare. I'm awaiting the collapse of the payment model myself since I think it's a shoddy way to do business.
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Originally Posted by Robin_Everheart
But even with their strong Guild Wars 2 launch, NCsoft stocks continue to fall. That initial $60 retail price for the game will only go so far once the initial wave of interest wanes and they'll be hard-pressed to maintain it solely on micro-transactions. Not saying they can't do it, but the GW2 players should be asking themselves where they'll be when NCsoft's next fiscal year ends if the company is still in the red.
You can even see many negative reviews of the company from the inside from current and former employees over the last several years here: http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/NCs...-E23242_P3.htm |
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Kind of like how there used to be an arcade in every mall in the 80s and 90s, and now you're lucky if there's a few games at the local (and now decrepit) bowling alley and/or minigolf course.|
Originally Posted by End Sinister
What game companies don't seem to understand is that microtransactions may only be a passing fad.
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I doubt microtransaction gaming will last anywhere near as long as arcade gaming did, because: a) they're asking for a lot more than a quarter for most things, and b) they come with a sort of unspoken promise that you've just purchased something "permanent"... that will disappear only months later when the game is unceremoniously shut down.
And at least if you REALLY love an old arcade game, you can usually buy a cabinet for a few hundred bucks... or of course emulate it. Cancelled MMOs are protected by their former owners the way a moonshiner protects his distillery--no sane amount of money is going to get you a home version, and any attempt to steal his recipe is going to be made while dodging buckshot.
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Originally Posted by Nethergoat
it's NEVER too late to pad your /ignore list!
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It's not such a bad model in other games that have the hybrid service like we had here, but Guild Wars 2 has the distinction of being equally free-to-play for all after you buy it. Printing more copies of the game and hoping for more retail sales won't work if the interest has dropped off, you might be spending more in manufacturing and shipping costs. The worst case scenario I can see for those players is to be passively forced into the micro-transactions by being offered entirely new critical content that way such as whole dungeons, zones, classes, etc because it creates that psychological effect for the dedicated players of "I've got to have it!" Basically taking the whole of what would make up a retail expansion pack and releasing it in chunks digitally for an accumulated sum that comes out to be much higher than if it were just one retail expansion.|
Originally Posted by End Sinister
I don't like to double post, but if their stock is really on the decline and they continue operating in the red, at least we'll ll have our revenge come a year or two. I agree, Robin, there is no way in hell Guild Wars 2 will survive in its current form on a microtransaction format. What game companies don't seem to understand is that microtransactions may only be a passing fad. I can't see the nickle and diming going on for much longer in the gaming world because people have less and less money to spare. I'm awaiting the collapse of the payment model myself since I think it's a shoddy way to do business.
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Granted, we had new power sets offered this way but they weren't necessary to play and we always got our new zones and content as free updates.
I mean I'm just wary for them as players and consumers. In the hypothetical that NCsoft remained in the red by that point, there's that situation again where they start to get pressured by the shareholders (Nexon) so they, in turn, pressure ArenaNet into doing what I described above. Or maybe they have another boneheaded idea like changing Guild Wars 2 into the pay/free hybrid model and give the subscribers exclusive bonuses. That would be sure to cause a rift in the user base and I'd wager a fair bit would split town for a competitor's game. That one could be far-fetched but, hey, I've seen companies do worse.
"Later, Ace!"
Robin Everheart
(Global: @Robin Everheart)
(Server: Virtue)
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Don't forget that those costs were offset or even negated completely by the monthly microtransaction stipends that subscribers were gifted.|
Originally Posted by Robin_Everheart
Granted, we had new power sets offered this way but they weren't necessary to play and we always got our new zones and content as free updates.
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(Note: The rest of your post is very insightful, and I'm not arguing with your musings in the least. Just wanted to add that bit of clarification.)
Main Hero: Chad Gulzow-Man (Victory) 50, 1396 Badges
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Originally Posted by Nethergoat
it's NEVER too late to pad your /ignore list!
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If NCSOFT could pull that once, they could pull it again. I call BS on this announcement.
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Originally Posted by Hyperstrike
Also remember this:
NOW: NCSoft: Talks have failed... THEN: NCSoft: Richard Garriott has given us his letter of resignation... Richard Garriott: Uh? WHAT? No I didn't! |
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I had wondered about that, myself. But it is a relatively small industry, so it seems unlikely that any serious shopping would have gone unnoticed.|
Originally Posted by JayboH
The more I think about it, the more likely I find that might be the case; that NCSoft probably shopped the game around for quite a long time before they announced the shutdown decision. It just makes sense.
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But I can tell you from personal experience that the decision to close was made no later than early June. It takes time to run the numbers for laying off that many people, plus vetting all the associated legalities. You don't see bad news in the quarterly figures, pick up the phone, and close down a division of your company quite so easily as all that.
@Glass Goblin - Writer, brainstormer, storyteller, hero
Though nothing will drive them away
We can beat them, just for one day
We can be heroes, just for one day
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This was my feeling, too, but I didn't want to speculate on something like that without knowing people on the inside.
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Originally Posted by Arcanaville
I find it difficult to believe NCSoft could have been shopping the game and the studio around without even the general manager knowing, and I can't believe anyone would want to take over the game without studio support. If this was all a surprise to Paragon, and I have multiple inside reports it was, they were not being shopped prior to the announcement.
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@Glass Goblin - Writer, brainstormer, storyteller, hero
Though nothing will drive them away
We can beat them, just for one day
We can be heroes, just for one day
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Thanks, needed that.|
Originally Posted by Arcanaville
When you play an NCSoft game, you get attached.
When you get attached, they cancel the game. When they cancel the game, you get angry. When you get angry, you want to fight injustice. When you want to fight injustice, you dress like Blue Steel. When you dress like Blue Steel, Chuck Norris tests your skills. And when Chuck Norris tests your skills, you end up in a wheelchair with one bad wheel. Don't end up in a wheelchair with one bad wheel. Get rid of NCSoft and upgrade to anything else. |
Actually I imagine that NCSoft decided it would cost too much just to determine a fair price for the game's assets and database. Also in Asian business culture they rarely if every say no during negotiations, it's considered impolite, so they sound noncommittal even when they already decided to turn you down. This can give a western business man the wrong idea, thinking things are going fine right up to the point that they publicly announce that they are rejecting your proposition.
Also I believe so low man on the totem pole in Korea was assigned to our game, since it was making so little money. Sort of like how the new guy gets all the small accounts. He probably gets all the work everyone else doesn't want to do and that's why it was mishandled as badly as it was.
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Well, NCSoft can kiss my furry tail.
This is a crying shame and they will -never- see a penny from me again.
(And yes, I can and will do this. I've done it to Best Buy and Walmart... I can do it to NCSoft)
[ @Zombie Fryer ][ @Zombie Smasher ]
| Home Server: Virtue |
Twitter: @ZFLikesNachos Save City of Heroes (Titan Network) [Successful "The Really Hard Way" runs: 4] [Click ^]
| Home Server: Virtue |
Twitter: @ZFLikesNachos Save City of Heroes (Titan Network) [Successful "The Really Hard Way" runs: 4] [Click ^]
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Originally Posted by Hit Streak
From NCsoft:
We wanted to let you know that your voices have been heard and your concerns have been taken into serious consideration. We appreciate the overwhelmingly constructive and positive messages in the emails, notes, and packages you've sent in support of the game. It has not been an easy decision for us to close Paragon Studios® and prepare to shut down City of Heroes. We've exhausted all options including the selling of the studio and the rights to the City of Heroes intellectual property, but in the end, efforts to do so were not successful. City of Heroes has a special place in all of our hearts, and we want to ensure its reputation and the memories we share for the game end on a high note. Once again, we will be holding events throughout the process of preparing for the game's end, and we encourage players and fans of the franchise to join forces and enjoy their time in a game that we've enjoyed supporting for more than eight years. The NCSOFT® Team] |
#$#^ you, you @#%$ %#$% son of a @#@$ $$%, who @#$% #$%^ and #@$^ $&#% up your little @#$% @#^ rich @$$ mother &^#$$ who can't @%# enough if your life depended on $%^& with a @#$% and a bowling ball! Your nothing but a bunch of honor-less #$#%-#$%^#$ who can't get enough @%@^$ up their @$%@ @$^%@#$ @%^@$%^ or their @#%@# @^$^$ and not even with a @#%@# or a white donkey! You sick @%@ @#$^#$^ lying $&$^&#% god sucking #$^ #$%& @%^# with no sense of any $^#$^ @#%@# pride and honesty!
*Deep breath*
No you haven't "heard us" cause if you did, you wouldn't be shutting down the game or you'd be releasing the server end info so private servers can go up or sell the game or "donate" or something!
So go bend your @%@^& @@@ over and let your evil cabana boy lover, Lucifer ram a @%@#% poker up your mother-$^#$%^ @$$ and meanwhile we'll end up laughing as your stocks and worth continue to fall and you lose any footing in the US market that you currently still have!
Course you could ACTUALLY hear us and understand and do something we want. We honestly aren't that picky. We've given you several options; don't shut it down, release the source codes for private use (especially since we bought the game, not half a game, not just one side of a program), or sell it to another company. We want our game some way. You choose the way. But you must really be morons if you think that your message will make us forget about simple logic. You say one thing but you've done another!
But let's use your logic. The game "isn't profitable" and "can't" be sold. If you really "cant" find a buyer because the IP is that worthless and you still are gonna shut it all down, at least give it to the people as one last gift, especially after how much money we've given you sick #%&#$ over the last almost 9 years. But you aren't, so your message defies the reality of whats going on as well as your own reality which your note claims (ie your feelings towards us and the game, "in your hearts") all it comes off as is 100% '#$^% you' to us. A 'kick us while we are down,' at least to those who understand what's going on!
So again, its simple! Fix the problem and have our admiration and at least some support or continue to ignore us and lose all value in the western market, leaving a hole which other companies can fill and grow and eventually push you out of your own market. So do it, fix it or sow the seeds of your eventual destruction. The choice, unfortunately is in your mother-@#$^#$ sick @$$ hands!
Need help making your own CoH comics or read other's comics at cohcomicindex.com
www.jkcomics.com for Justice-Knights comics series and more!
Storylines:
Introductions, Obey,
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Two people independently reported hearing the rumor:|
Originally Posted by Arcanaville
False. One person mentioned it, one person suggested it was possible, everyone else correctly stated that if nothing else the number was wildly unlikely.
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Originally Posted by Reply#99
Anyone's guess if this is true, but I just read in-game that Trion offered NC 80mil for CoH.
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Originally Posted by Reply#105
I've heard this rumor, too, but I haven't seen any evidence to support it.
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Thanks for the Message and update Hit Streak, This hits me hard! I was brought over here by my best friend and his fiancee almost 2 years ago from wow and now ncsoft is basically saying i should go back to wow because we dont want customers. Makes little sense to me considering the game was making a profit while others were in the red. Reading between the lines i think our little campaign to save our form of entertainment and escape are getting to ncsoft. hmmm we have ruffled some feathers, i guess its time to really get under thier skin! I for one will continue to enjoy every moment i can on this city of heroes and will continue to fight till the end.
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Sorry, but that only works on sentient creatures.
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Originally Posted by Electric-Knight
You are not yet finished with your negotiations to sell this game. |
And yeah, I think this press release is bogus and them trying to deter us so we roll over and take it. Won't work. They really are destroying their position in the western market.
Need help making your own CoH comics or read other's comics at cohcomicindex.com
www.jkcomics.com for Justice-Knights comics series and more!
Storylines:
Introductions, Obey,
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Precisely.|
Originally Posted by excimer
If we try, there is the possibility of success. If we fail to try, there is no hope.
I would rather try. |
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Originally Posted by Arcanaville
I find it difficult to believe NCSoft could have been shopping the game and the studio around without even the general manager knowing, and I can't believe anyone would want to take over the game without studio support. If this was all a surprise to Paragon, and I have multiple inside reports it was, they were not being shopped prior to the announcement.
There are multiple reports that representatives from Paragon were talking to NCSoft, but I have read nothing publicly nor has anyone told me anything privately about the specific content of those talks or the specific details of how they proceeded, only that they were happening and there was a decent chance of them succeeding. As far as I know, there has never been an *explicit* report about talks "going well" or anything like that. Just that talks were happening. My suspicion is that prior to being approached by the Paragon team, NCSoft had no plans for CoH or any of the other Paragon assets at all. |
After a long day/night working for me, my off the cuff thoughts on what to do from here... I'd say, the community still making noise and pushing for more transparency is a good move. They've responded, now let's see if we can make even more noise than we did before.
The more attention we bring, the more potential we create for something positive to happen.
People who don't get why we'd bother, maybe don't get that aspect.
If you don't bother trying, you definitely won't make a positive difference towards the things you want. If you do try, you might succeed, you might open up new possibilities along the way... and, if nothing else, you can look back and know you did what you could for what you wanted.
Certainly can't blame anyone if they're not interested enough to do such things, but that's cool. We all gotta do what we gotta do.
@Zethustra
"Now at midnight all the agents and the superhuman crew come out
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
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Hahaha!|
Originally Posted by Quinch
Sorry, but that only works on sentient creatures.
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You know... it wouldn't surprise me if there are Hutts or Toydarians in charge of NCSofts.
@Zethustra
"Now at midnight all the agents and the superhuman crew come out
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
and round up everyone that knows more than they do"-Dylan
I haven't touched a SOE product since MxO got shut down (of course, it helps that their other products kind of suck)... Planetside 2 was tempting me when I saw the beta announcement, but I held back. I think I can manage to do the same to NCSoft (and Nexon, just for good measure). *shrug*
I Call ********, they did nothing and I think they just saying this, just so we can lose hope and give up, Keep on fighting guys.
Never play another NcSoft game, If you feel pride for our game, then it as well, I Superratz am Proud of all of you Coh people, Love, Friendship will last for a lifetime.
Global:@Greenflame Ratz
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Anybody can send an enquiry, I would expect at least a form email saying "Thanks but no thanks" back, but this smacks of just binning any enquiries because they're not interested.|
Originally Posted by Brillig
Okay, I get it now. You're a literalist. Since it's impossible to exhaust all avenues, NCSoft is clearly lying.
"Sending an enquiry" is meaningless. I could do that right now. The question is, is it credible? Any query from me would clearly not be. As for Mr. X, who knows? Unless his name was Gabe, it probably wasn't. And how was said query sent? If it actually was a serious attempt to reach out, it would be very ironic if it got sent to one of the electronic or physical addresses people were busy spamming. Generally stuff like this happens between people who already know each other on some level. Or an intermediary makes an introduction. |
I agree that most often stuff happens between people who already know each other. Negociations clearly continued for some time, I'd be very interested to know what the insurmountable obstacle was.
It's true. This game is NOT rocket surgery. - BillZBubba
After going to bed early, and then waking up way earlier than I normally do, I sent my response to this bit of "news" to all the NCSoft emails I have at my disposal:
"Really? Giving up a month after you announce you no longer are interested in publishing the game? And you expect us to be satisfied with that? Don't make me laugh. Every successful sale of any commodity I have ever seen has been made with rumors and news reports of the impending sale showing up in various sources. We have seen none of this. All indications have been that NCSoft has had NO interest in selling City of Heroes, that you just want to kill our beloved game and wash the virtual blood off your hands.
The end is not until you, NCSoft sees it's own sunset, or City of Heroes finds a new home. Until then you should expect us, the fans of City of Heroes, to continue to make noise, continue to refuse your resignation, to continue to fight for the game that we love.
Do yourself a favor, if you want to prove to us that you can not sell the IP, prove it. Put it up for sale PUBLICLY. Announce to the world that you are willing to sell to the highest bidder. See what kind of reaction you get from that.
A City of Heroes Player"
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Sure, NCSoft are jerks, but isn't a global zombie apocalypse a little extreme?|
Originally Posted by Evil_Legacy
Time for plan Z?
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Ah well, if you say so.
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Originally Posted by Golden Girl
Not yet.
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Thought for the day:
"Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment."
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