Next Year in Paragon

[Randomvector]

Whenever someone talks to me about City of Heroes this is what I say to them "Next year in Paragon".
To me, it is an affirmation of hope.
Things change. NCsoft could break up, could have a disastrous quarter and need some cash, could get a new board of directors who decide to make a goodwill gesture as a PR move.
after 7 years of Darkness Asheron's call 2 came back. I don't think anyone was really clamouring for that to happen yet it did.

Don't give up hope. Don't stop talking.
And I am going to keep telling people "next year in Paragon"
Because that is where I hope to be with you all.
Home.

[Sophronisba]

Next year in Paragon

I am totally including this in our Passover seder next year.

[Triplash]

Hear hear!

*raises his mug of tea*  Next year in Paragon, friends.

[beveri8469]

Hear hear!

*raises his mug of tea*  Next year in Paragon, friends.

ill 2nd that

[OzonePrime]

I'll raise a pint to that! Next year!

[mobbyg]

"Next year in Paragon"

So let it be coded, so let it be compiled!!

[Omega Mark V]

"Next year in Paragon".

Aye!

[SARobb]

Hear! Hear!

[Ironwolf]

This reminds me of Edgar Rice Burroughs - John Carter of Mars - We still live!

Until we all reach room temperature - there is always hope.

[PunkusJR]

This should be one of our Slogans . . . Someone should make a banner xD

[Kaiser Tarantula]

Bah!

Next year, Grandville for me.  The year after will be Paragon, because I'll have taken it over!  Gyahahahahaha!

[JanessaVR]

Next year in the Ski Chalet!

[corvus1970]

Next year in AP33!   

[unladenswallow]

I can't wait for the next expansion for COH: Resurrection!

[healix]

I am still holding hope, and won't let go

[PunkusJR]

Haha. Nice Healix. ^^ I wonder how they'll explain the absence of heroes for a year.

[healix]

It takes time to gather forces after such devastation...perhaps heroes and villains alike were rebuilding and re-establishing. Truth is, I don't care what the reason. I just want my City back.

[PunkusJR]

Oh I don't care either. Just a question I'm posing.

[corvus1970]

They were taken off-planet, Secret Wars style!

[PunkusJR]

Nice. My actual guess is that there was another law suit against one of the major hero organizations . . . and recluse entered full war with Nemesis which kept him busy.

And the law suit was from Nemesis anyways . . .

If I wasn't joking I'd seriously make something up xD

[JKPhage]

Haha. Nice Healix. ^^ I wonder how they'll explain the absence of heroes for a year.

The sheer amount of power unleashed with Tyrant's nuke + massive numbers of incarnates VS. the champion of the well caused severe fluctuations in space-time and made interdimensional travel impossible for a year and some change, trapping all of the heroes/villains in a ruined Praetoria. This gives them time to establish a sort of rapport with the surviving Praetorians, leading the eventual formation of the New Praetorians when they finally return to Primal Earth, and also explains their necessity to re-establish order in Paragon after a year of no heroes. Of course, after they leave, it's prime time for Hamidon to rear his ugly head and claim Praetoria as his own, leading to the events there.

That work for everyone?

And I'm with you, Next Year in Paragon is going to be a new affirmation for me.

[PunkusJR]

works for me . . . xD

[Kaiser Tarantula]

Haha. Nice Healix. ^^ I wonder how they'll explain the absence of heroes and villains for a year.

All the heroes and villains were busy kicking the Battalion's collective rear ends back to whatever sorry two-bit excuse of a reality they came from, and ensuring that they never get the idea of invading again.  We're talking a butt-kicking of such poetic proportions that the story will be handed down amongst whatever the Battalion call a family, as a cautionary tale for hundreds of generations to come.  Battalion parents will scare their children into obedience with stories that the humans will come to obliterate them if they're naughty.

We will become their boogeymen.  The stuff of their nightmares.

[Tacitala]

I wonder how they'll explain the absence of heroes for a year.

Mender Silos will smile and say he's sorry about that.  It took him a bit but he's got everything ironed out.  So we're cool now, right?

Whatever they say, my personal story will be that my characters were busy as always while I was logged off.  Somehow their experience meter got shut to the "off" button but they kept busy (except for Yvette- who is a Carnie and thus spent her down time partying).

[Triplash]

Haha. Nice Healix. ^^ I wonder how they'll explain the absence of heroes for a year.

Speaking solely for myself, I'm perfectly fine flying in on a Luck Dragon made of pure Handwavium and saying "Missing year? What missing year? I have no idea what you're - Heyyy! What the eff, dude? Why doesn't the portal to my base work anymore?!? It was fine last night!"

"And why do I suddenly have nine thousand unanswered emails?     ...Damn telemarketers."

[Ironwolf]

I will go with the Dallas solution:

It was all a dream as Numina wakes up.........

[PunkusJR]

I know I already posted one . . . but what if DJ Zero decided he wanted his party to be bigger . . .  a lot bigger . . . for a year.

[corvus1970]

I will go with the Dallas solution:

It was all a dream as Numina wakes up.........

Yes, but WHO is in the shower??

[Golden Girl]

Yes, but WHO is in the shower??

Jack in Irons.

[Brightfires]

I know exactly what Kestrel and Cardinal have been up to for a year...

All you have to do is follow the trail of postcards they've been sending back to their friends in the Isles. 'Something about there being an awful lot of beaches that needed inspecting.

("What?" Kes says, sitting under a colorful beach umbrella on the aft deck of the Mitscher. "Even rogues need a vacation, and don't try to tell me that you WOULDN'T take a round-the-world cruise if you owned a boat like this.")

[corvus1970]

Jack in Irons.

[DJMoose]

Let me help you with that:
http://nooooooooooooooo.com/

[FlyingCarcass]

To which Jack responds...
http://youtu.be/9r9QiqYi6A8

[LadyVamp]

/e raise tankard of cheese wine

 

[Noyjitat]

Damn, misleading title /wrists

[Golden Girl]

Damn, misleading title /wrists

I think that that news would have generated more than one 2 page thread

[Captain Electric]

*Stumbles in, doesn't bother to read anything*

So the game's coming back next year? COOL!!!

I'll have all my costume and AE files, binds and everything standing by and ready to go!

I knew ya'll would come through!!!!!

*Runs off to read some COH fan comics in anticipation*

[Captain Electric]

 

[LT. Couper]

I see that you and I have the same signature. An excellent choice, might I say. =)

My friends; Next Year In Paragon... 

[healix]

I mangled the words to "I Will Wait" and came up with this...(We wait for our City to return)

Our Paragon home crumbled like stone
And we fell heavy into the gray
These days of loss which is felt by all
Will blow away, some say

So we'll kneel down,
Wait for now
We'll all kneel down,
On familiar ground

And we will wait, we will wait for you
And we will wait, we will wait for you

A heartless company broke our steps
For corporate greed and Won
We may forgive but we won't forget
What we lost, and is still gone.

'Cause we will wait, we will wait for you
And we will wait, we will wait for you

Keep your eyes on the prize, hold fast to the dream
Let hope come down like rain
There will come a day, there will be a way
We'll go back To Paragon again.

'Cause we will wait, we will wait for you
And we will wait, we will wait for you

[Johnny Joy Bringer]

There are those who doubt, but it's clear we will be back. We have it better than any other closed game community. City of Heroes is just sitting there making no money for NCSoft, and that is going to eat at them sooner or later. Sooner or later the IP will be released, but even if it isn't, there will be a replacement game(or 2, or more) coming along. This community is vocal and should be tapped for income by some company, at some point. It's not a matter of "if" it's a matter of "when" and I know we will all be dancing our toons around and LFGing our hearts out. It's coming!

That being said, it wont just happen without effort. We are, as a community, very supportive, and if we can do nothing else we need to continue in that capacity. Get to know the people behind the different projects. Offer support, recognition, and praise. Never forget those who are putting their personal lives on the back burner to work on this effort. Be active in the forums and give great input, be patient, positive, and polite. The more interest you actively show the better the chance we will have of playing together again sometime soon. Show interest, please.

Heroes and Villains - http://www.heroes-and-villains.com/phpb/home.php

Missing World Media - http://www.missingworldsmedia.com/

Don't forget to thank TonyV for the awesome Cohtitan, Codewalker for all the awesome work he has done, and Pogoman for keeping the torch burning on SaveCOH Radio! I'm sure there are more I'm forgetting, but those are 3 of the more inspiring people I could think of off the top of my head.

Also we are all in debt(no not that kind of debt) to Victoria Victrix for all her work, and kind words.

272 days ago or so we managed to get 21,185 people to sign a petition to save the game. I personally asked thousands of people to sign the petition, in-game face-to-face(well ... toon-to-toon), and got a negative(people who thought that a petition was not the answer) response from enough that I never thought we'd get that far. We did, and then some. The first goal of 10,000 was achieved so fast that the goal had to be raised to 20,000. This proves there is a market.

Here, on Facebook, and on Twitter, there is a dedicated following who needs are not met by any other game out there. Our desire and out past link us all. And like a family we might fight, but more often we do not, and in the end our shared experiences always bring us back together.  Nothing can remove our bonds, as we will always be a community.

So, don't you ever doubt us, our resolve, or our unity.

For me Paragon City is not something we lost or can regain. We took it with us, and we are currently looking for a place to settle.

Heros! Villains! Rouges! Loyalist! Vigilantes! Resistance! Everyone here! I /e militarysalute you!

[Triplash]

(A whole bunch of great points that were well said)

I like your style.

[Noyjitat]

21000 x 15$ a month = 315000$ a month if they are subbed or spend that much a month in the store and if those same 21000 people do that for 12 months that's 3,780,000$ a year. You'd think any sane company would let a game keep running even in maintenance mode or low development.

[Johnny Joy Bringer]

21,185 was when the online petition closed. I'm sure there were far more people who would subscribe. COH has zero PR and if we all knew the number were threatening the game we would have done more to PR it and keep it alive. If you want to judge how much money the game was taking in at the end it's best to look at NCSoft's financials.

21000 x 15$ a month = 315000$ a month if they are subbed or spend that much a month in the store and if those same 21000 people do that for 12 months that's 3,780,000$ a year. You'd think any sane company would let a game keep running even in maintenance mode or low development.

[PunkusJR]

It is a shame that it doesn't have more PR. I have friends who only knew about CoH from me, and the only other time they heard about it was all of the media coverage of the closing. :/

[Thunder Glove]

I seem to recall that they said there were around 100k subscribers at the end.  That's pretty low for a top-level MMO these days, but not bad for an 8-year-old game with a relatively niche market.  (For some reason everyone would much rather play as the same elves and wizards than a game where you can be literally anything you can conceive of - including, if you're so inclined, elves and wizards)

Even so, 100k * $15 * 12 = $18 million a year.  Even if my memory is off, and they only had 50k subscribers, that's still $9 million a year, nothing to sneeze at.  I don't know why NCSoft sneezed at it.  It was essentially free income on top of everything else they were doing.  (I guess it didn't fit with their "new direction" - judging by their tumbling stock prices and the drop in income from every game other than GW2, their "new direction" involves losing money by the truckload)

... I'm particularly angry today about CoH's closing.  Can you tell?  I want to play it more than ever.  There's literally no other game out there I really want to play.

I'm hoping for Next Year, in Paragon.  But next year seems too far away.

[JaguarX]

21,185 was when the online petition closed. I'm sure there were far more people who would subscribe. COH has zero PR and if we all knew the number were threatening the game we would have done more to PR it and keep it alive. If you want to judge how much money the game was taking in at the end it's best to look at NCSoft's financials.

that's assuming those people were not double and triple signers.

The subject about more PR for COX been around at least since I started playing COH around i5 time period. Each time it was brought up it was shot down, sometimes called "Doomsaying", because the population looked healthy even as the report charts that someone posted in 2010 (shot down because it was stated the population was growing and didnt need help (4.9 million 3Q10) and 2011 (when it was clear the quaterly income was sliding and in the 2 million a quarter) times period showed the numbers going down. No one seemed much interested in advertising for the game or getting the name out there well until it was a tad bit too late.

Although at the time, I see the logic in that. There wasnt much sign that the game would be closed anytime soon from the company. Lesson learned, dont wait until the company says "hey we are running low" before going on a PR campaign because by then the decision may have already been made. Even if it look healthy, should of still capmaigned especially sincei t was known even then it wasnt advertised much if at all.

I think more than 21,000 people would return but remember looking from a business and financial standpoint, this isnt a new product. Unlike a new product they have pass performance records to go by from the debut area (about 9-8 million a quarter in 04 later quarters to the peak in about 2005 time period (15 million a quarter) towards the end (about 2.5 million a quarter).

Between 2Q04 and 3Q11 that is about 7.1 million a qauarter drop over all or about 1 million a year drop between that time frame.

At the time people seemed to have been waiting until word from NCSOFT said directly, numbers are threatening the game instead of looking at the charts provided and seeing for themselves. Many companies dont come out and say to customers "hey make more sales or we'll have to close shop". One, they usually have hired people that is supposed to do that although I question if they had any even bother looking or wanting to do something about it. Two, when the numbers dont reach expected numbers another thing many companies dont share with consumers, they close AND then say it wasnt reachign expected numbers usually when it's too late for the consumers to rally and do anything. I guess they figured that if consumers cared about the product they would have been doing that anyways without official statement from them. In some stockhodler meetings some companies may express that a particular product is under performing and may get cut in the future sometimes it's the majority of the meeting discussing an under performing product and what teh company plan on doing or whether it will be discontinued or not and input from stockholders. Sometimes companies just cut underperforming products without stating what the sale expectations were to anyone outside the CEO and board members and parties directly involved like marketing and the finance department. SOmetimes even the employess dont even know until some company representative shows up knocking at their door saying they have two weeks and maybe a certificate thanking them for their service. Sometimes they dont know until a letter inthe mail or email the same day saying "beginning *insert time* (usually either at the end or beginning of the month or pay period) that this section is being let go. Sorry for the inconvinience but if you need help or reference for new job contact *insert 1-800 number* *insert praise* *insert apology* *insert signature of either HR or reprinted President or Vice President signature* And that's it.

Next game lets not make same mistake even if the game have 300 million players STILL market it like there is not enough players playing whether the main company does so or not. Tell everyone friends family, twitter, facebook as viciously as this savecoh campaign was sought, that is how the marketing campaign by the players hould have been went after instead of brushed off year after year after year interlaced with insults. Although I never called anyone a doomsayer, I'm saying this anyways because they deserve it. Sorry for the insults, most seen the writing on the when we were too blind to see. We should have listened instead of immediately dismissing. 

http://unsubject.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/cohv_revenue_q3_2011.png

[JaguarX]

I seem to recall that they said there were around 100k subscribers at the end.  That's pretty low for a top-level MMO these days, but not bad for an 8-year-old game with a relatively niche market.  (For some reason everyone would much rather play as the same elves and wizards than a game where you can be literally anything you can conceive of - including, if you're so inclined, elves and wizards)

Even so, 100k * $15 * 12 = $18 million a year.  Even if my memory is off, and they only had 50k subscribers, that's still $9 million a year, nothing to sneeze at.  I don't know why NCSoft sneezed at it.  It was essentially free income on top of everything else they were doing.  (I guess it didn't fit with their "new direction" - judging by their tumbling stock prices and the drop in income from every game other than GW2, their "new direction" involves losing money by the truckload)

... I'm particularly angry today about CoH's closing.  Can you tell?  I want to play it more than ever.  There's literally no other game out there I really want to play.

I'm hoping for Next Year, in Paragon.  But next year seems too far away.

that's assumign everyone subcribed at the end. I know many free players and many people that had sub so long they canceled and never had to buy anything else. Then there were people that didnt buy anything but played for free because they simply couldnt spare then money. So while they may have upped the population, they do not nessecarily up the income.

1q2012 COx raked in about 2.6 million (equivalent). released may 15 2012
2q2012 COX raked in about 2.6 million release August 8 2012
Not listed on the 3q2012 report released in Nov. 2012.

in both listed cases of the most recent COX only accounted for about 2% of earnings from the games they sale. or 2,890 MN KWN and 2,855 MN KWN respectively out of 125,940 mn KWN and 129,682 mn KWN. Or about 2.6 million dollars out of $113,367,487 million. Or about 110,767,487 million if COX wasnt even accounted for. Or accounting for 2 cents out of $1

[Floride]

I seem to recall that they said there were around 100k subscribers at the end.  That's pretty low for a top-level MMO these days, but not bad for an 8-year-old game with a relatively niche market.

and it's astounding for an MMO with NO advertising. It's like they were waiting for it to start going into the red and it never did, so they had to just shrug and kill it without a viable excuse.

[JaguarX]

and it's astounding for an MMO with NO advertising. It's like they were waiting for it to start going into the red and it never did, so they had to just shrug and kill it without a viable excuse.

Indeed. Very astounding.

They did give an excuse, realignments are common business practices, but it just wasnt accepted. But it was an excuse nonetheless.

To be frank, I dont think any excuse regardless what it was would have been accepted by most anyways. So I dont see why they would even bothered even thinking about releasing any statement of reason beyond the generic "realignment of focus". The fire was already going and anything they would have said would have just added fuel. It's like being in a heated arguement with someone where they dont care what the main point is they just want ot yell. The person could say, "Know what, I'm sorry." and the person still will turn it around as offense or say "yeah YOU are sorry. You're good for nothing" and keep ranting.  So I think it was proper given the heat to simply state the reason, realignment, and leave it at that. It would be nice to knwo why and detail, but seriously most people wasnt ready to listen to anything at all that company had to say. Hell, they even turned their anger on people that didnt immediately hate NCSOFT and or tried look at things from a logical standpoint. When people even talked about moving on in any manner, it was taken with great offense. Now, people can talk about how they moved on and what they did to cope but the subject recieved great flaming and hatred at the time.

[Johnny Joy Bringer]

As I recall when Federal Express opened for it's first day of business they shipped only 2 packages. One was for internal diagnostic purposes, and the other was a package from their one and only customer of the day. When informed of the volume for that first day Fred Smith the founder said something to the effect of "Great! Now we just need to get the number up." So, the system worked, he only need more people to become aware of the advantages. Good PR, advertising, and getting the word out, made FedEx the company that it is today. Money well spent.

NCSoft never got the memo.

[JaguarX]

As I recall when Federal Express opened for it's first day of business they shipped only 2 packages. One was for internal diagnostic purposes, and the other was a package from their one and only customer of the day. When informed of the volume for that first day Fred Smith the founder said something to the effect of "Great! Now we just need to get the number up." So, the system worked, he only need more people to become aware of the advantages. Good PR, advertising, and getting the word out, made FedEx the company that it is today. Money well spent.

NCSoft never got the memo.

Indeed.

[pogoman]

Next year in Pargagon... HUGE beach party on Spanky's boardwalk!

[Tubbius]

Next year in Paragon. . . a wonderful motto.  Here's hoping it can come to fruition.

For my own part, in my time as a writer of Mission Architect stories, I was most proud of my PENGUIN quartet, a series of adventures focused around Waddle the Penguin, a Crey Biotech experiment that developed cold generation and healing powers, phenomenal leaping abilities, and a lovable childlike intellect dedicated to heroics.  These were PENGUIN, PENGUIN Part 2: Waddle's Revenge, PENGUIN Part 3: Waddle to the Big Top, and PENGUIN Part 4: Waddle On.

Should we end up back in Paragon City, and should the Architect Entertainment system go live, there will be PENGUIN Part 5: Waddle Home.

And, man, I just reread the closing souvenir clue for the fourth arc and got all teary eyed.    I miss this game.

[Eoraptor]

goddamnit! every time I look i these threads, someone has something else I want to go play right f'ing now in game. Penguins Ho!

[Atlantea]

Nice.

I think I'm the one who first chimed in with "Next Christmas in the Ski Chalet!" here -

http://www.cohtitan.com/forum/index.php/topic,8332.msg122567.html#msg122567

But I'm more than happy if the meme evolved to this overall sentiment.

*raises glass* Next year in Paragon!

[Floride]

goddamnit! every time I look i these threads, someone has something else I want to go play right f'ing now in game. Penguins Ho!

[TEAM] Floride:wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[Noyjitat]

1st day back will be a party in pocket d with Praetor Duncan. We will be serving  cookies and rum followed by back to back MSRS and then an evening of curb stomping romulus in speed itfs.

[PunkusJR]

1st day back will be a party in pocket d with Praetor Duncan. We will be serving  cookies and rum followed by back to back MSRS and then an evening of curb stomping romulus in speed itfs.

I doubt DJ Zero is gonna like all the cookie crumbs in his club.

[Triplash]

We will be serving  cookies and rum followed by back to back MSRS

Cookies and rum? Sounds like a bunch of sweet toothed pirates.      .....Now that's a party!

We could be the Pirates of the Carob Beans!  The Jolly Rogers of Jammie Dodgers!  Chips Ahoy, matey!

[Tacitala]

We could be the Pirates of the Carob Beans!

And you'll have the Cosmic Corsair outfits to be able to make your costumes.

[Triplash]

And you'll have the Cosmic Corsair outfits to be able to make your costumes.

Ooh yeah, the Cosmic Eclair! I mean Corsair! Good call.

PIIIRAAATES... IIINN... SPAAAAAACE!!!!!




Dangit now I want an eclair.

[Eoraptor]

Statesman's ghost: Pirate, what's with Atlas's wheel down your pants?

Space Pirate: Yarrrr it drives me nuts!

[Twisted Toon]

o.0

[healix]

[Floride]

"Don't give up hope. Don't stop talking.
And I am going to keep telling people "next year in Paragon"
Because that is where I hope to be with you all.
Home."

RV, you're a wordsmith genius.

[Luna Eclypse]

Don't give up hope. Don't stop talking.
And I am going to keep telling people "next year in Paragon"
Because that is where I hope to be with you all.
Home.

And I share the sentiment, friend. I think "Next year in Paragon" will have to start trending on Twitter soon.

[crashpositron]

So say we all!

[Captain Electric]

WE ALL.

There I said it!

[Twisted Toon]

WE ALL.

There I said it!

Someone had to do it. Nicely done. 

[healix]

(To the Tony Bennett classic)

"I Left My Heart In Paragon City"


The loveliness of Talos, I long to see once more
The Cimerora glory is beyond a phantom door
I've fely terribly alone and missing my friends
I want to go home to my city that I love

I left my heart in Paragon City
In Atlas Park, it calls to me
To be where trains rush to and fro... anywhere I want to go
The fog of war may cloud the air, I don't care

My heart waits there in Paragon City
With all the sites sites I loved to roam
When I come back to you, Paragon City
Then once again, I will be home.