This is the most ridiculous thing I've read (today). There's literally no reason for them to do this; even if they did decide that it was professional and appropriate to be this petty, the playerbase (who are also potential customers for any future games they may release) would not be the target of their maliciousness. If they have no interest in selling it, all they have to say is no. That's it. Doesn't matter how much whining we all do, those two letters shut everything down, and they could have done that months ago if they had wanted.
Folks, I know it sucks that we haven't had any real concrete information for a while, but it's been said before, and I'll say it again -- THAT'S GOOD NEWS. If they deal falls through, you will know. If it's successfully completed, you will also know. The fact that we know nothing means negotiations are still happening.
I think it's really unlikely that NCSoft would be vindictive against the CoH playerbase, but I don't think I'll rule it out completely. If this falls through after all this time, I won't blame anyone for thinking there is something other than "business" behind it. It might not be my #1 theory, but I'm ok with a "greater than zero chance" outlook.
They do illogical things that seem to be based on emotion or "culture". We know this. Why would I then assume they are
only acting on logic now?
Is it logical to say "We'll never sell to you"? That's not "business"...that's emotion. We're even ok with speculating that NCSoft would want to make sure none of the people "they will never sell to" are involved here. (wild speculation I think)
It is logical to become insulted to the point where it harms a negotiation when you get nasty emails from former players? That's not "business"...that's emotion too....and it also indicates vindictive feelings toward players.
Is it logical to become insulted when someone from another country dares to contact you directly instead of getting someone else to introduce you and refuse to listen to a business proposal? That's not "business"...that's "culture". It's not good business at all in a world marketplace...especially when you expect someone to know this without informing them. Frankly it sounds like bullying to me. And I'll believe that isn't "bullying" when I see NCSoft refuse an audience with someone like Bill Gates because he didn't know their culture. I looks like they only did it because they were in the position of power.
And how about shutting down a profitable part of your company and fumbling the shutdown to the extent that it hurts your reputation in the industry? Does that sound like they would never do anything to anger players or that they value them for future games?
I'm seriously not overtly anti-NCSoft...but they haven't done anything to earn any benefit of the doubt from me as a company who thinks logically either.
I've come to think of the length of time on this as a good thing. It doesn't make sense for it to get this far and then suddenly fail. So if that were to happen...I would have to start wondering if "emotion" wasn't a part of it from their side again.
Now back to grinding to 100 in WOW......
Level 100??? Holy smokes....that would drive me crazy.
I mean to be honest SOME of the stock-holders were there for ulterior purposes and looking for any sign of weakness in the product to lash out at, basically CoX couldn't afford a hiccup. The enemies were Anti-game-violence groupies who bought mass stock shares via group donations (through a company supporter) in attempt to find someway to kill this 'weak-financially-backed Violent Superhero MMO'. and when they saw the hiccup they threatened to pull out due to a profit decline lots of other backers who were there for money did the same, with the note to kill the low profit MMOs as the only means to keep their business and the meeting being under an NDA so they don't look bad.
I had to do some research into anti-video-game-violence groups for an essay for my masters, turns out they are linked to liberal political groups and only pick on games that won't sacrifice from game quality to include liberal ideologies in context or concept. Seeing as Paragon was all about making a cool superhero MMO they would want no part of any ideological injections into CoX other than those (super-natural ones) they had planned for plot purposes, and therefore were perceived as a threat and targeted via the anti-video-game-violence groups.
it's a really ugly practice "if they wont join you, Destroy them" versus "if you can't beat them, join them"
Ugh...politics. There are some zealots and extremists involved with both sides. This would not surprise me at all.
And as a note to the wider MMORPG community for the future, perhaps someone can develop some kind of "guarantee", like the slips of paper in small appliances you buy.
"We guarantee this mmo, if it folds, be sold off to a company that keeps these running, including the character/customer/guild base databases, i.e. no reboot sale where this is wiped."
Then let the presence, or absence, of that guarantee be one factor in customers deciding to buy.
I definitely think that type of thing is coming. An industry can only anger its customers for so long. We've seen it in countless other industries when they got to comfortable with "this is the way it is".
I don't accept "all MMO's will end...deal with it". That's a
terrible way to do business with people. Especially with a product that generates strong emotions with the customers. Imagine if the makers of Monopoly or chess did that. People who love those games get to play them their entire lives....as it should be.
As a matter of fact, if CoH comes back...that might be one of the first steps to changing that illogical "Don't get attached to your game" attitude.
