Status Update (October 2)

[HEATSTROKE]

NcSoft.. you have angered me.. Im about to eat a Yellow and Red skittle, hit Aim and Build Up and go NOVA...

[FataL-X]

Well, we should appeal to their stockholders then.

THIS! This is a grand idea! Has anyone attempted to contact Nexon? If I recall correctly they DO own a large portion of NCSoft stock...

I'm not saying Nexon would be the ideal company to take over. But they do pretty well with Free-to-Play games and communities similar to ours.

[PatrickAT]

Have a feeling NCSoft "negotiates" the way that Corbin Dallas negotiates. 

[TimtheEnchanter]

There you have it. The Bard has spoken. Go suit up, guys.

Now I'm just trying to interpret it.

Is it about Plan Z, the private servers, or the live game?

And I have to do it while feeling like I just stepped into a scene from the Neverending Story with the "single seed of imagination" metaphor.   

[Manga]

We should probably start looking at spreading the bad PR to Nexon too.

No, don't do that.  We might need Nexon later.

Also, I read the press release from NCSoft twice.  I thought to myself, why would they go out of their way to make a press release about the Save CoH movement when they pretty much already "won"?  If they say and do nothing, the servers will still be shut down Nov 30th, and we'll be forced to disperse anyway.

The only reason I can think of is that they're starting to feel pressure from investors and stockholders, and they need us to stop protesting and silently accept it NOW, long before the servers shut down.  They need something, and we're between them and what they need.

[HEATSTROKE]

um correct me if I am wrong because I am not that up on these things.. but isnt Nexon also Perfect World ??

[JaguarX]

THIS! This is a grand idea! Has anyone attempted to contact Nexon? If I recall correctly they DO own a large portion of NCSoft stock...

I'm not saying Nexon would be the ideal company to take over. But they do pretty well with Free-to-Play games and communities similar to ours.

Uhm not trying to down your idea but I would think that if Nexon do own a good amount of stock, I dont think this decision was made without them knowing.
It is possible and if so and if Nexon just so happen think it was a stupid decision, then that may turn into a good amount of bonus if not an outright jackpot for this cause.

At the very least we should at least check and see if Nexon had anything to do with the decision. It might be Nexon who suggested in the first place. WAIT!! DONT KILL ME!!! I'm just speculating on some possibilites and really have no idea how a buisness of that level works very well.

Edit: although I do own some stock in some companies and was actually gathering money up to invest in NCSoft (Well before the announcement) and usualy before any decision is made whether it is for an idea to buy a company or an idea to get rid of a subsid. I get a letter in the mail or email about a stockholders meeting to discuss the proposal. Maybe NCSOft works differently and dont tell the stockholders anything. Even if they agree with the closing down they might be pissed about being left out of the loop. 

[Fansy]

No, don't do that.  We might need Nexon later.

Also, I read the press release from NCSoft twice.  I thought to myself, why would they go out of their way to make a press release about the Save CoH movement when they pretty much already "won"?  If they say and do nothing, the servers will still be shut down Nov 30th, and we'll be forced to disperse anyway.

The only reason I can think of is that they're starting to feel pressure from investors and stockholders, and they need us to stop protesting and silently accept it NOW, long before the servers shut down.  They need something, and we're between them and what they need.

Hail, Heroes!

Put some pressure on Tony to read his messages and reply back to me. I'll need his help if we're going to move forward.
 
The only thing that NCsoft reply did was encourage my contacts to want to rise up even more. NCsoft has answered my e-mail with an air of uncertainty, as well as many others who have sent in Official Letters from sources you wouldn't even begin to believe that have offered their assistance via publicists and personal signed hand written over night mail. Celebrities that think what is happening is not cool.

Celebrities that are more than willing to say hello to the community and video record it.

Tony, what say you?
Ready for the next step?

Waiting on a sixth string,
Fansy

[DrakeGrimm]

This should prove highly entertaining. Get the popcorn ready, sounds like Fansy's gonna give us a show.

[Lucretia MacEvil]

This response feels far too PR-y to me, especially in its wording.  It looks like they're trying to shut us up and save face. 

I agree; it seems like they're trying to increase their Bad PR Defense by getting us to shut up.  What they don't get is that we're not going to give up, we're gonna pop a couple yellows and a few reds and come at them even harder!
Fight on!

The only reason I can think of is that they're starting to feel pressure from investors and stockholders, and they need us to stop protesting and silently accept it NOW, long before the servers shut down.  They need something, and we're between them and what they need.

Your argument makes a lot of sense.  Fortunately for us, I expect that our noise will not only maintain its current level, but increase (and maybe get a bit nasty, the way some people on the CoH forums were talking).

If we keep the pressure up, they'll pop like a swollen zit. 
(my most sincere apologies for the imagery, but I hope it got a few chuckles from those who needed to have them)

[Teege]

Hail, Heroes!

Put some pressure on Tony to read his messages and reply back to me. I'll need his help if we're going to move forward.
 
The only thing that NCsoft reply did was encourage my contacts to want to rise up even more. NCsoft has answered my e-mail with an air of uncertainty, as well as many others who have sent in Official Letters from sources you wouldn't even begin to believe that have offered their assistance via publicists and personal signed hand written over night mail. Celebrities that think what is happening is not cool.

Celebrities that are more than willing to say hello to the community and video record it.

Tony, what say you?
Ready for the next step?

Waiting on a sixth string,
Fansy

You're making my knees weak.

[The Game Changer]

Hey, for those who SERIOUSLY have no doubts, and are headstrong, REPEAT AFTER ME! :::: ""It's OKAY, WE got this, defined by struggle, unified by devotion, it's OKAY, WE got this, Lives intertwined and strengthened by time, It's OKAY, WE got this, Heroes ALIVE Villains STRIVE, It's OKAY, WE got this, Do or Die, Run or Fly, It's OKAY, WE got this, for the Vets, the fallen, the REAL LIFE HEROES, It's OKAY, WE got this, To our FAMILIES, It's OKAY, WE got this, I myself the underdog, IT'S OKAY, BECAUSE NO MATTER WHAT, WE. GOT. THIS!"" :: Now just copy the quote, repost here, and on your pages, blogs and forums, OUR CHANT, OUR CITY OF HEROES, Please! Let us TURN UP THE HEAT! Love and Respect CoH Community!!!

Oh, and TonyV, if you wish, please feel welcome to use this quote and pass it along

[Tahliah]

Thank you for this update, Tony!  I just love your positive attitude and ability to cut to the chase.  Rock on!

[GadgetDon]

At the very least we should at least check and see if Nexon had anything to do with the decision. It might be Nexon who suggested in the first place. WAIT!! DONT KILL ME!!! I'm just speculating on some possibilites and really have no idea how a buisness of that level works very well.

That's actually my theory - that Nexon, having just bought a big chunk of the company and presumably with some private assurances of "hey, everything is going great here", reacted to the huge loss in Q2 by saying "You're bleeding money and you need to do something significant to show you are taking the situation seriously. If not, the next stockholder's meeting we'll see about installing some management that will." I don't think they specified City of Heroes, but if management felt it had to close a game and close it NOW, CoH was the small fry in terms of income coming in and projected future income.

I've got no evidence to prove it, and it could just as well have been some other significant stockholder or debt holder.

Anyone know when NCSoft announces Q3 results? If it's as bad/worse, then the stockholders might react to a plea of "The idiot management is leaving money on the table"

[P51mus]

I agree; it seems like they're trying to increase their Bad PR Defense by getting us to shut up.  What they don't get is that we're not going to give up, we're gonna pop a couple yellows and a few reds and come at them even harder!
Fight on!

Obviously they don't understand heroes or the internet.

[TimtheEnchanter]

Who do I have to fry?!

[eabrace]

Who do I have to fry?!

YES!

[Moonfyire101]

so, the bob seger thing...my dad is at his house right now and i told him to bring it up but not ask him to do anything yet becuase i don't know what to ask him to do...so what do we tell him? I mean if he is interested.

[Manga]

The only thing that NCsoft reply did was encourage my contacts to want to rise up even more. NCsoft has answered my e-mail with an air of uncertainty, as well as many others who have sent in Official Letters from sources you wouldn't even begin to believe that have offered their assistance via publicists and personal signed hand written over night mail. Celebrities that think what is happening is not cool.

If you have any NCSoft contact emails/addresses I probably don't have, PM them to me.  I'll tell you why when you send them. 

[JWBullfrog]

Well, that press release was politely worded BS.
 
Not you, Tony, them.
 
Basically they want us to shut up and go away. Well, on November 30th we will, but not without making enough noise that NCSoft becomes the game company that all of the other companies laugh at in the halls.
 
Even if we cannot save our game, we can make this an example of 'how not to do it.'