If I had $6 billion, I'm pretty sure Cryptic and I could work something out, I'm just sayin'.
Hmm. Tony, read the below quote from Ironwolf.
A company did offer to buy the IP and NCSoft was willing to sell it for very little. However they wanted to keep the game engine rights. The company decided the IP without the engine wasn't what they wanted.
Interesting. I didn't know this.
Furthermore. The deal involving 'Brian' and co. that collapsed due to some variables.
I'm guessing:
Cost.
Ownership of the engine.
Assurances of PR backfire to NC Soft.
1. Did we ever find out how much was offered in the original bid? (Could we find out from Brian himself or anyone else privy to this meetings?)
2. The quote from Ironwolf suggests that the IP/COh game could be acquired for relatively little. Do we know what said company offered? Do we even know who that company was? Did they wish to own the engine outright? That suggests a hurdle in their case.
3. What I'm getting at. That being the case, could the original Paragon buyout plan be resurrected but with a lease proposal instead of owning the engine outright?
4. As for PR assurances. Can we find out what NC Soft would want. A start up? A proven MMO company? Community with proven industry leaders in it?
Lots of questions. But I liked Iron Wolf's idea of talking to people who formally worked for NC Soft to get into their mindset and find out, maybe, what the stumbling blocks are in terms of dialogue at least.
From previous posts of yours there is a suggestion that they won't even talk about it. That has to be frustrating. At least if there's dialogue then we at least know what the stumbling blocks are.
What is a little odd, in the interviews I've seen, Matt Miller said he didn't know why the negotiations broke down. Ok. Why not? And if he didn't. Surely the people brokering the people who DID the negotiations DID know the reasons. And perhaps we can focus a little fire power on getting them to speak 'off the record' about that? Knowing the exact reasons for the deal folding from both points of view will provide clues on how to engage NC Soft from here on in.
Azrael.
