NCSoft paying the price

Continuing on yesterday's comments,  BoycotNCsoft reports an 11% drop in NCSoft stock prices at the opening bell following the news of late.   Even Slashdot has reported similiar findings.

MMOs are designed to get people together to enjoy a common setting whatever that maybe.  Working toward a common goal.  But they don't stop when the players disconnect.  Groups of players in Guilds, Clans, or Supergroups, whatever they may be called bind players together.    Forum sites, be they Official or not,  trade information, tips, tricks, artwork, fiction, etc. to even wider audiences.   Like it or not, however it happened, City of Heroes developed a very well connected community with a widespread scope of talents.   For years NCSoft didn't have to promote the game -- They had tens of thousands of word-of-mouth advertisers.    

Sadly NCSoft ignored that.   And now that community has gone 180 degrees AGAINST them.   Their actions so far provokes that community -- they are not quieting down.  They aren't going away.   

MMORPGs by their very nature require a large amount of time to play.   While some video games end after 50 or 100 hours of play, these games may take several times that on just a single character.   They are giving us a chance to live alternate lives.    Some people will not give up on those lives easily.   Publishers need to realize that this revenue source comes at a price.   We the players depend on these games being kept open as long as possible.  Once the game poplulation begins to diminish and retreat than the game's life is nearing its end.    

Any publisher stopping a game before that point, is violating the trust of their players.   There are thousands of City players who will never touch an NCSoft product again.   They will be advising their friends in person or online of NCSoft''s history.   They'll have to spend more and more money on advertising to get fewer and fewer players.   In the end, i wouldn't be surprised if within 2 years NCSoft is no longer doing business in the United States.   I'd expect them to change their name and logo within the next few months to evade the bad press.   I think the current branding is permanently stained and tainted beyond repair.

I hope that this is a heads up for ALL MMO publishers.   We realize games will die.   As new games come out, newer systems allow for newer and better engines, that people will move on.  MMOs are trying to get into consoles here and there so eventually the audience may grow.    But as we make our online homes in these games, we have a trust that they will be available as long as they are viable.  The publishers should work WITH this communities.    They shoudn't ignore them.  They shouldn't discredit them.  And above all they shouldn't anger them.  

NCsoft is learning a bitter lesson.