Disclaimer

History: This blog is the third incarnation, and started as a paper RPG & desktop gaming blog.  After starting the MMO City of Heroes days after its launch in 2004,  It developed into one dedicated to that MMO, as it remained for nearly eight years. On November 30, 2012 that MMO was shut down by the company NCSoft despite an outpouring of fan support and community outrage.  Starting In December 2012, I'm going to be opening up the focus of the blog to cover ANYTHING gaming I'm playing, be it PC, XBox 360, iPad, Dragon*Con, etc.

That being said, their will be images from various games posted on this blog.  No claim here is made to the games, and no intent to infringe on any copyrights are inferred.   Copyrights are property of the respective companies.


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Entries in News (3)

Saturday
Jan052013

MMORPG.com - City of Heroes Closure details

NCSoft hasn't been too forthcoming with facts or numbers when it comes to City of Heroes and its closure.   This article from MMORPG.com that came out yesterday does send some light, and confirms much of what I suspected.   NCSoft wanted MORE profits, was unconfortable  with the genre, vetoed a sequel,  and wants 10 times what they paid for the IP, even though they value it at less than half that for tax purposes.  

Since they were asking for the ungodly sum of 80 million for the IP, only Disney or another big budget group has a chance on it.   I have my doubts that someone willl jump in with that kind of dough.   I hope to see a COH-esuqe property come out -- unfortunately development time alone will take years.   I doubt we'll see such until late 2014 at the earliest.   Best scenario is for Disney to step in, and recruit ex-Paragon staffers and start in on COH2. But even then, it will be a long time in coming.

The above article has cinched it for me.   No matter what NCSoft does or releases, I don't trust them and wouldn't touch them with a 10 parsec pole.  If they keep the way they are going, they'll be out of the American market whether they like it or not -- they keep burning bridges leaving players high and dry. Some of those games were dying, but they went the usual route -- Server collapse, cost cutting, etc. You could see it coming, or at least as a possibility.    Wildstar better hope to make BIG profits if they want to last a year under NCSoft's umbrella.  Otherwise once development costs are covered, they'll be history.

 

Saturday
Dec152012

More City News....

Looks like we got a mention again on the Dragon*CON MMO Track blog again, discussing the NCsoft versus City of Heroes actions of late.   Check the comments -- the first to reply was Mercedes Lackey again.  

Blog Talk Radio also had an episode  related to the SAVE COH campaign, with some interesting tidbits.  Check it out HERE.

There is a forum poll on Which dead game you'd like to see return on MMORPG.  City of Heroes/Villians is running second to Star Wars Galaxies.  THAT has got to change...

One article I had missed was over on Massively.com, talking about the MUSIC of City of Heroes- -- Several audio tracks are present there for those missing the soundtrack.

 

Wednesday
Dec052012

Bad News for NCSoft

City of Heroes may be closed down, but the buzz on Twitter is alive with past players wanting, hoping, dreaming of getting their game back.   Stories of how the game taught kids to read, connected families, and otherwise helped people abound.  Images and videos are STILL being traded.    There seems be a movement trying to get Disney to buy the game.

Meanwhile the news isn't good for NCSoft itself.   A long New York Post article tells the tale of the game and its shutdown, complete with apocalyptic pictures of the destruction of the game world.   Nothing like that actually happened, but they did have some bizarre events -- with every arch villain and giant monster in the game being thrown at people, usually in Atlas Park where the torchlight vigils were held on every server.

Mercedes Lackey, a long time player of the game, was interviewed by the Korean Times.  In the article she is quoted as saying  “I think canceling a game that is making a profit, along with destroying jobs and an online community, is entirely unethical. And I believe that companies that do that are going to get exactly what they deserve, as customers revolt over greed killing cool.”

Finally several sources are reporting that NCSoft Seattle offices have started letting some people go, calling it a "realignment".   Meanwhile their stock prices continue the downward trend.  On  9/8 , when the Unity Rally that created the Atlas Park 33 occured,  the stock price was 286500.   Yesterday it closed at 158500.  Since the announcement on City was released, it has lost nearly HALF its value.

So far NCSoft has shown no interest in selling the property.   I can only imagine that this is because they desire not to give someone else a property to compete with their current games.    While some City of Heroes players are playing GuildWars 2, many have no trust in NCSoft and have joined the Boycott of the corporation.

How long can this go on?