Below is my letter to NCSoft. I'll send it this weekend when I can get to a post office.
Dear Mr. Kim,
It was with great sorrow that I read the announcement last week that NCSoft had made the decision to sunset City of Heroes and dismiss Paragon Studios. I have played City of Heroes since September of 2004. There have been times when I have tried other games and let my subscription lapse, but I have always come back to this one game - a game that has held my attention and passion for eight years now.
This past year has been particularly exciting. I was skeptical when the Freedom expansion was announced and the game was set to go free to play. I wondered if this would mean that the game I love would change in some way and that I would no longer enjoy it. I really had nothing to worry about. Not only was the game vastly improved by this move, but the explosion of new content was amazing. The extra revenue was obviously a driving force for a better City of Heroes. I decided shortly after Freedom launched to renew my subscription for the entire year. Honestly, at that point, had a lifetime subscription been offered, I probably would have purchased one without any hesitation.
I'm not the only one that feels this way, either, my wife plays the game and so does my son. He grew up watching me play City of Heroes and couldn't wait until he could make his own hero. For quite some time, he's had a few characters on my account that he would play from time to time, running around Atlas Park, "catching bad guys." When Freedom launched, I decided he was old enough for his own account and set one up for him. He was thrilled that he could have his own City of Heroes, though, admittedly, a bit disappointed that he couldn't play the characters he had made on my account.
As you can see, what started as a simple game or hobby has evolved into something much more than that over the years. My story is not unique. I'm sure by now you may well be aware that many among the player base have expressed the same sentiment as I. That we are working diligently to try to save this game - a game that has become so much more to us than simply a game. It's a community. It's a creative outlet for so many talented artists. It's a family past time in my house and many other players.
I implore you to reconsider your decision to sunset this product. Or, failing that, please consider allowing the studio or the fans to purchase the property. All I ask - all we ask - is that we be allowed to let our community continue, that our heroes continue to have a home.
Please consider this. You can be a hero.
Sincerely,
Nathan Brown
@Zybron in City of Heroes