how come peoples expectations are that a simple business deal takes years, such as with the deal for CoH remains; and yet a hostile takeover happens with lightning speed.
Actually this hostile takeover first began back in June 2012 when Nexon bought 14 and some-odd % of NCSoft's stocks off its CEO, even though of course you need over 15% ownership to actually carry through the hostile takeover. But that's where it all really began, and red flags were going up, for me anyway, even back then.
Nexon's and NCSoft's CEOs have been friends for decades. You have to wonder if that's all gone to pot now. NCSoft is quite angry over Nexon's very recent, additional small % buy of NC's stocks that tipped them over 15%. That's hostile takeover territory. And they did it before NC's CEO promoted his wife to NC President (she was formerly VP). So I see this internal VP-to-President promotion at NCSoft more as NCSoft trying to strengthen itself internally in response to Nexon's sudden attack.
Nexon had originally said they bought that first 14% of NCSoft's stocks as an investment. Now since they've tipped 15%, they're suddenly proclaiming they want to manage NCSoft now out of nowhere.
I still personally feel Nexon's 14% stock purchase in June 2012 had everything to do with CoX going under (just my own feelings though, your mileage may vary). I truly cringed when the stock purchase happened--
ewwwww, Maple Story! You got your Maple Story in our
real MMOs!
Well anyway, there's nothing to do but wait it out, much like everything else. But Nexon is running about at the mouth this new year, announcing to all and sundry how unhappy they are with the performance of all NCSoft's MMOs. I think NCSoft has a lot more to worry about than CoX or even any one of their MMORPGs. Try....all of them. Nexon is moving very aggressively into the mobile gaming market, or so they say. Ugh. Just...ugh.
Can NCSoft avert this hostile takeover by getting enough additional backing to buy Nexon back out again? Is there a way they can force that through? I'll bet NCSoft's CEO is really kicking himself now for ever selling so much of his stock! (Unless he knew what would inevitably happen and either deluded himself into thinking his friend would take care of NCSoft, or just didn't care because he would be set for life anyway because of that big stock sale he made....)