Actually, I understand perfectly what you are saying. You see two options. Neither of which NCsoft has shown any REAL interest in doing. Let's look at motivation...
a.) NCSOFT RE-OPENS THE GAME. NCsoft isn't going to resurrect CoH while they are still trying to jumpstart their new projects. The only way they's resurrect CoH is if their new project(s) fail miserably, and they are suddenly caught short in total "survivor" mode, looking to keep the money rolling in.
b.) SELLING IT OFF. The other option, selling the intellectual property in its entirety seems to have been completely canned by NCsoft. They seem to think it's a good idea to keep the IP in a headlock, JUST IN CASE enough interest arrises later to revive the IP. (For example, the original Star Trek was cancelled, but later, they had SEVERAL more series, and a couple series of movies...not to mention all the merchandising.)
I was asking about a completely different third option. Has anyone approached NCsoft about the possibilty of BUYING a "license" to run a server(s), in a maintenance state. NCsoft would not need to put in more money to develop new content, but they'd make money from the licensing fees. NCsoft would still own the IP, so that if interest revived to the point of grand money-making schemes (TV, movies, merchandising, whatever), they'd have the rights to it all...but those of us who love the game would still get to play it, in the meantime.
The problem with doing the license is that they will be likely asked to do maintenance, or at least support, possibly, and they are already disinterested in this aspect, or the game would be up, and frozen in time, developmentwise. They want NO part of even running a server... why would they let anyone else do it? Further, then the bear is in the wild if licensed to, oh, me, for example, because what is to stop someone from making a copy and such for the black market? (and there will be one. Trust me on that.) We are therefore back to what I said, then, in that they are not interested in letting it out unless it's fully sold, or they're putting it back out to play.
PLEASE NOTE... as a programmer, I know exactly what I said, and I would NEVER EVER make a copy of the server for any amount of money to sell or give away. I too (well, the company, anyway) was a victim of the Buy One, Run 10,000 copies problem and we solved it with Dongles back when. BUT... I am not everyone. There WILL BE the people who copy and deal it out like so many playing cards... torrent servers... etc. So NCSoft isn't going to do this. They just aren't. Sorry, but that's just logic (even if theirs is messed up, it's still 1+1=2 here.)
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I have yet to understand the reason so many people are saying this. There are over 100 people on this forum alone that want their game back and are actively doing something about it. Over 10,000 people were subscribed to the game right before the sunset announcement. Over 20,000 signed the petition. The game was pulling in well over two million per quarter, upwards of 10 million per year. Given all these things, and the campaigns of the "Save CoH"ers, how can anyone say that not many people want this?
100 isn't enough.
10000 isn't enough.
20000 isn't enough.
10 million isn't enough.
If any of that WAS enough... then it'd still be up, I'd say. And apparently whatever they were asking was too much, or was intentionally so, or they were being just spiteful/ornery, to let anyone else run it either.
Now, let's say, they simply fired PS and did the maintenance thing. Would we still play it, or would we be so incensed as to what they did to the Devs that we would run away in droves? Hm? Perhaps that's for another topic, but it's important to mention... because even that, which would have saved them the studio costs and therefore make a static, no longer developed game, pure profit, sans the tiny amount of server farm costs. THAT wasn't enough.
Therefore, none of the pertinent numbers were enough, apparently, to keep it running, even at bare bones.
Again, simple numbers and their logic. Doesn't add up for us, but for them. yep. "<the game what's name shall not be mentioned> numbers." That's the mark. And it simply DOES NOT MATTER that #2-#10 combined = <tgwnsnbm> numbers, THIS game didn't get there by itself. And I'm not sure that's the be all end all argument for their closing it, but... there it is.
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Business is weird. Weird people run them sometimes and they make really bad decision from the stand point of of the consumer/outsider. What we don't, hardly ever see, immediately is the talks that precede the decision. That comes weeks, months, years later. Or never.
Regardless of why CoH was shut down, the idea that anything OTHER than a complete sale of the IP would allow the game to run again...it's just not gonna be happening, from a business point of view. There's not enough to keep it RUNNING, so licensing/renting it is just... well, if it were possible, it would be ON. Sure, they'd've still fired the PS staff, but the game would continue, and they'd get their little chunk of change, and we'd all be happy and everything even though it's a sad shame about Posi, WW, and the rest... or would we... I personally don't know. I can see my emotions running either way on staying/going. I would probably look to their guidance as to whether it'd be ok if I played or not, and I'm quite serious when I say a PM from those two at least would go a long way to making my decision.
But regardless of my or anyone's personal feelings, emotions >aren't in this.< If it was, PS would be alive, and CoH would be here, and I'd be hopping Atlas Park getting candy canes. Politics, money, and desired outcomes/directions of the company are, as far as NCSoft is concerned. We're not part of the equation anymore except in a sale, and that by the company buying, not NCSoft. They're done with us, except as a nuisance, apparently. The IP/game isn't out of reach yet... just... sequestered in Mordor at the moment.
I sincerely hope that a sale of the IP is made. But I think the Star Trek reference is perhaps the best one out there... in that they'll horde the IP for the off chance they might resurrect the game in some form later. But I don't see years passing where this would work, and I don't see a CoH:TNG happening either. CoH doesn't work for phones or tablets or consoles... and they and it are now... but who knows if there's a plan for a Phone version of CoH that nobody but NCSoft knew about, and in 6 months, BAM! CoH:Mobile version!
Gawd, that'll suck. But that just MIGHT BE THE REALITY. Can any of you say For Sure it is not possible? Nope. And that's why they horde their crap. Either that, or they're meany doodie heads. Maybe some of both right now... :p
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I sincerely, every day, hope I see the words "IT'S SOLD! COMING BACK ONLINE IN MAY 2013! AND ALL YOUR STUFF WILL >>**BE THERE**<<!!!!" and Team Wildcard has saved the day. I honestly do. Well, the exact wording might be different, but you know what I mean. Even if we had to start over, I'd be all over it. I would love to run another Brawler, or make Chillsea again, or redo the Sisters Dawn, as well as Thing of Bigness, Homeslicer, Val The Enchantress, Gruenfeld...
But TW is the hope. If they cannot get it pulled off by some company, then there are only three options: Phoenix, Heroes and Villains, and Hacked Local Servers. Because, mark my words, as an NCSoft business decision, CoH is dead, and a sale is the only way it itself is coming back online, and there is absolutely nothing we can do about that, except the four things just mentioned. And for my part... GO TEAM WILDCARD, GET THAT BUYER AND MAKE NCSOFT SELL!!!
I'm excited to see how this all works out. Honest. Because without these four options, I truly have nothing to play anymore. And it's killin' me inside.
/Yeah, yeah, RL, do stuff... I been sick, and CoH is a great analgesiac... I have not had my medicine lately, and I'm grumpy.
//And beyond the sale of CoH... GO TEAM HACK THE SERVERS TOGETHER AND GIMME A COPY SO I CAN AT LEAST STREET SWEEP!