New efforts!

[Surelle]

But you still come here? Deep down all those that are negative still hold some hope or they wouldn't still be here, Ok, maybe some feed off others losses. They need help!

For myself, if someone asked me directly if I thought at this point that CoH would ever again see the light of day, I'd say "No" without hesitation.  If NCSoft had any true interest in this project, it would have happened years before now.  (I have felt for a long time that the only real hope we have is SCoRE, should they eventually get PC that far, and then feel it worth the added risks to release their version to us.)  However, there's that little sliver of /em torch that hopes I'm incorrect in my assumptions.

NCSoft saw a petition that only 15,000 players signed for a Lineage 2: Classic (vanilla launch day) server, and NCSoft announced that they'd grant these gamers their wish only two weeks later.  Lineage 2 is up and running, yeah, but not in anywhere near the version from October, 2003.   ;)  They've got ancient code they've got to do a ton of stuff to, get servers up, blah blah....not  so very far off from our dilemma here with CoH, except for the part where they actually have an interest in doing it.  That Lineage 2 server is already ballparked for a December 15th, 2015 launch.

I get it that L2 is very popular in Asia, but...only 15,000 signatures and a whole different version is a go?  A CoH rez isn't multiple years' worth of more complicated than that, and I'll bet we would have 15,000 peeps playing too. That's really not an incredible amount of people needed to keep a server afloat, if that's really all it takes.

[chuckv3]

For myself, if someone asked me directly if I thought at this point that CoH would ever again see the light of day, I'd say "No" without hesitation.  If NCSoft had any true interest in this project, it would have happened years before now.  (I have felt for a long time that the only real hope we have is SCoRE, should they eventually get PC that far, and then feel it worth the added risks to release their version to us.)  However, there's that little sliver of /em torch that hopes I'm incorrect in my assumptions.

NCSoft saw a petition that only 15,000 players signed for a Lineage 2: Classic (vanilla launch day) server, and NCSoft announced that they'd grant these gamers their wish only two weeks later.  Lineage 2 is up and running, yeah, but not in anywhere near the version from October, 2003.   ;)  They've got ancient code they've got to do a ton of stuff to, get servers up, blah blah....not  so very far off from our dilemma here with CoH, except for the part where they actually have an interest in doing it.  That Lineage 2 server is already ballparked for a December 15th, 2015 launch.

I get it that L2 is very popular in Asia, but...only 15,000 signatures and a whole different version is a go?  A CoH rez isn't multiple years' worth of more complicated than that, and I'll bet we would have 15,000 peeps playing too. That's really not an incredible amount of people needed to keep a server afloat, if that's really all it takes.

You're assuming NCSoft must *want* to do this for the deal to ever happen. Really, all we need is for them to *not want to refuse*, and it seems like that's where they are. In other words, if they are at least neutral, an offer of money for it adds just enough positive incentive for them to consider. Based on all that, I am in the "when" camp.

[Felderburg]

Regarding Lineage 2, it's my understanding that it was the company that runs it in Europe that gave the go ahead for Lineage Classic or whatever, not NCsoft.

[hurple]

I have lost most faith at this point...

Most?  Then you've got more faith than me at this point.  I'm just here to be nostalgic, anymore.  I think we're more likely to get a Kinks reunion than a CoH return at this point.  (Oh, yeah, apparently the latest attempts at this were scuttled because of a food fight at Dave Davies recent birthday party... No kidding, at 60-something Ray and Dave still go at it like that?)

Or to put it another way, I think we're more likely all the "Ancient Aliens" hypotheses will all be proven accurate before the game returns.   :o

[Thunder Glove]

Actually, I have more faith lately thanks to a completely unrelated event: the MST3K revival.

It took five full years for Joel Hodgson and Shout Factory to buy the rights to MST3K from Best Brains, Inc. (who were mostly just sitting on it - they certainly weren't producing any new content for it).

And the CoH negotiations haven't been going on for five years.  But they are still going on.  There's still a chance.

Even if it also takes five years.

[Drauger9]

I still have faith, I don't believe NC Soft would of been as open to some of the things. Listed in the first post of this thread if they wasn't. I don't think NC Soft is going to waste their time and money stringing anyone along. When all they had to do was say "no".

Do I think we're going to hear anything any time soon. I honestly don't think so, I personally think (just a gut feeling, like the one that brought me back here) once we do hear something it'll be something more solid with a rough timeline. Of when things are suppose to happen.

I think the momentum will pick up soon. I think sometime around the beginning of the new year, things will pick up and maybe we'll (the community) get something more solid around July/August (all just my gut feelings).

That's just the way I see things and how I feel about the situation.

/em holdtorch

[Soul Resonance]

I still have faith, I don't believe NC Soft would of been as open to some of the things. Listed in the first post of this thread if they wasn't. I don't think NC Soft is going to waste their time and money stringing anyone along. When all they had to do was say "no".

Do I think we're going to hear anything any time soon. I honestly don't think so, I personally think (just a gut feeling, like the one that brought me back here) once we do hear something it'll be something more solid with a rough timeline. Of when things are suppose to happen.

I think the momentum will pick up soon. I think sometime around the beginning of the new year, things will pick up and maybe we'll (the community) get something more solid around July/August (all just my gut feelings).

That's just the way I see things and how I feel about the situation.

/em holdtorch

Agreed.

[Brigadine]

Actually, I have more faith lately thanks to a completely unrelated event: the MST3K revival.

It took five full years for Joel Hodgman and Shout Factory to buy the rights to MST3K from Best Brains, Inc. (who were mostly just sitting on it - they certainly weren't producing any new content for it).

And the CoH negotiations haven't been going on for five years.  But they are still going on.  There's still a chance.

Even if it also takes five years.

What bugs me though is the time it is taking to do a relatively simple, straight forward transaction. There cannot POSSIBLY be a decent reason for NCsoft to sit on it anymore, especially with Nexon out of the picture.

[MM3squints]

What bugs me though is the time it is taking to do a relatively simple, straight forward transaction. There cannot POSSIBLY be a decent reason for NCsoft to sit on it anymore, especially with Nexon out of the picture.

Not defending NC Soft, but, in reality CoX is probably is probably not even on their care meter at the moment. The care of CoX is not even the size of a wart on a Toad's butt to NC Soft possibly. Right now they have to be dealing with Wildstar FtP which apparently is not going according to plan, the launch of Blade and Soul in the US, and other projects in the pipeline. They probably see a stickie memo (if that) and occasionally will say, "oh ya, we also have that going on too."

[BadWolf]

What bugs me though is the time it is taking to do a relatively simple, straight forward transaction. There cannot POSSIBLY be a decent reason for NCsoft to sit on it anymore, especially with Nexon out of the picture.

I know this has been said before, but I will say it again: This is not a relatively simple, straight forward transaction. This is the sale of an intellectual property and all its related code from a multi-national corporation to an entirely new business entity being created with the specific intention of holding and exploiting this property. This is a huge, complicated deal that could and probably will take years. Anyone thinking it's just a case of "sign a few papers, hand over some discs, why is it taking so long?" needs to manage their expectations better.

[LadyVamp]

If you guys and gals remember when NCSoft closed the game they said they didn't believe there was another company that would take care of the universe as well as they did.  Or words to that effect.  Missing Worlds Media appears to be stepping up to that place IMHO and demonstrating a level I believe NCSoft is comfortable with.  I'm also certain NCSoft's willingness to even talk to Ironwolf is due in no small part to MWM's efforts.  Keep in mind NCSoft never said they wouldn't reconsider their position if another entity did show a willingness, desire, and ability to meet their requirements in the care and feeding of CoH.

Will we have a home?  I am 100% confident that we will.  Will it be CoH, I highly doubt it.  I do believe we'll see a willingness even an eagerness in NCSoft's desire to have a hand in MWM's work.  That hand will very likely be leased IP.  That will give us the look and feel of CoH but with advancements NCSoft/Paragon Studios couldn't or wouldn't build into CoH.  In reality, we'll all walk away from this in great shape with a new home that will have the spirit of the old home.  I believe this to be true.

I also understand that MWM and Ironwolf may not be able to give anything concrete.  And, wanting concrete info is an insatiable hunger for many of us.  We wouldn't be here if it weren't.

[Biz]

(snip)

I'm also certain NCSoft's willingness to even talk to Ironwolf is due in no small part to MWM's efforts. 

(snip)

I may be mistaken, but I don't think NCSoft is talking to Ironwolf...As stubborn as he is, I don't think he is involved in the negotiations.

[ivanhedgehog]

I still have faith, I don't believe NC Soft would of been as open to some of the things. Listed in the first post of this thread if they wasn't. I don't think NC Soft is going to waste their time and money stringing anyone along. When all they had to do was say "no".

Do I think we're going to hear anything any time soon. I honestly don't think so, I personally think (just a gut feeling, like the one that brought me back here) once we do hear something it'll be something more solid with a rough timeline. Of when things are suppose to happen.

I think the momentum will pick up soon. I think sometime around the beginning of the new year, things will pick up and maybe we'll (the community) get something more solid around July/August (all just my gut feelings).

That's just the way I see things and how I feel about the situation.

/em holdtorch

by july of next year, we should see a beta of vo and probably an alpha of cot. VO has gone into hiding but they should pick up soon. once these hit near ready state, coh becomes much less valuable. once they launch coh becomes something you should have sold but isnt worth anything anymore. its like owning the patent on 8 track tapes.

[Shibboleth]

I know this has been said before, but I will say it again: This is not a relatively simple, straight forward transaction. This is the sale of an intellectual property and all its related code from a multi-national corporation to an entirely new business entity being created with the specific intention of holding and exploiting this property. This is a huge, complicated deal that could and probably will take years. Anyone thinking it's just a case of "sign a few papers, hand over some discs, why is it taking so long?" needs to manage their expectations better.

Sony Online Entertainment was wholesale sold to another company by Sony, including DCUO, which involves intellectual property owned by a third party. How long did that take?

[LadyVamp]

I may be mistaken, but I don't think NCSoft is talking to Ironwolf...As stubborn as he is, I don't think he is involved in the negotiations.

It was my understanding they were.  However, my knowledge maybe wrong.

[hurple]

Not defending NC Soft, but, in reality CoX is probably is probably not even on their care meter at the moment. The care of CoX is not even the size of a wart on a Toad's butt to NC Soft possibly. Right now they have to be dealing with Wildstar FtP which apparently is not going according to plan, the launch of Blade and Soul in the US, and other projects in the pipeline. They probably see a stickie memo (if that) and occasionally will say, "oh ya, we also have that going on too."

This is *exactly* why I think it'll never go through.  They've wiped their hands of it, and just don't give a golly-gee damn anymore.  Not saying they're purposely stringing anybody along, or purposely playing games, they just don't care and therefore it's at the absolute bottom of a pile of corporate memos that's ever-growing.  So, anyone ever getting to the point where they can or will actually do anything regarding CoH is nigh-on an infinite improbability on the level of being able to power a good sized starship.  I am sure the people involved care more about what the entree of the day is in the NCSoft cafeteria than about getting this deal done.

I bet we see ALL the successor projects up and running before we see the original CoH again.

Like ivanhedgehog pointed out... There IS a ticking clock here.  And time is quickly running out.  However complicated any deal they're working out may be, the closer it re-launches to any successor project, the less chance it has to build any new player base.  And, if VO really is just 8 months away from a beta... well, that's cutting it real close already. 

But at this point I believe that What I Will Do When I First Log Back On CoH is... Go out and buy some ice skates, package them up all nice and mail them to Satan in hell.  He'll probably be needing them.

:o
 

[worldweary]

Will we have a home?  I am 100% confident that we will.  Will it be CoH, I highly doubt it.  I do believe we'll see a willingness even an eagerness in NCSoft's desire to have a hand in MWM's work.  That hand will very likely be leased IP.  That will give us the look and feel of CoH but with advancements NCSoft/Paragon Studios couldn't or wouldn't build into CoH.  In reality, we'll all walk away from this in great shape with a new home that will have the spirit of the old home.  I believe this to be true.

Sorry LadyVamp but I don't think anyone can "give us the look and feel of CoH but with advancements NCSoft/Paragon Studios couldn't or wouldn't build into CoH".CoH while not perfect will never be replaced.
I truly believe not matter how many successor project's are done or new technologies used to make games look better CoH will be the only game and home for some of us.I'll continue to wait for it's return
not for anything else.CoH Accept No Substitutes   :) :) :)

[Thunder Glove]

CoH was such a lucky combination of happy accidents that I doubt any game - even the successor projects - will manage to deliberately reproduce everything that made CoH so much fun for me.

(Of course, I could be proven wrong.  I hope to be proven wrong.  But until I'm in those games and playing them, doubt will remain)

[Talon Blue]

I hate to be potentially doom and gloom... But, I'm just gonna throw this out there to try to take everyone's pulse... If you had to put a rough number/date on how long you would continue to wait for the game to return at this point what would that be? How long before you would stop checking here for updates?

For me. Summer of next year. Just for a Yes/No answer from NCSoft. By then or I'd move on.

[MM3squints]

I hate to be potentially doom and gloom... But, I'm just gonna throw this out there to try to take everyone's pulse... If you had to put a rough number/date on how long you would continue to wait for the game to return at this point what would that be? How long before you would stop checking here for updates?

For me. Summer of next year. Just for a Yes/No answer from NCSoft. By then or I'd move on.

For me it's just, "oh look it's here" not really dying to play the game. If it comes, it's here. If it never shows, meh, there is other stuff to do.