An article written with PURE AWESOME!

[TonyV]

Hey all, this is a "Thank the media" topic, but it's so huge and important, it deserves its own thread.  It's so big, in fact, that I'd go so far as to say that it might be the turning point.

On the front page of the Money section of The Korea Times (that's right, on NCsoft's home turf, and in the business section, NOT the gaming section!), there is an article written by Cho Mu-hyun that paints NCsoft in a VERY negative light.  It has quotes from Mercedes Lackey (woot!), but it goes even further past the issue of ethics and into questioning the validity of the business decision based on the game's revenue and the image impact it has had with customers and investors.

https://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa453/TonyV-CoH/SaveParagonCity/KoreaTimes01Scaled.jpg

But best of all is a quote about a third of the way down:

NCsoft's Seoul-based spokesman Kim Yo-han said that terminating the service was a "strategic decision," adding that "nothing had been decided on selling the game or other action afterwards."

This is a HUGELY significant break from the previous "exhausted all options" statement that NCsoft put out.  While I'm not counting my chickens yet, it vaguely sounds like they are opening up the possibility of selling the IP, which they have adamantly refused to do before.

So go read the article, comment on it, share it on Facebook, Twitter, and everywhere else, and keep your fingers crossed.  I told you this battle isn't over yet, and I'm hoping this is a positive sign that the tide is finally turning in our favor.

[estarriol]

Wow, I thought this was going to be about the Eurogamer article!

Great news, well done Misty!

[Dollhouse]

Outstanding article!  They used large amounts of Mercedes' reply (I know most of us were worried it might get chopped up pretty badly), and her argument(s) for the game came through with their full force.

And yes, that's a very interesting shift in direction from NCSoft in terms of their official comments.  It makes sense to me that now that the game is closed (thus altering the legal situation somewhat) and considering the company's financial performance, selling the CoH IP and attendant properties might make sense for them. I have a feeling that any significant monetization is going to look pretty attractive.

[Surelle]

YAY!  AMAZING!

Mercedes really outdid herself here.  I just hope that there is something left of the poor woman come re-launch day.   ;D  We're all going to be playing, and poor Mercedes is going to be lying in bed from exhaustion!

[Copper Cockroach]

Very interesting. The "nothing has been decided" thing is a typical NCsoft non-answer, but it beats "we will not sell, ever", and it's good to see they're starting to catch grief on their home turf.

Anytime you're ready to grow up and be reasonable, NCsoft. We ain't going anywhere.

[Dr Shadow]

I like how the local industry analyst is questioning the wisdom of the decision. I would think that would resonant with stockholders.

[Kaiser Tarantula]

Oh man, that article is positively scathing.

Of particular note to me is their sudden change of stance; from "exhausted all options" to "nothing had been decided on selling the game" - it's a sudden about-face for NCsoft, carefully worded in true execu-speak fashion to make it sound like the new position had always been their position.

Of course, I welcome the change in attitude.  The mean-spirited side of me wants to call BS and throw their previous statements in their face on account of the execu-speak, but I don't want to harm this new, more agreeable attitude.

Of course, you know what they say about proof and pudding.  We'll see whether this is genuine opening up or just a smokescreen to try and mollify the PR beating they're getting when the IP changes hands.

[Golden Girl]

Several of us have been promoting this on Facebook to help it spread.

[DJMoose]

Wow!  This is fantastic!

Also, interesting to hear more than "exhausted all options;" VERY Interesting...

[Merseine]

YAY!  AMAZING!

Mercedes really outdid herself here.  I just hope that there is something left of the poor woman come re-launch day.   ;D  We're all going to be playing, and poor Mercedes is going to be lying in bed from exhaustion!

I'll believe that when I see it - she'll be there with bells on!! 

Misty should have the honor of making/reviving the first character in the relaunch of CoH, wherever/whenever that happens.

[Jetfire99]

Woah I wasn't expecting something like this and I wikied up the News Paper as well. It's a lot more major than I expected.

[Blitzwing]

...mwahahah!  :D

That's probably gonna be the proverbial kick in the nads...and now we -know- they're on the defensive...think we need to finish it quick!

[corvus1970]

Oh hell, I'm gonna use this image again!

https://images.weserv.nl/?url=www.corvusonline.net%2Fforum_images%2Fnelson_haw_haw.jpg

Isn't as easy to ignore on your own home turf, now is it, NCSoft?

THANK YOU for posting this!

[Mister Bison]

When I read this much awesome, I think "Too good to be true". But I believe I'm mistaken :-)

Thanks for the heads up.

[emu265]

Aha!  Feel the burn NCSoft... IN KOREA!  The no decision comment is probably just a face-saver, but it certainly beats the public stance of 'no, not ever.'  Eheheh, I am positively giddy.  The two hours of sleep I got last night suddenly seem much less relevant :DDDDDD

Edit:  Okay, I've processed this for real now... though people in the library are looking at me like I've gone batty.

Regardless of their comment's validity, we now know that they cannot take damage on the homefront.  In the face of HUNDREDS of U.S. and EU articles, they only budged with a reaffirmation of their initial decision.  But a single sucker punch from back home and suddenly they're either a) using ambiguous language and fabricating a position to save face or b) actually reconsidering their position.  Either way, we now know their weakness.  Win/win. 

[sl701]

Good news, good news! I just needed that. I hope you're right and this is a turning point, Tony.

[Fulcrum]

As I responded in the other thread:   

Excellent!   As a community we can continue 'turning the screws' until we.....

Multiple choice question:

A) Redside:    .... hear the sweet, sweet wails of bitter agony from our most despised foe and wrench the IP from their grasp.
B) Goldside:   .... hear the sweet, sweet wails of bitter agony from our most despised foe... and have someone else wrench the IP from their grasp.
C) Blueside:   .... resolutely convince our foe to part with the IP while ignoring their sweet, sweet wails of bitter agony.

[corvus1970]

Good news, good news! I just needed that. I hope you're right and this is a turning point, Tony.

Its dangerous to post that sentence without an image. Here! Take this!

https://images.weserv.nl/?url=www.corvusonline.net%2Fforum_images%2FRoscoeGoodNews.jpg

[sl701]

 ;D ha, learned something new. I wasn't aware that there was an image attached. Thanks corvus  ;D

[golemjoe]

I'll believe that when I see it - she'll be there with bells on!! 

Misty should have the honor of making/reviving the first character in the relaunch of CoH, wherever/whenever that happens.

Hell I was thinking "Where can we put the ML statue when the game reopens?"  Would actually be nice to have a Hall of Heroes building in Atlas with some references to her, TonyV and all the other great people fighting in RL for City.

I also really enjoyed the analyst comment of "hard to comprehend...".