A little inspiration...an improbable comeback has happened in recent years

[Harpospoke]

"Yes!  There are people out there as insane as they need to be to to do that!"

Just watched Time Zero:  The Last Year of Polaroid Film..    The parallels with CoH players and the Hail Mary effort are really evident.   These people would not give up...would not "move on".   Some were pragmatic about their chances, others were endlessly optimistic.   Their numbers were small, but the dedication of all involved and seeing the process of resurrection is very inspiring.

In the end...they won.   They achieved their goal to save instant photography which meant so much to them.   There were incredible hurdles to overcome and improbably odds.  (https://www.the-impossible-project.com/film/)



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2120160/

Should CoH return....it would make a good movie methinks.

[tripthicket]

Which gives me an idea for a new thread... (runs over to the City of Heroes forum)

[MaidMercury]

I think Polaroid went bankrupt and returned...Xerox was also on the ropes at one time.
Schlottsky's Sandwich firm went bankrupt 12 years ago, got bought up and returned.

Apple was on the ropes,too until Jobs revived them.

Others like Woolworths, a 100 yr old institution went under.

Sometimes they get bought out for their name and survive, like several candy bars companies,
MayTag, Compaq, Jaguar, etc..

[Number9]

Twinkies will never die ... or go bad.

[Harpospoke]

I think Polaroid went bankrupt and returned...Xerox was also on the ropes at one time.
Schlottsky's Sandwich firm went bankrupt 12 years ago, got bought up and returned.

Apple was on the ropes,too until Jobs revived them.

Others like Woolworths, a 100 yr old institution went under.

Sometimes they get bought out for their name and survive, like several candy bars companies,
MayTag, Compaq, Jaguar, etc..

I didn't know that one about Schlottsky's.

I find it all very inspiring.

[Harpospoke]

Twinkies will never die ... or go bad.

Oh yeah!   I forgot about that one too!

[Feign]

Twinkies will never die ... or go bad.

Boy that sure did have an entertaining effect on the whole "2012 apocalypse" crowd...  The food that everyone thought would last till doomsday, almost ended within a week of when the Mayans predicted doomsday.

All that said, I was inspired recently to go play another great little comeback story:  Myst Online.  Originally Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, it was published by Ubisoft, who neglected to ever mention it in advertising and summarily executed it after its second update. back in 2003.

in 2012, the fans were able to purchase the IP from Ubi and reconstruct the server software to the point that it is once again a viable game.  They recently put out their first expansion.  Playing a game that I thought I had let go of forever for the first time in a decade? The nostalgia is overwhelming I think I cried a little and got a bit dizzy.

I expect something like that will be the case with CoH, especially if I can get my fiancee into it with me (depending on how long it takes to release, we'll probably be newlyweds by then.)

[duane]

I think Polaroid went bankrupt and returned...Xerox was also on the ropes at one time.
Schlottsky's Sandwich firm went bankrupt 12 years ago, got bought up and returned.

Apple was on the ropes,too until Jobs revived them.

Others like Woolworths, a 100 yr old institution went under.

Sometimes they get bought out for their name and survive, like several candy bars companies,
MayTag, Compaq, Jaguar, etc..

Old adventure games from the 1990's are coming back.  Sierra On-Line is being revived with a 2015 King's Quest release.

[Scendera]

All that said, I was inspired recently to go play another great little comeback story:  Myst Online.  Originally Uru: Ages Beyond Myst, it was published by Ubisoft, who neglected to ever mention it in advertising and summarily executed it after its second update. back in 2003.

in 2012, the fans were able to purchase the IP from Ubi and reconstruct the server software to the point that it is once again a viable game.  They recently put out their first expansion.

Myst fans are NUTS. Absolutely hardcore. I just recently got interested in the mythos, even if not so much the game, and the dedicated fans astound me.

[JennSpace]

Squaresoft was almost over before Nobuo Uematsu composed the music for the first Final Fantasy games and saved them!

The same could be said about Marvel when they were clinically dead and John Semper saved them for a couple years by directing Spiderman : The Animated Serie, which stayed number 1 on Fox Kids until it was cancelled after season 5.

As long as there is hope, there is life, it's as simple as that!

[microc]

in real life ask anyone around here in boston.....red sox coming back and winning four straight.

[Jorge Firebomb]

To expand a little on the Final Fantasy subject, when the second Final Fantasy MMO launched, Final Fantasy XIV, it was so bad that people that played it claimed it could barely be called a game. It tarnished the Final Fantasy brand so badly that Square pulled the game and assigned the guy they had with the most passion about the Final Fantasy franchise to completely redo it. They announced they were going to do this on October 14, 2011, roughly 13 months after launch. They took the original version down November 11, 2012 and re-launched on August 27, 2013 as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. The redone game was vastly improved and a huge success, and the guy in charge of the relaunch of FFXIV is now in charge of all things Final Fantasy at Square.

So MMOs can come back from the dead, and CoH has the advantage of not being a terrible mess beforehand.

[JennSpace]

To expand a little on the Final Fantasy subject, when the second Final Fantasy MMO launched, Final Fantasy XIV, it was so bad that people that played it claimed it could barely be called a game. It tarnished the Final Fantasy brand so badly that Square pulled the game and assigned the guy they had with the most passion about the Final Fantasy franchise to completely redo it. They announced they were going to do this on October 14, 2011, roughly 13 months after launch. They took the original version down November 11, 2012 and re-launched on August 27, 2013 as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. The redone game was vastly improved and a huge success, and the guy in charge of the relaunch of FFXIV is now in charge of all things Final Fantasy at Square.

So MMOs can come back from the dead, and CoH has the advantage of not being a terrible mess beforehand.

I agree, most people I talked with of City of Heroes had only good things to say about it. Irl, I never encountered anyone talking s*** about out game, which is rare for a video game!

[Feign]

Myst fans are NUTS. Absolutely hardcore. I just recently got interested in the mythos, even if not so much the game, and the dedicated fans astound me.

In a way, Myst was kind of like steampunk before steampunk was even a thing.  There's people who play it, and people who make it a lifestyle.

Also, apparently, negotiations are underway for a Myst-based TV show.  There are no details whatsoever, but if Rand Miller writes it and it's based on the novels, I will be glued to it.  The Books of Myst series is up there with Lord of the Rings in my favorite reads.  I have no idea if there's nostalgia distortion in there, but I remember them being exceptional, and I did read a lot as a kid (my parents didn't really believe in television).

[JennSpace]

In a way, Myst was kind of like steampunk before steampunk was even a thing.  There's people who play it, and people who make it a lifestyle.

Also, apparently, negotiations are underway for a Myst-based TV show.  There are no details whatsoever, but if Rand Miller writes it and it's based on the novels, I will be glued to it.  The Books of Myst series is up there with Lord of the Rings in my favorite reads.  I have no idea if there's nostalgia distortion in there, but I remember them being exceptional, and I did read a lot as a kid (my parents didn't really believe in television).

I remember playing Myst as a little kid back in the mid-90's and not getting very far because I wasn't very good in puzzle-solving... I should try again and see if my 25 years old self can get farther! loll

[LaughingAlex]

I think of the game fallout, myself, when it comes to a comeback.  Fallout as a series was shut down at a point when the top-down rpg games(like baldurs gate) began to fade, then we saw the series comeback, and while Fallout 3 wasn't the best fallout game, Fallout new vegas certainly showed the series was kicking more and more alive.

Because the original fallouts were good games.  City of heroes was a great game, and it's a game that, far as I am concerned, can't be kept shut down forever.

[JennSpace]

I think of the game fallout, myself, when it comes to a comeback.  Fallout as a series was shut down at a point when the top-down rpg games(like baldurs gate) began to fade, then we saw the series comeback, and while Fallout 3 wasn't the best fallout game, Fallout new vegas certainly showed the series was kicking more and more alive.

Because the original fallouts were good games.  City of heroes was a great game, and it's a game that, far as I am concerned, can't be kept shut down forever.

Not only that, people are eating super heroes now! XD All the Marvel movies are exploding the box-office every single time a new one comes out in theaters so I don't see a better window of opportunity than now!

[Scendera]

In a way, Myst was kind of like steampunk before steampunk was even a thing.  There's people who play it, and people who make it a lifestyle.

Also, apparently, negotiations are underway for a Myst-based TV show.  There are no details whatsoever, but if Rand Miller writes it and it's based on the novels, I will be glued to it.  The Books of Myst series is up there with Lord of the Rings in my favorite reads.  I have no idea if there's nostalgia distortion in there, but I remember them being exceptional, and I did read a lot as a kid (my parents didn't really believe in television).

I read them for the first time about 3 months ago...yes, they really ARE that good, or at least the first 2. The third was still good, but not quite as exceptional.

[Tubbius]

Why does this remind me of some of LL Cool J's lyrics?  "Don't call it a comeback / I've been here for years. . . ."

[MM3squints]

I think Polaroid went bankrupt and returned...Xerox was also on the ropes at one time.
Schlottsky's Sandwich firm went bankrupt 12 years ago, got bought up and returned.

Apple was on the ropes,too until Jobs revived them.

Others like Woolworths, a 100 yr old institution went under.

Sometimes they get bought out for their name and survive, like several candy bars companies,
MayTag, Compaq, Jaguar, etc..

Not so much a bankrupt, but a similar beat all odds story that comes to mind is Best Buy. They had their death certificate made and all analyst said Best Buy would have been the next Circut City, but they made a strong turn around and are actually stong.

[Remaugen]

Kodak went under but the printer division resurfaced and is back full swing with printers and photo replicators and the movie film division is again going strong supplying Hollywood studios with film love. The cameras and accessories have been licensed out to be built under contract with the Kodak name.

Saab automobiles should be returning from the grave next year with Russian help. Volvo made their own trip to the brink, but they survived and look good for the future.

Sears and KMart are cutting back still more to stay off the ropes, only Christmas sales saved them last year, and this year isn't looking as good, but with the cuts they should survive another year and maybe they can come back stronger next year.

And of course, those wonderful golden cream filled cakes returned. I didn't give a crap about Twinkies, until they were gone! Now they are back and I have had a few, I can go back to not giving a crap about them again!

[Joshex]

"Yes!  There are people out there as insane as they need to be to to do that!"

Just watched Time Zero:  The Last Year of Polaroid Film..    The parallels with CoH players and the Hail Mary effort are really evident.   These people would not give up...would not "move on".   Some were pragmatic about their chances, others were endlessly optimistic.   Their numbers were small, but the dedication of all involved and seeing the process of resurrection is very inspiring.

In the end...they won.   They achieved their goal to save instant photography which meant so much to them.   There were incredible hurdles to overcome and improbably odds.  (https://www.the-impossible-project.com/film/)



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2120160/

Should CoH return....it would make a good movie methinks.

problem is instant photographs only live on because of the elder populace's resistance to smartphones. yes right now anyone can take a picture of anything at any time with their smart phone and the results are instantly on screen, the government and several media organizations have criticized this ability and even made remarks to ask the question of "should that be legal?" (as it's not covered under any american freedom, as it's not 'speech' as defined by our government and is therefore not applicable under 'free speech').

I suspect the only thing keeping cellphone developers from putting in some sort of obscene virtual 'camera lock'

Spoiler for Hidden:

(such as "all photos must upload to the [phone company name] server for approval before being stored on your phone", or "thanks for opening your camera feature of your phone, the united states federal building regrets to inform you that pictures are not allowed on or near our premises at any time", or the eventual "no pictures are allowed to be taken in public, GPS has told us you have opened your camera feature outside any residence area, the police are on their way to question you about this decision, in the meantime your phone is locked and pictures cannot be deleted")

is that actual cameras are still available, many of which do not have any wireless function and some do indeed run on film or contain film as an option and ALL of which DO NOT have an invasive operating system or GPS, actual digital cameras these days are fairly bare-bones when it comes to OS.

[Ironwolf]

The reason we old folks like hard copies is because when my kindle died - I remembered why all those books on my shelf are a good investment.

I picked one up and never worry about cracked screens or dead batteries, in fact it inspired me to go back and do what I used to do yearly - read the collected works of Arthur Conan Doyle, Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe.  I may even read the Tolkien series and I am now reading the Twins trilogy from D&D.

[Ankhammon]

The reason we old folks like hard copies is because when my kindle died - I remembered why all those books on my shelf are a good investment.

I picked one up and never worry about cracked screens or dead batteries, in fact it inspired me to go back and do what I used to do yearly - read the collected works of Arthur Conan Doyle, Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe.  I may even read the Tolkien series and I am now reading the Twins trilogy from D&D.

some of us old folks like the kindle. It's kind of like a place to store your candy. If you find a book you really like on kindle, then you buy the real version.

Twain, Poe, Doyle, Tolkien, Zelazny, etc are for real book shelves. Kindle is for certification books, pulp scifi/fantasy, mystery and others written by the thousands and who cares if they go bye bye.

[Remaugen]

I have a Kobo eReader, they managed to survive the death of Waldon Books. I love that Kobo, it saves soooo much shelf space not having to buy the real thing, but there are times when it just isn't as useful. Searching back to a specific part of the book takes forever with the Kobo, much easier to thumb back through the pages of a real book to find what you are looking for.

Ironwolf hit it on the head too with the dead battery. That sucks and it seems to happen too often, (More than once is too often!) but all that aside, I do love my eReader!

[Ironwolf]

some of us old folks like the kindle. It's kind of like a place to store your candy. If you find a book you really like on kindle, then you buy the real version.

Twain, Poe, Doyle, Tolkien, Zelazny, etc are for real book shelves. Kindle is for certification books, pulp scifi/fantasy, mystery and others written by the thousands and who cares if they go bye bye.

Oh, I forgot the Foundation series by Asimov - I need to find that one.

[Styrj]

Ah... The Foundation Series.  I got the complete set while in the Science Fiction Book Club.  My wife and I have collected about 800 ~ 900 hardbacks through the Sci-Fi Book Club.  I recently re-read Clarke's Odyssey series (including 3001) all of which are hardbacks.  More closer to superhero stories is the Wild Card Series edited by George R. R. Martin (great read, various authors).

[Harpospoke]

problem is instant photographs only live on because of the elder populace's resistance to smartphones.

I don't know about that.  Watch the documentary.   I would describe fans of Polaroid as "hipsters" if anything.

Oh, I forgot the Foundation series by Asimov - I need to find that one.

I love that series sooooo much.   The first 3 are considered the best but I like 'em all.

I would like to see it get the Peter Jackson treatment that Lord of the Rings got.    Big problem there is that story can't feature any "star" or group of actors....since it jumps ahead in time and constantly changes characters.    I might compare it to Roots in that way....so it could work if done right.

[LaughingAlex]

Game series die and do become reborn over time.  Look at fallout, it's a game series that was dead until bethesda picked it up.  Heck, there is another series out there already being remade by it's fans now, Unreal tournament.  And who's making it?  The fans, I even knew a few of the big names who are at the top(the community manager, I was for a short time a member of a clan she ran way back).  It makes me smile in a sense to see that being done.  As arena shooters are seeing a game remade by its fans for it's fans, we are fighting for a game to be obtained and hopefully updated/remade by us, it's fans, for us.

And there are also two games being made by city of heroes players for city of heroes players.

So a comeback is inevitable in some way or another.  I'm confident the efforts will succeed and I am hopeful and hopeful the city of titans and Valiance online games will make it.  Heck I ponder how much of an inspiration we're becoming for others.

[Surelle]

Game series die and do become reborn over time.  Look at fallout, it's a game series that was dead until bethesda picked it up.  Heck, there is another series out there already being remade by it's fans now, Unreal tournament.  And who's making it?  The fans, I even knew a few of the big names who are at the top(the community manager, I was for a short time a member of a clan she ran way back).  It makes me smile in a sense to see that being done.  As arena shooters are seeing a game remade by its fans for it's fans, we are fighting for a game to be obtained and hopefully updated/remade by us, it's fans, for us.

And there are also two games being made by city of heroes players for city of heroes players.

So a comeback is inevitable in some way or another.  I'm confident the efforts will succeed and I am hopeful and hopeful the city of titans and Valiance online games will make it.  Heck I ponder how much of an inspiration we're becoming for others.

Also, there were fan remakes of the Kings Quest series, too.  Not to mention all the mods for series like Neverwinter Nights, Elder Scrolls and Torchlight, just to name a few!  Mods are all fan-made and keep games alive for years too!

[Blackout]

Yeah, kotor still has a great modding community and that game is about 12 years old at this point, not to mention things like quake, counterstrike, dawn of war 1, and the like as well. Overall I think its great just how dedicated some communities are to their respective games, and the fact that this fan-base might be able to bring back not just a great game, but an MMO as well amazes me in the best way possible.

[Harpospoke]

So a comeback is inevitable in some way or another.  I'm confident the efforts will succeed and I am hopeful and hopeful the city of titans and Valiance online games will make it.  Heck I ponder how much of an inspiration we're becoming for others.

Same.

The transformation of what online gaming is is inevitable if you ask me.   There is no way this industry can continue to anger, disappoint, and sadden its costumers 100% of the time.   The "every game will end" thing is fatally flawed.   Worst business model ever.

And when that change comes, I can't help feeling the CoH fanbase will be a prominent part of the story.

[duane]

Old adventure games from the 1990's are coming back.  Sierra On-Line is being revived with a 2015 King's Quest release.

Update to the official website

http://www.sierra.com/kingsquest