Author Topic: When do we threaten a boycott?  (Read 10352 times)

LastRonin

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Re: When do we threaten a boycott?
« Reply #20 on: September 15, 2012, 06:29:50 PM »
What if we reverse the boycott? I'll play city of heroes and i'll pay $35 a month (random amount) but I get GW2 for free. Or talk them into $45 and you get Aion, GW2, and our game. All VIP style.

I'll never play the other games, but I would pay more to keep CoX.

dwturducken

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Re: When do we threaten a boycott?
« Reply #21 on: September 15, 2012, 08:34:47 PM »
Not boycotting NCSoft is going to hurt us, because it will make it look like we're not serious -- that we're just whinging and have no follow-through.  You can't campaign against Wal-Mart's business practices and then go shop at Wal-Mart.

I think the other, direct methods have a better chance of getting their attention than a population that represents decimal places of a percent of their total customer base buying or not buying their products. We can do whatever best suits our conscience on December 1st, but, right now, threats make us look petty.

Also, I shop local whenever possible.  ;D
I wouldn't use the word "replace," but there's no word for "take over for you and make everything better almost immediately," so we just say "replace."

emu265

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Re: When do we threaten a boycott?
« Reply #22 on: September 15, 2012, 11:28:22 PM »
I think the other, direct methods have a better chance of getting their attention than a population that represents decimal places of a percent of their total customer base buying or not buying their products. We can do whatever best suits our conscience on December 1st, but, right now, threats make us look petty.

Also, I shop local whenever possible.  ;D
I agree.  A boycott isn't going to make them take a seriously at all, it might only make us look like we don't understand the situation.  Though I have no problem with NCsoft knowing that I will not spend another penny on them if they let Cities die as is.

uninventive

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Re: When do we threaten a boycott?
« Reply #23 on: September 15, 2012, 11:32:41 PM »
Blade & Soul seems to be headed the same way as AION: mostly with US players as an afterthought and extra spending money on top of the actual playerbase in Asia.  If they close it here, it means nothing to Korea/China/Japan play, but if they shutter it there, we're SOL.

Guild Wars II approached the 2 millionth sale recently.  While that's a short term success, their microtransactions after initial purchase seem to matter to the life of the game, so I don't know if Arenanet is in the crosshairs or not.  That, and Arenanet is better poised to make a worldwide appeal title than NCSoft is at all, with players in Europe, Australia, and South America (all countries with players I met in GW1 when I played it.)  That really is a toss up.

Wildstar/Carbide Studios is new to the scene.  If anything gets shuttered or sold off, I feel it'll be them.

That's my take on things.  As far as boycotting NCSoft with me, it'll be an afterthought when City of Heroes is actually shut off.  If NCSoft ignores us and does what they plan, or if a Press Release comes out thanking our participation in SaveCOH, but reaffirming their timetable and telling us that the decision is final and non-negotiable, that's when I'll start telling folks to pass on NCSoft titles. 

Not from the age of City of Heroes and the reasons behind the shutdown, but for the fire and freeze tactic they pulled on us which I wholeheartedly believe was all about the finances and not about us at all.  After paying for years, after following their terms and conditions, and after all the time, we get told "You're done.  The Market is shut off, and in three months, we're shutting the servers down.  That is all." 

I'm not after free swag or demo-codes, but this is really a cold reception for a game that helped give NCSoft it's recognition and foothold in the United States in the first place.  How would I do it?  (Does it matter?  Any variation that anyone can come up with that showed any consideration for the developers and players would be an improvement.)

If there's anything to take away from this: there's still time for NCSoft to make this right (extension of end-of-life at least until the end of the holidays at the least, sale of IP, reversing their decision and running COH indefinitely until other options are known at the most, or anything along those lines).  And it's not beyond me to forgive a mistake.  But until then, until that last possible moment comes that NCSoft makes it perfectly clear that nothing will happen but closure despite our efforts and energy, I'm not boycotting anything, or telling others to join me.
« Last Edit: September 15, 2012, 11:41:02 PM by uninventive »

DrakeGrimm

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Re: When do we threaten a boycott?
« Reply #24 on: September 16, 2012, 04:02:07 AM »
I think I'm going to rephrase, or perhaps, condense, my thoughts on this.


As a direct response to the original question in the title of this thread:

We don't threaten anything. We just do it, without fanfare or self-adulation.
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NecrotechMaster

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Re: When do we threaten a boycott?
« Reply #25 on: September 16, 2012, 04:09:27 AM »
Don't threaten boycotts. It's a fart in the wind. It means exactly nothing.

If you feel strongly enough, actually boycott them, don't talk about doing it. Don't buy their products; tell people why you're not buying their products (don't just demand compliance - let them make their own decisions). While you're doing it, please be civil and understand that any hostility you post DIRECTLY UNDERMINES all of our efforts here. We're trying to work WITH NCsoft right now. If you feel like you need to be hostile, please do not do it here or anywhere in connection with this movement.

this is exactly what i have been doing, my current personal plan with this is if coh does get saved then i might consider trying other ncosft games, if coh does NOT survive then i plan to NEVER touch another ncsoft product again and i have been explicitly telling my friends the reasons why if they ask

i try to not make it a public thing on the forums and stuff since i know that there are a lot of delicate stuff happening and i really do want to see the game saved so im saving the "boycott" option for depending on if the game is actually saved or not

Teege

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Re: When do we threaten a boycott?
« Reply #26 on: September 16, 2012, 04:24:15 AM »
Basically people can choose what they want to do with their time and money. During all the time I've been playing City of Heroes I wasn't playing any other MMOs and that's partly because I like to focus my time on one thing and direct my money to where I think it's deserved. I have no desire to play a new game yet (I'm sticking to CoH until they take it from me).

Personally I'm not going to purchase any other NCsoft titles, not because I wish to punish them, but by not purchasing I'm standing up for my own beliefs. They're going to attempt pushing Blade & Soul to the Western market and with this negative PR I wouldn't be surprised if it does flop quickly. If people really wanted to sock it to them they could form rallies with players of the Asian market. I don't think that should be anybody's goal though.

NCsoft does hold the cards and they certainly have time to make things better, via multiple options. All we can do now is continue to be a strong community, work on our local efforts, and be real life heroes to those who need it most. THAT, is the message we need to convey.

Keep fighting the good fight!

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Burnt Toast

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Re: When do we threaten a boycott?
« Reply #27 on: September 16, 2012, 04:43:55 AM »
QFT!!


Basically people can choose what they want to do with their time and money. During all the time I've been playing City of Heroes I wasn't playing any other MMOs and that's partly because I like to focus my time on one thing and direct my money to where I think it's deserved. I have no desire to play a new game yet (I'm sticking to CoH until they take it from me).

Personally I'm not going to purchase any other NCsoft titles, not because I wish to punish them, but by not purchasing I'm standing up for my own beliefs. They're going to attempt pushing Blade & Soul to the Western market and with this negative PR I wouldn't be surprised if it does flop quickly. If people really wanted to sock it to them they could form rallies with players of the Asian market. I don't think that should be anybody's goal though.

NCsoft does hold the cards and they certainly have time to make things better, via multiple options. All we can do now is continue to be a strong community, work on our local efforts, and be real life heroes to those who need it most. THAT, is the message we need to convey.

Daimyoshi

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Re: When do we threaten a boycott?
« Reply #28 on: September 16, 2012, 07:15:25 PM »
I finished my letter with a promise that I would never buy another NCSoft product as long as I lived and discourage others from doing like wise. I am dead serious too, is that a Boycott? I am angry damn it, I part Scottish and Part Italian I will live to see NCSoft suffer the Kharma Back lash for this.

emu265

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Re: When do we threaten a boycott?
« Reply #29 on: September 16, 2012, 07:20:41 PM »
I finished my letter with a promise that I would never buy another NCSoft product as long as I lived and discourage others from doing like wise. I am dead serious too, is that a Boycott? I am angry damn it, I part Scottish and Part Italian I will live to see NCSoft suffer the Kharma Back lash for this.

I feel the same way, many people do.  Threatening a boycott is only going to tell them something they already know (and if they don't, they really need to think about what they have done).

Vulpy

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Re: When do we threaten a boycott?
« Reply #30 on: September 16, 2012, 08:59:45 PM »
I'm posting from a friend's house. He's playing GW2 right now, and it looks nice--really nice.

But...at the moment, I'm not sure I have it in me to pay. NCsoft. If they close CoH, they're going to have about $30 of my money already--I was on an annual plan, renewing in the spring. If they don't at least offer to give that back, I'm certainly not going to give them any more.

I get that they were making what they believed to be the best choice for their business interests, so that probably doesn't make me a boycotter. It does make me an individual who is leery of doing business with them.
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Paindancer

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Re: When do we threaten a boycott?
« Reply #31 on: September 16, 2012, 09:07:52 PM »
Dont know if it qualifys as a boycott, but I personally wont purchase a NCSoft produt.  I dont trust them.  Right now, I feel like a commidity and that doesnt serve the long terrm relationship I like to see in a game.  Sort of too bad, becasue GW2 looked pretty.
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NecrotechMaster

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Re: When do we threaten a boycott?
« Reply #32 on: September 16, 2012, 09:57:32 PM »
Dont know if it qualifys as a boycott, but I personally wont purchase a NCSoft produt.  I dont trust them.  Right now, I feel like a commidity and that doesnt serve the long terrm relationship I like to see in a game.  Sort of too bad, becasue GW2 looked pretty.

it would still be a boycott

not purchasing anything from a specific company for one or more reasons is a boycott, regardless of how many poeple are involved in actually boycotting the product

yes 1 person wont really make a difference but it will make you feel better that you arent supporting the company that wronged you anymore

castorcorvus

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Re: When do we threaten a boycott?
« Reply #33 on: September 16, 2012, 10:40:50 PM »
Guys, TonyV is asking us to stay our hand in this kind of talk. We are to remain an approachable face when it comes to NCsoft. We can't risk burning that bridge untill November. We just need to keep looking at the big picture. If you don't want to by NCsoft products, then don't. If you want to, then by all means, do. But lets hold off on hostile marketing actions untill we have more info as to where we stand.

The-Hunter-JLJ

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Re: When do we threaten a boycott?
« Reply #34 on: September 17, 2012, 02:44:59 AM »
Eh, it doesn't hurt for NCsoft to be aware that there's a harsher reality behind the support. They have to know that's coming. Also doesn't hurt in the least to point out as TonyV has been trying to that they can still be the heroes of this piece. Guarantee you that if they work out some sort of agreement to allow City of Heroes to go on they will get a LOT of goodwill subs to their other games.