So, if COH was a profit making game and GW2 came up short on sales, than it makes no sense for them to shut COH down. If they are so determined to shut it down. Why don't they just sell or give the IP to Paragon Studios since they let Paragon Studios go. The HQ for NC Soft is not very smart. That explains why their losing stocks. Aoin was a flop also. I want my COH. Dang you NC Soft....dang you....
Its a matter of them placating their Korean shareholders. Stock prices are not directly coupled to performance, but to percieved performance. Thats why failing to meet their numbers (even if the last game to sell this well was SWTOR which broke records) their stock takes a hit.
They are hoping that tossing a title to the wolves here will placate their stockholders THERE and they will get more back due to stock gains than they lose on the marginal income from CoH. They are sitting on a HALF BILLION in reserves at the moment. A game that makes at best 10 million a year isn't a blip on their radar.
If they were any other company they would probably sell their titles -- most other asian companies would. NC Soft actually reminds me (a lot) of Apple. Apple is sitting on huge reserves as well, and when was the last time they sold IP?