Thank the media: Hail Mary Edition

[johnrobey]

Side topic!  Apologies for breaking in here and if I'm using the wrong thread.  I am getting to the end of writing my Thank-You's to the many ezines covering City of Heroes and our efforts.  In doing so, I just found and posted to this:  http://www.incgamers.com/2012/11/community-driven-mmo-project-heroes-and-villains-now-underway/

It's my concern that open squabbling and charges of stealing IP and other "drama" will scuttle our efforts to get gamers and fans of superhero comicbooks (or should it be comicbook superheroes?) and seriously undermine our slim chances of TF Hail Mary's success.  In all seriousness, do we need to form a task force for Damage Control?

If you read the comments all the way through if makes us look really bad at a time when we need to be presenting a united and positive front.  Yes, I know we're all still grieving.  I can't count the times tears have leaked out as I read some article or went digging for some pertinent info.  While I can't prevent others from making negative comments (nor would I) I would like it impressed upon the community (Hello, TonyV if you're out there.) that even bereft and grieving, this sort of behavior and posting does NOT serve our cause at all.  I don't want anybody smacked or flamed, but everybody has to understand what is helpful, what is difference of opinion and polite dissent, and what is purely disruptive and undermining.  And that's all the rant I have to say about this.

On a more positive and constructive note--and really in the Other Ideas category--we should reach out additionally not just to gamers but also to fans of the comicbook and superheroes genres

[Quinch]

I think that would fall under the general Thank the Media thread in the "Save CoH forum".

[johnrobey]

I think that would fall under the general Thank the Media thread in the "Save CoH forum".

Other than moving this post (which I copied in full to a different thread as well as posting a LONG rant to the Grieving thread I started), what steps would you recommend about this Quinch?  IIRC, you were part of the original Team Wildcard: TF Hail Mary LFM.  Count me as "more."  You can't add me to the team 'cause the TF has started, but I'm a lurking player and willing (nay eager) to slide you Inspirations or any other buffs I have.  Let me know how I can help.  Saving CITY OF HEROES is infinitely more important me than being "right" or winning some "flame" war.  (See: Phyrric Victory:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory )

[Lily Barclay]

http://www.jeuxvideopc.com/news/34485-city-of-heroes-fin-epoque.php

Another French one

[dwturducken]

QF MF T

This is what Oprah is ALL about.  If I email her it will be looking as if I am trying to promote myself.  If you mail her, it will be stories of people who had been helped by something and the Big Nasty Foreign Corporation cut their support network out from under them.

Then suggest that Melissa Bianco (War Witch) be contacted to speak for you.  Lead Games Designer in a field mostly dominated by men?  Damn skippy.

Yeah, I pretty much shut up as soon as you pointed the first part out, because you're right and I missed it until you mentioned it.

The second is an excellent point, though. We have plenty of people in the community who have told their stories of how the game was actual therapy, but War Witch is the key. She can't write, though. It has to be the people who were helped by the game rallying around Melissa, for just the same reasons VV can't write.

[Merseine]

I also emailed Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day via their Geek & Sundry channel on YouTube.  Don't know if it will help, but there ya go.

[Vasarto]

Hopefully we will be getting more media attention. I have Posted Emails with Links to the VV Korean times interview, Press release response of ours to NCSOFT'S announcement and our web site and a nice mid length message to go with it. Nothing too long just a little under one page.

I have sent them to The Mail Tribune the Newspaper here where I live, KRDV News, NBC News, Game Informer, PC Magazine got a tweet since I could not find a place to send a letter as well as NY Times and I am starting to run out of ideas lol.

[johnrobey]

This question is probably best directed to Rae and others with media expertise, but it seems like we've gotten good coverage on this in scope and sympathy.  I find it hard to imagine that those working in the industry are unaware at this point either about CoH Sunset or the fans.  Even without hard data or specifics (thanks, but I don't need citations), I feel confident the dev team has been networking with their colleagues in the industry about this since 8/31.  My question is simply, what next?

[Rae]

My question is simply, what next?

In general:

For a story to stay in the news, it needs to be 'new'.

We need to look for new angles to keep our story out there. Whether it's things like Heroes and Villains and the Phoenix Project, or the Real World Hero drive, the Disney pitch..it needs to be something they haven't heard from us before.

This might be a good time for the testimonial people try get their stories out there about how they're coping (or not) now the lights have been turned off in COH. It's a great time to try for some more celeb support, to give the petition a good push (we've been at 21,000 sigs for a while, but at 25,000 or 30,000 it's another news story.)

Do something heroic - donate some time to charity, raise money, dress as your character and volunteer at a soup kitchen. We need to vote on the 'best community' and 'best MMO' polls, because that'd be another great story if a /closed/ MMO takes those titles.

We need to donate as much as we can to Real World Hero, because we need to show that the community has stayed strong, heroic and supportive after the sunset.

Right now, if you could start looking at new angles, the bits that haven't been reported on it'd be a great start on keeping the pressure on, press-wise. We need to keep up the noise on Twitter/Facebook/Google and in blogs. We need to be commenting on the articles and showing people there is a real interest in this story.

For Hail Mary, specifically: Keep sending the letters to Disney. Encourage your friends, other gamers to get involved, spread the word any way you can  (because, really, the press release I REALLY want to write is: Disney says yes!)

Team Wildcard have already started discussions about who our next target will be, if we don't get Disney's attention, but obviously we need to give Disney a decent amount of time to set any wheels in motion and do their own investigations. The last thing we want to do is start an accidental bidding war or something

That's off the top of my head. Does it help?

[dwturducken]

I checked the petition on the morning of December 1st. It's closed.

[johnrobey]

In general:

For a story to stay in the news, it needs to be 'new'.

We need to look for new angles to keep our story out there. Whether it's things like Heroes and Villains and the Phoenix Project, or the Real World Hero drive, the Disney pitch..it needs to be something they haven't heard from us before.

This might be a good time for the testimonial people try get their stories out there about how they're coping (or not) now the lights have been turned off in COH. It's a great time to try for some more celeb support, to give the petition a good push (we've been at 21,000 sigs for a while, but at 25,000 or 30,000 it's another news story.)

Do something heroic - donate some time to charity, raise money, dress as your character and volunteer at a soup kitchen. We need to vote on the 'best community' and 'best MMO' polls, because that'd be another great story if a /closed/ MMO takes those titles.

We need to donate as much as we can to Real World Hero, because we need to show that the community has stayed strong, heroic and supportive after the sunset.

Right now, if you could start looking at new angles, the bits that haven't been reported on it'd be a great start on keeping the pressure on, press-wise. We need to keep up the noise on Twitter/Facebook/Google and in blogs. We need to be commenting on the articles and showing people there is a real interest in this story.

For Hail Mary, specifically: Keep sending the letters to Disney. Encourage your friends, other gamers to get involved, spread the word any way you can  (because, really, the press release I REALLY want to write is: Disney says yes!)

Team Wildcard have already started discussions about who our next target will be, if we don't get Disney's attention, but obviously we need to give Disney a decent amount of time to set any wheels in motion and do their own investigations. The last thing we want to do is start an accidental bidding war or something

That's off the top of my head. Does it help?

Yes, indeed it helps! Thanks!!   

[Victoria Victrix]

I just finished a very sympathetic interview with Matt Gardner, editor for a UK games site - Dealspwn.com

The interview should be published Monday.

[johnrobey]

Beautiful!  Looking forward to reading the article.   

[Vasarto]

While still fighting the good fight I decided to do something a little extra.

I am sending a request to Guinness Book of World records to see if they would give us the world record for largest spread attempt to save a Community and computer game.

Sending the propor links, telling them what part I have taken and what the four main guys who started it all are attempting, the disney idea. Links to the best video, Korean times letter and our main web site area showing our press releases.

So Let's hope that Titan Network and the world wide players of City of Heroes can get in the book!

If we do...Than the mark we leave in our wake will be much larger than anyone elses.

I really do not think any other group has fought this hard to keep an online community for as hard or as long or been so spread out in its attempts to save it than we are!

[Merseine]

OK - it's now 1 week gone and I'm looking through some of these posts so I can send out links to the YouTube Geek and Sundry team to maybe raise some awareness and get a bit of love from those geeks with a platform to spread some news...and I'm finding it hard to gather all the newest links that are not old, stale or repeats of other stuff.

Does anyone have a definitive list of all the various posts, news stories, coverages, etc?

thanks!

[NecrotechMaster]

I checked the petition on the morning of December 1st. It's closed.

i can confirm this as well, the petition is closed at 21845 signatures

it probably closed because the amount of incoming signatures had slowed too much

[Segev]

While I know TF Hail Mary's main thrust and effort is on getting physical letters written and sent, would it hurt to open a new "Disney, please let us send you money to play City of Heroes" petition?

[Quinch]

While I know TF Hail Mary's main thrust and effort is on getting physical letters written and sent, would it hurt to open a new "Disney, please let us send you money to play City of Heroes" petition?

Shut up and take my influence?

{I don't suppose there's anyone who can fix the hat, though?}

[Globetrotter]

I just finished a very sympathetic interview with Matt Gardner, editor for a UK games site - Dealspwn.com

The interview should be published Monday.

How can we ever thank you enough by giving all your time and energy to Save COH ....

[Rae]

While I know TF Hail Mary's main thrust and effort is on getting physical letters written and sent, would it hurt to open a new "Disney, please let us send you money to play City of Heroes" petition?

Sure as hell wouldn't hurt