Additional NCsoft layoffs

[JaguarX]

Actually, NCSoft is more like a kid holding a great big bag of salty plum candy.  Now, all the Korean kids love salty plum candy, so NCSoft assumes that every kid will want his salty plum candy.  But when the Western kids on the playground spit it out and say "ew!" and walk away, instead of looking for a big bag of Western style candy, NCSoft takes away everyone else's Western-style candy, hires bullies to keep Western-style candy out of the playground, and proceeds to stand on a soapbox and tell all the other kids that they should just give up their candy and accept the superior salty-plum candy.

And NCSoft is then surprised when the other kids gang up and take out the bullies and tell NCSoft where they can shove their salty-plums and how high.

well of course salt plum candy is not as popular as suggested there but is like saying all americans like horehound candy. But I get the point. But in this case it seems that since COX is gone we are creating our own, that way no one can take it away.

[Illusionss]

I agree that NCSoft re-starting CoH now doesn't do much for them. Shutting down a profitable entity is already a loss, but I don't believe they calculated the destructive effect on their reputation in their cost/benefit analysis. It reminds me very much of "United Breaks Guitars". One $3500 guitar cost them millions before it was over (180 million in market cap but I don't have an estimate of actual revenue lost).

All along however, the way NCSoft  could recoup anything of the value in IP was to sell CoH and stop saying things that are obviously not true. It's still the clearest route to recovery for them.

It's the first rule of holes: stop digging.

If NCStupid turned the servers back on tonight at 8 pm PST, at this point I do not think there is any salvaging the company.

It is true, they took away our game from us for no discernible reason.

BUT. It is also true, that they have not just shot themselves in the foot, but actually blown that foot off with a bazooka. The foot will not ever regenerate, and now we have gangrene spreading to the other foot, aka the Asian market.

So, in hurting us, they HURT THEMSELVES FAR WORSE. Losing our game was awful, but it cost no one in the playerbase millions and millions and millions of whatever currency they use over there.

Axe jobs left and right, go right ahead. I do believe the great wheel of Karma will end up circling back around and grinding these idiots into powder. Those who axe jobs with no warning will eventually get their own jobs axed with no warning. Those who cause unhappiness, will have that unhappiness come home to roost.

They bought every bit of the evil that is now homing in on them, and now they can man up and take what's coming. Maybe they will learn something from all this, but I doubt it.

[HarvesterOfEyes]

If NCStupid turned the servers back on tonight at 8 pm PST, at this point I do not think there is any salvaging the company.

It is true, they took away our game from us for no discernible reason.

BUT. It is also true, that they have not just shot themselves in the foot, but actually blown that foot off with a bazooka. The foot will not ever regenerate, and now we have gangrene spreading to the other foot, aka the Asian market.

So, in hurting us, they HURT THEMSELVES FAR WORSE. Losing our game was awful, but it cost no one in the playerbase millions and millions and millions of whatever currency they use over there.

Axe jobs left and right, go right ahead. I do believe the great wheel of Karma will end up circling back around and grinding these idiots into powder. Those who axe jobs with no warning will eventually get their own jobs axed with no warning. Those who cause unhappiness, will have that unhappiness come home to roost.

They bought every bit of the evil that is now homing in on them, and now they can man up and take what's coming. Maybe they will learn something from all this, but I doubt it.

The one bit of good I'd wish to see out of it is other game companies recognizing that what is strictly within their rights is not the definition of good business practices. I will be watching for them to express that recognition in their communications and EULA's. I will likewise be the person who asks questions in that vein in game forums of any in-development game I care enough to be acquainted with.

It's not just NCSoft I won't do business with again. Any software company that shows this sort of disregard for the paying customers is going to have a hard time selling me anything in the future.

[Perfidus]

We're all smarter people, as consumers, after this debacle. I think it's fair to say that, at least.

[V-Mink]

We're all smarter people, as consumers, after this debacle. I think it's fair to say that, at least.

It's more or less what I thought to myself when another game released a (in the opinions of many though maybe not most) bolloxed "grab bag" mechanic, and it applies to MMOs in general now because of NCsoft's actions: "You've ruined it for other games, now."  Now, nobody is going to risk putting this much investment into any other game on the chance it'll go away, NCsoftcore or not.

[corvus1970]

We're all smarter people, as consumers, after this debacle. I think it's fair to say that, at least.

Well said Perfidus. If there's a definite silver-lining to the shutdown and the way it was handled, its this.

[Perfidus]

Yeah, but is it wrong to say I wish I was still ignorant?

(Edit: Woo. Now I am a boss.)

[JaguarX]

We're all smarter people, as consumers, after this debacle. I think it's fair to say that, at least.

yeah. for those that this took by surprise or didnt know it could happen, well....it can happen and just did. Nothing we could do about that but now have to be smarter.

[JaguarX]

Yeah, but is it wrong to say I wish I was still ignorant?

(Edit: Woo. Now I am a boss.)

I been around games, investing and rent agreements long enough so I knew from the get go. If I'm putting money into something and I do not own it and or it's not up to me whether or not it continues or not, then never put money or time that will be missed. Unfortunately, for many this was their first game of the MMO type and it's sad that instead of some old head ike me saying "Becareful, dont put too much time and money into a game," and probably be passed off as a DOOOOOM!! sayer, they had to find out this way in this manner.

[corvus1970]

Yeah, but is it wrong to say I wish I was still ignorant?

No, it isn't. Knowledge is often burdensome, and there are many things that happens to one in life that makes forgetting seem an attractive option.

[Perfidus]

"Ignorance is bliss."

[A Cyclops named Steve]

I don't think they were expanding, I think they (or some portion of their leadership) were/are trying to get out of the West, which has never been as profitable for them as their home market.

When I read about the "reorganization" of the Seattle office(I really had that term such a grey term for such a dirty deed, but I digress) that was my feeling as well. That they aren't trying to spread west that they are in fact withdrawing from the west. I really hope this completely bites them in the ass.

[A Cyclops named Steve]

Actually, NCSoft is more like a kid holding a great big bag of salty plum candy.  Now, all the Korean kids love salty plum candy, so NCSoft assumes that every kid will want his salty plum candy.  But when the Western kids on the playground spit it out and say "ew!" and walk away, instead of looking for a big bag of Western style candy, NCSoft takes away everyone else's Western-style candy, hires bullies to keep Western-style candy out of the playground, and proceeds to stand on a soapbox and tell all the other kids that they should just give up their candy and accept the superior salty-plum candy.

And NCSoft is then surprised when the other kids gang up and take out the bullies and tell NCSoft where they can shove their salty-plums and how high.

BEST ANALOGY EVER!!

[corvus1970]

Agreed!