Jack Emmert re: CoH - "Tell NCsoft to call me"

[DarkCurrent]

I'm going to assume that some overtures were made by Cryptic/PWE already and that NCSoft never responded.  Therefore, Jack is saying 'call me' because he's already reached out.

[Kistulot]

This almost feels like it should be the spark to fire off a unified "Please sell CoH" message to NCSoft.

I'm not sure how else to go about it that we havent already tried, but sometimes the direct route is one worth pursuing even after its failed.

[JaguarX]

This almost feels like it should be the spark to fire off a unified "Please sell CoH" message to NCSoft.

I'm not sure how else to go about it that we havent already tried, but sometimes the direct route is one worth pursuing even after its failed.

Thought we already send tat message way back from the get go?

[SeaLily]

The key here is the shift in message from the original SaveCoH push- that one, before the shutdown, was an attempt to keep the game alive.

This effort, if it can get rolling, is "okay, if you won't keep it alive yourselves, sell it to someone who will".  It's a very different message, but it still involves needing NCsoft to feel like they'll benefit from this.

I think any potential good PR they'd get for selling the game wouldn't undo the bad PR they got for shutting it down.  And it's going to be very difficult to find anyone willing to offer whatever pricepoint NCsoft wants for CoH.

But the demand is here for them to do it, they're aware of it, other studios are aware of it, it's just going to be a waiting game at this point.  The key thing is to stay active and loud about it.  The longer CoH stays 'active' as a topic of conversation, the better it looks to studios who want to buy it.  After all, when other MMOs get shut down, it's usually pretty quiet.  When CoH got shut down it exploded, and that fire hasn't gone out yet.  Keep it lit.  They'll do the right thing for players eventually.

I think the most harmful thing to this effort right now is all of the vague, confusing messages it's putting out.  Bandying around a bunch of weird catch phrases and flowery posturing has made it look weird and incomprehensible to outsiders.  This is a video game, and we want it back.  We need to focus on communicating that, not "WE ARE HEROES ITS WHAT WE DO" stuff that means nothing and has become shorthand for "you will not know what im talking about but BOY AM I ANGRY" to the outside world.

NCsoft needs to sell.  To someone.  Anyone.  Make them feel the pressure to do so.

[Aggelakis]

After all, if you go to http://www.cityofheroes.com/en/sunset.php Cryptic's logo is still on it.  Yes, I'm aware that NCSoft owns all the rights to it and everything about it, but the acknowledgement is there that it once belonged to Cryptic Studios and Paragon Studios.

Cryptic's logo is still there because Cryptic owns the engine that City ran on. NCsoft had a permanent license to it. But it was still Cryptic's engine.

[HEATSTROKE]

I think some kind of campaign for banner ads was mentioned on another site.. I think something along the lines of FREE CoH or SELL CoH or Call Jack something like that is a good idea to keep CoH in the public eye.. There could be a link maybe to the clip where they talk about the fact that CoH should have never been shut down amd Jack says have NcSoft call him....

I think that would at least stir the pot and show that the community is still strong especially if WE the community fund the advertising..

[Lightslinger]

I've said it before and Ironwolf ran with the idea and has some amazing groundwork done already...it's time we put our money where our mouth is.

For years we called out NCsoft's lack of marketing as a factor holding back City of Heroes. Now City of Heroes will stay dead unless we market our message like our game should have been. We need to be bold, aggressive, and get in NCsoft's face as much as possible.

Let's tell the world: Cryptic wants to buy City of Heroes, lets get our city back.

[JaguarX]

The key here is the shift in message from the original SaveCoH push- that one, before the shutdown, was an attempt to keep the game alive.

This effort, if it can get rolling, is "okay, if you won't keep it alive yourselves, sell it to someone who will".  It's a very different message, but it still involves needing NCsoft to feel like they'll benefit from this.

I think any potential good PR they'd get for selling the game wouldn't undo the bad PR they got for shutting it down.  And it's going to be very difficult to find anyone willing to offer whatever pricepoint NCsoft wants for CoH.

But the demand is here for them to do it, they're aware of it, other studios are aware of it, it's just going to be a waiting game at this point.  The key thing is to stay active and loud about it.  The longer CoH stays 'active' as a topic of conversation, the better it looks to studios who want to buy it.  After all, when other MMOs get shut down, it's usually pretty quiet.  When CoH got shut down it exploded, and that fire hasn't gone out yet.  Keep it lit.  They'll do the right thing for players eventually.

I think the most harmful thing to this effort right now is all of the vague, confusing messages it's putting out.  Bandying around a bunch of weird catch phrases and flowery posturing has made it look weird and incomprehensible to outsiders.  This is a video game, and we want it back.  We need to focus on communicating that, not "WE ARE HEROES ITS WHAT WE DO" stuff that means nothing and has become shorthand for "you will not know what im talking about but BOY AM I ANGRY" to the outside world.

Indeed

[Lightslinger]

Indeed

This x1000, remember people we are trying to reach people who may not even know what City of Heroes is. A nice picture of Statesman and a heroic quote does NOTHING to educate people about our game being closed.

We should even try to mobilize people in the name of protecting ALL online games from closure.

[Surelle]

I think it's great that he acknowledges the fact there's a fan base that is fighting back for a game that was unjustly shut down.  I am curious, however, if Jack ever made an attempt to call them, since NCSoft did say they "exhausted all options".  If he's serious about taking it back, then why not reach out to them?  Why wait for NCSoft to call him?  I do know that NeverWinter is the project at hand and there's another "top secret" project going to be in the works after that, so he's extremely busy.  But why not take a few minutes and make a call?  What's the worst that can happen?  NCSoft hang up on him?

After all, if you go to http://www.cityofheroes.com/en/sunset.php Cryptic's logo is still on it.  Yes, I'm aware that NCSoft owns all the rights to it and everything about it, but the acknowledgement is there that it once belonged to Cryptic Studios and Paragon Studios.

Okay, babbling is done....going back to my corner to be quiet again....probably safer that way  :D

What would be the point of "just calling" NCSoft?  Jack would need millions of dollars in financial backing lined up, not to mention a full contractual offer with stipulations (old account/character backups, expansion backups, etc.) ready to be put onto the table first.  And as we can see just from the simple fan proposal from Team Wildcard, even that takes many months, never mind what an IP buyout offer would take over and above that.  And who's going to get enough backing and pay people to do all that, especially with NCSoft's repeated claims that they're not selling?

[Kistulot]

What would be the point of "just calling" NCSoft?

Because none of the rest of that stuff matters if we don't have communication.

[Stormy Weathermaker]

What would be the point of "just calling" NCSoft?  Jack would need millions of dollars in financial backing lined up, not to mention a full contractual offer with stipulations (old account/character backups, expansion backups, etc.) ready to be put onto the table first.  And as we can see just from the simple fan proposal from Team Wildcard, even that takes many months, never mind what an IP buyout offer would take over and above that.  And who's going to get enough backing and pay people to do all that, especially with NCSoft's repeated claims that they're not selling?

Because Jack is the one who said,"Tell anyone from NCSoft call me".  Why would he say it if he didn't have the backing available?  Since Jack offered that up, he must have the backing already or at least accessible.  Providing he was serious, of course.  So I posed the question, not assuming that Jack already made that phone call, as to why not call them and try to work something out to get it back. 

Aggelakis even stated in an earlier post "Cryptic's logo is still there because Cryptic owns the engine that City ran on. NCsoft had a permanent license to it. But it was still Cryptic's engine." Isn't that half the battle done?  If they already own the engine, it's just a matter of getting the rest of it back, is it not?

[dwturducken]

I don't know how this is going to work, but here's a qoute from the CM over on the CO forum, in their version of this thread:

Since both Jack Emmert and I have been getting questions about what he said at PAX East, we had a quick email conversation to figure out what went down (I wasn't at the panel).

Jack's got an emotional attachment to CoH, and when he said he'd take a call from NCSoft, it was an off-the-cuff remark born from his love of the game. If NCSoft gave him a call, he'd be happy to talk to them, but that's all that there is -- there aren't any plans at Cryptic or PWE to bring back City of Heroes. There's no plan, just a wistful hope that it gets another issue someday.

This was posted about 4 hours ago.

[Stormy Weathermaker]

I don't know how this is going to work, but here's a qoute from the CM over on the CO forum, in their version of this thread:

Quote from: trailturtle;3123071
Since both Jack Emmert and I have been getting questions about what he said at PAX East, we had a quick email conversation to figure out what went down (I wasn't at the panel).

Jack's got an emotional attachment to CoH, and when he said he'd take a call from NCSoft, it was an off-the-cuff remark born from his love of the game. If NCSoft gave him a call, he'd be happy to talk to them, but that's all that there is -- there aren't any plans at Cryptic or PWE to bring back City of Heroes. There's no plan, just a wistful hope that it gets another issue someday.

This was posted about 4 hours ago.

Well, isn't that depressing  :'(

[Kistulot]

Of course there's no plan.

If you were PWE or Cryptic, why would you plan for that, especially given the current climate?

[Tanklet]

Well, isn't that depressing  :'(

Not necessarily ...
This is pretty much what we figured it to be initially. It's not like we expected him to say "Hey, great you saw that. I've been calling and writing NC$oft and have a billion dollar check and all of Cryptic & PWE behind me. Let's move!"

What he said, was the case. If they called him, he'd be there. Listening. Interested.
If nothing else, it's as a lot of people said, NC$oft did not "exhaust all options" and THAT more than anything is additional ammo to use against them.

[dwturducken]

More to the point, while it may not be exactly what he said to Tony, the two "statements" don't contradict each other. The response to the Cryptic CM may really just be a more candid way of saying the same thing. The key really is that NC$oft has to call, and we know that's going to take some effort. I have something unrelated that I'm going to start work on, but I'm in for donating to support the #CallJack ads once there's a  funding method in place. I really wish I had something more to contribute, but, for now, all I have is my mediocre skill at internet stalking. :)

[Surelle]

Actually, I always thought the most extraordinary part of that whole panel was that the Wildstar head honcho guy actually publicly agreed that CoH shouldn't have been shut down, lol.  And I also thought the whole panel, especially SOE/Everquest franchise head Dave Georgeson's reaction about the closure, should have been used as a possible article point to the general press.

News Flash:  Industry insiders think NCSoft are idiots too.   :P

[JanessaVR]

I don't know how this is going to work, but here's a qoute from the CM over on the CO forum, in their version of this thread:

This was posted about 4 hours ago.

Well, I say so what - let's do it anyway!  If nothing else, it's a black eye for NCSoft, and keeps up the publicity for our movement.  I'm still willing to break out my checkbook for this if someone designs the banner ads and we have somewhere/something to link them to.

[Kaos Arcanna]

I think that if NCSoft called and said, "Hey, we'd like to sell COX to you and here's the price we'd have to have"-- and it was a reasonably good deal-- I think that Cryptic/PW would buy ... but I certainly don't think they've made any kind of recent pitch for the game.