Call to Action: Bring CoH Home! - Phase 2

[Lightslinger]

I hear you man, but since we're organizing here at Titan I'll listen to TonyV and respect his wishes. I know Tony ultimately supports this effort and we'll be moving on very soon.

Bring CoH Home! is still on. Please contact the press via the links in the OP and let them know: this is a big deal, talk to Jack and let's find out how far down the rabbit hole we can get with this.

[Taceus Jiwede]

I posted in the thread that led to this, but I just wanted to say that the point may not be in getting Jack or Cryptic to buy CoH or anything.
The opinions expressed about CoH by these people within the industry should, however, be used to continue publicity for SaveCoH and for NCSoft to sell and to keep it in the minds of anyone and everyone we can reach.
So, I just see this as valuable publicity, regardless of whether or not the actual parties involved are the ones who may end up buying CoH.

So, I'm not in favor of blowing up anyone's inboxes over it (other than news outlets). I just think we should use this as another banner to wave and shout to the world that we still want the game back and that it never should have gone away... and a panel of experts AGREES.

Beautifully put! +1

NC$oft

I haven't seen this one before.  It made me laugh.

[Tanklet]

NC$oft

I haven't seen this one before.  It made me laugh.

Why thankya
Started using it not long after D-Day

[ukaserex]

A cryptic comment from Jack, who works at Cryptic. Who woulda thunk it?

Honestly, I think flooding Jack's in-box isn't a good idea at all. There are probably a few people who have personal access to Jack and can simply ask him to elaborate. Odds are, they already have, but the clarification hasn't made it's way around yet.

Let's just buy the man and his team dinner and simply ask him ourselves if we haven't heard back from him in a week. This way, we will have, in a sense, paid for his time and built some good will in the process.

[Lightslinger]

A cryptic comment from Jack, who works at Cryptic. Who woulda thunk it?

Honestly, I think flooding Jack's in-box isn't a good idea at all. There are probably a few people who have personal access to Jack and can simply ask him to elaborate. Odds are, they already have, but the clarification hasn't made it's way around yet.

Let's just buy the man and his team dinner and simply ask him ourselves if we haven't heard back from him in a week. This way, we will have, in a sense, paid for his time and built some good will in the process.

Jack's email has not been posted here and is not part of our mission, only emailing the press.

If we get some positive info from those out looking for more info we may proceed to snail-mailing postcards, some of support to Cryptic and some urges to sell to NCsoft. Outside of the press no inbox bombing will be part of Bring CoH Home.

[DeathSentry]

Have to admit, I've been playing CO since CoH was shutdown and its sad the way Cryptic is handling the title (to buy a token just to retcon/respec), you pay some pretty hefty fees, even as a gold subscriber so definitely a cash machine only for Cryptic.  With that said, I too would be happy even if it came back in maintenance mode if nothing else there was more to explore there than CO.

I love the customization in CO but it doesn't begin to compare to the vastness of the CoH universe.

[Captain Electric]

We missed a golden opportunity to show support for those recently laid off by NCSoft (seriously confused as to why those suggestions were ignored, are we all full-up on good press or something?), please do not let this one go cold too folks.

Let's imagine for a moment that consumers throughout history had decided to play nice and "not get too loud" whenever they had the chance to wave their banners and let loose their voices. What would they have gained?

Spider-Man was on the chopping block whenever he was first introduced in 1963 because he was too different for most of the top brass at Marvel. That is until the fan mail came in, flooding their mailboxes like never before. After that, there could be NO DOUBT. Shy Peter Parker was no Superman or Batman, but the fans had spoken up about what they wanted; their voices literally could not be contained (by a mailbox ) and Spider-Man left the pages of Amazing Fiction for good--because he had his own magazine!

I'm not pleading for riots in the streets, just more "Titan in action", less "Titan inaction". When a multitude of voices rises up in unison, that is not a riot--it is a rally.

Don't bug the people at Wildstar you say? Don't email every Cryptic address I can find? Well I hope you'll forgive my passion but I have already done it. Those who can do nothing for us still have mouths and that's how the message of the meek becomes the talk of the town. Rallies are made to inspire, and as long as those messages are written as politely and as respectful as if you were on your best behavior at a rally, no one in this industry will hold us in contempt or blame us for speaking up and showing our love for a game they loved too--and continuing to do it seven months on; and with our voices still strong.

I began writing emails before the first Call to Action and I'd still be writing them after the last if I had to. I'm a fan--it's what I do!

[Lightslinger]

Just want to urge everyone to continue what is essentially just talking about this.

If you don't have a twitter account; get one. It's easy and free, use your CoH character's info if you want to like I did. Then start posting using hashtags like #SaveCoH and #CallJack. Direct them RIGHT to NCsoft at their contact info in the OP. People have accomplished some big things against bigger companies than NCsoft through twitter.

You can also search using #SaveCoH so you can see other CoH players posting, "follow" those people and now you're connected right to a great CoH community.

Other than that, just keeping the conversation going about Jack's comments keeps this effort going. There are people working to contact Jack/Cryptic regarding that comment and once we know more we'll move on.

[SeaLily]

Let's imagine for a moment that consumers throughout history had decided to play nice and "not get too loud" whenever they had the chance to wave their banners and let loose their voices. What would they have gained?

Spider-Man was on the chopping block whenever he was first introduced in 1963 because he was too different for most of the top brass at Marvel. That is until the fan mail came in, flooding their mailboxes like never before. After that, there could be NO DOUBT. Shy Peter Parker was no Superman or Batman, but the fans had spoken up about what they wanted; their voices literally could not be contained (by a mailbox ) and Spider-Man left the pages of Amazing Fiction for good--because he had his own magazine!

Not to nitpick, but you're kind of romanticizing here- Spiderman was a risk, yes, one that Stan Lee was allowed to go ahead with because the Amazing Fantasy magazine was ending and the higher-ups didn't care if he put a failed character into that final issue.  Until they saw the sales numbers for Amazing Fantasy #15.  Money spoke there, not fan mail, and Spidey got his own comic because of that.  When the execs saw those AF#15 sales numbers, they were more than happy to let Spider-man have his own comic.

Because it was a good business decision.  Because people spoke with their money.

Unfortunately there's no way for us to do that here.

[Captain Electric]

Well, it's pointless if you'd like to take the wind out of my sails; because at this stage, going on an email blitz is practically a habit which I can perform with my eyes closed.

And you are nitpicking. The post you just typed was to nitpick. You side-skipped a direct response to the purpose of a City of Heroes email campaign in order to describe how fan mail supposedly did nothing for Spider-Man in 1963 (something which Marvel Comics editors would dispute based on their recollections to the contrary over the years--I did not just pull that anecdote out of my can); and your counterpoint (if taken in context--that is if you were not just babbling unrelatedly) is suggestive that our emails are similarly non-useful; that we should not be writing letters or emails.

Based on your conclusions--that people spoke with their money--NCSoft made a bad business decision in spite of CoH: Freedom's increase in profits.

Seriously. If you want to be part of the effort to get our game back, pick up a banner. But I don't deal in apathy.

Stand aside. I'll be moving ahead.

Edit: Maybe I'm wrong about you, and maybe you would have argued any little minutia if you saw a duck misaligned in its row. In that case, my sincerest apologies. I realize that's generally what Internet forums are used for. But, still. Waaaay more important things to do. (See the thread's subject line.)

[TonyV]

Here's the thing.  I don't think we have to convince Jack Emmert to want City of Heroes.  It sounds like he's already open to the idea.  We have the same problem now as we've had since August 31: Getting NCsoft to get off their duffs and do something.  Jack could want the game with every fiber in his being and it wouldn't matter right now.  I say this because I know of at least one other person who wanted the game so badly that they couldn't stand it, engaged in some very serious negotiations with NCsoft, and now has basically nothing to show for it.

The problem, my friends, is NCsoft corporate, pure and simple.  THAT is who needs to be convinced to let go of the property.  Not Jack, not Carbine, not even NCsoft Seattle, but NCsoft corporate--the people in Seoul, South Korea.

I wish I knew what buttons to push to get them to open up.  If I did, I assure you I would have been pushing them long before now.  But as long as NCsoft is as close-minded as they are now, all other efforts will be for naught.

[Electric-Knight]

Well, it seems to me that keeping the pro-continung-CoH publicity up, however we can (reasonably/positively) is worthy and good.

If NCSoft continues to have negative coverage and CoH continues to have positive press about deserving to continue (both as a desired game and from a business standpoint), then we're possibly accomplishing something.

[Kistulot]

It occurs to me, the only reason we're going towards Google/Disney and not NCSoft to sell is to try to pressure them, right?

Jack in all his abrasiveness would be more likely to say "We offered them *ridiculous amount here* and they said no, so I did my part" if such a thing occurred than most.

Just a thought.

[Steele Magnolia]

Whatever we need to do, I'm in. I can't afford to fly to S. Korea and picket, but I can send postcards and email, chip in for a goodwill dinner, whatever our next direction is.

[Tanklet]

Did someone say letters & Postcards???

Address to NC HQ
    158-16 NCSOFT R&D Center B/D, Samsung-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea (ZIP 135-090)

[SeaLily]

Here's the thing.  I don't think we have to convince Jack Emmert to want City of Heroes.  It sounds like he's already open to the idea.  We have the same problem now as we've had since August 31: Getting NCsoft to get off their duffs and do something.  Jack could want the game with every fiber in his being and it wouldn't matter right now.  I say this because I know of at least one other person who wanted the game so badly that they couldn't stand it, engaged in some very serious negotiations with NCsoft, and now has basically nothing to show for it.

The problem, my friends, is NCsoft corporate, pure and simple.  THAT is who needs to be convinced to let go of the property.  Not Jack, not Carbine, not even NCsoft Seattle, but NCsoft corporate--the people in Seoul, South Korea.

I wish I knew what buttons to push to get them to open up.  If I did, I assure you I would have been pushing them long before now.  But as long as NCsoft is as close-minded as they are now, all other efforts will be for naught.

Yeah, basically all of this.  Harassing Cryptic about it isn't going to help anyone- Jack's obviously interested, Cryptic's got a big attachment to the game, they're already onboard with this.

As always, the problem is NCsoft.  And it's been increasingly difficult to get their attention as more and more people have peeled off from the outrage surrounding the game's shutdown to just go do other things.  There's an audience for the game here still, but we're not talking thousands of people willing to physically mail letters anymore.  Or even hundreds.

You'd need something big to get people's attention and get them onboard.  Something huge.  We don't have that anymore.  Smaller, more focused efforts are the way to go at this point.  Not slap-dash GUYS SPAM TWITTER things, which do more harm than help.

[Ironwolf]

That is why tomorrow I am going to get the rates for a number of sites and we can post our own advertising to bring the game back.

It is time to spit or get off the pot.

[SeaLily]

That is why tomorrow I am going to get the rates for a number of sites and we can post our own advertising to bring the game back.

It is time to spit or get off the pot.

Yeah, the trailer/ads effort sounds like a good direction to go.  Game news sites will definitely take notice of people buying ads to try and help get CoH's future back on track, as well as the trailer itself.  If handled right, that could give the effort a very big boost, especially if it's made clear that people need to keep pushing NCsoft to either bring the game back with a skeleton crew or sell it off entirely.

[Tanklet]

So, I've been working on layouts for postcards, and basically don't have the patience to edit photos to make them fit....
Here's what I'm thinking ..

Page 1:
The entire face is a CoH image. What I'd LOVE would be for someone to be able to size the "We Will Never Forget" photo to postcard size, 4.2 x 5.5 or thereabouts.

A stock of 50 cards runs about $13-$15 bucks. If I can get images that fit, or if ppl wanna resize images themselves.

Page 2:
The back of the postcard I basically have mostly blank but with a text box to write NC's address on it. There's more than enough white space left for a nice lil message to whoever gets the cards.

Thoughts?

[ukaserex]

Is the number NCSoft said they wanted for the CoH IP 80 million?

What is the actual worth of the CoH IP? The tax valuation, if memory serves, was 3 million. This value likely has no basis in reality. Makes me think of when I would register my '96 Dodge and pay less than 30 bucks for my tag, while my newer car costs about 130 bucks.

My guess is that it's worth more than 3 million, but worth far less than 80 million. I'm thinking about 10 to 12 million - but I'm just shooting in the dark. I'm thinking the game could pick up about 10 million the first year just in subs, but I could be incredibly optimistic and naive.

How would such a thing be valued? Basic Economics state that something is worth as much money as someone is willing to pay for it. So, it's not worth 80 million, because noone has paid that yet.

Next question is roughly how many people still really, really want the game back? 1000? 10,000? I know a lot of people would like the game back, but if the sub price were 25 bucks instead of 15, they'd pass. Others would pay $50/month, they want it back so badly. (For me, 25 is about as high as I'd go.)

My questions arise out of a ridiculous notion that 100,000 of us should just fork over 800 bucks each to get our game back. But, then I thought - just getting the IP rights wouldn't be enough. I'd want the hardware, too. And, then, there's the question of maintaining the servers - a task I know next to nothing about.

And then, the cheap, frugal, common sense side tells me to just delete all this and go to bed. After all, 2015 isn't that far away, really. (optimistic date for MWM)

So, I'm not gonna delete it, but I am going to go to bed. You guys can just post silly pictures and mock me as if I'd actually followed through and posted this.