New efforts!

[Mistress Urd]

Always fascinating, and educational following the flow of topics that arise in this thread.  It is kind of an emotional roller-coaster ride, as we go from the jubilation at the prospect of our beloved game returning, to frustration (and sometimes anger) over the possible reasons behind the fact that we are not already playing it.

After my recent foray into the Icon application, and getting to experience the game (albeit in a limited way) once more, it only steels my resolve to eagerly await the day it is announced that it WILL happen, and increases tenfold the anticipation for the day that it actually does return.  I am sure I am not alone in this, but now with the help of Icon, I remember exactly why I feel that way.

I will see all of you in-game on day 1, as the Super Groups form, and justice comes back to Paragon City!

Its one of the reasons why I limit my posts on the topic at this point. Even if we hear nothing if there is a yea or nay we will eventually see another CoH like game. I hope it will be as good as CoH eventually became.

[Abraxus]

Its one of the reasons why I limit my posts on the topic at this point. Even if we hear nothing if there is a yea or nay we will eventually see another CoH like game. I hope it will be as good as CoH eventually became.

I am sure when Champions, DCUO, and the Marvel effort were under development, they thought they had better games than CoH, and that the MMO world would be set ablaze by each one as it went live.  To my knowledge, that never turned out to be true.  I think part of the reason is that the shiny, pretty graphics were no substitute for all of the things CoH had going for it.  I am not saying CoH was perfect in all regards, but so far I have yet to find something that I enjoy playing anywhere near as much, for reasons that would take more time than I have to articulate.  I will take dated graphics any day of the week, over less than enjoyable game play.  Any time I did play something else, it was only a matter of time before I was yearning for the good old days when I could just go back to CoH. 

If for whatever crazy reason, the current deal fell through, I think our only hope would be if one of the spiritual successor projects gained enough footing to be completed.  Other than that, we would be subject to someone starting from scratch, having to dodge the copyrighted IP for CoH so much, there is little hope of it being as good.  I still wonder how the successor projects have dealt with that issue?

Anyway, as has already been said, I would rather fly around a deserted Paragon City in Icon, and wait for the return of the full game as it was when it was shut down, than to play most of the other MMOs out there for any amount of time.

[Surelle]

Its one of the reasons why I limit my posts on the topic at this point. Even if we hear nothing if there is a yea or nay we will eventually see another CoH like game. I hope it will be as good as CoH eventually became.

I really think people are getting way too antsy, especially in light of the hostile takeover of NCSoft that Nexon seems to be openly planning.   Even before that, though, we would have been lucky to see or hear anything about the I23 zombie mode even by late this year if ever.  CoX is the LAST thing on NCSoft's minds, and now with this whole Nexon takeover pending, who knows if Nexon will even allow NCSoft to proceed with any of its MMOs?  They're not happy with NCSoft's performance with any of them, that they have stated publicly.

[Abraxus]

Those takeover rumors are troubling.  As if things were not complicated enough!

[Waffles]

On a side note, i've yet to see ragdoll physics just suddenly 'added' into an MMO like for CoH.

Anyone who played a martial arts, mace or storm character at the time, knows what i'm talking about, when I say that was just the best buff ever.

[MM3squints]

he does have a point.. apple patenting a rectangle with rounded corners? riiiight. like no one has ever used that in the last 2000 years. sherlock holmes has just now come out from copyright...it has been extended way too long. you know why there are so few documentaries on vietnam war? because the copyright holders of the pictures want huge payments every single time it is shown. so no one shows them.

I think the biggest balls to patent award has to go to Amazon. Last year, they patented, "Photography Against A White Background"

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140507/04102327144/us-patent-office-grants-photography-against-white-background-patent-to-amazon.shtml

[rebel 1812]

I really think people are getting way too antsy, especially in light of the hostile takeover of NCSoft that Nexon seems to be openly planning.   Even before that, though, we would have been lucky to see or hear anything about the I23 zombie mode even by late this year if ever.  CoX is the LAST thing on NCSoft's minds, and now with this whole Nexon takeover pending, who knows if Nexon will even allow NCSoft to proceed with any of its MMOs?  They're not happy with NCSoft's performance with any of them, that they have stated publicly.

how come peoples expectations are that a simple business deal takes years, such as with the deal for CoH remains; and yet a hostile takeover happens with lightning speed.

[LadyVamp]

how come peoples expectations are that a simple business deal takes years, such as with the deal for CoH remains; and yet a hostile takeover happens with lightning speed.

Simple.  If a hostile takeover took years to complete, any company could easily protect itself.  The point of a hostile takeover is hit them super hard, super fast so they cannot do anything to stop it.

Now assuming NCSoft is taken over, the new owners maybe more favorable to cutting a deal on CoH.  Won't know until the dust settles and even then they could reject selling/giving it away.  We'll just have to wait and see.

[Aggelakis]

Now assuming NCSoft is taken over, the new owners ...

Jumping the gun here a bit. It's not taken over, it doesn't have new ownership.

[Mistress Urd]

I am sure when Champions, DCUO, and the Marvel effort were under development, they thought they had better games than CoH, and that the MMO world would be set ablaze by each one as it went live.  To my knowledge, that never turned out to be true.  I think part of the reason is that the shiny, pretty graphics were no substitute for all of the things CoH had going for it.  I am not saying CoH was perfect in all regards, but so far I have yet to find something that I enjoy playing anywhere near as much, for reasons that would take more time than I have to articulate.  I will take dated graphics any day of the week, over less than enjoyable game play.  Any time I did play something else, it was only a matter of time before I was yearning for the good old days when I could just go back to CoH. 

If for whatever crazy reason, the current deal fell through, I think our only hope would be if one of the spiritual successor projects gained enough footing to be completed.  Other than that, we would be subject to someone starting from scratch, having to dodge the copyrighted IP for CoH so much, there is little hope of it being as good.  I still wonder how the successor projects have dealt with that issue?

Anyway, as has already been said, I would rather fly around a deserted Paragon City in Icon, and wait for the return of the full game as it was when it was shut down, than to play most of the other MMOs out there for any amount of time.

I think CoH was a lucky accident where they managed to right the ship and in general take in customer feedback to fix enough things. Did they fix everything? Of course not, but they did very well with the cards they had.

I hope Arcana is on the successor team...

[dwturducken]

I'll be honest: I'm pretty much only checking this on weekends, which is kind of my loss. That said, every time someone, usually Agge, threatens to whip out the "ban hammer," I think of Captain Hammer. And, yes, I know that Agge is not a dude!

[ivanhedgehog]

Simple.  If a hostile takeover took years to complete, any company could easily protect itself.  The point of a hostile takeover is hit them super hard, super fast so they cannot do anything to stop it.

Now assuming NCSoft is taken over, the new owners maybe more favorable to cutting a deal on CoH.  Won't know until the dust settles and even then they could reject selling/giving it away.  We'll just have to wait and see.

if this takes the rest of 2015 then they are shooting themselves in the foot. the longer coh is gone, the lower the value. the IP isnt something super popular like superman or xmen. we love it because we love it, but 99% of the population never heard of it.if this falls through I cant see anyone wasting money on another attempt. business deals do take time, but they do have progress. a year without real progress is pushing that .

[Drauger9]

That said, every time someone, usually Agge, threatens to whip out the "ban hammer," I think of Captain Hammer. And, yes, I know that Agge is not a dude!

WooWooWoo! What I miss?

*Breaks out a box of Honey Buns and starts searching threw the thread*

[Surelle]

how come peoples expectations are that a simple business deal takes years, such as with the deal for CoH remains; and yet a hostile takeover happens with lightning speed.

Actually this hostile takeover first began back in June 2012 when Nexon bought 14 and some-odd % of NCSoft's stocks off its CEO, even though of course you need over 15% ownership to actually carry through the hostile takeover.  But that's where it all really began, and red flags were going up, for me anyway, even back then.

Nexon's and NCSoft's CEOs have been friends for decades.  You have to wonder if that's all gone to pot now.  NCSoft is quite angry over Nexon's very recent, additional small % buy of NC's stocks that tipped them over 15%.  That's hostile takeover territory.  And they did it before NC's CEO promoted his wife to NC President (she was formerly VP).  So I see this internal VP-to-President promotion at NCSoft more as NCSoft trying to strengthen itself internally in response to Nexon's sudden attack.

Nexon had originally said they bought that first 14% of NCSoft's stocks as an investment.  Now since they've tipped 15%, they're suddenly proclaiming they want to manage NCSoft now out of nowhere.

I still personally feel Nexon's 14% stock purchase in June 2012 had everything to do with CoX going under (just my own feelings though, your mileage may vary).  I truly cringed when the stock purchase happened-- ewwwww, Maple Story!  You got your Maple Story in our real MMOs!   

Well anyway, there's nothing to do but wait it out, much like everything else.  But Nexon is running about at the mouth this new year, announcing to all and sundry how unhappy they are with the performance of all NCSoft's MMOs.  I think NCSoft has a lot more to worry about than CoX or even any one of their MMORPGs.  Try....all of them.   Nexon is moving very aggressively into the mobile gaming market, or so they say.  Ugh.  Just...ugh.

Can NCSoft avert this hostile takeover by getting enough additional backing to buy Nexon back out again?  Is there a way they can force that through?  I'll bet NCSoft's CEO is really kicking himself now for ever selling so much of his stock!  (Unless he knew what would inevitably happen and either deluded himself into thinking his friend would take care of NCSoft, or just didn't care because he would be set for life anyway because of that big stock sale he made....)

[CrimsonCapacitor]

While I am honestly not up to speed on the corporate machinations of Nexon or NCSoft, I have to wonder:

If the Powers that Be within NCSoft hoard their closed games because... MINE! and there's the threat of another company coming in and, essentially ripping them out of NCSoft's storage locker/display case/whatever metaphor you want here...

Would NCSoft be more likely to say, "OK, you... bully!  You can't have these games!  They're OURS, not yours, so.... Here, passionate gaming community, take them!  We know you love them and will care for them as much as we did!  Don't let Nexon have them!"

*shrugs*

[Ankhammon]

While I am honestly not up to speed on the corporate machinations of Nexon or NCSoft, I have to wonder:

If the Powers that Be within NCSoft hoard their closed games because... MINE! and there's the threat of another company coming in and, essentially ripping them out of NCSoft's storage locker/display case/whatever metaphor you want here...

Would NCSoft be more likely to say, "OK, you... bully!  You can't have these games!  They're OURS, not yours, so.... Here, passionate gaming community, take them!  We know you love them and will care for them as much as we did!  Don't let Nexon have them!"

*shrugs*

Not sure I agree with your premise, but on the other hand some things might have to be liquidated if they are cash poor so they can deal with the potential hostile takeover. If that's the case let's hope it's CoX.

[darkgob]

While I am honestly not up to speed on the corporate machinations of Nexon or NCSoft, I have to wonder:

If the Powers that Be within NCSoft hoard their closed games because... MINE! and there's the threat of another company coming in and, essentially ripping them out of NCSoft's storage locker/display case/whatever metaphor you want here...

Would NCSoft be more likely to say, "OK, you... bully!  You can't have these games!  They're OURS, not yours, so.... Here, passionate gaming community, take them!  We know you love them and will care for them as much as we did!  Don't let Nexon have them!"

*shrugs*

LOL, no

[Codewalker]

Not sure I agree with your premise, but on the other hand some things might have to be liquidated if they are cash poor so they can deal with the potential hostile takeover. If that's the case let's hope it's CoX.

I haven't looked at the 2014 numbers yet, but for previous years when I looked at NCSoft's annual reports, they had more cash sitting around than they knew what to do with.

[Talon Blue]

I haven't looked at the 2014 numbers yet, but for previous years when I looked at NCSoft's annual reports, they had more cash sitting around than they knew what to do with.

Maybe they were just saving up on cash in case they really needed to buyback their own stock.

[FloatingFatMan]

Question.  How does 15% give Nexon a controlling margin? Surely they'd need 51% for that?