New efforts!

[therain93]

They doing it so they can keep the IP like fox does with Fantastic 4(Hey, we made a #$%#$^ 3rd movie so you can't take the IP from us!).  I'm angered, to be honest, and very frustrated with them.  Unless proven otherwise(Such as deal making it and they get to keep Statesman or something) they betrayed us as far as I am concerned.

That's not really how it works in either case.  Fantastic 4, Spider-man, at al movie rights were licensed out and, if they aren't used, will revert back to Marvel.  That's not the case as Ncsoft is the owner.  And, as the owner, their original work is protected between 95 and 120 years, so there's no real need to continue to use it to maintain  it.  Ultimately, this is why Disney went on its buying spree....the protections on Mickey and co. were about to expire so they scooped up the marvel and lucasfilm properties.....

[therain93]

They probably didn't have bad intentions, more than likely they were rummaging through their shitty IPs for any iconic characters and they found States and thought it would be a good nod to CoH fans.

Add that to the fact that I have not heard of MXM until today, maybe they did this for publicity.

^ this.  I doubt it was malicious. I doubt the timing was
intentional to overlap with the anniversary. I doubt they were doing it to throw CoX fans a bone, or "shut them up".  It's all about money and adding a signature hero that just might net a few more nostaligic purchases, like Darth Vader and Yoda in Soul Calibur. It's also a bit lazy to recycle the character, especially if they haven't developed many already.

[Twisted Toon]

As Starro I feel I need to invade another planet tonight to work this tension out of my 5 arms.

Why invade another planet? Just invade NCSoft and solve everyone's problem. 10 birds with one face-hugging starfish.


(note: that was not meant as a binary pun, but it does sort of work as one.)

[Codewalker]

Applying Occam's Razor, it seems much more likely to me to be a case of, "Hey, we need some characters to stick in this MOBA, preferably ones that we already own and won't have to license."

It does raise serious questions about the state of any potential IP sale though. Part of the IP being in active use would require modifications to any such deal or outright kill it, if it weren't already dead.

[LaughingAlex]

Applying Occam's Razor, it seems much more likely to me to be a case of, "Hey, we need some characters to stick in this MOBA, preferably ones that we already own and won't have to license."

It does raise serious questions about the state of any potential IP sale though. Part of the IP being in active use would require modifications to any such deal or outright kill it, if it weren't already dead.

Kind of the other reason I'm so deeply bothered by it.  I want the deal to succeed if it isn't already dead, and the use of Statesman actually makes me worry more than hope, and makes me feel more annoyed and angry rather than giving me any joy.  Even more-so, they are trying to finish the story in there new MOBA which I know is going to suck(copy cats often do after all).  A story which wasn't even the best one imo, nore necessarily was it going to be the one they went with as said story had months to go yet.

It's insulting to me that they make a Defense of the Ancients clone, and include a character from a game which wasn't a generic fantasy mmorpg clone in it.

A given this is a company which shut down City of Heroes in it's prime AND at a time when super heroes were becoming popular, giving people who got curious on the idea the PoS that CO and DCUO had become(the first being to cheesy and with lame grind quests, the later being more about being superman's or batmans sidekick with lame WoW-style raid grinds at the end, with CO becoming another holy trinity grindfest as well later).  They never got to see the good guy of the three games, the one who knew how to let you make a real intersting character for some interesting play experiences.  They never got to see the real McCoy.

I feel this move though ultimately is going to either have slowed or stop the talks entirely, if it hadn't already.  Otherwise the best we can hope for is CoH without Statesman BUT once again we also have another problem; they even used the story the devs were originally going to use or had intended to at some point or another.  And mentioned Paragon City BY NAME in the character description.

I fear this ruins it entirely, I better be mistaken but if I am not...

Screw you NCSoft, I am still boycotting you after all these years.

[Surelle]

Applying Occam's Razor, it seems much more likely to me to be a case of, "Hey, we need some characters to stick in this MOBA, preferably ones that we already own and won't have to license."

It does raise serious questions about the state of any potential IP sale though. Part of the IP being in active use would require modifications to any such deal or outright kill it, if it weren't already dead.

You're probably right:  they still own the IP, and how many superheroes can they create from scratch for this NewRPG#9234thatWillJustGetShutdownSoonAnyway that will actually draw MMORPG fans from the glutted market to this title?

I doubt there are too many people who still think an official, sanctioned rez of CoH will ever see the light of day (I haven't thought so for years), but yeah, this kinda puts the final nail into the coffin of that idea for sure.  It's still a kick in the teeth to former CoH players to see something like this, too, intentional or not.

[Pyromantic79]

So here's what I don't get:

As I recall, it was repeatedly suggested that if we heard nothing, it was a good sign that talks were still ongoing, because if they had truly died it was almost impossible to have an NDA that would prevent something to the effect of "We are now focusing our efforts elsewhere" as a statement to that effect.  But after this much time has passed, we have heard the occasional reassurance not to lose faith, but nothing more.  I must admit I never expected to go this long without some kind of conclusion one way or another.  The news of Statesman's "reincarnation" just makes it that much more confusing to me, but it certainly doesn't help my confidence.

For some time now, I've been thinking I'm more likely to find an MMO home in one of the spiritual successors before a resurrected City of Heroes, but it sure would be nice to hear something concrete.

[Golden Aurora]

This is as close of an answer as anyone will ever get on the talks.
They failed. NCSoft is going to keep the IP.
Any attempt to use it will be seen as copyright infringement.
It's bittersweet in knowing, but now I know there's no point in checking daily for an update.
The answer finally came.

[Mister Hassenpheffer]

It was eventually going to happen.

This ordeal went on for far too long for it to have been real.

[Abraxus]

Think I will keep hanging around until I hear something from one of the principals involved in the deal.  If it is really over, they would have no reason not to call the time of death, and give us the closure we so desperately desire.

[Thunder Glove]

Actually from playing it, it does seem more homage than spite - the lore for the character is true to CoH prior to closure, the alternate Tyrant skin and the power naming scheme/themes are all straight outta Paragon.

The article over on MMO Central has a lot of the lore, and a picture of the Tyrant skin that is missing from most/all the other articles. NCSOFT have put some reasonable leg work into re-crafting Statesman.

This is what I find most interesting.  They didn't use Statesman, they explicitly used Tyrant dressed as Statesman.  The character's backstory is exactly what Paragon Studios was going to do in issues 25-29.  (And I wonder - did they get that by reading the AMAs?)

That makes the IP snarl even more confusing, because they used a character who was still alive and (relatively) active at the time of the game's closing rather than one who had been mostly removed from the game several issues before.

[worldweary]

Think I will keep hanging around until I hear something from one of the principals involved in the deal.  If it is really over, they would have no reason not to call the time of death, and give us the closure we so desperately desire.

Sure they do.There are 3 different "spiritual successors" and you know as soon as they start there will be lots of announcements here.

[Pyromantic79]

Think I will keep hanging around until I hear something from one of the principals involved in the deal.  If it is really over, they would have no reason not to call the time of death, and give us the closure we so desperately desire.

And that's the thing.  Are those involved in the deal really in a position to say nothing if the deal is well and truly dead?  I honestly have no idea.

But there are loose ends, to say the least.  What happened to APR?  As I recall, the lead on that used to post here, but hasn't for some time, and I got the distinct impression it's because APR got brought into the discussions.

[Taceus Jiwede]

Applying Occam's Razor, it seems much more likely to me to be a case of, "Hey, we need some characters to stick in this MOBA, preferably ones that we already own and won't have to license."

It does raise serious questions about the state of any potential IP sale, though. Part of the IP being in active use would require modifications to any such deal or outright kill it if it weren't already dead.

I would almost guarantee this is what it is, it's simply just their version of Heroes of the Storm.  Trying to keep up with the likes of Blizzard and cashing in on that MOBA money.  Although it also me curious where the deal is.  I am no IP expert so I don't know what it could mean but it seems like it potentially could mean something.

This may be even more insulting, but to think NCSoft cares about any of us enough to rub salt our wounds is very unlikely.  We are so under their radar they either don't even know we exist or just don't care that we do.  It's just them trying to cash in on the MOBA market.  I am not sure if that is better or worse but its probably the case.

[Taceus Jiwede]

It was eventually going to happen.

This ordeal went on for far too long for it to have been real.

I don't ever think it was fictitious, it may have just been unfruitful. 

Sure they do.There are 3 different "spiritual successors" and you know as soon as they start there will be lots of announcements here.

Are you accusing Nate and Co. of purposely withholding information so we are forced to check here every day which means we will eventually see all the announcements for the various games?  Two of which have nothing to do with negotiations?

That would be a seriously damning accusation to make about some people trying to help you if it is in fact what you are saying, and not very a good way to show your gratitude.  If you weren't saying that, please disregard.

[worldweary]

Nothing damning about it.There are lots of potential customers who check here.I don't see that as good or bad.It's just sad that at some point the threads
changed from getting CoH back to which of the successors people were going to.

[RGladden]

Saw this like to a youtube video on MXM.  The purpose seems to be to introduce Statesman as a playable character in the moab.  It even uses the CoH theme song.  But pay close attention to the comments by the players visiting the site.  They range from major irritation to absolute rage. 

Wow!   Going by the reactions, NCSoft had BETTER BE about to turn loose of the IP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra7O7LqNh5w

[Brigadine]

Saw this like to a youtube video on MXM.  The purpose seems to be to introduce Statesman as a playable character in the moab.  It even uses the CoH theme song.  But pay close attention to the comments by the players visiting the site.  They range from major irritation to absolute rage. 

Wow!   Going by the reactions, NCSoft had BETTER BE about to turn loose of the IP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra7O7LqNh5w

Unreal NCsoft needs to burn

[Taceus Jiwede]

Nothing damning about it.There are lots of potential customers who check here.I don't see that as good or bad.It's just sad that at some point the threads
changed from getting CoH back to which of the successors people were going to.

It just feels like that would be a bit of a shady thing to do, and while you aren't wrong about it being a pretty good source for potential customers, if it were to be discovered as true it could really hurt the trust of their main customers - who are Ex-CoH players.  I personally don't think that's is what is happening on Nates side.  I personally just think NCSoft stalled the talks to a complete stand still.  So they aren't officially over keeping their NDA in place, but there is no actual traction going on anymore.  I just don't think Nate would risk hurting his clientele and reputation by doing something out of the NCSoft playbook when the main appeal of the successors is they are for us, the lost CoHers.

[LaughingAlex]

Saw this like to a youtube video on MXM.  The purpose seems to be to introduce Statesman as a playable character in the moab.  It even uses the CoH theme song.  But pay close attention to the comments by the players visiting the site.  They range from major irritation to absolute rage. 

Wow!   Going by the reactions, NCSoft had BETTER BE about to turn loose of the IP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra7O7LqNh5w

I don't blame them, and personally held back from using direct swear words myself.  Another MOBA, so likely to be as generic as the rest of them, will have a character from a game which was very non-generic.

I think thats the big insult to me, that and the fact that they don't want to drop the IP, this feels like there last attempt to hold onto it.  When the game fails for not standing out as many MOBA's are like to fail(even more-so with a blizzard MOBA out there doing well alongside DoTA), Ncsoft will shut it down to like they have so many games before.

Regardless of the intentions, it's insulting.

A note: Nate has posted a few things, he's shown irritation himself.