An Update from The Homecoming Team

[StrykerGaming]

On 8/8/2019 at 11:59 PM, MadCow99 said:

See my post above. 

 

I own a business, and I've been in sales, marketing, and politics a long, long time.

 

The HC team is offering to do ALL of the work to basically run a trial balloon and run a City of Heroes retro-server with all of the liability implied and all NCSoft has to do is grant them the exclusive license to a dead IP. 

What does NCSoft get out of it?  They require the HC team to send usage and player count reports monthly (or even realtime) to NCSoft so NCSoft can gauge the interest level in City of Heroes over a 6/9/12 month period.  If the interest level is there compared to current Steam games, then NCSoft can decide, based on ACTUAL PLAYER COUNT plus projections of new users that would be enticed by a new CoX2 engine release, to re-monetize and update to create a sequel.

 

In short, the Homecoming team is a free test marketing team for NCSoft AND by giving them the EXCLUSIVE license when they smack the cease and desist on others they have an even stronger argument in court that the IP and Code has NOT been abandoned but is in CURRENT MAINTAINED DEVELOPMENT by an OFFICIALLY LICENSED AND APPROVED team.

 

It's legal manna from heaven.

MadCow99, from my own perspective and experience (20 plus years in retail/commercial markets, lending, sales, with an MBA in Operations Management, and an Associate Professor in Business), we share the same view. I'll take it a step further. NCsoft would not entertain these negotiations if they did not see something that they could either profit from or allow them to do something in the future with this game.

The fact that they allow the HC/TG to "announce" what they are doing now with NCsoft lends credence to our mutual perspectives. Not discussing terms at this point before the final deal is signed and ink dry is SOP (standard operating procedure).

I believe it comes down to NCsoft seeing this venture as a Win/Win. If not, they (NCsoft) would not spend the time nor the money (negotiations cost both) with HC/TG regarding CoH. I just wish many of those posting their opinions would take what HC/TG management have stated at their word, wait and see what comes out of this negotiated deal they are working on for all of us.

[Jimmy]

14 hours ago, justicebeliever said:

@Jimmy can you tell us more about this?  What will the non profit look like?  Are you still going for Tax Exempt status?  If so, will it be a charitable org or some kind of association?  It’s been a couple of months since this was brought up, wondering where you are at on this?

@Cipherwill be able to talk about this in more depth, but the general goal right now is that we go for tax exempt status. This is a key part of the discussions which is why nothing regarding this has been announced or finalised yet 🙂

[Harris]

Its also worth mentioning that detailing ongoing contract negotiations with a major corporation is a good way to get them to back out entirely from said negotiations for sheer lack of basic professionalism.

 

So confidentiality on the part of the team is a must I imagine.

[justicebeliever]

On 8/9/2019 at 11:19 PM, GM Widower said:

While I would be incredibly amused if the Leakening was a massive false-flag operation, Titan Network has not been negotiating for 6-7 years. Titan has been negotiating since April. Previous attempts were not Titan. It's not all connected.

Out of curiosity, how long has HC been in joint negotiations with Titan?  Since April?

[starro]

2 minutes ago, justicebeliever said:

Out of curiosity, how long has HC been in joint negotiations with Titan?  Since April?

4/24/19

 

https://www.cohtitan.com/forum/index.php?topic=13321.0

 

 

[William Valence]

8 hours ago, GM Fiddleback said:

⬇️❌🥡🌲🏗️🌉🛫🏔️🛬

Down but not out, we're building bridges to overcome the obstacle?

[EggKookoo]

8 hours ago, GM Fiddleback said:

⬇️❌🥡🌲🏗️🌉🛫🏔️🛬

Instructions unclear. I am now a ski instructor in the mountains of Siberia. Send help plz.

[justicebeliever]

43 minutes ago, duane said:

4/24/19

 

https://www.cohtitan.com/forum/index.php?topic=13321.0

 

 

That's how long Titan has been in negotiations...I'm wondering when HC joined them

[Oubliette_Red]

9 hours ago, GM Fiddleback said:

⬇️❌🥡🌲🏗️🌉🛫🏔️🛬

8 hours ago, The Philotic Knight said:

Someone is going down to Korea, eating some Asian food, going to a park to play, then 'building bridges' and flying to... Mt. Fuji? Japan? Before flying back?  The red x and the tree are the only things that don't quite make sense to me exactly... 

 

That's what I got out of it. But this is a dude that figured out the Mender Silos thing WAY after everyone else did. 

👁️🤔👁️🚫⏭️🎮

Edited August 11, 2019 by Oubliette_Red

[GM Sijin]

16 hours ago, Oubliette_Red said:

<snip> "Get down off the cross, take the wood, build a bridge and get over it." wouldn't fit.

 

9 hours ago, GM Fiddleback said:

⬇️❌🥡🌲🏗️🌉🛫🏔️🛬

🤔

[Jimmy]

54 minutes ago, justicebeliever said:

That's how long Titan has been in negotiations...I'm wondering when HC joined them

A while 🙂 It's been a very long and very busy couple of months, April and May are a bit fuzzy to be honest.

[GM Fiddleback]

1 hour ago, EggKookoo said:

Instructions unclear. I am now a ski instructor in the mountains of Siberia. Send help plz.

And isn't your life much better for it...

[Xeres]

I am cautiously optimistic with this for one reason.  If NCSoft is involved then the chances of them shutting everything down diminishes.  The first thing that comes to mind is cash shop which, as long as it's not Pay2Win, I can live with that - so long as things aren't removed from the game and re-attainable as a shop purchase (see F2P SWTOR).

 

So, to quote many people, "I hope you guys know what you're doing".

Edited August 11, 2019 by Xeres
My typing stinks still.

[Ago]

18 hours ago, justicebeliever said:

Wait - we aren’t being moved to the Titan forums as part of this, are we?  (Now the real panic sets in)

 

No.  This forum will remain as it is.  The Homecoming leaders are paying for Invision Power Boards, it'd be silly to drop it after all the hard work done launching it.

[starro]

2 hours ago, justicebeliever said:

That's how long Titan has been in negotiations...I'm wondering when HC joined them

I will go with 8/8/19, but very likely something in the middle between the 4/24 date and this one as discussions progressed.

I do find it curious that we had the update to enable cooldown numbers but no further development.  Just my opinion.

 

https://www.cohtitan.com/forum/index.php?topic=13590.msg234412#msg234412

[Lunchmoney]

On 8/10/2019 at 7:19 AM, GM Widower said:

the Leakening

[Skyhawke]

11 hours ago, GM Fiddleback said:

⬇️❌🥡🌲🏗️🌉🛫🏔️🛬

Wow, the Konami code has really changed since my day. 😮

[GM Capocollo]

18 minutes ago, duane said:

I will go with 8/8/19, but very likely something in the middle between the 4/24 date and this one as discussions progressed.

I do find it curious that we had the update to enable cooldown numbers but no further development.  Just my opinion.

 

https://www.cohtitan.com/forum/index.php?topic=13590.msg234412#msg234412

There's been one bigger update, a few small updates, and continuing progress on the beta client since that update you mentioned.

[justicebeliever]

46 minutes ago, duane said:

I will go with 8/8/19, but very likely something in the middle between the 4/24 date and this one as discussions progressed.

I do find it curious that we had the update to enable cooldown numbers but no further development.  Just my opinion.

 

https://www.cohtitan.com/forum/index.php?topic=13590.msg234412#msg234412

Based on Jimmy’s response, it sounds like they have been working together since April or May...

2 hours ago, Jimmy said:

A while 🙂 It's been a very long and very busy couple of months, April and May are a bit fuzzy to be honest.

 

[EiricEPadraig]

On 8/7/2019 at 7:20 PM, Jimmy said:

Hey folks,

 

We know things have been really quiet from us lately, and we wanted to provide an update on what we've been up to.

 

Homecoming and The Titan Network are working together and are in active negotiations with NCSoft in order to turn Homecoming into a legitimate operation, and we've been making significant strides in recent weeks. It's our intention to involve the entire community in this process when the time comes - which is not quite yet, but we'll certainly be shouting from the rooftops when it is - hopefully Soon™.

 

Please hang tight for the time being, and keep killing those Skuls.

EDIT: To be clear, Homecoming will remain completely free to play.

 

- The Homecoming Team

[MulT]

1st:  Thanks to everyone involved for bringing my favorite game back, in any form ..  - really

2nd: Thanks to the Devs for trying to communicate & involve the community at all ..  - because you don't have to & we're all lucky this exists at all

 

Like almost everyone here, I was there to experience CoH from the beginning & at the time it was leagues ahead of anything else out there - still is in some ways

Like everyone that was there, I was crushed in the way the people in control ended the game - it was a slap in the face to the entire community & it hurt

Like others, I kept up for years in hopes that someone, anyone, would bring it back or at least a worthy successor .. & we saw 1 after another try ..

      Champions, DCU, Titan, Ship of Heroes ..  you all know the list, haven't we looked at all the attempts to date? .. 

 

So I was also shocked when the news of HC broke out - or that there were any private servers at all    I had Tequila installed for years

I've been wearing out HC/Beta ever since & Love it's current state - it is better than how the game ended but more importantly, it's more fun for me than anything else out there currently & isn't that the point of playing a game. I agree with everyone that there is the fear of this going away but, at least it's here now to enjoy so let's live in the moment & enjoy - Thanks again for what you're doing to keep this going 🙂 

[Black Zot]

2 hours ago, Xeres said:

I am cautiously optimistic with this for one reason.  If NCSoft is involved then the chances of them shutting everything down diminishes. 

 

Hahahahahaha ....  You are incredibly naive if you think NCSoft won't stomp CoH into the dirt all over again at the slightest excuse.  All this negotiation does is give them an easy vector to squash the whole thing at once.

[Acematrixzero]

This is great to hear. I run a podcast that rates and reviews free to play games and once everything is finalized I'd love to do a spot for the game to increase exposure if you guys are interested.

[Abraxus]

1 hour ago, Black Zot said:

 

Hahahahahaha ....  You are incredibly naive if you think NCSoft won't stomp CoH into the dirt all over again at the slightest excuse.  All this negotiation does is give them an easy vector to squash the whole thing at once.

They could have easily done that already, without the "easy vector".  They have chosen not to, most likely due to these talks, and their potential.   The extent of which, we don't know at the moment, but was obviously promising enough from the start to keep something like that from happening.  So, before all the doom and gloom predictions, let's hang about long enough to find out.  What do ya say? 😎

[Black Zot]

50 minutes ago, Abraxus said:

They could have easily done that already, without the "easy vector".  They have chosen not to, most likely due to these talks, and their potential.   The extent of which, we don't know at the moment, but was obviously promising enough from the start to keep something like that from happening.  So, before all the doom and gloom predictions, let's hang about long enough to find out.  What do ya say? 😎

 

You'll forgive me if I see no reason whatsoever to trust a company that's already stabbed us in the back once.