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A conspiracy theory on CO development

target1onetarget1one Posts: 30 Arc User
edited November 2012 in Champions Online Discussion
Here's a thought I just had regarding CO's ongoing development (or seeming lack thereof).

For years there have been thread after thread from players making suggestions, begging and pleading for bug fixes, new content, and so on. But there's hardly any response from Cryptic employees.

Maybe the reason the devs have been so totally silent in all of these forum threads is, the actual development of CO has been moved overseas to China or Korea and there's nobody left who reads and writes English? :tongue:

More seriously, there's the old saying that "the squeaky wheel gets greased". I'll bet PerfectWorld and Cryptic have a joint policy strictly banning the greasing of wheels. In fact, they probably forbid their employees from even acknowledging that there are, in fact, any squeaky wheels... :rolleyes:
Target1one

"ENOUGH!!! You are ALL of you BENEATH me! I am a GOD, you dull creature, and I will NOT be BULLIED by--" -- Loki

*SMASH* *SMASH* *SMASH* <pause> *SMASHSMASH* "... puny god..." -- Hulk
Post edited by target1one on

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    keppabar42keppabar42 Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    Personally, I'm inclined to think this has more to do with an insane plan either of perfect world or Cryptic to turn all their games into nothing more than platforms for an online gambling system. They don't CARE about anything anymore that doesn't fit in a lockbox. And it's not just CO, their other games are doing the exact same thing.
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    lucyinspacewithdiamondslucyinspacewithdiamonds Posts: 1,746 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    Companies don't exist because they care about your entertainment. People are made to accept things, like paying for a game that you already bought, and being expected to pay to beta-test a game that is still in its beta phase, even when hardly any content is delivered, and shutting down the servers eventually, even though the software and its hardware will still be physically working.

    Also, Atari dropped Cryptic because of the lack of profits. Reminds me of what happened with Nintendo and Rareware. I knew when Atari left it was all over, and Champions Online would limp along afterward. I experienced the same thing with the previous MMO game that I played.
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    gandalesgandales Posts: 340 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    lucyinspacewithdiamonds wrote: »
    Companies don't exist because they care about your entertainment. People are made to accept things, like paying for a game that you already bought, and being expected to pay to beta-test a game that is still in its beta phase, even when hardly any content is delivered, and shutting down the servers eventually, even though the software and its hardware will still be physically working.

    Also, Atari dropped Cryptic because of the lack of profits. Reminds me of what happened with Nintendo and Rareware. I knew when Atari left it was all over, and Champions Online would limp along afterward. I experienced the same thing with the previous MMO game that I played.

    While Cryptic/PWE might not be too awesome, compared to Atari they looks like gods. Shortly, after the sale, STO devs confirmed that Atari froze development budget in STO shortly after they released, putting both games(pretty sure if they were not investing in STO, CO was abandoned too) on life support. Atari was in financial problems, lawsuits and other annoying stuff way before CO released. It looked like they expected games with high revenues with 3 years of development and putting barely any money afterwards. Imho, being bought by PWE was the best thing that happened to Cryptic, the alternative was pretty much what happened to Paragon Studios.

    After a year from the sale, STO is getting season 7, Neverwinter, which was supposed to be a non massive online game(later changed back to a mmo by PWE), is getting pretty good previews and CO while not as good as I would like, it is much better that the dead silence of month without any update.
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    ghennkinsghennkins Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    They post on the STO board.

    It is strange how they're handling CO though...

    You would think that once one of your competitors died, you'd put some focus on snagging up those players. If it weren't for DCUO, Cryptic would have a monopoly on the super hero genre. It's also probably they're biggest source of income being that CO is their more successful mmo. It's also their original creation instead of an outside IP like Trek or NWN. I tried STO for 2 weeks and quit. Playing this, I get the feeling they care more for CO than STO. STO is severely lacking by comparison and poorly paced. I would not recommend it.

    But anyway, they're in a really good position to increase their player base right now and take advantage of the super hero market. Instead, they divert their attention to other projects. Champions Online is a sure thing. Guaranteed money in the pocket. Those other projects could easily fail. It just doesn't seem very business savvy. Seems more reckless and dangerous.

    That being said, I think the small team still working on CO do pretty well with what they have in the time they're given. At least we still have some people making stuff for us. Just sayin, it could be worse.
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    amarillonmcamarillonmc Posts: 189 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    target1one wrote: »
    Maybe the reason the devs have been so totally silent in all of these forum threads is, the actual development of CO has been moved overseas to China or Korea and there's nobody left who reads and writes English? :tongue:

    I'm from China, studying in Canada on Software Engineering, can code well, can dev game well, can comment on games well, can speak English well.

    Actually most Chinese programmers read, write and speak good English. So this point is kinda moot.

    I DO suspect PWI is just using their Chinese Business Model and try to forcefully fit it on CO though, I hope I'm wrong, but reality prove otherwise.

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    ...the ultimate Contrast Moe (or not).
  • Options
    nephtnepht Posts: 6,883 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    I can see the next update.

    Champions Online: Tinfoil hats for all.
    nepht_siggy_v6_by_nepht-dbbz19n.jpg
    Nepht and Dr Deflecto on primus
    They all thought I was out of the game....But I'm holding all the lockboxes now..
    I'll......FOAM FINGER YOUR BACK!
  • Options
    forrksakesexcoforrksakesexco Posts: 435 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    Champions Online: Tinfoil hats for all.
    Free Hat, Free Hat, Free Hat!
    _____________
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    The one who can't shut up formerly known as 4rksakes
    About the @handle - it's a long story.
    Profound quote.. "I'm not a complete idiot - several parts are missing."
  • Options
    sorceror01sorceror01 Posts: 210 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    amarillonmc wrote: »
    I DO suspect PWI is just using their Chinese Business Model and try to forcefully fit it on CO though, I hope I'm wrong, but reality prove otherwise.

    No, they are. I recognize a lot of the gaming conventions that are prevalent in the more grindy Asian MMO's being worked into CO.
    Which is unsurprising, considering PWE's parent company is Chinese, but they have to tread carefully. Western gamers do not take to these kinds of things the same way that Eastern gamers do, and it has the potential to break down severely in the long run.
  • Options
    smoochansmoochan Posts: 2,564 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    nepht wrote: »
    I can see the next update.

    Champions Online: Tinfoil hats for all.

    Argent buys UNTIL and starts trying to turn all champions into slave laborers? Good storyline :D
    Champions Online: Be the hero you wish you could be in a better game.
  • Options
    auldwolfauldwolf Posts: 103 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    I have my suspicions that the reasons things have gotten a little more thin on the ground is because they've re-prioritised things, there, and they're actually working on a new zone. But they don't have enough to show us, yet, so they're playing their cards close to their chest and being hush hush.

    I'm okay with development being a bit more slow, though. What I'm finding is that I don't get bored with CO's content. As I've mentioned elsewhere, I tried GW2 and it was depressingly bad. All it did was serve to remind me of how good CO is. And the truth is is that CO is very, very good.

    So I can happily just mess around in what they have given us with my friends and enjoy that. But like I said, I wouldn't be too surprised if they were in the middle of some very hush-hush project. From some interviews lately, I do think that Champions Online is still a project that their higher-ups are proud of.

    I don't think they're going to abandon us. And I'm going to be smug when I turn out to be right! I do have faith in 'em, though. Like I said, GW2 was a sobering experience.
  • Options
    jonsillsjonsills Posts: 6,317 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    forrksakesexco wrote: »
    Free Hat, Free Hat, Free Hat!
    No, they'll come in a Tinfoil Hat Lockbox, with a guarantee of 2-10 pieces of Drifter Salvage, a 5% chance of a Tinfoil Hat (increasing resistance to all Telepathy-based powers), and a .1% chance of dropping an Orbital Mind-Control Laser (similar to the Orbital Cannon, except that all targets in the area are subject to Ego Sleep).

    (DISCLAIMER: All data above are extracted forcefully from the poster's hindquarters. Any resemblance to any existing Lockboxes or devices, living or dead, is not only purely coincidental, but downright weird.)
    "Science teaches us to expect -- demand -- more than just eerie mysteries. What use is a puzzle that can't be solved? Patience is fine, but I'm not going to stop asking the universe to make sense!"

    - David Brin, "Those Eyes"
    Get the Forums Enhancement Extension!
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    target1onetarget1one Posts: 30 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    amarillonmc wrote: »
    I'm from China, studying in Canada on Software Engineering, can code well, can dev game well, can comment on games well, can speak English well.

    Actually most Chinese programmers read, write and speak good English. So this point is kinda moot.

    I apologize, I didn't mean to stereotype.
    Target1one

    "ENOUGH!!! You are ALL of you BENEATH me! I am a GOD, you dull creature, and I will NOT be BULLIED by--" -- Loki

    *SMASH* *SMASH* *SMASH* <pause> *SMASHSMASH* "... puny god..." -- Hulk
  • Options
    flechusflechus Posts: 113 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    I am telling you, Annunaki Space Lizards, taking over CO, one step at the time...

    Be ready, 21st December...
    *****************************************************

    I support "Sell Z-store items individually" & Japan Zone
  • Options
    klittyklitty Posts: 1,545 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    nepht wrote: »
    I can see the next update.

    Champions Online: Tinfoil hats for all.

    *comes back from Teufort*

    Did I hear free hats? :D

    =^ _ ^= Kitty Lives!
  • Options
    nephtnepht Posts: 6,883 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    smoochan wrote: »
    Argent buys UNTIL and starts trying to turn all champions into slave laborers? Good storyline :D

    Then UNTIL starts locking midgets in boxes and forces people to buy keys to save them.
    nepht_siggy_v6_by_nepht-dbbz19n.jpg
    Nepht and Dr Deflecto on primus
    They all thought I was out of the game....But I'm holding all the lockboxes now..
    I'll......FOAM FINGER YOUR BACK!
  • Options
    smoochansmoochan Posts: 2,564 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    nepht wrote: »
    Then UNTIL starts locking midgets in boxes and forces people to buy keys to save them.

    Somewhere down the line UNTIL becomes a used car dealership that sells crappy cars that suddenly won't shift anywhere past second gear a week after you buy them. Progression! :D
    Champions Online: Be the hero you wish you could be in a better game.
  • Options
    neandertalianeandertalia Posts: 40 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    nepht wrote: »
    Then UNTIL starts locking midgets in boxes and forces people to buy keys to save them.

    And when you free 5K of them, you unlock the perk : White Snow and the costume piece : Glowy Tinfoil Hat (same than the Generic Tinfoil Hat but with a golden glow not customizable) :biggrin:
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Options
    strongbeaustrongbeau Posts: 43 Arc User
    edited November 2012
    My OP friend may be right.
    For your consideration:

    http://www.bbb.org/sanjose/business-reviews/video-games-dealers/cryptic-studios-in-los-gatos-ca-221613

    http://www.bbb.org/greater-san-francisco/business-reviews/internet-gaming/perfect-world-entertainment-in-redwood-city-ca-375623

    *Is currently miffed at unprofessional customer service right now.*

    Compared with this currently villainized company:
    http://www.bbb.org/central-texas/business-reviews/computer-software-publishers-and-developers/ncsoft-corporation-in-austin-tx-58760

    Here are facts, make your own opinions.
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