Cryptic Studios was using rival MMOG City of Heroes' in-game messaging system and official forums to recruit for a beta of its own Champions Online, and for that it is sorry.
World of Warcraft players, have you ever gotten in-game messages asking you if you would rather be playing Warhammer Online? No, because even in the dog eat dog world of the games industry, there are some lines that aren't crossed and poaching a competitor's players from within their own game is one of them.
Cryptic Studios, the makers of Champions Online and the ex-makers of City of Heroes, were alleged recently to have been using City of Heroes in-game messaging system and official forums to recruit people to sign up for Champions Online's upcoming beta.
"Although we cannot stop someone from initially communicating with you - whether it be RMT (real money transaction) related, another game company trying to lure you to their competing product, or general spamming," a news post on the City of Heroes site read.
Cryptic responded yesterday, saying that some of their staffers thought it would be a good idea to talk to people who are into MMOGs to see if they wanted to join the beta. Naturally, other MMOGs is where you'd find those folks. "I'm certain this wasn't meant to be a malicious attack on a competing product, nor did anyone intend to steal players, violate user agreements, kill babies, or knife hardworking farmers in the back," Cryptic's Ivan Sulic said. "If a line was crossed, it was totally inadvertent and no harm was intended."
Sulic later expanded on the post in a more extensive apology written to Massively. "I am sorry. Cryptic is sorry," he said. "This should not have happened. It was inappropriate and it will not happen again. Please understand that we truly did not intend any offense, though. The people involved are very sorry about it, believe me."
Cryptic is apparently undergoing widespread restructuring in its community, public relations and marketing departments, and all the chaos may have led to this snafu.
City of Heroes was originally a Cryptic Studios game, before the company sold the property to NCSoft.
So CO is a spiritual successor to CoH/CoV? - That's more than enough to give the game a try, when it's available I guess. And I have yet to hear any news from my lucky buddies about the Darkfail beta.
TsunamiWombat: So...why is this a big deal? It's not illegal... deal with it.
It's not illegal, but it's a dick move nonetheless
Yea if the internet was like a giant get together, and there was a room full of MMORPG's and Cryptic went up to COH and spilled beer on him, that would basically be the equivalent. Not only is it a huge party foul, but as Sanzo said, its just a dick move no matter how you slice it.
Keane Ng: "I'm certain this wasn't meant to be a malicious attack on a competing product, nor did anyone intend to steal players, violate user agreements, kill babies, or knife hardworking farmers in the back," Cryptic's Ivan Sulic said.
Whatever they may have done, this line totally gets them off the hook. How often do you see someone respond officially with a statement like that? Not very often.
It would have been cool if they'd (Cryptic) actually made an in-game Super Villain called The Recruiter or Crypticia the Seductress and actually approached people in the game to get them to jump ship.
That would have been an epically awesome coup of EVE Online proportions.
I still love Cryptic. All the best to Star Trek Online and Champions. They definitely apologized for it afterward, and it wasn't some large, executive movement. I see no large harm done.
rokudan: I think its on the same level as in game gold spammers.
How so? Some people who really love their product go off and take a survey in their bastard child's bedroom. Big fucking deal. They didn't have level one paladins (or in this case, Supermen) named Asjlhkjdghs standing on top of a water fountain screaming "PLAY CO OR UR A HO". Sure, I don't like being bothered when playing a game in the first place, if only because of this fragile thing I like to pretend I have a hold over called "immersion", but I say its understandable, if not appreciated. But it's certainly not gold spamming.
TsunamiWombat: So...why is this a big deal? It's not illegal... deal with it.
It's not illegal, but it's a dick move nonetheless
Yea if the internet was like a giant get together, and there was a room full of MMORPG's and Cryptic went up to COH and spilled beer on him, that would basically be the equivalent. Not only is it a huge party foul, but as Sanzo said, its just a dick move no matter how you slice it.
Business is a series of dick moves performed for money. Besides, how old is CoH? Do they even expect to be commercially viable when a newer superhero mmo comes out?
That being said they probably will be, people love familiarity.
TsunamiWombat: So...why is this a big deal? It's not illegal... deal with it.
It's not illegal, but it's a dick move nonetheless
Yea if the internet was like a giant get together, and there was a room full of MMORPG's and Cryptic went up to COH and spilled beer on him, that would basically be the equivalent. Not only is it a huge party foul, but as Sanzo said, its just a dick move no matter how you slice it.
I would say its more like Cryptic spilling their beer on COH in order to steal COH's date
Jamash: It would have been cool if they'd (Cryptic) actually made an in-game Super Villain called The Recruiter or Crypticia the Seductress and actually approached people in the game to get them to jump ship.
That would have been an epically awesome coup of EVE Online proportions.
Hmm. I kind of agree.
Still, I don't see why anyone would leave for a game that only offers you to play heroes. Apparently.
That's like coming to a Italian restaurant with a giant banner "They have a better pizza on the other side of the road. And cheaper." inside, when you have already ordered your pizza,
Jamash: It would have been cool if they'd (Cryptic) actually made an in-game Super Villain called The Recruiter or Crypticia the Seductress and actually approached people in the game to get them to jump ship.
That would have been an epically awesome coup of EVE Online proportions.
Hmm. I kind of agree.
Still, I don't see why anyone would leave for a game that only offers you to play heroes. Apparently.
Keane Ng: "I'm certain this wasn't meant to be a malicious attack on a competing product, nor did anyone intend to steal players, violate user agreements, kill babies, or knife hardworking farmers in the back," Cryptic's Ivan Sulic said.
Whatever they may have done, this line totally gets them off the hook. How often do you see someone respond officially with a statement like that? Not very often.
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Champions Online Uses Rival MMOG To Recruit
Cryptic Studios was using rival MMOG City of Heroes' in-game messaging system and official forums to recruit for a beta of its own Champions Online, and for that it is sorry.
World of Warcraft players, have you ever gotten in-game messages asking you if you would rather be playing Warhammer Online? No, because even in the dog eat dog world of the games industry, there are some lines that aren't crossed and poaching a competitor's players from within their own game is one of them.
Cryptic Studios, the makers of Champions Online and the ex-makers of City of Heroes, were alleged recently to have been using City of Heroes in-game messaging system and official forums to recruit people to sign up for Champions Online's upcoming beta.
"Although we cannot stop someone from initially communicating with you - whether it be RMT (real money transaction) related, another game company trying to lure you to their competing product, or general spamming," a news post on the City of Heroes site read.
Cryptic responded yesterday, saying that some of their staffers thought it would be a good idea to talk to people who are into MMOGs to see if they wanted to join the beta. Naturally, other MMOGs is where you'd find those folks. "I'm certain this wasn't meant to be a malicious attack on a competing product, nor did anyone intend to steal players, violate user agreements, kill babies, or knife hardworking farmers in the back," Cryptic's Ivan Sulic said. "If a line was crossed, it was totally inadvertent and no harm was intended."
Sulic later expanded on the post in a more extensive apology written to Massively. "I am sorry. Cryptic is sorry," he said. "This should not have happened. It was inappropriate and it will not happen again. Please understand that we truly did not intend any offense, though. The people involved are very sorry about it, believe me."
Cryptic is apparently undergoing widespread restructuring in its community, public relations and marketing departments, and all the chaos may have led to this snafu.
City of Heroes was originally a Cryptic Studios game, before the company sold the property to NCSoft.
[Via Massively]
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