RIP Auto Assault

[Cantatus]

Saw this linked from the CoH boards:

Important Notice — 07/02/07

NOTICE: Today NCsoft is announcing that it will be closing down service for Auto Assault at the end of the summer. The service will close at midnight on August 31, 2007. As of today, any player currently in the service with an active billed account will not be billed again. If players have previously purchased time via multi-month billing or time cards that extends their service past July 31, NCsoft will reconcile these accounts appropriately. There will be more announcements coming soon regarding the shut down of Auto Assault and its impact on current accounts. Please check back at Auto Assault for more information.

Sort of sad to see a MMOG that tried something innovative, well, crash and burn. It's too bad they didn't try what Planetside or Anarchy Online have done to gain popularity. Ads wouldn't have been completely out of place in Auto Assault's world. Of course, even better would've been for NCSoft to finally get off their asses and create the NC All pass they've been hinting at for so long. That, right there, would've given Auto Assault some more players.

[QforQ]

They could have put the game on the consoles...to rip of Brent from VirginWorlds' idea :P

[Traldan]

Never played it myself, but it is indeed too bad to see something innovative fail.

I only hope it's a spur for a better combination of innovation and enjoyment, an encouragement to branch out, experiment, but not get TOO far.

[Nako Mistako]

I went back and tried it again when they reactivated everyone's accounts for a week or so. I was stone bored even before the time was up. It simply lacked "interest factor." Yes, blowing random stuff like buildings and light posts to pieces and getting stuff for doing so is fun. However, this concept does not scale, and is therefore unsuitable for a longterm implementation like a subscription game.

On a related note, any game where your autoattack duties in combat are relegated to maneuvering the mouse and holding down the left button the ENTIRE TIME deserves to fall flat on its face. Take note, Tabula Rasa. When your game's combat is mouse-driven, but less involved than, for example, Diablo II, your concept of fun sucks.

Conan looks to be clear from this danger, and for that I am grateful. TR, not so much.

[Dreven]

I think all will be right in the world if we hear a similar story about VG, in the not too distant future.

[Hachima]

Too bad it wasn't a free game like Guild Wars. It was fun to log on for an hour or two every now and then and blow stuff up during the free play offers. Nothing that really pulled you in to play it as a subscription based MMO though.

[Genjiro]

NcSoft has taken a big hit this month, at least the US and Euro CoX is doing well after issue 9. This was released a couple weeks ago, I guess the superhero genre just doesnt have much of a following there.

Also known as City of Angel in Korea, NCSoft is closing down City of Heroes in said country due to lack of popularity. The game, launched in March last year in Korea, had been expected to follow the success of NCSoft's hugely popular "Lineage," but recent figures have shown that average daily users number only around 300. "City of Angel" will be shut down on July 11, according to industry sources.

[Jait]

Originally Posted by Nako Mistako

Yes, blowing random stuff like buildings and light posts to pieces and getting stuff for doing so is fun. However, this concept does not scale

Clearly you never raided the Tombs of Edsel

Yard trash is Stop signs, level 100. I got two superchargers.

[Deris]

Originally Posted by Genjiro

NcSoft has taken a big hit this month, at least the US and Euro CoX is doing well after issue 9. This was released a couple weeks ago, I guess the superhero genre just doesnt have much of a following there.

It isn't hardcore enough - therefore the culture in Korea says its way too easy, too stupid, and too child-like. I GM'd for a Korean MMO and played more crappy Korean MMO's than I care to admit. They love the grind. Alot.

[Hachima]

More like you can't play it with just one hand. Need to use wasd to move and mouse to aim I think? It's been a while. But if they can't smoke or whatever with one hand and and play with the other, its a no go =( Point/click movement is the worse thjough. Unless it's like Guildwars with a nice WASD control system plus awesome AI to mouse move around multiple obstacles over a long distance w/o getting stuck on terrain.

[Moontayle]

Originally Posted by Deris

It isn't hardcore enough - therefore the culture in Korea says its way too easy, too stupid, and too child-like. I GM'd for a Korean MMO and played more crappy Korean MMO's than I care to admit. They love the grind. Alot.

You're talking about a culture where their video game tournament champions get the kind of celebrity status that in the US would be equivilant to Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, and Bono. So yeah, they're not all right in the head.

Though I could definitely get behind a movement of that sort in the US.

[Hachima]

They have that stuff in the US, big prizes and all. DISH has a channel dedicated to it. 24/7 gaming, even the commercials are mainly game trailers. It's boring to watch people compete though IMO. It's funny to hear games announced like a sporting event though. "And they just took out the monk! They may just be able to make a comeback now! Ohh! did you just see that!..."

45 min from now it's "Professional Baseball gaming league" Then after that Tiger woods 06 and Madden 06 pro tour coverage. Yeah, I'll pass.

[Moontayle]

Yeah, but unlike over there, over here it's pretty much a joke, big prizes and all. I mean, some of the best gamers over in SK have bodyguards for a very good reason.

[Tingteng]

I feel bad for eveyone who bought that game.

[Inconsiderable]

Whats Auto Assault? Never even heard the name.