I don’t normally air my views on certain topics as a separate post, but there will still be exceptions from time to time. NCsoft, to the surprise of many, revealed the Summoner class to much fanfare, but I can guarantee you that no one outside NCsoft would have foresee the kitty cat mania which followed.
No doubt the over-cute design might be out of place and attract negative comments from everywhere, but when was the last time a MMO company pulled of such an amusing and entertaining “stunt”?
NCsoft really has got balls, and titanium-clad ones if I may describe. If you are NCsoft’s CEO, would you have dared to teased the Summoner class calling forth awesome ink demons, only to reveal they are summoning kitty cats instead?
Normally, I would have been a detractor, but NCsoft actually has got the full package in place, including the skill system for the kitty cat summons, the various gliding, swimming and moving actions, and even a music video! This is not a half-baked system just to score some points with the ladies, but a full working feature.
My point is, if you want to pull off such a “stunt”, you must be prepared with the content to showcase and convince gamers it will work. This kitty cat mania is definitely a stroke of genius in my books. I am convinced, and totally in awe at the same time. Even my normally strict brother is hooked to the music video!