We could see this coming from a mile away, how can you run a game software company where you don't want to listen to your CUSTOMERS and one-time fanbase? What else do you need to let you know that your gonna be in trouble? Lets hope whoever takes over has the sense to do whats best for both parties.

It's a shame. Smedley seems like a descent guy who was trying to right a sinking ship.

"Cindy Armstrong, head of Business Development, has taken an offer to become the new USA honcho for Webzen." I pray this has no ill effect on Huxley... Or Parfait station.

I am tired of hearing the fall of SWG fall on "SOE not listening to the customers". Individual players know what they want, which usually derives in some sort of benefit to their own player often at the cost of others. In other words, a shift in balance. Therefore, the collective term of "players" as a whole do not know what they want because their views stretch in so many directions and lack that sense of balance. I am by no means agreeing with the decisions made by SOE, but the fault does not lie in their 'lack of attention' to the fanbase. Perhaps it is their listening to the fans that have caused such drastic changes to the game, or rather to the fans that aren't playing, which they are trying to attract. Fans lost to WoW or any other MMO. By listening to the public too much, they've lost sight of the original game and have decided to play "catch-up".