When was young, there used to be this store called Consumer Distributing. Twice a year they would release a catalogue which would always have an amazing toy section.
Seeing all the cool new toys of the season made every kid beam with excitement. We would all convince our parents to drive us there, so we could spend the allowance we had been patiently saving.
Consumers Distributing was not like a regular store though. How it worked, was that you would look though the catalogue, find the number of the item you wanted, fill in some info, and then hand it to the clerk at the front desk.
They would take your card, go into the back, and manually check to see if the item was in stock.
The problem was, almost always the toy you had been dreaming of so much, was not in stock. In fact, for most kids I knew it was the same story. Despite us trying for years, most of us would walk away empty handed.
Yet, despite all our frustration, disappointment, and vows to never bother with them again, some kid would inevitably show up for “show and tell” with one of the cool new toys we all wanted, which would fuel our desires, and we would all beg our parents to drive us down, and try again, and again.
For years this business operated this way, and for years kids walked away disappointed. Our allowance, once reserved for that toy, inevitably found its way into other things like Slurpees, arcades, candy, Nintendo games, and other stuff we thought we needed.
One day however, it all changed. A Toys R Us moved in and for the first time we could walk in, and see what was available. We would get in our bikes early Saturday morning and meet all the other kids waiting at the doors to see what new stock came in the night before.
If we didn’t find the toy we wanted, we would either buy something else, or save our money for next week. Not surprisingly however, Consumers Distributing didnt last long after that. Oh sure, it stuck around for a little while, but from that point on, I don’t think anyone ever used that business again when it came to toy shopping.
The strange thing was, that despite how many kids they excited with the new catalogue, and that every now and then something would be in stock, we all hated that place. The feeling of disappointment every one of us felt had such a strong impact on us all that even today the memories of that place make me angry.
For me, the events in GW2 often feel the same. Any excitement I have when the previews come out, quickly turns to disappointment once I realize that my chances of the item I want being in stock, is slim to none. I have my allowance stuffed under my mattress, just begging to be spent, but unfortunately there is nothing to buy but more disappointment.
I suppose the only difference between Consumers Distributing and Guild Wars 2, is that one was selling products, and the other is selling entertainment. It makes me wonder how many times I need to walk away empty handed, and disappointed before realizing its no more fun today, than it was all those years ago.
(edited by Crazylegsmurphy.6430)