Guild Wars 2

Lately I hear a lot of whining from various sides that ArenaNet only cares about WvWers, or only cares about balancing for PvP… or only gives new content to PvE.

I also hear this argument frequently: “ArenaNet adds the content that they think the majority of players would enjoy.”

This isn’t true.

The majority of Arenanet’s content production is centered around a very small group of players who have the largest amount of gem shop purchasing power and motivation to do so. Essentially, adult addicts of the game.

These players are generally older, and are PvE focused. My current guild is filled with them. Take the Black Lion Chest Tickets for example, the day they were released, numerous people in my guild were gambling $50+ to get the new Aetherized weapons. Many of them spend so much money on gems and the rest of their time on grinding PvE that they complain that legendary weapons are too easy to get. Now, I’m not going to pass judgment on these people. It’s their money, and if they want to support Anet like that, more power to them.

However, now that the initial game sales are done with, this is the player base Arenanet is catering to: the people who have no problem shelling out $30 to get all their characters new hairstyles.

This small minority with all the purchasing power becomes essentially the guiding force behind all the decisions Arenanet makes after the initial launch.

They are the reason PvP hasn’t had an update in 3 months, the reason Ascended weapons were added, and the reason why the only new armor we see being added to the game is gem shop.

The tricky tightrope with this kind of payment model, however, is that ANet needs to keep the rest of the player base in the game as well. They can cater to the group you mention, but if the majority jumps ship, that minority eventually will as well.

In terms of content development, the target audience is anyone who is currently living.

Yes, cash shop games make a lot of money from a very small portion of the playerbase, but the cash shop isn’t anywhere near the focus of GW2 in terms of gameplay. It’s just there.

Corian.4068:

In terms of content development, the target audience is anyone who is currently living.

Yes, cash shop games make a lot of money from a very small portion of the playerbase, but the cash shop isn’t anywhere near the focus of GW2 in terms of gameplay. It’s just there.

It’s definitely not geared towards the casual gamer.

As far as the ca$h $hop goes, it’s there to keep the lights on, regardless of the fact it’s filled with stuff you don’t need to play the game.

Everything is much more complicated than that.

OP thinks he’s dealing with some cheap no-name MMO.

it is a business, and what is the bottom line in such? money. If they didn’t have/make it. The game would not exist.

The target audience is parents and their kids.

See they figured out that when gamer parents can play a game with their kids, they will not only bond, but spend oodles more money.

It terms of the story…

10 Year olds who want to play the good night stories their grandparents used to tell them before going to sleep at 7 PM

“This small minority with all the purchasing power becomes essentially the guiding force behind all the decisions Arenanet makes after the initial launch.”

Not totally true. ALL is not entirely based on them. 80/20 perhaps.

I don’t agree. Arena net is trying to please different segments of people.
The players that have cash but little time (gem shop…kaching)
The players that have little cash but LOTs of time (keeps player populations up)
Dungeon players (twilight arbor)
large group players (tequatl rising / Guild missions & puzzles)
PvP (esport tournaments)

Now I’m not saying they are all successful, but these are things that I have seen recently. So Arena net is trying to appease different player bases. Not everyone runs dungeons, not everyone PvE’s, not everyone PvP’s and not everyone WvW’s. some dabble here and there a few do them all, but most people primarily do one thing. So Arena net is trying to do a little player pleasing here and there to keep a large number of players….playing the game.

Teege.4623:

It’s definitely not geared towards the casual gamer.

It is and is easily tested. I have played for over a year. What do I have that is unobtainable by a fresh 80? Other then a couple backpack skins from available content everything including Legendaries are available to be purchased via gem>gold conversion. I remember logging into WoW for the first time and seeing some high level raiders and thinking that will be me some day when i get good enough. Guild Wars 2 is missing that element and it really is a shame.

inb4 some lame argument about ascended gear not being purchasable by cash

Lynne.8416:

I don’t agree. Arena net is trying to please different segments of people.
The players that have cash but little time (gem shop…kaching)
The players that have little cash but LOTs of time (keeps player populations up)
Dungeon players (twilight arbor)
large group players (tequatl rising / Guild missions & puzzles)
PvP (esport tournaments)

Now I’m not saying they are all successful, but these are things that I have seen recently. So Arena net is trying to appease different player bases. Not everyone runs dungeons, not everyone PvE’s, not everyone PvP’s and not everyone WvW’s. some dabble here and there a few do them all, but most people primarily do one thing. So Arena net is trying to do a little player pleasing here and there to keep a large number of players….playing the game.

The players that have little cash but LOTs of time (keeps player populations up) – Ascended weapons.

Esport – Anet’s shattered dream

Dungeon players – too little too late

Open world Raid players – see above

So point the finger at the old folk? What makes you think they are loaded with disposable income? lol omg the bills
The older players are mostly off playing games with subscriptions, which this is not. You would probably find them playing a game they have played for years and only play this casually with little interest in dumping money into the gem store. I’ve been in three guilds here, I mostly see millennials decked out in gem store items, every other conversation about WoW, or how they are having a hard time with their parents that they live with.

And among the old folk I know, the game is mostly about wvw, not so much about pve. Players that were in open pvp in DAoC, UO, EVE, SWG and such older games that had something like this. Yeah, I think you missed the mark there, maybe look towards WoW players, it’s been all the rage with games trying to leech off accounts from Blizzard. Not saying Anet is, but it’s certainly not older players if only focused on one group.

I guess the moral of the story is to get a job.

There’s no point in having stuff out there that nobody will pay for, right?

I’m 39 and I play GW2. And I’m not alone in my age group.

Please proceed with the generalizations.

infantrydiv.1620:

This small minority with all the purchasing power becomes essentially the guiding force behind all the decisions Arenanet makes after the initial launch.

They are the reason PvP hasn’t had an update in 3 months, the reason Ascended weapons were added, and the reason why the only new armor we see being added to the game is gem shop.

I think you have a point, but the problem is “small minority”. If ANet doesn’t “care” for the majority that doesn’t spend real money that often, people will stop playing and they will only have people willing to spend money, and those will also stop playing because of the lack of people
We have new PvE stuff every two weeks, a huge change now and the next is WvW changes /repeat
PvP has no love sadly

A happy non-paying customer is a potential paying customer. Anet forgets this.

LOL

It started with people trying to say how casual players play and what they do don’t do and so forth.

Now we are defining how old people play and what they do or don’t do and so forth.

I’m both so please tell me how I play and what I do or don’t do and so forth. I’m so old and my totally casual life style has resulted in memory loss. Don’t forget to remind me how much money I spend on gems and what I am buying with those gems.

coronaas.4362:

Teege.4623:

It’s definitely not geared towards the casual gamer.

It is and is easily tested. I have played for over a year. What do I have that is unobtainable by a fresh 80? Other then a couple backpack skins from available content everything including Legendaries are available to be purchased via gem>gold conversion. I remember logging into WoW for the first time and seeing some high level raiders and thinking that will be me some day when i get good enough. Guild Wars 2 is missing that element and it really is a shame.

inb4 some lame argument about ascended gear not being purchasable by cash

anet is proberly target the groupes that will make it so they earn most money in the long run and still keep a good rep in the gaming world.

and in WoW there is nothing hard content(atleast not that i know off anyway but stopped not long after pandorias release and never saw that raid content but from what i hear its easyer then the last) its all about planning and theorcrafting the best build for yourself plus communication and planning to counter boss mechanins as they can be for seen each time;) what i saw in wow when new content come out where Here is a new boss to learn and counter. and it is pretty easy to do when you get the hang of it(also works in wvw here but its a hell lot harder as its living people your agienst)

Guild Wars 2 is in the “pixarification” era. Sad but true.

http://youtu.be/rz6W0h3r30k

There’s some great adult concepts, but they’re deluded and broken down to appeal to younger audiences, which just defeats the purpose of having adult themes. At this point, all of the content being added isn’t working on developing a complex theme, it’s just reinforcing it with fluff and cash shop junk.

Of course, in the end, it’s all about making money.

I think you’ve confused Gaia with GW2, OP.

Perhaps one day GW2 may degenerate to that. Or perhaps they may go and ascend to a new tier, and reach that revolutionary goal they spoke off. It’s too soon to say though.

So, OP, let’s assume that ANet is tracking what this hypothetically small amount of people is paying in the gem store and wants to cater to them. Now, how are they also tracking what these people like and want to see added to the game? You seem to have it all figured out, so let us in on the secret.

Seven Star Stalker.1740:

I think you’ve confused Gaia with GW2, OP.

Perhaps one day GW2 may degenerate to that. Or perhaps they may go and ascend to a new tier, and reach that revolutionary goal they spoke off. It’s too soon to say though.

Its not to late to speculate.

If a car is headed towards a cliff and it keeps heading toward a cliff, then its safe to assume the car might actually fly off the cliff.

GW2s target audience?

Zacchary.6183:

Seven Star Stalker.1740:

I think you’ve confused Gaia with GW2, OP.

Perhaps one day GW2 may degenerate to that. Or perhaps they may go and ascend to a new tier, and reach that revolutionary goal they spoke off. It’s too soon to say though.

Its not to late to speculate.

If a car is headed towards a cliff and it keeps heading toward a cliff, then its safe to assume the car might actually fly off the cliff.

They’ve done a number of foolish things no doubt, but I don’t think they’re at the point of potential failure yet.

At the very least I’d give it till the end of the year.

Zacchary.6183:

Seven Star Stalker.1740:

I think you’ve confused Gaia with GW2, OP.

Perhaps one day GW2 may degenerate to that. Or perhaps they may go and ascend to a new tier, and reach that revolutionary goal they spoke off. It’s too soon to say though.

Its not to late to speculate.

If a car is headed towards a cliff and it keeps heading toward a cliff, then its safe to assume the car might actually fly off the cliff.

It actually is too late.

It’s been an entire year since launch, and the worst item in the cash shop is the 5% damage booster, that has been there since the beginning. At this point, speculation is not enough. Proof, or gtfo.

It’s all theory. If you really think the new dungeon is aimed at that crowd…or the Tequal encounter, or the Queen’s Gauntlet, I’m not even sure what to say.

The latest content patchs, all the way back to the Aeather Blade retreat dungeon are NOT geared for older players at all, and most of the older players in my guild don’t do most of that content.

So I have no idea what you’re on about.

Everybody and nobody.

The first is what they are aiming for.
The second is what they ll get eventually.

I love how you want to open a reasonable discussion by diminuishing people with different oponions as “whiners”. Way to go, keep up the good work!