Guild Wars 2

“In our January 23 FAQ, we wanted to clarify that Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns would not be a stand-alone campaign like those offered in Guild Wars ® in the past (Factions® and Nightfall®), but instead would be a true expansion to Guild Wars 2 similar to what Guild Wars: Eye of the North® was to our original game.”

Followed By:

“We believe that to keep the game dynamic and vibrant with a constantly growing community, it should be as easy as possible for new players to get into Guild Wars 2. For Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, we didn’t want the core game’s price to be a factor in a new player’s decision to begin playing Guild Wars 2. In the future, if we release further Guild Wars 2 expansions, we plan to offer all of the prior expansions, the core game, and the latest expansion for one single purchase price.”

So let’s get this straight. You didn’t want HoT to be similar to stand alone campaign to GW1 (which was the only purchase needed), but similar to Eye of the north (Which required player’s to purchase the expansion plus one of the stand alone campaign’s). Yet, you go on to say that your business model for this expansion and all future expansions is you pay once? Very shady Arenanet. Very shady.

IIvIIozzie.9250:

“In our January 23 FAQ, we wanted to clarify that Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns would not be a stand-alone campaign like those offered in Guild Wars ® in the past (Factions® and Nightfall®), but instead would be a true expansion to Guild Wars 2 similar to what Guild Wars: Eye of the North® was to our original game.”

Followed By:

“We believe that to keep the game dynamic and vibrant with a constantly growing community, it should be as easy as possible for new players to get into Guild Wars 2. For Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, we didn’t want the core game’s price to be a factor in a new player’s decision to begin playing Guild Wars 2. In the future, if we release further Guild Wars 2 expansions, we plan to offer all of the prior expansions, the core game, and the latest expansion for one single purchase price.”

So let’s get this straight. You didn’t want HoT to be similar to stand alone campaign to GW1 (which was the only purchase needed), but similar to Eye of the north (Which required player’s to purchase the expansion plus one of the stand alone campaign’s). Yet, you go on to say that your business model for this expansion and all future expansions is you pay once? Very shady Arenanet. Very shady.

Similar does not mean identical.

Giving away all past products as included in new versions of the software is not shady.

Can we all find some new subjects to kitten about?

You get a free character slot, a free slot. Which the vets have all been screaming and wanting.

And you come up with this……

Dude…..delete your characters, items and just leave the game. There’s noway you’ll ever be happy. Spare your own sanity. And I’m not responding to any other posters on this comment. Seriously this is beyond a joke now.

Ashen.2907:

Similar does not mean identical.

Giving away all past products as included in new versions of the software is not shady.

What’s shady is they completely contradict themselves in the same statement. Their new business model has much more in common with their old stand alone campaign than it does their EOTN expansion. If their business plan all along was to have future expansions include everything up to that point, fine. I have no problem with that at all. But this address really reads like a poor cover up of any wrong doing on their part.

Actually what they are doing is very commendable compared to others in the market that churned out an expansion every 2 years and required you to pay close to full price per expansion until recently to be able to enjoy the game.

Guy’s, this thread isn’t an argument for or against their new business model of “buy once, get everything”. Instead, it’s a discussion of how when they finally come forward with a statement it doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense.

Dont fuel the fire. Anet have done the right thing. Good job.

i feel realy sorry for Anet

Goodness I wish there was a -1 button! Enough already OP….

What’s shady about it?

They planned for Heart of Thorns to be an extension of the core game, similar Eye of the North was. Eye of the North required a core game (Prophecies, Factions, or Nightfall) for the player to play this expansion. This is exactly how Heart of Thorns ended up as (and how it is currently).

Similarly, future expansion from Heart of Thorns forward will include the core game (because it requires it), the latest expansion, and the newest expansion all in one price, just like Heart of Thorns was included as a free bonus in the core game price.

Now whether or not the expansion will be added for free we have yet to find out, but if they plan on keeping it consistent I’m assuming all future expansion will act like Heart of Thorns, where you pay for the expansion and the latest expansion + core game comes as an added bonus.

Mortifer.2168:

i feel realy sorry for Anet

I feel sorry for them. They cant win. They give the community a expansion pack with new content. That does not require a sub. They then listen to the people of the game and give a character slot. Also explain what there future plans are with there business model.

And there is people still having a pop

@ Piano Man, I don’t think I can’t make my point any clearer. Stating in the Faq HoT will be like EotN suggests to players you have to pay twice. Once for core game and once for expansion. Arenanet then went on to put the core game on sale to get people to buy it up in anticipation for HoT. They then go on to state it was their plan for this expansion and for future expansions to only pay once. It’s a contradiction. If someone has a legitimate counterargument to this I’d really like to read it.

Perhaps unlike others, I wasn’t disappointed with Arenanet because I felt entitled and wanted more, I was disappointed because what they did as a business was ethically wrong and after being called out on it they didn’t accept accountability for it, they play it off like it was a big misunderstanding, throw a character slot and refunds out and hope’s their player base rolls over for their belly rub.

I’ve been a loyal player of Guild Wars prior to the launch of prophecies. They have a really talented, hard working team over there that I greatly admired and respected over the years but whoever is running the business side of things now is going to bring ruin to this company.

IIvIIozzie.9250:

What’s shady is they completely contradict themselves in the same statement.

There is no contradiction. Factions and Nightfall were stand alone campaigns that contained everything needed to play them.

Eye of the North was an expansion, you couldn’t just buy Eye of the North and play it, you needed GW1 to play it.

HoT is an expansion, you can’t just buy HoT and play it, you need GW2 to play it.

Oh my god, seriously? Seriously? There is no contradiction. Read what it says again and stop constantly trying to find something to nitpick about.

IIvIIozzie.9250:

“In our January 23 FAQ, we wanted to clarify that Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns would not be a stand-alone campaign like those offered in Guild Wars ® in the past (Factions® and Nightfall®), but instead would be a true expansion to Guild Wars 2 similar to what Guild Wars: Eye of the North® was to our original game.”

Followed By:

“We believe that to keep the game dynamic and vibrant with a constantly growing community, it should be as easy as possible for new players to get into Guild Wars 2. For Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, we didn’t want the core game’s price to be a factor in a new player’s decision to begin playing Guild Wars 2. In the future, if we release further Guild Wars 2 expansions, we plan to offer all of the prior expansions, the core game, and the latest expansion for one single purchase price.”

So let’s get this straight. You didn’t want HoT to be similar to stand alone campaign to GW1 (which was the only purchase needed), but similar to Eye of the north (Which required player’s to purchase the expansion plus one of the stand alone campaign’s). Yet, you go on to say that your business model for this expansion and all future expansions is you pay once? Very shady Arenanet. Very shady.

It’s not in the slightest bit shady. Good lord. What do they have to do, walk on water?

It’s a pretty clear contradiction. I guess fanboyism is blinding.

IIvIIozzie.9250:

“In our January 23 FAQ, we wanted to clarify that Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns would not be a stand-alone campaign like those offered in Guild Wars ® in the past (Factions® and Nightfall®), but instead would be a true expansion to Guild Wars 2 similar to what Guild Wars: Eye of the North® was to our original game.”

Followed By:

“We believe that to keep the game dynamic and vibrant with a constantly growing community, it should be as easy as possible for new players to get into Guild Wars 2. For Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, we didn’t want the core game’s price to be a factor in a new player’s decision to begin playing Guild Wars 2. In the future, if we release further Guild Wars 2 expansions, we plan to offer all of the prior expansions, the core game, and the latest expansion for one single purchase price.”

So let’s get this straight. You didn’t want HoT to be similar to stand alone campaign to GW1 (which was the only purchase needed), but similar to Eye of the north (Which required player’s to purchase the expansion plus one of the stand alone campaign’s). Yet, you go on to say that your business model for this expansion and all future expansions is you pay once? Very shady Arenanet. Very shady.

Continue reading and you’ll arrive at them offering an unprecedented refund policy to correct the situation.

Not to be rude, but I think the OP is digging a bit. Regardless, it’s a step in the right direction and should appease more the a few on the fence about this fiasco.

Still waiting to see what content is being offered, but this should make those who wanted that extra character slot more than happy.

Again, it’s the right decision.

IIvIIozzie.9250:

It’s a pretty clear contradiction. I guess fanboyism is blinding.

So is hatred. The only contradiction would be if they were trying to follow both policies at the same time. What ANet “wanted” in January is in the past. What they want now is in the present.

It should not take genius to figure out that they changed their collective mind. A company changing policy is not shady. It’s just changing policy. Now, they’re acknowledging that the change in policy disadvantaged some consumers and are attempting to redress those issues.

Analyze what’s said before you criticize next time.

IIvIIozzie.9250:

It’s a pretty clear contradiction. I guess fanboyism is blinding.

Im not a fanboy. Been called a hater though. Not sure that I am going to buy the expansion (to date not much I am interested in).

Perhaps its not fanboyism being blinding but rather other people having better skills of comprehension. You said that it doesn’t make sense. Other people are able to make sense of it. Perhaps the problem isn’t everyone else but rather you.

Person 1 “this block is too heavy to be lifted.”
Person 2 “I can lift this block without difficulty.”
Person 3 “I can lift this block without difficulty.”
Person 4 “I can lift this block without difficulty.”
Person 50 “I can lift this block without difficulty.”

The block isnt to heavy to be lifted, person one is just not string enough to lift it.