Guild Wars 2

So when asked before about why Guild Wars 2 wasn’t coming to consoles. We have a few articles like this. One reason they say is that it won’t is because consoles require a subscription to their service to play mmos.

http://www.vg247.com/2013/07/02/guild-wars-2-next-gen-consoles-and-the-mmo-conflict/

Final Fantasy XIV, DC Universe Online, Elder Scrolls Online all don’t require a paid PSN account on the PS4. Elder Scrolls Online does require xbox live gold(payed version).

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/01/28/the-elder-scrolls-online-on-ps4-your-questions-answered/

http://www.usgamer.net/articles/elder-scrolls-online-will-require-xbox-live-gold

Can you please tell me what if any changes are made on the console stance? Also was this the only reason cited for not making a console version?

I think this would be one of the best mmos on console or PS4 only if Xbox wouldn’t play ball. Arena could make more money. It is already one of the best rated mmos on PC.

It’s not going to happen any time soon. Port pc game to console is huge work and they are busy working on HoT. I’d rather they work on more content.

I think their stance is the same as it has been for a few years: We have looked into creating a console version but determined that the resources would not be worth it.

I don’t think they’ve said anything about it, but I also think in this case that silence says a lot. Specifically that it’s not even something they’re considering enough to talk about why they’re not doing it.

warbignime.4610:

It’s not going to happen any time soon. Port pc game to console is huge work and they are busy working on HoT. I’d rather they work on more content.

True it is huge work. Well, the thing is if they get more players that equals more money which they could put back into developing more content faster and larger. On the other hand, they could make the pc version suffer while making the console version with slower content like Elder Scrolls Online did to their PC userbase which I wouldn’t like.

I would like to pick this up with native controller and stuff as well is the reason I was asking. Do devs ever give answers to members of the community here?

Kalifas.3465:

Do devs ever give answers to members of the community here?

Yes.

Varezenem.2813:

Kalifas.3465:

Do devs ever give answers to members of the community here?

Yes.

Cool, thanks for the heads up.

GW2 will burn consoles thanks to brilliant optimization straight from 2007.

I doubt GW2 would do well on a consol market. It’s in no way designed for consol and the mechanics and combat don’t click with me for consols.

Could it be done? Sure. But I doubt at the moment it’s any where near anets radar. They have more important stuff to sort out.

Plug an Xbox Controller into your PC – tada! console version. You’re welcome.

DirtyDan.4759:

Plug an Xbox Controller into your PC – tada! console version. You’re welcome.

I wish that would fix everything for when I wanna kick back and relax far from the screen.
Unfortunately, the emulators are nowhere close to as good native controller support. Plus most of my buddies play on console.

I used to have the opinion that a console version compromises the PC version because it puts a limitation on what can be done with regards to updating the engine, the rendering when you always have to take a console version into consideration, but for whatever reason I have heard fantastic things about Final Fantasy XIV. Its been updated to Directx 11 and the game seems to be going from stride to stride, so maybe I have been dead wrong.

Many gamers fear changes that could potentially backfire. Console port feels like something that would have more to loose for the PC gamer than gain.

The simple fact is, cross-platform development takes a huge amount of resources and time, and likely simply isn’t worth the investment cost

I thought this game was developed for consoles, the simple action bar, fxaa… why wouldn’t they use the much better msaa if it wasn’t built for consoles <_<

Kalifas.3465:

So when asked before about why Guild Wars 2 wasn’t coming to consoles. We have a few articles like this. One reason they say is that it won’t is because consoles require a subscription to their service to play mmos.

http://www.vg247.com/2013/07/02/guild-wars-2-next-gen-consoles-and-the-mmo-conflict/

Final Fantasy XIV, DC Universe Online, Elder Scrolls Online all don’t require a paid PSN account on the PS4. Elder Scrolls Online does require xbox live gold(payed version).

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/01/28/the-elder-scrolls-online-on-ps4-your-questions-answered/

http://www.usgamer.net/articles/elder-scrolls-online-will-require-xbox-live-gold

Can you please tell me what if any changes are made on the console stance? Also was this the only reason cited for not making a console version?

I think this would be one of the best mmos on console or PS4 only if Xbox wouldn’t play ball. Arena could make more money. It is already one of the best rated mmos on PC.

The stance is “No.” That’s what it’s been for a long time now. That’s not even getting involved in the technical details of getting the game “vetted” by those platforms, let alone the process of patching the game. IF they did make console versions, they would be 100% isolated from each other and the PC version just because of version conflict and version “lag” due to the need to push through bureaucratic red tape for the update to land.

Games that run on PCs and consoles are developed on game engines that are already running on all platforms and is usually planned in advance that the development will be on all those platforms. What you see considerably less often is a custom game engine that starts on the PC being ported to a console along with the game. Console to PC is more doable simply because you are going to a more powerful platform with the PC.

So no, GW2 will never happen on a console. Or Tablet.

The first thing that I think of that would cause a lot of problems is the number of controls that are involved in this game. Most controllers have no more than a dozen buttons, and two joysticks. While movement, strafing, and camera can be attached to the joysticks, attacks alone take up 10 buttons. Add in hotkeys for basic actions, dodging, looting, targeting allies/enemies, the various menus, etcetera… and you are drowning in functions that need to be programmed into a controller with limited space. Each hotkey servers a precise function in the game, and I’m not sure how a small controller could accommodate so many different commands.

Also, how would chat work? Would you have to plug a keyboard into the console? (I’m not talking about headsets. Most players don’t use those.)

I am not console-savvy, so I am genuinely curious as to how console gamers would be able to play this game effectively if a port were to theoretically be created… and would these players be at a disadvantage because of this? As already mentioned, PC-to-console is a heckovalot more complicated than console-to-PC.

Kalifas.3465:

So when asked before about why Guild Wars 2 wasn’t coming to consoles. We have a few articles like this. One reason they say is that it won’t is because consoles require a subscription to their service to play mmos.

http://www.vg247.com/2013/07/02/guild-wars-2-next-gen-consoles-and-the-mmo-conflict/

Final Fantasy XIV, DC Universe Online, Elder Scrolls Online all don’t require a paid PSN account on the PS4. Elder Scrolls Online does require xbox live gold(payed version).

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/01/28/the-elder-scrolls-online-on-ps4-your-questions-answered/

http://www.usgamer.net/articles/elder-scrolls-online-will-require-xbox-live-gold

Can you please tell me what if any changes are made on the console stance? Also was this the only reason cited for not making a console version?

I think this would be one of the best mmos on console or PS4 only if Xbox wouldn’t play ball. Arena could make more money. It is already one of the best rated mmos on PC.

I would believe the reasoning as to why ESO and FFXIV are without subs on consoles is because publishers/studios pay the necessary contract fee(s) to setup and maintain such a situation with the given games for the console manufacturers. PS Plus and Xbox Gold subscribers may in fact also be paying for the subs on those games(internal dividends of sorts). I suspect ArenaNet/NCSoft would have to do the same as Zenimax Studios and SqaureEnix have. Multiplayer support is excluded on games from free users on consoles for one reason: money. I suspect that console business practices like this don’t sit well with ArenaNet(and maybe a myriad of other things we don’t know about).

Nonetheless, there’s just no real reason for MS/Sony to tell us if any of these things is actually the case because it still benefits the paying subscribers on console in the end. No way in hell it makes sense to pay three times(ISP, Plus/Gold, and sub) when you’re already paying twice).

Honey boo boo, take a look at how many keys need to be pressed for the plethora of elementalist’s skills.

Now take a look at the typical console controller and a find the same amount of buttons to do that and everything else an ele does. Or a engineer.

Nope. Unless you’ve got some mega next level space age controller then not gonna happen. Ain’t nobody got time fo dat.

Good Luck with keybinding 70skills on a joypad.

Zephyra.4709:

Honey boo boo, take a look at how many keys need to be pressed for the plethora of elementalist’s skills.

Now take a look at the typical console controller and a find the same amount of buttons to do that and everything else an ele does. Or a engineer.

Nope. Unless you’ve got some mega next level space age controller then not gonna happen. Ain’t nobody got time fo dat.

It’s really not that hard to find a working keybind for guild wars 2.
Since at any moment you only have like 17 (10 skills+4 F buttons+weapon swap+jump+dodge) actions you can do. If you divide that into groups of 5 which you bind to the right side of your controller (4 face buttons + 1 shoulder button) and use the left shoulder buttons to switch between those 3 sets of 5 actions. It’s pretty doable. I did it and it actually works quite well. You won’t be able to compete with pc gamers, but since the console version would have it’s own servers it wouldn’t really matter.
That said, I don’t think GW2 will come to consoles since it won’t run well on them. They are pretty much just customized AMD apus for notebooks and we all know how well this game runs on even the fastest desktop AMD cpus.

pfanne.9783:

Zephyra.4709:

Honey boo boo, take a look at how many keys need to be pressed for the plethora of elementalist’s skills.

Now take a look at the typical console controller and a find the same amount of buttons to do that and everything else an ele does. Or a engineer.

Nope. Unless you’ve got some mega next level space age controller then not gonna happen. Ain’t nobody got time fo dat.

It’s really not that hard to find a working keybind for guild wars 2.
Since at any moment you only have like 17 (10 skills+4 F buttons+weapon swap+jump+dodge) actions you can do. If you divide that into groups of 5 which you bind to the right side of your controller (4 face buttons + 1 shoulder button) and use the left shoulder buttons to switch between those 3 sets of 5 actions. It’s pretty doable. I did it and it actually works quite well. You won’t be able to compete with pc gamers, but since the console version would have it’s own servers it wouldn’t really matter.
That said, I don’t think GW2 will come to consoles since it won’t run well on them. They are pretty much just customized AMD apus for notebooks and we all know how well this game runs on even the fastest desktop AMD cpus.

I think the bold line is also a thing what really matters. Anet doesn’t like to break up the community. Now you can argue about the different servers we have, and that Europe, America and China aren’t combined, but porting to consoles would create yet another seperate community.

My girlfriend have a hand injury and before she had her operation she couldn’t use a computer mouse and after a while using a trackball she got massive pain in her wrist. So we found this one http://www.cideko.com/images/photo/58.jpg (it is a picture of a gamepad). With that she used a 3rd party program named X-padder (as all 3rd party stuff, you won’t know if you will get banned for it). The stuff she had most problems to do with it was ground targeting skills but other than that she could enjoy the game with a gamepad. Now she have had a surgery and it went well and now she is using a Razer Naga and have no pain att all.

My final saying is this, GW2 and most MMO’s are meant to be played with Keyboard and mouse and consoles are not consoles anymore they are just computers that you cant upgrade.

Kalifas.3465:

warbignime.4610:

It’s not going to happen any time soon. Port pc game to console is huge work and they are busy working on HoT. I’d rather they work on more content.

True it is huge work. Well, the thing is if they get more players that equals more money which they could put back into developing more content faster and larger.

This is only true if the money coming in exceeds the money invested in changing over to console and maintaining updates for the console version.

What if you’re running with a roaming party in WvW, A server blob is chasing you guys, and you want to swap from party chat to guild chat to say something while you running away while looking behind to the server blob? How are you going to keybind that? What if you want to type something quick in mapchat while fighting a blob? How do you even type with a joypad in the first place? If you have a 5vs5, and you want to target the ranger in the back first, how do you target him quickly? I can go on endlessly with examples. It’s just not going to work.

Hoaxintelligence.4628:

What if you’re running with a roaming party in WvW, A server blob is chasing you guys, and you want to swap from party chat to guild chat to say something while you running away while looking behind to the server blob? How are you going to keybind that? What if you want to type something quick in mapchat while fighting a blob? How do you even type with a joypad in the first place? If you have a 5vs5, and you want to target the ranger in the back first, how do you target him quickly? I can go on endlessly with examples. It’s just not going to work.

Not that I support the game to be played on consoles but… You know both keyboards and mouse is an options for console games too. Well atleast it did before, I dunno how it is with PS4 and Litterbox1 or what’s it is called.

Current console use AMD 8-core cpu. Gw2 only runs good on 1 super fast CPU in wich Intel is a lot better. Either they would have to tone down a lot, or it simply won’t work on current consoles.

What’s more, making controls for console (in wich Arenanet has no experience at all) is very hard. Also imagine engineer. Tons of skills, how will you ‘hot key’ it to all the buttons? Next to impossible. Only warrior would play well on console i’d say.

Add to that port costs. And time. Also the risk, you may buy it, but do you think crapload of console owners are gonna buy and stay in gw2? don’t think so tbh. Final fantasy has huge console history, and Eso has Skyrim/fall out3 etc as multiplatform games as experience for the makers. Anet has absolutely 0 on it, they gotta start from zero.

Also the new trend seems to be ‘good price performance console, but with lower lifetime’. That is not good for gw2. As i see it now, gw2 will surpass the 7 years gw1 ran before sequal came. Then they would have to report to playstation 5.

Gw2 load times since launch went up a lot. Add hard disk drive to that (consoles) and it’s even more. Another issue. Especially 2,5 inch slow laptop hdd.

And more reasons.

The simple reason this is never going to happen is down to costs. Anet rarely properly beta test their patches, maybe 30% beta tested before release and leave the rest of the bugs to be reported by the players.

To bring the game to consoles they would have to FULLY beta test EVERY patch for weeks before releasing. This would mean hiring more staff and paying more overtime, something anet are not prepared to do.

Why is that so important or more important to do with consoles?

Because again cost, Sony etc charge the games for every new update they release for the games. Sony and Microsoft says the charge in so they can pre-check the patch is not a virus or not going to create conflicts with the devices etc. The charge depends on the size of the game and amount of players. But I read it would be about 5k. Doesnt sound alot at first for a game making milllions, however anet for PC alone do about two to three patches per month. And maybe another 1-2 some months which they never seem to release patch notes for (I guess they’re too small).

But even if we go for the recorded amount they have been doing (One to Two) They’re looking at an extra 10k per month to pay in fees PER different console. So an extra 20k per month to have the game on PS4 and xbox.

So thats 240k per year in costs alone and thats minimum (more patches = more costs).

Then they have to do more work on the games to make them available on those consoles. And most players will not be happy to have to rebuy the game if they already own an account, so game sales wont increase much at first.

If Sony and Microsoft didnt charge the devs to do patches/updates then maybe anet might be intested but lets face it those charges are not going anywhere. And this is why we will never see gw2 on consoles.

TheDaiBish.9735:

Kalifas.3465:

warbignime.4610:

It’s not going to happen any time soon. Port pc game to console is huge work and they are busy working on HoT. I’d rather they work on more content.

True it is huge work. Well, the thing is if they get more players that equals more money which they could put back into developing more content faster and larger.

This is only true if the money coming in exceeds the money invested in changing over to console and maintaining updates for the console version.

Exactly. Releasing it on console as well could mean every update costs a lot more to make because they have to make it compatible with 3 different formats.

It may also be slower. The rumors on the Elder Scrolls Online forum right now are that apart from format-specific bug fixes and maintenance the consoles are going to be about a month behind the PC when it comes to updates, due to Microsoft and Sony wanting to approve the patches before they go through.

The game hasn’t been out on consoles long enough to know if that’s true, but the consoles have been getting new cash shop items later than the PC.

Kalifas.3465:

Unfortunately, the emulators are nowhere close to as good native controller support.

I guess it’s a good thing that Windows natively supports both Xbox 360 and Xbox One controllers, then.

Although why you would want to play an MMO with a controller is beyond me

nolop.8095:

Plug in a controller of your choice, set graphics to minimum and resolution to 720p.
Depending on what graphics card you have you can even cap everything at 30fps.

There you go, you are playing a console version now.

A bunch of what people are saying here is making sense. Consoles can do 1080p at 30fps though. If it is not happening, then I guess that is the way it is. I would just like to see a reply straight from a dev saying never.

Would really rather see a port to DX12, first, more than anything else, just because this game has absolutely ridiculous graphics and sprite optimization and potential but is being bottlenecked so hard by the single-core utilization from being on DX9. Porting to openGL would take what is probably a lot more effort too, and doesn’t really guarantee much in regards for return on investment, especially since the engine would need to be developed again for multi-core utilization, anyways.

Kalifas.3465:

Consoles can do 1080p at 30fps though.

On the minority of games. GW2 would not be one of them. Their CPUs are far too weak for it

I dont care if this games to console or not but…. it would make them MILLIONS. FF14 is HUGE on Console and ESO is absolutely killing it on console right now.