Guild Wars 2

How about a contest that rewards the top player submissions for new ideas for game items or suggestions, that are taken up by the developers for actual implementation in game.

That’s a good idea! +1

It’s a nice idea, but they would have to be very careful about what they give as a prize and how they word the entry requirements, advertising etc. Otherwise giving something with monetary value (even if it isn’t actual money) in return for assisting them with developing the game could be interpreted as a form of employment (albeit extremely short-term) and require them to provide all the benefits they give their actual employees.

Yes that probably sounds crazy and extreme. Yes it is also a real concern all kinds of companies have to be aware of these days.

Having said that they could probably offer gems or in-game items, since the EULA clearly states that those have no real world value and in fact remain Anet’s intellectual property at all times. Which would also get around the issues with only being able to ship to certain places without incurring huge fees, and therefore allow them to open it up to everyone with a GW2 account instead of only certain countries.