Join ArenaNet president and co-founder Mike O’Brien and Guild Wars 2 game director Colin Johanson for an exclusive sneak peek at what’s next in Guild Wars 2 and be among the first to hear how we’re setting up a new framework for how an MMO can grow its universe. The Living World was just the beginning.
Don’t expect a traditional boxed expansion.
I agree Gnat; I expect we will see something very different than a traditional expansion. Though that leaves the question of how will new content be monetized. I expect core mechanics such as classes, skills and zones will be free. DLC story content will be monetized. For instance, we would pay to play as Scarlett through content covering her life prior to her appearance in the LW and Rytlock’s adventure. The LW would remain free to play as a central plot trunk but side plots, adventures into the past would be pay to play.
“No! You can’t eat the ones that talk!
They’re special! They got aspirations.”
Finn the human
I think Heart of Thorns is a good title for LS Season 2.
So maybe, after the final chapter gets released, there will be a boxed bundle including all 8 chapters that players, who pick up the game after LS S2 finished can buy.
Instead of paying 150 gems for each episode, they can buy it for 800 gems or 10 bucks, if Anet decides to put out a box to put in stores (for extra visibility).
This is part of current speculation and it’s admittedly not necessarily a bad idea. I just don’t think that they would promote a large panel to announce content that players have already completed.
Maybe i missed it but how is trademarking Heart of Thorns in any way related to PAX?
My fault, this is speculation on my part that the PAX announcement will be GW2: HoT.
So they gonna announce GW2:HoT at PAX without being able to use the Logo until 8th of April?
Tin Foil [HATS]-Hardcore BLTC-PvP Guild
Bloin – Running around, tagging Keeps, getting whack on Scoobie Snacks.
This news spread like wildfire in an already expansion craving community.
If this is not an expansion, they should have defused this situation immediately.
You are aware that most employees are probably not even up yet, right?
If we go the whole day (their time) without a word, I would agree, but right now they most likely haven’t even seen it yet.
It makes sense that it is an expansion, for more reasons than just this logo let’s be honest. NCSoft wants one out they’ve said so multiple times and it has come up in their financial meetings. The fact that they made structural changes to the NPE and simplified things for new players also logically leans towards a new boxed expansion, which will include the original game. It is still by far the best way to grow your place in the market and that pretty much sums it up. They also know that it is the best way to try and grab more of the Chinese market as well. An expansion will not only bring new players in, it will likely bring back a lot of veteran players back even if only temporarily it’s still a huge cash influx.
Vini, Vidi, Vici, Viridis…I came, I saw, I conquered…I got a green??
Though if it turns out to be just them selling all the season 2 episodes in one pack I am going to explode -_-
Even though it was my suggestion that HoT will be the name for Season 2 to purchase, I am quite sure that this will not be the only thing they gonna announce at PAX.
Tin Foil [HATS]-Hardcore BLTC-PvP Guild
Bloin – Running around, tagging Keeps, getting whack on Scoobie Snacks.
@lordkrall it’s a situation they created with their own hands. The communication is abysmal and that’s the best possible compliment i could ever give it. Undeserved or not, if it proves false, they fully “deserve the undeserved” flame that will come.
I edited my previous post with some other thoughts i had.
^^^ this
This news spread like wildfire in an already expansion craving community.
If this is not an expansion, they should have defused this situation immediately.
What part of “hype train has no brakes” was unclear?
The community fuels the train but Anet is more than happy to never attempt slowing the kitten thing…
And guess what happens when the hype train fails like it did countless times in the past? An even worst image then the previous is made….people start QQing everywhere LITERALLY. People who were previously interested in buying the game will only see QQ….and that in turn decreases the amount of $$ Anet gets.
It’s a pretty easy chain of events.
As a seasoned GW2 player i have come to the conclusion that having expectations from anet is detrimental to my own mental health so i always expect the worst case possible then double it “just in case”.
I will watch with both intrigue and amusement what will come. If it indeed is an expansion it’s “ok”, this stagnant game needs it. If not it’s still “ok” because i didn’t have expectations to begin with.
I just wish people would lose the word expansion from their thought process. Expansion has certain connotations that may not be met by this announcement. While it is likely the game will be expanded, I’m not so sure most people will consider what’s coming an expansion.
And guess what happens when the hype train fails like it did countless times in the past? An even worst image then the previous is made….people start QQing everywhere LITERALLY. People who were previously interested in buying the game will only see QQ….and that in turn decreases the amount of $$ Anet gets.
It’s a pretty easy chain of events.
Rest assured though…. Anet will realize their huge mistake if they don’t deliver.
Gaming sites like IGN have already boarded the hype train.
If Anet doesn’t deliver, no amount of white knighting will be able to save them, and it will be a lot of bad publicity.
But if this is hinting about an expansion, part 8 will be the cliffhanger….
AND we’ll get a while doing nothing, As it would be dumb to make a big patch for balancing JUST before a expansion would be launched, then again, we’ll probably have
LS part 8 with huge cliffhanger
Dragon Bash
balancing patch
return of SAB
……
until july/august and we’ll get a x-patch (really, REALLY hope it will be sooner, say a few days after PAX or when it is announced @ PAX….)
23 lvl 80’s, 9 times map, 4ele, 4ncr, 3war, 3grd, 3rgr, 2thf, 2msm, 1eng, 1 rev.
Been There, Done That & Will do it again…except maybe world completion.
You are aware that most employees are probably not even up yet, right?
If we go the whole day (their time) without a word, I would agree, but right now they most likely haven’t even seen it yet.
Yes I know they may not even be up but there are in other countries where the game is so believe me when I tell you that if this was not a reality someone would be getting a phone call and they would squash this ASAP. This won’t be any normal backlash, it’ll be in every online site and would be disastrous to say the least.
Vini, Vidi, Vici, Viridis…I came, I saw, I conquered…I got a green??
What part of “hype train has no brakes” was unclear?
The community fuels the train but Anet is more than happy to never attempt slowing the kitten thing…
Maybe we should repeat it more? I am SURE we can make it sink in!
Retriever Iiat – Asura Engineer
Private retriever of runaway NPCs
Mistband[MIST] – PVP Training guild EU
I don’t mind if we don’t go to Cantha or Elona, as long as we have content and a story that stay the course.
Also, people believe it’s a boxed or packed version of LS2… So if we fight Mordremoth in today’s update, they might be right, if not… Why would ANet create a Mordremoth logo (cf. “jungle dragon” art) if we don’t even get to see him/it? Mordy has that snake-like body since the art.
However, whatever it is, it must live up to the community’s expectations, because most of us are going 1000mph aboard the hype train… And an accident would be devastating, on both sides.
Well Anet stayed silent too long. If this isn’t an expansion they are going to have some major marketing fallout, and the game will suffer. Doesn’t matter what they intended or planned, or if the communities expectations are reasonable or not. They kept the community too content starved for too long, and now they are going to either have to deliver or pay the consequences.
I think Heart of Thorns is a good title for LS Season 2.
So maybe, after the final chapter gets released, there will be a boxed bundle including all 8 chapters that players, who pick up the game after LS S2 finished can buy.
Instead of paying 150 gems for each episode, they can buy it for 800 gems or 10 bucks, if Anet decides to put out a box to put in stores (for extra visibility).
This is part of current speculation and it’s admittedly not necessarily a bad idea. I just don’t think that they would promote a large panel to announce content that players have already completed.
Maybe i missed it but how is trademarking Heart of Thorns in any way related to PAX?
My fault, this is speculation on my part that the PAX announcement will be GW2: HoT.
So they gonna announce GW2:HoT at PAX without being able to use the Logo until 8th of April?
Is this something that is a requirement of new trademarks? I know nGumball brought it up. Also if that’s the case, are they not allowed to use it for advertising purposes as well?
However, whatever it is, it must live up to the community’s expectations, because most of us are going 1000mph aboard the hype train… And an accident would be devastating, on both sides.
Stuff will never live up to the community’s expectations seeing as the community’s expectations are not really plausible.
However, whatever it is, it must live up to the community’s expectations, because most of us are going 1000mph aboard the hype train… And an accident would be devastating, on both sides.
Stuff will never live up to the community’s expectations seeing as the community’s expectations are not really plausible.
You’re absolutely right, but I meant there will be far less damage if HoT brings skills, maps, maybe races and classes, and a story than if HoT is a packed LS2 or a bunch of gemstore items thrown as a decoy.
But if this is hinting about an expansion, part 8 will be the cliffhanger….
AND we’ll get a while doing nothing, As it would be dumb to make a big patch for balancing JUST before a expansion would be launched, then again, we’ll probably have
LS part 8 with huge cliffhanger
Dragon Bash
balancing patch
return of SAB
……
until july/august and we’ll get a x-patch (really, REALLY hope it will be sooner, say a few days after PAX or when it is announced @ PAX….)
You are forgetting about a possible WvW season that could pop after this LS. A WvW season takes 1 month and usually does not “run” in parallel with other events.
However, whatever it is, it must live up to the community’s expectations, because most of us are going 1000mph aboard the hype train… And an accident would be devastating, on both sides.
Stuff will never live up to the community’s expectations seeing as the community’s expectations are not really plausible.
My expectations seem quite plausible. New classes, weapon types for each class, permanent dungeons and new large zones (not a few tiny ones like silverwastes and dry top) etc.
Just because Anet refuses to make some actual content in reasonable amounts doesn’t mean it’s impossible for them to create it. They just won’t. Because they are living the dream. Make as much money as possible with as little effort as possible. And let’s face it, that’s the dream of every company, no, everyone.
Dear A-net: Please nerf rock. Paper is fine
~Sincerely, Scissors
Also one must give Anet personnel some credit, there is no way they discounted the fact this would be found and brought to light. This is a very, very strong indication of what’s to come whether it’s a paid expansion or a free expansion (my money is boxed) it is happening.
Vini, Vidi, Vici, Viridis…I came, I saw, I conquered…I got a green??
But if this is hinting about an expansion, part 8 will be the cliffhanger….
AND we’ll get a while doing nothing, As it would be dumb to make a big patch for balancing JUST before a expansion would be launched, then again, we’ll probably have
LS part 8 with huge cliffhanger
Dragon Bash
balancing patch
return of SAB
……
until july/august and we’ll get a x-patch (really, REALLY hope it will be sooner, say a few days after PAX or when it is announced @ PAX….)
You are forgetting about a possible WvW season that could pop after this LS. A WvW season takes 1 month and usually does not “run” in parallel with other events.
Keep in mind that this final episode might bring a huge grind that will keep us busy for a while as well. I’d hate for WvWvW season to start right after the Finale before I farm all of those silly organs and Bandit Crests needed for the last Luminescent skins
You are aware that most employees are probably not even up yet, right?
If we go the whole day (their time) without a word, I would agree, but right now they most likely haven’t even seen it yet.
Yes I know they may not even be up but there are in other countries where the game is so believe me when I tell you that if this was not a reality someone would be getting a phone call and they would squash this ASAP. This won’t be any normal backlash, it’ll be in every online site and would be disastrous to say the least.
The time of day is irrelevant. When Arenanet et al filed for a trademark, they knew word would get out almost immediately and will have already discussed when and if they should respond to hype.
Listen to Vayne and Wayne and others who are cautioning against the expectations inherently part of traditional expansions. Arenanet et al has been promising us something ‘like an expansion’ but not monetized as a traditional expansion for a while. Maybe ‘IT’ is finally ready.
“No! You can’t eat the ones that talk!
They’re special! They got aspirations.”
Finn the human
The time of day is irrelevant. When Arenanet et al filed for a trademark, they knew word would get out almost immediately and will have already discussed when and if they should respond to hype.
To be fair it did take several days before it got out.
It was filled on January 8th. That is almost a week ago.
Also one must give Anet personnel some credit, there is no way they discounted the fact this would be found and brought to light. This is a very, very strong indication of what’s to come whether it’s a paid expansion or a free expansion (my money is boxed) it is happening.
Paid = boxed in your post, right?
Retriever Iiat – Asura Engineer
Private retriever of runaway NPCs
Mistband[MIST] – PVP Training guild EU
Even though it was my suggestion that HoT will be the name for Season 2 to purchase, I am quite sure that this will not be the only thing they gonna announce at PAX.
I’m sorry but just how does this theory line up with what was said for Pax, “Living story was just the beginning” Purchasing LS2 with this name is still just living world so no I don’t buy that for one iota. Besides how badly do you think this would be received considering most got it for free and those that didn’t paid a much higher price than you’ve suggested earlier. Talk about serious backlash, this concept would be a PR nightmare.
Vini, Vidi, Vici, Viridis…I came, I saw, I conquered…I got a green??
Yes, I just see far too many positives to doing it this way, especially coupling it with the original game, it gets it out there for almost everyone who might be interested.
Vini, Vidi, Vici, Viridis…I came, I saw, I conquered…I got a green??
I think Heart of Thorns is a good title for LS Season 2.
So maybe, after the final chapter gets released, there will be a boxed bundle including all 8 chapters that players, who pick up the game after LS S2 finished can buy.
Instead of paying 150 gems for each episode, they can buy it for 800 gems or 10 bucks, if Anet decides to put out a box to put in stores (for extra visibility).
This is part of current speculation and it’s admittedly not necessarily a bad idea. I just don’t think that they would promote a large panel to announce content that players have already completed.
Maybe i missed it but how is trademarking Heart of Thorns in any way related to PAX?
My fault, this is speculation on my part that the PAX announcement will be GW2: HoT.
So they gonna announce GW2:HoT at PAX without being able to use the Logo until 8th of April?
Is this something that is a requirement of new trademarks? I know nGumball brought it up. Also if that’s the case, are they not allowed to use it for advertising purposes as well?
Not sure, but I don’t see why they couldn’t use it; just without the protection of trademark law.
“No! You can’t eat the ones that talk!
They’re special! They got aspirations.”
Finn the human
I actually hope it’s a campaign similar to what original Guild Wars did.
New players can pick it up with no need to worry about what order you need to buy them in, and they can start to level from there (this, of course, depends if it will be anything like the campaign from the original game) and it will also be an expansion for older players.
What are the odds that this is simply just the name for LS3? I’m not exactly sure why everyone immediately thinks expansion. If this does pertain to another physical release of some sort, then maybe it’s just a “boxed set” of a bundled LS1 & 2?
The thorns reference connects to plants which suggests Mordremoth. So, I haven’t seen anything referencing Mordremoth being apart of anything bigger than Maguuma Jungle, so I would have a hard time envisioning why this would be a “big traditional” expansion. Sure it’s more content, but including a small part of Tyria that we’ve already explored (GW1) I find it difficult to believe that we would get all of those things traditionally found in expansions for MMOs
However, whatever it is, it must live up to the community’s expectations, because most of us are going 1000mph aboard the hype train… And an accident would be devastating, on both sides.
- What expectations? It’s the same guys doing the same thing you’ve seen them do for 2 years already.
What are the odds that this is simply just the name for LS3? I’m not exactly sure why everyone immediately thinks expansion. If this does pertain to another physical release of some sort, then maybe it’s just a “boxed set” of a bundled LS1 & 2?
The fact that this is (as far as I can find) the first Trademark registration since the game was initially released would point more towards an expansion than just S3 (especially since none of the other seasons (or episodes) have been trademarked.)
The time of day is irrelevant. When Arenanet et al filed for a trademark, they knew word would get out almost immediately and will have already discussed when and if they should respond to hype.
Listen to Vayne and Wayne and others who are cautioning against the expectations inherently part of traditional expansions. Arenanet et al has been promising us something ‘like an expansion’ but not monetized as a traditional expansion for a while. Maybe ‘IT’ is finally ready.
I don’t care if it’s paid or not it will be a large expansion of content which is what most everyone has been clamoring for. I still believe it makes more sense to make it a paid boxed expansion primarily due to the potential for bringing in more new players and that I believe is what all the changes to existing content such as NPE was all about.
It may also be cheaper for those who already have the game such as a gem purchase format but all in all I believe it’s an expansion so either way I’m fine with it. I’m very anxious for Pax for the announcement but also so we can finally put all of this speculation to rest.
Vini, Vidi, Vici, Viridis…I came, I saw, I conquered…I got a green??
However, whatever it is, it must live up to the community’s expectations, because most of us are going 1000mph aboard the hype train… And an accident would be devastating, on both sides.
- What expectations? It’s the same guys doing the same thing you’ve seen them do for 2 years already.
Supposedly, yet “a part of the team” was working on a “background projet”. Myth? Reality? Poor excuses? I don’t know, it’s the first time in months I’m hyped about something new in GW2.
Many of us want more skills, weapons, races and classes. These are the expectations we have been told about months and months ago, yet we only got 9 new (useless and expensive) healing skills. So these are our expectations: what we have seen for the past two years is not the full potential of ANet. If what we had was the best they could do… I can make a better game on RPG Maker…
However, whatever it is, it must live up to the community’s expectations, because most of us are going 1000mph aboard the hype train… And an accident would be devastating, on both sides.
- What expectations? It’s the same guys doing the same thing you’ve seen them do for 2 years already.
These ’’lazy’’ guys were the ones who created the most commercially successful release since WoW.
What with the supposed trademarking of a new name, I admit I got a little hyped too, however, it soon struck me that this might aswell be a name for the bundle of Living World Season 2 episodes.
If anyone logs into the game and pops open their maps, and takes note of the area of Maguuma, it’s massive. Freaking massive. And if you look at the map of GW1 in that area, there’s many zones there. So far in this last LS, they gave us two half maps of zones – combined together they’re not even as big as Brisban.
Don’t forget they could release all of those zones at once. Also don’t forget, they could be holding off on new pvp maps and WvW updates for that expansion, should there be one. There’s really a lot they could do with it.
Well Anet stayed silent too long. If this isn’t an expansion they are going to have some major marketing fallout, and the game will suffer. Doesn’t matter what they intended or planned, or if the communities expectations are reasonable or not. They kept the community too content starved for too long, and now they are going to either have to deliver or pay the consequences.
What community? The loud internet community (forum made if the same 100 people who constantly post their anger?), reddit.community or the majority not part of any community?
As u know im pro. ~Tomonobu Itagaki
This is an mmo forum, if someone isn’t whining chances are the game is dead.
What are the odds that this is simply just the name for LS3? I’m not exactly sure why everyone immediately thinks expansion. If this does pertain to another physical release of some sort, then maybe it’s just a “boxed set” of a bundled LS1 & 2?
The fact that this is (as far as I can find) the first Trademark registration since the game was initially released would point more towards an expansion than just S3 (especially since none of the other seasons (or episodes) have been trademarked.)
" first Trademark registration since the game was initially released"
You mean LONG before the game released? Because the trademarks took place A LONG time before release i believe.
Retriever Iiat – Asura Engineer
Private retriever of runaway NPCs
Mistband[MIST] – PVP Training guild EU
I think Heart of Thorns is a good title for LS Season 2.
So maybe, after the final chapter gets released, there will be a boxed bundle including all 8 chapters that players, who pick up the game after LS S2 finished can buy.
Instead of paying 150 gems for each episode, they can buy it for 800 gems or 10 bucks, if Anet decides to put out a box to put in stores (for extra visibility).
This is part of current speculation and it’s admittedly not necessarily a bad idea. I just don’t think that they would promote a large panel to announce content that players have already completed.
Maybe i missed it but how is trademarking Heart of Thorns in any way related to PAX?
My fault, this is speculation on my part that the PAX announcement will be GW2: HoT.
So they gonna announce GW2:HoT at PAX without being able to use the Logo until 8th of April?
If they can’t use it till 8th of april.. We’re gonna be fighting mordre for a long kitten time ://///
You’re dumb. You’ll die, and you’ll leave a dumb corpse.
The Hype Train rolls on, fueled by tryhards who won’t be happy without an expansion, even though Living Story can deliver any amount of new content for free. They’ll keep hyping and hyping until the announcement, then blame ANet for not stopping them from looking like the idiots they are. After that comes the next wave of doomsday prophecies, then the “I’m quitting” posts, and in 6 months most of them will be right back here again.
“You’ll PAY to know what you really think.” ~ J. R. “Bob” Dobbs
What are the odds that this is simply just the name for LS3? I’m not exactly sure why everyone immediately thinks expansion. If this does pertain to another physical release of some sort, then maybe it’s just a “boxed set” of a bundled LS1 & 2?
The thorns reference connects to plants which suggests Mordremoth. So, I haven’t seen anything referencing Mordremoth being apart of anything bigger than Maguuma Jungle, so I would have a hard time envisioning why this would be a “big traditional” expansion. Sure it’s more content, but including a small part of Tyria that we’ve already explored (GW1) I find it difficult to believe that we would get all of those things traditionally found in expansions for MMOs
Season 3 could be the expansion Arenanet worked on. I am quite sure a season “Heart of Thornes” would drastically differ form season 1 & 2 in terms of story and the volume of delivered content. If the new season or whatever it is called is Arenat’s imagination of the dimension of LW they will extensively promote it with things like cups, shirts, plush toys, soundtracks, making-of-book etc. They want the logo for this marketing campaign to be registered as a trademark to prevent copycats.
