Guild Wars 2

If Anet is sticking to their “expansion focus” new business model then it is fair to assume that they will come out with a new expansion on an annual basis.

In 2015 our focus predominantly shifted away from live updates and toward our first expansion. In 2016, we aim to provide a more balanced focus, which will see efforts divided equally between providing regular updates and working toward the next expansion.

In the future, we plan to offer all of the prior expansions, the core game, and the latest expansion for one single purchase price.

Hot was released Oct of last year, meaning if they stick to a annual release schedule, then a new expansion will arrive at Q4 of 2016 or maybe Q1 of 2017.

Either way, will gw2 get into the mess of “buy GW2 expansion #2 and get expansion #1 FREE” mess again (that will upset old players) or will Base + Expansion #1 be free because gw2 expansion #2 is worth the $50? Are you looking forward to the next expansion? What kind of business model do you think it should be adopted in the next expansion?

You may be a little bit wrong assuming yearly releases of expansions.

To my knowledge, Arenanet has never said when the next expansion will be released. So speculating as to when HoT will be “free” is sort of pointless until we have a release date for another expansion.

As far as a business model, you quoted their plans. If you buy expac #2, expac #1 and core game come along with it.

Also, HoT will not be free. It will require purchasing the next expansion.

Garambola.2461:

Also, HoT will not be free. It will require purchasing the next expansion.

if this is true, then old players will feel betrayed again because they are subsidizing the cost for the new players. If Anet think the new expansion will be worth another $50 by itself, then it should be standalone, with the EXP #1 being free because its part of their “vision” to not block entry for newer players behind a paywall.

Sky.7610:

Yargesh.4965:

You may be a little bit wrong assuming yearly releases of expansions.

When they shift attention from living story to expansion, it took them 1 year to produce HoT. Is it not fair to assume they will replicate that?

Yes, except they already stated LS3 and WvW are the next big content focuses. So they haven’t switched attention to an expac yet. They might well be laying early seeds for it through LS3, but an expac wont be this year. At best we may get announcement before the year is out, although perhaps more likely we will hear this time next year.

Anet have been known to change direction year on year. How 2016’s quarterly system works for them will be the depending factor. They have already stated workload balance is their biggest challenge and they are hoping this system will work better for them and consequently us.

Randulf.7614:

Sky.7610:

Yargesh.4965:

You may be a little bit wrong assuming yearly releases of expansions.

When they shift attention from living story to expansion, it took them 1 year to produce HoT. Is it not fair to assume they will replicate that?

Yes, except they already stated LS3 and WvW are the next big content focuses. So they haven’t switched attention to an expac yet. They might well be laying early seeds for it through LS3, but an expac wont be this year. At best we may get announcement before the year is out, although perhaps more likely we will hear this time next year.

Anet have been known to change direction year on year. How 2016’s quarterly system works for them will be the depending factor. They have already stated workload balance is their biggest challenge and they are hoping this system will work better for them and consequently us.

They said they are dividing teams for expansion and living updates(which would fall onto your category). I put the official source on the first post already.

I do remember Anet said something about a annual exp schedule for a report to shareholders. Let me see if i can find the source. But given that we know they have the capacity to release annual expansions, I suspect the next one isn’t as far away as one would suspect. An announcement of an expansion prior to release for HoT is only a few months.

maybe, but just like precursor crafting might be postponed for a looong time.

or…..

next expansion don’t necessary mean you can visit Hot area.

I’m expecting an expansion about every 2 years, not every year.

Work on HoT was about a year and a half if I remember correctly, not 1 year (i.e. development started after release of the Chinese client in may of 2014).

Nah. Definitely not this year.

Whether it’s this year, next, or whenever, the statement you quoted does not mean HoT will go to the PFF model. It states that if someone buys Heart of Frost (or w/ever it will be called, they also get core and HoT free. ANet has so far not said what you are saying.

PFF is essentially a trial period to entice the free player to buy. If XPac 2 also includes core/HoT, it’s an even better value than buying HoT is now for a new adopter. The free trial does not have to include HoT to make it a free trial.

Now, could I be wrong? Yeah, sure. If they do include HoT in PFF, my guess is it would be to generate more population in the HoT zones when vets move on.

lol i doubt it
more like when another xpac comes it will likely be bundled with HoT and the core game

optimally id like to think we would hear of a new xpac before the end of this year but i wouldnt expect it till at least next year

First of all it’s not a controversial business model for an MMO. Not when you want players to be able to play together and not force new player to buy all the previous editions just to play the expansion. This isn’t the old campaign model of GW1.

Second, don’t you think ANet realizes the negative consequences of establishing this bundling of previous with releasing expansions too quickly. You want players to buy the current version for as long as possible. So they will be building on what HoT laid the groundwork for to make HoT more attractive to those who didn’t bite.

Third, “working toward the next expansion” doesn’t mean all hands on deck. As a matter of fact the whole gist of their post was about a balance approach to developing because it was obvious to everybody that the last year and a half was all about the expansion or aspects of the expansion like specializations getting pushed out before the expansion. So they are starting the ground work for the next expansion. Like establishing a better story, ideas for new masteries and specializations. What kind of new critters you could find? And while that is going on we’ll be getting new raids, new legendaries, new LS, return of annual events, possibly new events.

But your post came off as “Don’t Buy HoT” which would hurt ANet. And the only reason someone has for hurting ANet is that you don’t like something they did. So yes, it’s a post to induce controversy by starting a rumor to keep players who have yet to upgrade or buy HoT outright. This isn’t about discussing, this is trying to punch ANet in the wallet because you are unhappy. Unhappy about the folding in of the core game or some change that HoT imposed but you are trying to slap the game down.

Sky.7610:

When they shift attention from living story to expansion, it took them 1 year to produce HoT. Is it not fair to assume they will replicate that?

They were working on it long before we heard about it. However, even if they could replicate it, it’s unclear if they will.

• Can they sell enough additional units of Expac 1 (HoT) in its second year? Then better to wait to release Expac 2.
• They put GW2 in an unfortunate state during most of 2015, with no ‘bridging content’ between LS2 and HoT, which had a lot of negative impacts from which the game hasn’t fully recovered (people got into routines, got bored, found other things to do, had time to complain, lost focus from the story, etc.). In their shoes, I wouldn’t put HoT development on hold to release expac2 more quickly.
• They are still trying to kitten the reception of HoT; it’s only been out a few months.

You are probably correct that they’ll make HoT F2P shortly before Expac 2 goes on sale, since it will (in effect) be free for new owners. My guess is that the lead time on F2P will be more like 3-4 weeks before the expac goes life.

So 2016 seems very unlikely to me for F2P. 2017 seems possible. If I had to bet, I’d put my money on early 2018.

After reading Mortifer’s response below, I think that’s the more likely scenario: F2P for core; each expac includes the previous. (Or they can also go with the GW1 model, where the expacs offer different elites, different zones, and different masteries.)

1. Free to play = Central tyria, always.
2. Expansion areas = purchase needed
3. Each new expansion is bundled with previous expansions for 1 price

To be totally honest it wouldn’t bother me either way. It really just doesn’t cost enough to care to be honest. If I wanted to wait for the next free release since they were public about the schedule it would be fair game too.

No hidden gimmicks here to be mad about even if it were the way you were claiming it is.

Mortifer.2946:

1. Free to play = Central tyria, always.
2. Expansion areas = purchase needed
3. Each new expansion is bundled with previous expansions for 1 price

Actually, that seems more plausible than making Magus Falls and elite specs part of F2P.

Sky.7610:

If Anet is sticking to their “expansion focus” new business model then it is fair to assume that they will come out with a new expansion on an annual basis.

In 2015 our focus predominantly shifted away from live updates and toward our first expansion. In 2016, we aim to provide a more balanced focus, which will see efforts divided equally between providing regular updates and working toward the next expansion.

In the future, we plan to offer all of the prior expansions, the core game, and the latest expansion for one single purchase price.

Hot was released Oct of last year, meaning if they stick to a annual release schedule, then a new expansion will arrive at Q4 of 2016 or maybe Q1 of 2017.

Either way, will gw2 get into the mess of “buy GW2 expansion #2 and get expansion #1 FREE” mess again (that will upset old players) or will Base + Expansion #1 be free because gw2 expansion #2 is worth the $50? Are you looking forward to the next expansion? What kind of business model do you think it should be adopted in the next expansion?

To help the kids out there, the average price of an expansion is 40-60 in an AAA mmo, and most modern mmo give access to older content free when buying an expansion – which ofc makes perfect sense. No different to you buying a music album now, then seeing it offered free in a compilation a few years later, or same for a game in Steam.

Sky.7610:

In the future, we plan to offer all of the prior expansions, the core game, and the latest expansion for one single purchase price.

I see here that they plan similar thing as with HoT – core+hot+whatever-the-name-will-be for 50-150euros (with prepurchase) but you’ll get core and hot “free”…

After seeing how they handeled core game "free"+HOT without slots (basic 4 slots that came with core game doesnt count – its like saying i was beated to a pulp and it was very relaxing massage after landing on intensive care) as a bundle for 50euros or as a prepurchase with a one single toon slot for even more cash AND no option for players already having core game (which is a scam – paying twice for the same stuff is scam and HOT was not even close to be worth that 50 euros) was a Richard move from their side.

I hope that when it will come to the next SEASON PASS (expansion contain’s whole content, a thing that is added over time is a season pass) they won’t do it again, but…

I would not be surprised with the same exact scheme…

If they’ll do then i won’t pay, hell i’ve not even payed for HoT – got it as a gift from a friend – 50 euros for so little content as for me ain’t worth more then 20 euros.

Probability is that when they’ll do suck Richard move again, i’ll stop it for good – its enough that EA, Dice, Activision like to bamboozle people ANet shoud be better then those kitten companies but time will tell…

I’d really hope they do this! It will keep the game going and make it easy for new people.

All this stufd about “betraying” those of us that bought it before it went free is nonsense! We paid to have the content much earlier and by making it easy for new players they are really just protecting our investment.

I want to be playing this game for years to come, if Anet wants to keep the game marketable to new players then I am more than happy.

All that actually says is what they plan. They plan to do that. That doesn’t mean that’s what will happen.

FlashAhAhh.4307:

I’d really hope they do this! It will keep the game going and make it easy for new people.

All this stufd about “betraying” those of us that bought it before it went free is nonsense! We paid to have the content much earlier and by making it easy for new players they are really just protecting our investment.

I want to be playing this game for years to come, if Anet wants to keep the game marketable to new players then I am more than happy.

This.

The way I see it, I paid for the core game and I played it for 3 years already before HoT was added. Already got my money’s worth of gameplay and I was more than happy to buy HoT as well, even if new players got both the core game and the expansion for the same amount of money. If they do the same with any new expansions, I don’t mind at all.

You can’t play HoT unless you have the core game as well and they need to lure in new players anyway to keep the game healthy.

A way to do it would be xp1, xp2, xp3 (xp1 becomes free), xp4, xp5 (xp2 becomes free), xp6, xp7 (xp3 becomes free).

Sky.7610:

Garambola.2461:

Also, HoT will not be free. It will require purchasing the next expansion.

if this is true, then old players will feel betrayed again because they are subsidizing the cost for the new players. If Anet think the new expansion will be worth another $50 by itself, then it should be standalone, with the EXP #1 being free because its part of their “vision” to not block entry for newer players behind a paywall.

I do not think the free core game is subsidized by old players, I purchased HoT for 50 dollars, but when i was free to play I didn’t have access to the TP or gem store. Even when I upgraded I began at a serious disadvantage to those who had been playing the game all along. I had to catch up. The Living Season updates did not come with HoT, and there are masteries gated behind it. In order to get those masteries I had to buy them, you got those masteries for no additional charge.

As much as I’d like to have annual expansions, it sounds a bit too optimistic for me. I’m predicting another expansion comes out late 2017 if they really do want to add other content while working with the expansion. HoT took like a year of development while we got almost nothing in the meantime.

There were talk about first expansion 2 years ago, and Anet release the expansion in 3 years.

So the next expansion might take longer than expected.

It will come this year cause it’s easy to make 4 zones in crystal desert (no complex jungle) and OP elites and all other legendary weapons and put a price tag of 45€.

They simply dont care about veterans because it’s f2p game so anyone can come and quit, there will be always new ppl to play gw2 until it bankrupt in 2,3 years like wildstar.

You are not really getting anything free, except for playtime.

Doesn’t matter how the devs cut it because you still pay for the xpac. We are going to pay X regardless. The devs are not going to itemize each pack for $5 bucks each as some of you may hope. And no, we are not going to get the xpac for free because we paid for stuff before.

There is nothing wrong with bundles, it just makes more sense to do it that way. Doing so helps to populate old zones because players will have access to them. Most players who bought hot will be on the new maps so you don’t want mostly ghost towns populated with only the ones that purchased a particular access pac.

Also, it’s easy to spend $50-$100 going out one night and $5 per day on coffee, the prices for games are extremely reasonable considering the amount of entertainment you can get out of these products.

Save spare change if you need, you have a year wait anyway. Just be grateful there is not a monthly fee if you are that worried about prices.

Edit- assuming we get more elite specializations with a new xpac, it will probably require the unlocking of previous elites so players will want all those hero points from hot zones. That would be another reason to bundle it.

Free with new expac is nothing new it’s rather the norm these days for an MMO

However HoT might become F2P even before that if the numbers continue to plummet

Expansions with as much content as HOT every year would be insane. I highly doubt that though, probably every 2-3 years.

You likely will not see any hints of an expansion until next year.