Guild Wars 2

As far as I am aware, both NCSOFT and Arena Net are both game designers, while NCSOFT have funded games, they are still game developers which is explained as such:

“NCSOFT is a South Korea-based online, video and mobile game development company that has produced Lineage, City of Heroes, WildStar, Guild Wars and Aion.” (I know wiki is not the best place to gather information, but was quick, and this is a gw2 discussion forum).

As far as I am aware both these companies can not even touch the price tag, they hire business consultants to decide price, am I correct on this assessment? If any Business Class/school graduate/student could inform me it would be great, pure guesses is fine as well I guess.

(My main question is because I did not get why everyone where so mad at a game designer company, as it seems they can not touch the price at all, and would of course not just dodge the bullet or re-direct it…since it would be cheesy. That is simply not their area, I have seen a document about other game companies like meat boy who only created the game, the selling price/showcasing is not decided by any designers, this was granted a small group of people, so might be different “rule set”…..I just cant see how a designer can touch a price in a cooperation this big……Again, if I am absolutely wrong about this, please say so).

I’m no businesseer, but NCSoft sounds like they acquired Anet at some point and helped to fund it? Consequentially, they probably tell Anet how much to charge. I’m thinking of it along the lines of stocks where your stock owners tend to have a say in how you may do things(???).

NCSoft might not directly develop GW2, but it sounds like they did help fund it and have that kind of power. Not necessarily affecting the way the game is developed.

Anet seems like they get a lot of hate here for the Unbalancing Update and HoT pricetag, among other things. Not to equip tinfoil to head, but I wouldn’t be surprised if individuals in the company agree with the player base but other influences (their bosses, NCSoft investors, time itself) prevent them from getting absolutely everything perfect. MMOs are also enormously complex and having some design/programming experience, I don’t really think they deserve as much hate as they get. Especially if we don’t know where their deadlines and constraints are specifically coming from.

tl;dr – ramble: NCSoft may have games they directly develop, but that might not be the case for GW2 which is developed directly by Anet. Probably.

NCSOFT bought ArenaNet in 2002 but as a wholly own subsidiary. ArenaNet is still a stand alone company but it’s income statement, balance sheet and cash flow is counted as part of NCSOFT.

As its own company ANet went to a different 3rd party for it’s China release rather than use the ones NCSOFT used for it’s own developed properties. It also hired it’s own ad agency for GW2’s launch in NA/EU rather than use the one NCSOFT had used in the past. It also corrected NCSOFT on two occasions when they suggested in an investor’s conference call that an expansion was coming in 2013 and again when they suggested in 2014. But that doesn’t mean their owners can’t exert any influence over them. There is a rumor that all NCSOFT can do directly, based on a provision when they bought it, is sell the company and IP off back to its management. Everything else is a suggestion.

Back in January a stock analyst that followed NCSOFT reported that the expansion in 2nd half of 2015 would sport a $50€ price tag. Where they got that information, insider or a guess based on WoW style expansions, is unclear. Because of that there is the rumor that the price was mandated by NCSOFT. I certainly would be happier with a $30 price but who wouldn’t (besides those who wanted it for free or bought with gems converted from gold).

yeah the shareholding seems to be in play, but as far as I am aware, each business have hired some Business Consultants to keep price flowing, regarding hate towards a game developer company…………it seems like the only hate any game company can get, is if the game itself is flawed, I do not see how a designer, whether it’s Mike O’Brien of A-Net…..
I would never protect under normal circumstances NCsoft, they seem to be rather……shady about every move they do out of HQ (Head Quarters, Korea). But we have seen this kind of things multiple time, the difference corporations that work in a different way, or is holding western corporations in a leash because they of course work in a different way, a very known cooperation would be Nintendo..

http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/NCsoft-Reviews-E23242.htm

http://global.ncsoft.com/global/aboutus/ncci.aspx

But screaming at any game developer for Business actions……seems weird to be honest.

Price is always decided on multiple factors, from cost of production to expected sell through, to market positioning. There are probably people in the company who specialize, they won’t have to go outside to a consultant most likely. Of course, people can make mistakes too.

There’s a lot that goes into make a decision like the price of an expansion. It’s a pretty complex calculation.

Consultants can advise a business what to do. They don’t make decisions for businesses. Businesses can accept their recommendations, but are in no way bound to do so. No business would abrogate their decision-making power to an outsider. Ever.

#formerconsultant

IndigoSundown.5419:

Consultants can advise a business what to do. They don’t make decisions for businesses. Businesses can accept their recommendations, but are in no way bound to do so. No business would abrogate their decision-making power to an outsider. Ever.

#formerconsultant

Consultants cannot make businesses do X, but the shareholders, principle companies, and Board members of said company can. And all 3 of those affect Anet with GW2 pricing.

The price was decided on before Jan8th. Jan8th is when a financial report was released saying the expansion would sell for 2,000,000 copies with an estimated profit being in the 100,000,000’s. If you do the math that is 50~ each.

Chances are, NCsoft is who made this price static and it was sometime in 2014 before that report was released. And it was probably done via a principle vote (Majority Share holders + Board members).

I know about this cause I work for a privately held company that does business with a publicly traded company who sits on our Board as member. And that Publicly traded company tries to get us to do things all the time (lets call it compliance) and we never have to follow them as we are own entity(majority holders). But if we were publicly traded we would have to follow such compliance if they came down from the top (Share holders + Board directors)

Its really no different with what happens with Anet, since they are completely owned by NCSoft.

Well i’m glad i only payed 43 euro’s. Closer to gw1 expansion price