Guild Wars 2

Devata.6589:

Healix.5819:

New hair styles in the gem store is a perfect example of what people wanted out of the gem store – stuff that is purely cosmetic and doesn’t matter.

However, the hair shouldn’t be a part of the kit. What makes it slightly worse is that when the kit was first introduced, although they were unsure how it’d actually work (because it wasn’t final), they said that new kits may be released in the future and only those kits will have the new styles. For example, imagine there being 2013, 2014, 2015 etc, style kits, and if you want these hairs, you’ll need the 2013 kit specifically. That would also mean that any old kits won’t get you the new styles and all old styles would be eventually lost.

What they should be selling is “series 1 hair styles” that unlocks the hair styles for you account and comes with a free hair style makeover kit. On the character creation screen, these hair styles would be selectable but locked until purchased to let people know they’re there. A month from now, no new player is going to know about these hairstyles.

“New hair styles in the gem store is a perfect example of what people wanted out of the gem store – stuff that is purely cosmetic and doesn’t matter.”

Some people maybe. Clearly not all people as you can see in this thread.

They just need to put a barber in the game and I pay for that barber and the hairstyles with an expansion.

I like that solution. I played LotRO for a time, and I really enjoyed the barber services. Especially since it was done with in-game currency.

I understand that the company has to make money in a game with no subscription fee, and I can understand them doing that through various clothing and weapon skins, unusual hair/eye colors, and possibly tattoos and piercings in the future. Logically speaking, these are all things that characters in GW2 would need to obtain through some kind of service, like a tattooist. But normal, natural hairstyles? Why wouldn’t these be available to a character from the beginning? Is there some kind of mystical force preventing an Asura from putting her hair in pigtails until someone else does it for her?

I understand I’m nitpicking at logic in a game where a sentient plant-being can breathe fire at a centaur, but to me it seems like a disconnect in the design principle.

Not going to read through this whole thread which is probably just a lot of the same complaint repeated/people agreeing to the same complaint so this might be covered already.

To answer the topic question. I can think of two reasons.
1) Well this is obvious, ANet as a company must have a revenue. They’ve pretty much always said you will be expected to pay for cosmetics.

2) They would have gotten complaints either way.
If they had made it possible to select these new styles on new characters there would have been complaints about how it is unfair that they get fewer styles just because their characters were created earlier. Then there would be some demands for a free style kit for every character created before the update. Probably some more complaints with something about face slapping and how they really deserve the free kits since an older character means they’ve been supporting ANet for longer.

Now the obvious response to that is why can’t they give a free style kit for every character created before the update? However the answer would be fairly obvious too, these styles didn’t create themselves.

The AP chest for every 5k AP also includes a Total Makeover Kit and 400gems which would be enough to get a second one.

eisberg.2379:

Devata.6589:

Invisty.6435:

Crystin Cox is the responsible individual at ArenaNet, OP. She’s their monetisation manager or something like that. It’s basically her job to selectively slice up new features and make them only accessible to paying customers.

http://www.mmorpg.com/blogs/Meleagar/112012/24237_NCSoft-Sold-Arenanet-and-GW2-Out-For-Nexon-Investment

Then we know who imo is incompetent at her job. If it’s correct that you say.

Maybe or maybe not. Guild Wars 2 after the initial box sales, has been making more money per month then Guild Wars 1 ever did per month. If it stays like that, then that would mean she would be competent in her job.

If it stays that way and thats the big question because while I do believe this sort of tactic might work very well on the (very) short run I think it is mainly bad in the long run.

There has been a big discussion going on about that a few weeks ago with the living story (what is part of this tactic). It now seems that Anet is also changing there LS so you can wonder if there numbers are showing them that as well.

But like I said. I think multiple people are responsible for that. Not just one person. Thats something Invisty said.

Khisanth.2948:

Not going to read through this whole thread which is probably just a lot of the same complaint repeated/people agreeing to the same complaint so this might be covered already.

To answer the topic question. I can think of two reasons.
1) Well this is obvious, ANet as a company must have a revenue. They’ve pretty much always said you will be expected to pay for cosmetics.

2) They would have gotten complaints either way.
If they had made it possible to select these new styles on new characters there would have been complaints about how it is unfair that they get fewer styles just because their characters were created earlier. Then there would be some demands for a free style kit for every character created before the update. Probably some more complaints with something about face slapping and how they really deserve the free kits since an older character means they’ve been supporting ANet for longer.

Now the obvious response to that is why can’t they give a free style kit for every character created before the update? However the answer would be fairly obvious too, these styles didn’t create themselves.

The AP chest for every 5k AP also includes a Total Makeover Kit and 400gems which would be enough to get a second one.

Better read in the future indeed. Yes the hairstyles need to be created and Anet needs to make money. But they can do that with expansions and put stuff like this just in the game.

Devata.6589:

“I am not sure where the disconnect on the concept of paying for something you want comes from” and this line is just stupid as I have been saying I want expansions in about every comment here and guess what.. you need to pay for the,. So there is no disconnect on the concept of paying for something you want.

My apologies, this part was not directed at you. My attempt to format it as a separate paragraph failed. The point is a valid one though as people in this thread, which exists for the purpose of decrying not getting something for free, are complaining about just that…having to pay for something they want.

Resources were spent to produce the new cosmetic options. It is completely reasonable for there to be a price tag associated with attaining them. ANets approach is more than reasonable in that they allow one to potentially get these items by playing the game.

Ashen.2907:

Devata.6589:

“I am not sure where the disconnect on the concept of paying for something you want comes from” and this line is just stupid as I have been saying I want expansions in about every comment here and guess what.. you need to pay for the,. So there is no disconnect on the concept of paying for something you want.

My apologies, this part was not directed at you. My attempt to format it as a separate paragraph failed. The point is a valid one though as people in this thread, which exists for the purpose of decrying not getting something for free, are complaining about just that…having to pay for something they want.

Resources were spent to produce the new cosmetic options. It is completely reasonable for there to be a price tag associated with attaining them. ANets approach is more than reasonable in that they allow one to potentially get these items by playing the game.

No worries.

My issue here is not having to pay for it.. I am very willing to pay for it, I understand they have to make money it’s just the way you pay for it that does not fit my likings.

Basically I am here asking to pay for it because I simply don’t spend money on gems so if thats the way they keep going I won’t be paying anything. If they would change it to my liking I would come to pay much more.

Wait, you’re threatening that since you don’t pay money (ever, seemingly), you’re gonna stop paying money if they don’t give you something for free?

Nike.2631:

Wait, you’re threatening that since you don’t pay money (ever, seemingly), you’re gonna stop paying money if they don’t give you something for free?

No, he is saying that he is willing to spend money on the game if they offer something he is interested in buying.

How is that different than ANYONE else?

Giving up money that they’ve taken in now (loss of some number of all the sales that have already taken place by people willing to pay to use the new looks) to have instead hand out valued items for free as enticement in the hopes that people not buying stuff will buy something in the future (and some portion of the players will say that next thing should be given to them free to entice them ’til the next item they want arrives…) is a landslide into financial oblivion.

If the game isn’t good enough to make you stick around, them cutting their own throats over hairstyle kits sales is NOT the solution to player retention.

Nike.2631:

How is that different than ANYONE else?

Giving up money that they’ve taken in now (loss of some number of all the sales that have already taken place by people willing to pay to use the new looks) to have instead hand out valued items for free as enticement in the hopes that people not buying stuff will buy something in the future (and some portion of the players will say that next thing should be given to them free to entice them ’til the next item they want arrives…) is a landslide into financial oblivion.

If the game isn’t good enough to make you stick around, them cutting their own throats over hairstyle kits sales is NOT the solution to player retention.

I did not say that I agree with his position, merely that asking for the company to release something he considers worth buying is not the same as what you seemed to be saying.

Cash shops are here to stay. They have much greater earning potential (whether that potential is realized in a given game is something else entirely) than expansions due to repeat purchases.

That doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with a customer saying, “I won’t buy X, but I will buy Y.”

Its Arenanet, NCsoft with a touch of Nexon, really guy/gals.. how can people still get shocked over these companies greed.

Devata.6589:

eisberg.2379:

I do not see why it should be given for free at character selection /shrug. Getting mad at this reminds me of the several customers I had who were “disgusted” that we charged extra to hook up their DvD players and other devices to their TV, always stating to us it should be free since it is all related to their television.

I could understand being upset if it was a subscription game, but this isn’t a subscription game.

Well maybe many people want it to be a B2P game like GW1 was. And thats why they are mad about this. I don’t care about this in particular. I am mad about this bad behavior in general. If it is this thing with the hair or the LS or the mini’s or the presents for gems or P2W items like finite coin for SAB and, gold driven system and so on.

Just let me pay for expansions if you want my money and stop this sort of things. If I like that I would have gone for a F2P game that also did not charge money for the initial game.

perfectly pointed, one of the reasons I think GW2 is a let down…

I saw OP’s post as “Gimme free stuff”.

knives.6345:

I saw OP’s post as “Gimme free stuff”.

+1

Invisty.6435:

http://www.mmorpg.com/blogs/Meleagar/112012/24237_NCSoft-Sold-Arenanet-and-GW2-Out-For-Nexon-Investment

I’m sorry but that article is a load of tosh. GW2 is very far from being a pay2win game as claimed there.

As someone who happened to get a Total Makeover kit in a recent BLC, I gotta say I’m pretty stoked you can only get those exclusive hairstyles through it. My character is significantly more unique than everyone else now. Female sylvari dreads? yes please!

250 gems really is not a lot of gems or gold, and it helps fund future content.

No one in GW1 had an issue with new and cross-expansion hair and skin colors being offered for a small fee later on, I don’t know why people are getting so angry about this, of all things. If it was 800 gems, sure. But 250? That’s a couple RL dollars.

Sylv.5324:

250 gems really is not a lot of gems or gold, and it helps fund future content.

No one in GW1 had an issue with new and cross-expansion hair and skin colors being offered for a small fee later on, I don’t know why people are getting so angry about this, of all things. If it was 800 gems, sure. But 250? That’s a couple RL dollars.

I think requiring any amount of money is unacceptable for some people. I don’t really understand it. My only guess is that those people don’t have access to credit cards and/or have no in-game gold to convert. (i.e. children or people with poor money management skillz—L2RL)

Yeah. But the 250 gem fee is accessible to folks who can’t afford to buy them with real monies.

Draknar.5748:

Sylv.5324:

250 gems really is not a lot of gems or gold, and it helps fund future content.

No one in GW1 had an issue with new and cross-expansion hair and skin colors being offered for a small fee later on, I don’t know why people are getting so angry about this, of all things. If it was 800 gems, sure. But 250? That’s a couple RL dollars.

I think requiring any amount of money is unacceptable for some people. I don’t really understand it. My only guess is that those people don’t have access to credit cards and/or have no in-game gold to convert. (i.e. children or people with poor money management skillz—L2RL)

LOL Loved it!

Seriously, if you’re like, 15 or whatever, and lack a CC or something…go outside and kittening work for 10 bucks. I know that outside thing is scary, but suck it up.

Nike.2631:

Wait, you’re threatening that since you don’t pay money (ever, seemingly), you’re gonna stop paying money if they don’t give you something for free?

No I did pay for the game and I am willing to pay for the expansions. I do not pay for a cash-shop and I don’t like the bad influence the cash-shop focus has on the game.

Like I said I am basically asking to let me pay for it. So how you come to your conclusion that I want it for free because I would not pay for it anyway is a little strange.

I browse the forums these days and I’m reminded of the words of Veruca Salt:

I want the world,
I want the whole world.
I want to lock it all up in my pocket
It’s my bar of chocolate
Give it to me now!
I want today
I want tomorrow
I want to wear them like braids in my hair and I don’t want to share them
I want a party with roomfuls of laughter
Ten thousand ton of ice cream
And if I don’t get the things I am after
I’m going to scream!
I want the works,
I want the whole works!
Presents and prizes and sweets and surprises in all shapes and sizes,
And now!
Don’t care how I want it now!
Don’t care how I want it now!

It’s not just the hairstyles or the colors. It’s the wanting of all of the things.

Ashen.2907:

Nike.2631:

Wait, you’re threatening that since you don’t pay money (ever, seemingly), you’re gonna stop paying money if they don’t give you something for free?

No, he is saying that he is willing to spend money on the game if they offer something he is interested in buying.

That something being an good expansion that also includes the things we now see in the gem-store because they generate money that way.

Nike.2631:

How is that different than ANYONE else?

Giving up money that they’ve taken in now (loss of some number of all the sales that have already taken place by people willing to pay to use the new looks) to have instead hand out valued items for free as enticement in the hopes that people not buying stuff will buy something in the future (and some portion of the players will say that next thing should be given to them free to entice them ’til the next item they want arrives…) is a landslide into financial oblivion.

If the game isn’t good enough to make you stick around, them cutting their own throats over hairstyle kits sales is NOT the solution to player retention.

The problem was that you did read my comment but not the quotation in that comment. Because then you would have known I was talking about en expansion. And if you would have read a little more of the comments here you would have known I don’t like how the gem-store focus has an imo bad influence on the game itself.

And it was that very thing that my comments where about, it was not about “hairstyle kits sales” itself. I just came here because it’s just one of those thinks that are part of the gem-store focus. I myself for example think an ingame barber would be much better for the game. But with a focus on a gem-store thats not going to happen as they need to make money.

Draknar.5748:

Sylv.5324:

250 gems really is not a lot of gems or gold, and it helps fund future content.

No one in GW1 had an issue with new and cross-expansion hair and skin colors being offered for a small fee later on, I don’t know why people are getting so angry about this, of all things. If it was 800 gems, sure. But 250? That’s a couple RL dollars.

I think requiring any amount of money is unacceptable for some people. I don’t really understand it. My only guess is that those people don’t have access to credit cards and/or have no in-game gold to convert. (i.e. children or people with poor money management skillz—L2RL)

While I don’t think your posts are directed at me as I am asking to pay for it but in a other way I wanted to react because of this “My only guess is that those people don’t have access to credit cards and/or have no in-game gold to convert. (i.e. children or people with poor money management skillz—L2RL)”.

Because I always have the feeling that people who spend a lot of money on cash-shops are poor with money management skillz—L2RL. It are those poor management skills F2P companies work on.. ‘you know what.. create a sense of urgency and they will be triggered to spend money they else would not spend’. BTW, kids and people without CC can get gem-cards in shops. Kids just ask there parents to pay I think. So no thats not the issue for many people here.

In this case, it’s not a lot of money. You can drop ten dollars on the game, and get a haircut kit for yourself, another for the sweetie (you can gift these), and have 300 gems to spare.

Folks will spend much much more on movie tickets, cable, takeout, whatever, so I don’t see why the minimum cost of a gem purchase (10$) is suddenly so upsetting.

Devata.6589:

Nike.2631:

Wait, you’re threatening that since you don’t pay money (ever, seemingly), you’re gonna stop paying money if they don’t give you something for free?

No I did pay for the game and I am willing to pay for the expansions. I do not pay for a cash-shop and I don’t like the bad influence the cash-shop focus has on the game.

Like I said I am basically asking to let me pay for it. So how you come to your conclusion that I want it for free because I would not pay for it anyway is a little strange.

I disagree with you on the feeling that the gem store has bad influence on the game. What I see is the content designers making content, and then the Gem store people making Gem store stuff that is related to the content. My feelings are that content we have been given every 2 weeks would be same with or without the gem store.

Have to kinda agree with the lameness of this. Even from the microtransaction point of view it really doesn’t work.

• We are told there will be no variety, and then variety is added for a cost.

We learned recently that there are no new classes coming. There are no new races coming. The majority of new skin sets since launch have been locked behind atrocious RNG. Each living story gives us +1 or more new back items, but we only have one back per character. So now new hair styles are added, which is the first addition to character creation we have seen in long time I think, and its a post new character screen gem purchase.

I have no particular problem with “premium” styles or colors as the occasional exception. But when we know there is no character creation variety coming any time soon, or even actively being developed on the side, not every character customization option should be gem locked.

• New characters means more money

The idea that they have to charge for hair styles to pay the bills doesn’t hold water. A new character means more bag slots, potentially more bank slots, more infinite harvesting tools, possibly salvage device, possibly dye packs, more gold needed overall so more temptation for G2G conversion. Many people with altaholism like to have “all the things” on each of their characters. And some things (like infinite harvesting and max bag slots) are just too handy to NOT have on each character. It just doesn’t make sense at all for the long tail of the game to discourage fresh character creation in favor of a quick sale.

In closing, this is an un-anet like decision that is not player friendly and lends towards quick cash-in rather than design practicality and forward thinking. It has Nexon reek all over it. I can only assume Ms Crystin Cox was behind the decision.

AcidicVision.5498:

We learned recently that there are no new classes coming. There are no new races coming.

When did they announce that? Can you link to me Anet saying there will be no new classes or races, I missed that annoucement/interview/blog post/forum post.

eisberg.2379:

AcidicVision.5498:

We learned recently that there are no new classes coming. There are no new races coming.

When did they announce that? Can you link to me Anet saying there will be no new classes or races, I missed that annoucement/interview/blog post/forum post.

Look up the Mike O’Brian one year press releases and Colin Gamescom interviews. They were asked directly about new classes and said they feel “the classes they have cover all bases and archtypes” and they were asked about new races and said “its something we will look at eventually but not in development now”.

All their eggs are in the living story basket. Its emphasis is modifying what is there instead of giving us something 100% new or reasons to create alts.

eisberg.2379:

Devata.6589:

Nike.2631:

Wait, you’re threatening that since you don’t pay money (ever, seemingly), you’re gonna stop paying money if they don’t give you something for free?

No I did pay for the game and I am willing to pay for the expansions. I do not pay for a cash-shop and I don’t like the bad influence the cash-shop focus has on the game.

Like I said I am basically asking to let me pay for it. So how you come to your conclusion that I want it for free because I would not pay for it anyway is a little strange.

I disagree with you on the feeling that the gem store has bad influence on the game. What I see is the content designers making content, and then the Gem store people making Gem store stuff that is related to the content. My feelings are that content we have been given every 2 weeks would be same with or without the gem store.

Well we can agree to disagree about that then. I do agree that it could be the same and then it would be imo just as bad but they then have a option while now they really don’t. They need to generate income so if they don’t focus on expansions they need to get there income from the gem-store.

Now let me just show some examples of what I see as bad behavior and I also see as related to this gem-store focus.

Gold-driven system.. gold is imo to important in this game. I want to be able to go out in the world to get the items I need there, but farming for gold works better, however is for me less fun. A very gold driven system however means there is a bigger reason to buy gem to convert to gold. (You see my connection here).

Mini’s. I like (well in other mmo’s) to collect mini’s. Do dungeons, find them in the open world or in a few cases even farming the hell out of one type of mobs and even NPC’s all over the world that sell them. You have a reason to go to them and you even get a connection because you remember them (WoW example because most people here will know that. The snake selling NPC in the back of Orgrimmar that walks up and down the road. I remember him only because he tunred out te be selling snakes) In GW2 there are only a limited amount of mini’s in the open world but many in the gem-store. And then there where mini’s in RNG boxes you could buy in the gem-store and so on. They know some people want mini’s and they need to make money so they put them in the gem-store. Once again you see the connection I am seeing.. even if you do not agree.

Now this hairstyle for example. Personally I don’t care that much about them. I have some transfer kit in my bank and won’t be using it but I do think this game would be a better game if there would be barbers in the game where you can change your hair and some new hair-styles ones in a while would be a nice addition to that. Of course they focus on gem-sales so they need to make money on the hair so no barber where you go all the time and sometimes notice new haircuts. No, gem items that allow me to change my hair.

I could go on with more of these examples but I think you get the picture. Now you might disagree that it would be better but you might understand where I am coming from.

The whole ‘But it’s not P2W’ does not work for me. P2W is an issue for the PvP part but what ‘winning’ is for PvP is the ‘fluff’ for PvE.

I don’t like F2P game for the reasons stated above. I don’t like P2P because of a timer over my head and so the main reason for me to go for GW2 was because there name (with GW1) with B2P as it’s that system that I like the most. I am willing to pay expansion but I don’t want to see these sorts of F2P tactics in the game.

Mathias.9657:

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

Still trying to determine how this is so much worse than Anet locking cross campaign looks behind the makeover kit in GW1. People were fine with that…. but suddenly a similar thing here isn’t? At least here, you can convert gold to gems and get it, in GW1 there is no such thing. It’s fork over $10 or gfy….

Yeah, I wonder why no one cared in GW1. I wonder.

Because it wasn’t a big deal. $10 wasn’t/isn’t an outlandish amount to spend, and people didn’t mind supporting the game, which was what the entire point of the store was.

It’s no different here, honestly. Heck, with the gold to gems conversion, you don’t have to spend a penny if you so choose, which makes it that much easier on some (that don’t have the disposable income).

Devata.6589:

Draknar.5748:

Sylv.5324:

250 gems really is not a lot of gems or gold, and it helps fund future content.

No one in GW1 had an issue with new and cross-expansion hair and skin colors being offered for a small fee later on, I don’t know why people are getting so angry about this, of all things. If it was 800 gems, sure. But 250? That’s a couple RL dollars.

I think requiring any amount of money is unacceptable for some people. I don’t really understand it. My only guess is that those people don’t have access to credit cards and/or have no in-game gold to convert. (i.e. children or people with poor money management skillz—L2RL)

While I don’t think your posts are directed at me as I am asking to pay for it but in a other way I wanted to react because of this “My only guess is that those people don’t have access to credit cards and/or have no in-game gold to convert. (i.e. children or people with poor money management skillz—L2RL)”.

Because I always have the feeling that people who spend a lot of money on cash-shops are poor with money management skillz—L2RL. It are those poor management skills F2P companies work on.. ‘you know what.. create a sense of urgency and they will be triggered to spend money they else would not spend’. BTW, kids and people without CC can get gem-cards in shops. Kids just ask there parents to pay I think. So no thats not the issue for many people here.

Wanted to confirm that comment was not directed at you. And I will also concede that those that spend “a lot” of money on cash shops could have poor money management skills, but “a lot” is a relative term and hard to define. Someone that makes 50USD/hr may feel spending $50/mo in cash shop as insignificant, versus someone that makes 8USD/hr, but I digress.

Having to leave your computer to get something that can easily be obtained while not having to leave your computer is a huge deterrent. I’m curious how many people actually go to the gem store, see something they want, then leave their house (or ask their parents to leave their house) to go to a store (which may or may not be close) to purchase a card in order to get that item. I really do feel it is prohibitive to the point of uselessness, but technically YES people or children without CCs could still purchase gems, but in a completely horrible time consuming, possibly money losing way (if it takes $10 in gas to get to and from the store to use a $10 gem card, is it really worth it?)

Devata.6589:

No I did pay for the game and I am willing to pay for the expansions. I do not pay for a cash-shop and I don’t like the bad influence the cash-shop focus has on the game.

Gold-driven system.. gold is imo to important in this game. I want to be able to go out in the world to get the items I need there, but farming for gold works better, however is for me less fun. A very gold driven system however means there is a bigger reason to buy gem to convert to gold. (You see my connection here).

Mini’s. I like (well in other mmo’s) to collect mini’s. Do dungeons, find them in the open world or in a few cases even farming the hell out of one type of mobs and even NPC’s all over the world that sell them. You have a reason to go to them and you even get a connection because you remember them (WoW example because most people here will know that. The snake selling NPC in the back of Orgrimmar that walks up and down the road. I remember him only because he tunred out te be selling snakes) In GW2 there are only a limited amount of mini’s in the open world but many in the gem-store. And then there where mini’s in RNG boxes you could buy in the gem-store and so on. They know some people want mini’s and they need to make money so they put them in the gem-store. Once again you see the connection I am seeing.. even if you do not agree.

Now this hairstyle for example. Personally I don’t care that much about them. I have some transfer kit in my bank and won’t be using it but I do think this game would be a better game if there would be barbers in the game where you can change your hair and some new hair-styles ones in a while would be a nice addition to that. Of course they focus on gem-sales so they need to make money on the hair so no barber where you go all the time and sometimes notice new haircuts. No, gem items that allow me to change my hair.
[/quote]

Im not disagreeing with the idea that arena nets handling of how they put content in the game is sometimes poor, but im not sure how related it is to the gem store. The problem is you see gems as real money items, when in fact they are a mix. You can get gems with gold, so what gems become, is a different type of currency, whose value is based on the desire people have for a few select goods. You can think of it like, japanese yen, if you want to buy some things, you can only get in japan, you have to change your dollars to yen, and how many dollars you get is based on the percieved value of japanese items versus the percieved value of american items.

The real point of my explanation is, it doesnt really matter if some people can buy these items with real cash, as long as you can change gems to gold. (As long as the ratio in earnings doesnt go crazy) You do get a situation where people with vast quantities of ingame money may be setting your prices, but this is not different than normal, the most wanted items in an mmo, are often determined by the people with the most gold.

Now the real issue i believe is two fold, i agree with you, this game is extremely gold centered, almost everything in the game can be achieved through gold, and those that cant, usually have a tie in to gold. This does benefit the cash shop, but the biggest benefit comes simply because in this game, even minus the gem shop, gold has value. Its value is fairly stable, and time spent earning gold therefor has real value, This means people want in game gold. The problem is, while its a really strong in game economy, it makes a lot of content feel meh. When you analyze it, your usually better off farming than doing anything yourself.

The other facet, and i think this is the big problem, anet has been really bad at putting their new content in the game world in a fitting and interesting way. I dont think this is really tied to gems, they seem to be missing the middleman between the content designers and the world/lore people. Most of the content added after release is thrown in without much context or world interaction. Why is there dragonite/ empyreal/ bloodstone bricks? what does it represent? What do these new ascended items represent? are they just a better made sword, or a mystically imbued item? like you say, why arent certain barber npc hidden throughout the world. This is not a gem issue, such npcs could charge gems(less gems than bltc for the inconvience) and be heart like npcs, who only style you if you meet certain conditions, and if the dynamic events are in a certain state.

tldr:
gems to gold arent the real problem
anets new content tends to fail at being an rpg
gem store or not, most new additions are very poorly connecting and developing the world.
whether they make an expansion or not isnt the real issue, they need to get better at delivering content.

This shouldn’t shock anyone. I mean have you see how many people have made posts demanding a retrait option free of charge and anywhere (except maybe spvp, tpvp and inside dungeons). Now they release a gem item to do that. A once free option in gw1, has now become a gem store commodity.

Will it upset people? Yeah

Will people buy it? Yeah…

Same applies to the new hair styles. People will buy it regardless, no matter how upsetting it is to some (or many).

phys.7689:

tldr:
gems to gold arent the real problem
anets new content tends to fail at being an rpg
gem store or not, most new additions are very poorly connecting and developing the world.
whether they make an expansion or not isnt the real issue, they need to get better at delivering content.

I would edit that previous comment as part of my comment looks like your comment. Makes it hard to read.

Back to the point. We already came to the conclusion that we did not agree about if the gemstore FOCUS (and I really mean the focus, not the gems themself) is to blame. I think it is you think it isn’t.

Yes they could put a barber in the world that charges gems but that would make it feel even more F2P like. And while you might expect a haircut at a barber ingame to cost 15 silver if he would be asking gems you would be paying more in the line of 15 gold? Now what I want to see is a barber that cut my hair for 15 silver (not just a barber). Do I have this game then I ,for example, have 10 options to pick from. I do not see anything else. Would I have the (not yet existing) expansion I would see for example 20 options.

I paid the game, development, and so on with box sales not with gems and because Anet gets the money that way in stead of from gems they can put that sort of stuff in there in stead of selling it for gems. Really how much fun is it to change your hair every two weeks it it would cost you 15 gold every time.

I would see the mini’s in the game not in a shop and so on.

But in the end yeah you don’t think that sort of thinks are because of a gem-store focus I do think it is.

I think it’ll be hilarious when they send out one free hairstyle kit per account to people who bought gems in the last 2 months…

NinjaEd.3946:

This shouldn’t shock anyone. I mean have you see how many people have made posts demanding a retrait option free of charge and anywhere (except maybe spvp, tpvp and inside dungeons). Now they release a gem item to do that. A once free option in gw1, has now become a gem store commodity.

Will it upset people? Yeah

Will people buy it? Yeah…

Same applies to the new hair styles. People will buy it regardless, no matter how upsetting it is to some (or many).

True the down hill road of this game is even more the fault of those people then from the companies behind it. But still the company has multiple options.

But at least those people got a kite of shame for it and mini’s of shame and if it’s up to Nike a hairstyle kit of shame. To bad they don’t give them a really unique item like a gem-logo above there head.

If you think I’m feeling shame over giving money to people who entertain me, you’re tragically wrong .

Nike.2631:

If you think I’m feeling shame over giving money to people who entertain me, you’re tragically wrong .

Woo I like it!

Edit: Sans the boots. Don’t like the boots haha. And which gloves are those?

LanfearShadowflame.3189:

Woo I like it!

Edit: Sans the boots. Don’t like the boots haha. And which gloves are those?

The boots are actually part of the leggings – I’m just wearing low human T1 shoes to not cover them up . The gloves are from the same set as the chest and pants. The Shoulder is actually the obscure piece – only drops in personal story I believe, but it’s not that easy to see it from that angle.

Nike.2631:

If you think I’m feeling shame over giving money to people who entertain me, you’re tragically wrong .

I don’t. I am pretty sure those people would be extremely proud of the gem over there head.

About the picture. I do like the hair.. not the flower and I also do like the kites. Thats not the issue.

I’d take it as a little icon next to my name like world completion but on the other side: “Hi, I am the guy paying for your free content. Enjoy.”

Have it expire 30 days after your last gem purchase.

Nike.2631:

I’d take it as a little icon next to my name like world completion but on the other side: “Hi, I am the guy paying for your free content. Enjoy.”

Have it expire 30 days after your last gem purchase.

Only 30 days? And maybe the color can change if you spend more how about that?

Of course “Hi, I am the guy paying for your free content. Enjoy.” is what you think when you see it. Thats fine!

You must understand that if I see that for me it says “Hi, I am the guy helping this game going downhill. Enjoy!”

But I guess you did get that.

Place it on the suggestion page. I will support it! I think this one might even have a change of being put in seeing at Anet’s behavior.

Devata.6589:

Nike.2631:

I’d take it as a little icon next to my name like world completion but on the other side: “Hi, I am the guy paying for your free content. Enjoy.”

Have it expire 30 days after your last gem purchase.

Only 30 days? And maybe the color can change if you spend more how about that.

Of course “Hi, I am the guy paying for your free content. Enjoy.” is what you think when you see it. Thats fine!

You must understand that if I see that for me it says “Hi, I am the guy helping this game going downhill. Enjoy!”

But I guess you did get that.

Place it on the suggestion page. I will support it!

I’d think of it as “Hi! I’m the guy who has no idea how an MMO should be in reality and have nothing better to do except swipe my credit card multiple times every 2 weeks.”

Skan.5301:

Devata.6589:

Nike.2631:

I’d take it as a little icon next to my name like world completion but on the other side: “Hi, I am the guy paying for your free content. Enjoy.”

Have it expire 30 days after your last gem purchase.

Only 30 days? And maybe the color can change if you spend more how about that.

Of course “Hi, I am the guy paying for your free content. Enjoy.” is what you think when you see it. Thats fine!

You must understand that if I see that for me it says “Hi, I am the guy helping this game going downhill. Enjoy!”

But I guess you did get that.

Place it on the suggestion page. I will support it!

I’d think of it as “Hi! I’m the guy who has no idea how an MMO should be in reality and have nothing better to do except swipe my credit card multiple times every 2 weeks.”

Yeah thats the nice thing about it. Everybody reads it in his own way. Everybody is happy.

Skan.5301:

I’d think of it as “Hi! I’m the guy who has no idea how an MMO should be in reality and have nothing better to do except swipe my credit card multiple times every 2 weeks.”

As opposed to what? “I’m the guy that thinks artists are supposed to live on photosynthesis and churn out the pretties for free”?

I KNOW what an MMO should be in reality: a money making venture. Because if you don’t make money, you turn the lights off. Its a JOB for these people not a public service. I’ve enjoyed (many) monthly sub MMOs, right up to the point where they don’t deliver what I feel is and average $15 of service per month, and frankly none of them seem interested in reinvesting in their product enough to maintain that standard. So the world has moved on to micro transactions, and I at least have the certainty that everything I’ve ever bought from ANet has been logged in a database that tells them what they are doing right enough for me to pay them for it.

Draknar.5748:

Devata.6589:

Draknar.5748:

Sylv.5324:

250 gems really is not a lot of gems or gold, and it helps fund future content.

No one in GW1 had an issue with new and cross-expansion hair and skin colors being offered for a small fee later on, I don’t know why people are getting so angry about this, of all things. If it was 800 gems, sure. But 250? That’s a couple RL dollars.

I think requiring any amount of money is unacceptable for some people. I don’t really understand it. My only guess is that those people don’t have access to credit cards and/or have no in-game gold to convert. (i.e. children or people with poor money management skillz—L2RL)

While I don’t think your posts are directed at me as I am asking to pay for it but in a other way I wanted to react because of this “My only guess is that those people don’t have access to credit cards and/or have no in-game gold to convert. (i.e. children or people with poor money management skillz—L2RL)”.

Because I always have the feeling that people who spend a lot of money on cash-shops are poor with money management skillz—L2RL. It are those poor management skills F2P companies work on.. ‘you know what.. create a sense of urgency and they will be triggered to spend money they else would not spend’. BTW, kids and people without CC can get gem-cards in shops. Kids just ask there parents to pay I think. So no thats not the issue for many people here.

Wanted to confirm that comment was not directed at you. And I will also concede that those that spend “a lot” of money on cash shops could have poor money management skills, but “a lot” is a relative term and hard to define. Someone that makes 50USD/hr may feel spending $50/mo in cash shop as insignificant, versus someone that makes 8USD/hr, but I digress.

Having to leave your computer to get something that can easily be obtained while not having to leave your computer is a huge deterrent. I’m curious how many people actually go to the gem store, see something they want, then leave their house (or ask their parents to leave their house) to go to a store (which may or may not be close) to purchase a card in order to get that item. I really do feel it is prohibitive to the point of uselessness, but technically YES people or children without CCs could still purchase gems, but in a completely horrible time consuming, possibly money losing way (if it takes $10 in gas to get to and from the store to use a $10 gem card, is it really worth it?)

Or save the gas and go to Amazon. Your call.

Nike.2631:

Skan.5301:

I’d think of it as “Hi! I’m the guy who has no idea how an MMO should be in reality and have nothing better to do except swipe my credit card multiple times every 2 weeks.”

As opposed to what? “I’m the guy that thinks artists are supposed to live on photosynthesis and churn out the pretties for free”?

I KNOW what an MMO should be in reality: a money making venture. Because if you don’t make money, you turn the lights off. Its a JOB for these people not a public service. I’ve enjoyed (many) monthly sub MMOs, right up to the point where they don’t deliver what I feel is and average $15 of service per month, and frankly none of them seem interested in reinvesting in their product enough to maintain that standard. So the world has moved on to micro transactions, and I at least have the certainty that everything I’ve ever bought from ANet has been logged in a database that tells them what they are doing right enough for me to pay them for it.

Hello wake up!!! I already said many many many times I want to pay for that stuff with an expansion. Not that I want it for free. So if somebody is negative about gem-sales it does not mean he wants it for free.

Anet mainly sees what tactics work best on you to get them to buy items. You have not paid anything for Southsun or fractals or any other expansions. You paid for some items so no they don’t see what you like they see what marketing techniques work best on you. And they also don’t see what other people want or if you will stay with them for a long time or are gone a year from now.

When you place that suggestion will you give me a link.