Guild Wars 2

Vieux P.1238:

Palador.2170:

So, let’s ask the real question: If grind sells over there, and not over here, then which way will ANet go?

Where are you getting your facts at? It has bin proven that grind sales as well over here if not only there. WoW is not the only game to have proven that.

Maybe I should have replaced “grind” with “massive, soulcrushing grind”, but I think you still get the idea.

Not sure if anyone read the linked articles, but this might shed some light on what may transpire:

….there were positives in the form of margin improvements under the circumstances. On the Q3 call, management acknowledged that key title Guild Wars 2 wasn’t performing as it expected, but added that it was actively working with the game developer to make adjustments. Prior to its release, challenges associated with its new gameplay and licensing model were known, and it seems that despite upfront efforts, there is more work ahead. The game is still early in its lifecycle, and considering efforts thus far, discounting the game so soon after release seems premature.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/2713005-kongzhong-q3-fy2014-results

You all have to remember that KongZhong runs numerous games, if they think the hardware would make more money allocated to another game or another new game to handle the surge, then it’s what’s best for them.

It was pointed out in an article about China gaming that the individual player wants, needs to show off to others how much superior they are to the next player. So IMO a game like Guild Wars 2 where the basic design is for co-op gameplay isn’t the best environment for a gaming population where “keeping up with the Jones’” and flaunting you’re wealth is SOP.

No Cantha. No Crystal Desert.
Anet will focus now on pleasing Asians.

inb4 prO KOrean MMO

Hopefully this will make NCSoft realise they need to loosen the reigns and just let ANet call the shots.

ANet’s design policy of PvP equality negates one of the eastern market’s biggest incentives to play games (ie, the ability to become superior to others through a grind/money spending).

Eastern MMO market =/= western MMO market, this is why “globalised” games never do well across the board. Different markets want different things, and the servers for those markets should cater to that, not try to generalise everything (And alienate one of the markets, as seen here).

Give china their grind, let western servers keep the current play.

ANet made their own agreement with KongZhong and not with the company NCSOFT went with for their Korean made MMOs like Lineage, AION and Blade & Soul.

Undeniably China is a large MMO market and it’s foolish to ignore it … as long as your game doesn’t change all that much to accommodate them. Don’t forget the the original Guild Wars had a significant presence in Asia in those early years of the game including PvP tournaments. So it’s only logical that a release in Asia for GW2 was always planned, once the game established itself in NA/EU.

i think some people forget that whilst there is a huge population in china there is only a portion of that population living above the poverty line.

and the fact that they have other games that are more tailored to their liking then gw.

and above all things forgotten is the fact that khongzong is doing the development of the china version of the game little input is allowed from arena net due to china law.

Zaklex.6308:

3 million copies sold at release in China, we don’t know the number since then or how many are still active…

You mean 1+ million copies, right?

Kami Poi.4659:

and above all things forgotten is the fact that khongzong is doing the development of the china version of the game little input is allowed from arena net due to china law.

Except that Anet are developing the Chinese version (KongZhong is a publisher). Why do you think the VIP system was datamined in our version of the game, or they had a break in the living story leading up to the release of the Chinese version?

rapthorne.7345:

Hopefully this will make NCSoft realise they need to loosen the reigns and just let ANet call the shots.

They should have realised this long before and didnt do it. Why would they do it now?

Maybe China was angry that there was no cantha!

Seriously tho, the Chinese market probably does want more of a grind.

I don’t see how gw2 can ever have the amount of content required to play in that sort of space. I wouldn’t want them to introduce any vertical grind either…

I just hope gw can survive without China.

If Anet is so much focused on China and contribution there – many examples of their focus there has been proved with in-game development and changes – then sure, I’m for it.
Le abandon NA/EU go for Asia.

I read on reddit that chinese game market is nearly idependent from western publishers and a lot of scummy practices take place there to nickel and dime their players. In short kittenty publisher can ruin even the best game, and in china kittenty is the standard when it comes to that.

this tell us one thing….
too casual mmorpg doesn’t work that good :’D

Knowing Asia MMO market and experience from the GW2 launch, first few months – exodus because of the lack of content or things to do, what made Arena Net think that GW2 can be successful in China?

ZeftheWicked.3076:

I read on reddit that chinese game market is nearly idependent from western publishers and a lot of scummy practices take place there to nickel and dime their players. In short kittenty publisher can ruin even the best game, and in china kittenty is the standard when it comes to that.

OH! if you read it in Reddit.. it must be true…

lordkrall.7241:

Every single game ever released have a diminishing user base from the moment it is released.

False statement. WoW actually had it’s peak in their 2nd expansion. They are currently experiencing another peak almost as large with their current expansion. I’m sure other games have released and then picked up in popularity as time went on. Look at EQ for example it ramped up in popularity until WoW came out and has still maintained a small following to this day. Good games release and then expand for a few years. They don’t release and then immediately start a decline. Another example League of Legends. Don’t think because GW2 released and then plummeted that is the norm for the industry because it is not at all how successful games work.

Fernling.1729:

I just don’t think the game is grindy enough for it to really take off in China. Especially when it comes to power progression. I could be wrong, but it seems like that’s the type of game that works out well there.

Ohh it’s grindy enough. The problem is the Chinese like to be rewarded for their grind. The game is definitely not rewarding enough for the grind it has.

Vlad Morbius.1759:

You know honestly the most amazing thing in all of this, GW2 had the most successful launch in gaming history and this will be the legacy they’re going to be left with if they don’t a miracle out of that studio in the next few months. Who would have thought we’d be here in August 2012, it would be laughable if it wasn’t so sad.

“The most successful launch in gaming history” which somehow doesn’t take in to account that WoW outsold in 24 hours of the EXPANSION launch GW2’s entire game launch. Nevermind that there are a multitude of non MMOs that sell a lot more then GW2 will ever hope to sell. But somehow this “most successful launch” keeps being brought up but when you look at the numbers they don’t ever match the title.

lordkrall.7241:

LucosTheDutch.4819:

That is assuming a diminishing userbase is something normal and expected.

Every single game ever released have a diminishing user base from the moment it is released.

There is minecraft, runescape, WoW, Eve online, LoL, Starcraft, Hearthstone and many more that had an increase in userbase from the moment it was released.

McSlappy.1372:

lordkrall.7241:

Every single game ever released have a diminishing user base from the moment it is released.

False statement. WoW actually had it’s peak in their 2nd expansion. They are currently experiencing another peak almost as large with their current expansion. I’m sure other games have released and then picked up in popularity as time went on. Look at EQ for example it ramped up in popularity until WoW came out and has still maintained a small following to this day. Good games release and then expand for a few years. They don’t release and then immediately start a decline. Another example League of Legends. Don’t think because GW2 released and then plummeted that is the norm for the industry because it is not at all how successful games work.

I agree with Mcslappy & lots of his points if not all of them. Anet missed out on allot of opportunities to make Gw2 the champion MMO that it should be. & as much as you guys, i hate to say it cuz somewhere i do have love for this game. & like you, i wanted it to over succeed so much that i dint stop believing that it would even surpassed WoW. But it has failed. It failed me, it failed it’s players & no matter what they do as of now, this game will end up with only a small loyal community as player base. You dont believe me, wait 12 month & prove me wrong!

lordkrall.7241:

LucosTheDutch.4819:

That is assuming a diminishing userbase is something normal and expected.

Every single game ever released have a diminishing user base from the moment it is released.

And you pulled these facts from where, exactly ? In NA we didn’t hear about mergings until a good year and a half had passed. Megaservers was a great way to conceal dominishing numbers. How ever China has reached this point within six months. That’s a troubling sign.

For MMOs I would imagine from sources like MMO charts. There’s normally an upsurge for 12-18 months followed by the decline. Also if you look at video games in general, there’s always the initial surge in players followed by a decline as they move on to another game. Name a PC or console game released two years ago with the same size or larger playerbase. Video games are marketed as a consumable, you get you 10-20 hours and move on.

WoW is it’s own beast but it simply took longer before the decay started although the recent expansion shored it up again.

Vieux P.1238:

…this game will end up with only a small loyal community as player base. You dont believe me, wait 12 month & prove me wrong!

Thing is all they have to do is say “Ya, well, my guild is still here and (because of the mega server system) I never see empty zones. This game is doing just fine!” and hand wave away criticism.

Megaserver was a genius move to be honest. They side stepped the sticky issue of consolidating servers and made it almost impossible to notice the true population density of the game (in either direction).

WvW could still be potentially used as a test but Anet has ignored it for so long and pvpers make up such a small portion of MMO’ers I doubt it’s very indicative of true population levels.

Vieux P.1238:

McSlappy.1372:

lordkrall.7241:

Every single game ever released have a diminishing user base from the moment it is released.

False statement. WoW actually had it’s peak in their 2nd expansion. They are currently experiencing another peak almost as large with their current expansion. I’m sure other games have released and then picked up in popularity as time went on. Look at EQ for example it ramped up in popularity until WoW came out and has still maintained a small following to this day. Good games release and then expand for a few years. They don’t release and then immediately start a decline. Another example League of Legends. Don’t think because GW2 released and then plummeted that is the norm for the industry because it is not at all how successful games work.

I agree with Mcslappy & lots of his points if not all of them. Anet missed out on allot of opportunities to make Gw2 the champion MMO that it should be. & as much as you guys, i hate to say it cuz somewhere i do have love for this game. & like you, i wanted it to over succeed so much that i dint stop believing that it would even surpassed WoW. But it has failed. It failed me, it failed it’s players & no matter what they do as of now, this game will end up with only a small loyal community as player base. You dont believe me, wait 12 month & prove me wrong!

You do realize people said the same thing about WoW?
Not that it can’t happen but you sound too confident.

i hope server merge will come sooner to NA/EU.

come on ANET. less maintenance for you, better WvW experience for everyone. everybody happy.