Guild Wars 2

This new product Anet has released has certainly caused debate in both on the forums and more personally my guild. An idea arouse from a discussion with some of my guild mates that would both lower the backlash over this new product and allow anet to make sales off this new idea that they have had that provides an item bonus to gathering activities.

There is really no reason for a digital product to be viewed as obsolete because of the release of another new product. It is upsetting to some players that this product is perceived to make previous products obsolete. While there is nothing wrong with introducing new products, there is no reason for a digital item to make previous items obsolete by releasing one that performs the same function as the previous with a additional bonus costing the same amount of gems. This causes buyers remorse no matter if that remorse is justified or not.

To be blunt, the backlash and the call for removal of this bonus is in part because many have spend an equivalent amount of gems (gold or cash sourced) on a product that did not have this inherit bonus, and have no means to obtain this bonus independently except buying arguably the same product again. This is poor marketing in my opinion, and my solution would be inclusive to people that have already purchased gathering products.

I think a better approach to market this new idea would be to update all previous unlimited gathering tools to have a empty upgrade slot, and sell the bonus as a separate product. Then you can sell themed permanent gathering tools while making the item bonus a separate product all together for players to customize their gathering tools with various bonuses. I believe this will give more confidence in the player-base as a “fair” product as it does not make their previous gathering tools obsolete. Players would feel comfortable with purchasing the bonus knowing that they have the option to change their upgrade or buy another empty slot permanent gathering tool entirely to have access to multiple bonuses.

I think this new product is a great idea in the terms of production of supply and price control on a time sensitive resource but was implemented very poorly. I hope this suggestion is taken to heart, as I would like to see products described above.

One part of the argument is that people are upset that their previously-purchased tools are now worse by comparison to this new one.

The other part of the argument is that no matter if its this one single tool or all the unlimited tools, it still gives the unlimited tools an inherent advantage over normal tools. Its no longer just convenience over never having to buy another tool, now you actually have a tangible advantage over players who don’t want to buy the unlimited ones. You buy an unlimited tool, you get bonus loot. You don’t want to spend the cash or high in-game gold for the conversion, you don’t get that.

Your solution only solves half the problem. Unless they give the PLAYER an upgrade slot instead of the tool, that way all players can apply that upgrade to themselves and get bonus loot whether they have a normal tool or an infinite one.