Guild Wars 2

The Dragon Bash started on june last year. And this is an annual event, so you shouldn’t hope too much concerning that…

Then we will have the Bazar of the 4 Winds and then the Scarlet Queen’s party =D

Gaia Orunitia.5794:

The Dragon Bash started on june last year. And this is an annual event, so you shouldn’t hope too much concerning that…

Then we will have the Bazar of the 4 Winds and then the Scarlet Queen’s party =D

Probably this, but it looks like they may at least be taking it back to its Canthan roots a bit more!

Shew.6827:

FOLKS,

that_shaman data-mined some Canthan items. Whether they’re for Dragon Bash or Cantha-related, or both, we don’t know, but time to refresh this hype!

I’m actually going to go with it being related to Zephyr Sanctum.

Zephyr Sanctum wasn’t Asian-themed that much, was it? (can’t check, wiki’s down)

Plus, there are the Canthan ships…

No it wasn’t. But yeah, just to make Shew happy, let’s say that maybe the Dragon Bash will introduce Cantha (It would be nice ^^)

VergilDeZaniah.3295:

Zephyr Sanctum wasn’t Asian-themed that much, was it? (can’t check, wiki’s down)

Architecture-wise, it had some East Asian flairs, but nothing directly connected to Cantha.

Shew.6827:

VergilDeZaniah.3295:

Zephyr Sanctum wasn’t Asian-themed that much, was it? (can’t check, wiki’s down)

Architecture-wise, it had some East Asian flairs, but nothing directly connected to Cantha.

Yeah but not as striking as these discoveries (as far as I remember)… Maybe I’m too hyped about it, but I like to keep my hopes up high

As stated on reddit:

Beginning at 49.15: he is creating new musics for LS2, and he is flying to a “faraway land to record exotic music”
http://www.twitch.tv/guildwars2/c/4223496

VergilDeZaniah.3295:

Zephyr Sanctum wasn’t Asian-themed that much, was it? (can’t check, wiki’s down)

Plus, there are the Canthan ships…

Zephyr Sanctum had quite a bit of Canthan-inspired architecture.

The ship
The market

TheDaiBish.9735:

Zephyr Sanctum had quite a bit of Canthan-inspired architecture.

The ship
The market

Indeed but for example this ship looks way more Canthan than anything released during ZS

VergilDeZaniah.3295:

TheDaiBish.9735:

Zephyr Sanctum had quite a bit of Canthan-inspired architecture.

The ship
The market

Indeed but for example this ship looks way more Canthan than anything released during ZS

The Bloodtide Coast loading screen also has a ship similar to that though

Loading Screen

TheDaiBish.9735:

The Bloodtide Coast loading screen also has a ship similar to that though

Loading Screen

… Forgot about that one, my bad

Aaand we have our answer, Festival of the Four Winds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qQcd5INJI8

Too bad :/ I’m sad now…

They refuse to take our money. There is nothing we can do.

Hello !
Hope this thread doesn’t offend anyone because I’m gonna talk about Cantha outside of the Cantha tread.

So China has recently welcomed Gw2 with open arms. The chinese players will be able to experience Gw2 like us, play like us but ALSO feel like us, and a feeling that will soon be shared across the seas will be the need for an expansion. We’ve discussed in the past about the fact that Cantha was a problematic expansion to do because of the mix of asians cultures wich is regarded as a bad thing for some asian players. But what if the asian players want Cantha anyway ? What if all China’s players want Cantha ? Would they have the will to go beyong their cultural separations ?

I think that the main thing that blocked Anet to do Cantha is that there was no existent approval to do this expansion in Asia. Maybe China’s launch was a huge setting stone to get this approval, both of the asian players but also and more importantly of NCSOFT ! Think about it… Money ! (And dreams of infinite beauty for those who care)

In the bazar of the 4 winds trailer we can clearly see asian stuff. Before this update the asian influence was not this explicit. Does this mean that Anet are free of their shakles and can now freely put asian-inspired stuff in guild wars ? Including Cantha ?

I thought it was the opposite.

Anet probably had plans/negotiations way before NA/EU launch with kongzhong about releasing GW2 in China. One of the conditions for releasing this was making sure future content would be culturally/socially respectful to customs/laws in China. I assume the inclusion of Cantha in future GW2 content would violate this, which is shown through the removal of the Cantha district in DR.

I’m with Vol, for the most part regarding this. I have a feeling that Cantha was nixed because of the China plans, which would have been in negotiation during the making of the game. China is very touchy about how their culture is represented, and Cantha… well, as it was represented in GW1, I could see them taking issue with it.

That doesn’t mean we won’t ever see Cantha. It just means that if they ever do add it, it will be distinctly different if they want to be able to market it to their Chinese player base.

Solution: Cantha has changed radically due to changes caused by awakening dragons. Now it is more culturally sensitive. :-)

psyt.9415:

None of this crap makes any sense. There is Pandaria, Age of Wusu, Silk Road, Blade and Soul and a whole host of F2P Asian themed titles for which there is no public outrage. Pick one Asian style and stick with it, if that’s the issue. Something doesn’t add up here.

Create the continent in the style of Zephyr Sanctum even.

None of that matters, are any of those games NCSoft games besides Blade and Soul, which is a martial arts/anime-based game.

What about the big stink that occurred when TERA was released in the NA/EU market? There was one race, the ELIN which people were up in arms about because people stated that only pedophiles would play that race because of the underwear showing on a character that looked like a little girl. There are different sensibilities on each side and one really does not have all the information – it is all conjecture right now.

If it bothers NCSoft, A.Net has to pay attention to it.

It’s not so much that Cantha had Chinese themes in it. It was more that Cantha had a mix of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese themes mixed together…which probably bothers a lot of peeps over there. Historically, they don’t get along very well.

I just don’t understand why, when this very thing existed in GW1, and there were east-Asian players, that it was not an issue.

What changed?

Judging on the models that were mined (a lot of which are visible in the new Zephyr Sanctum trailer) I think they’re putting more chinese inspired architecture/content into the game and sort of trying to hint at the possibility of Cantha.

It would not be difficult for them to bring Cantha back at all, provided they make the main influence Chinese, which it for the large part already was, so i think the changes to the Sanctum are an indication of good things to come.

Also, as to those speculating that Arenanet would have been in talks with KongZhong for along time – it’s highly unlikely. A Chinese publisher wouldn’t really have been willing to talk to a Western developer without a decent indication that the game had sold well. My personal belief is that their negotiations with KongZhong began quite a bit after launch.

Go KongZhong, make Cantha happen

I really hope Anet adds cantha and elona again , i have so much good memories about them and im most likely not the only one.

Definitely was hoping to eventually see Cantha in GW2, and frankly, I don’t see why anyone at a corporate level would be against more opportunities to squeeze longevity (and potentially money) out of players.

Andred.1087:

Definitely was hoping to eventually see Cantha in GW2, and frankly, I don’t see why anyone at a corporate level would be against more opportunities to squeeze longevity (and potentially money) out of players.

As has been already pointed out numerous times there were concerns raised about the cultural representations of Cantha and how they corresponded to real world cultures. You have to keep in mind that the company that own Arenanet and publishes GW2 is an Asian company.

FlamingFoxx.1305:

Andred.1087:

Definitely was hoping to eventually see Cantha in GW2, and frankly, I don’t see why anyone at a corporate level would be against more opportunities to squeeze longevity (and potentially money) out of players.

As has been already pointed out numerous times there were concerns raised about the cultural representations of Cantha and how they corresponded to real world cultures. You have to keep in mind that the company that own Arenanet and publishes GW2 is an Asian company.

I guess, but surely they can find a way to do it right, instead of throwing it out altogether (if that is indeed what has happened). Lots of players really want to see some Cantha action, and GW2 has certainly had no quams about representing almost every other ethnic group in some way or another. Dredge, Hylek, Grawl, the list goes on and on.

Granted, I have no idea how they would work the other 4 races into a continent that has been almost exclusively inhabited by humans for centuries, but it’s not like they’ve never shoveled up a heap of B.S. to explain something before.

Shockwave.1230:

Has the potential art for the Echovald Forest been discussed in this thread?

Such potential! I loved the eery dark gothic feel it had, I’m realizing how strange that statement is. It was such a unique an interesting area in Guild Wars. Maybe a more gothic Pale tree could be there!!!

One of my all time favorite regions in a computer game.

Koreans got kittened when they saw Chinese culture next to theirs in a fake world. NCsoft wants their money more.

Andred.1087:

Definitely was hoping to eventually see Cantha in GW2, and frankly, I don’t see why anyone at a corporate level would be against more opportunities to squeeze longevity (and potentially money) out of players.

Andred.1087:

FlamingFoxx.1305:

Andred.1087:

Definitely was hoping to eventually see Cantha in GW2, and frankly, I don’t see why anyone at a corporate level would be against more opportunities to squeeze longevity (and potentially money) out of players.

As has been already pointed out numerous times there were concerns raised about the cultural representations of Cantha and how they corresponded to real world cultures. You have to keep in mind that the company that own Arenanet and publishes GW2 is an Asian company.

I guess, but surely they can find a way to do it right, instead of throwing it out altogether (if that is indeed what has happened). Lots of players really want to see some Cantha action, and GW2 has certainly had no quams about representing almost every other ethnic group in some way or another. Dredge, Hylek, Grawl, the list goes on and on.

Granted, I have no idea how they would work the other 4 races into a continent that has been almost exclusively inhabited by humans for centuries, but it’s not like they’ve never shoveled up a heap of B.S. to explain something before.

Absolutely there is some way of getting Cantha into GW2 and when Anet feels that it’s fine for us to go there I am certain we will and it will be great

It is a game. It is not real life. It takes inspiration from real life, just like all art. If anyone gets upset from tasteful artistic inspiration, they need a reality check, as this does not affect them in any way, shape or form.

Art is being censored.

Now look at which 2 countries are involved. China and Korea.

Do not let dictatorships censor art as well as information.

I made a drawing of Kuunavang in the jade sea:D
it took me more than 1 hour to create this

thaooo.5320:

It is a game. It is not real life. It takes inspiration from real life, just like all art. If anyone gets upset from tasteful artistic inspiration, they need a reality check, as this does not affect them in any way, shape or form.

Art is being censored.

Now look at which 2 countries are involved. China and Korea.

Do not let dictatorships censor art as well as information.

Be very careful when you’re posting about real world cultures. You’re liable to upset someone. South Korea is not a dictatorship, neither is China. China is run by a communist party, but that’s a different story, socialism has it’s own disadvantages and advantages, same as any other system. Also Korea is a pretty awesome country and as far as I am aware there is no bizarre censorship going on there – North Korea of course is a different story, but they don’t even come into the equation since we don’t have contact with them and nobody releases games there.

Art is often censored, it’s kind of a reality of the world we live in. And just because we view how things should be in a certain way, doesn’t mean that everyone or every country views it the same.

Running to Kaineng Center 1k gold per spot, payment must be sent prior to the run

MithranArkanere.8957:

Winecandy.1530:

Main theme of Guild Wars Factions
(probably not the first post with it)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMvcglKzCgE

I believe I’ve posted once or twice.

The music is one of the main reasons I loved Cantha. And why I want at the very least some refugees and exiles coming from Kaineng now that the orrian boats are scattered, after Zaitan’s defeat, and rebuild part of LA with classic Kaineng raggedy patchwork of buildigs, which would work great for a new jumping puzzle, and to put Cantha’s music while in that area.

Oh yes, the theme song is pretty incredible, and so immersive for the game that is GW1. It makes me sad to think that GW2 might be getting any restrictions. There’s a huge game, almost complete in my eyes, though lacking a serious amount of immersion story-wise, be it general cutscenes or the personal story.

Is Factions main theme more Chinese, Japanese or Korean sounding, just wondering.

Nick.6972:

Is Factions main theme more Chinese, Japanese or Korean sounding, just wondering.

I’d just go with Asian.

As much as I’d love for it too, Festival of the Four Winds just isn’t going to announce Cantha. That’d have to be due to China launch, Anet also announce a Cantha expansion for 2015, but by the sound of things, FotFW will maybe announce the start of Living Story Season 2 – and our eyes will most likely be directed to Maguuma then.

Nick.6972:

Is Factions main theme more Chinese, Japanese or Korean sounding, just wondering.

While it’s certainly a blend of Asian motifs, probably influenced by scores for films about Asia as well, its melody is played by an erhu (well, synthesized), which is Chinese. Btw, this is some beautiful erhu/piano music. :-)

Cantha and its cultural problems..
I`m not sure if that is actually a problem, even if it where true that a company or a person, officially stated that they are offended by the mixed architecture etc. , it is easily avoidable.
Just look at the timeline and the lore we have of Cantha. We know we have a whole continent that is ruled by one big empire which has different cultures in it. In GW1 we had different factions and cultures, and we know that they were beaten and integrated in the Empire of the Dragon. But even though they were defeated the
Luxon and the Kurzick would still keep some of their traditions. Now lets assume each of them were moved to a district in the city, they would build houses and stuff but always in their own style. That allows the devs to make the whole city in different styles of architecture. Lets say main Kaineng in a more Chinese way, south-Kaineng in a more Korean way and Shing Jea in a Japanese way.
This makes this whole cultural nonsense some people are talking about non-essential.

I think the main problem is more game and lore related, like how, why and when to get to the isolated continent Cantha.
There are a lot of possibilities however how to get there and why, for example sailing over the unending sea, which should be possible because Zhaitan is now dead. You can say we can`t because of the Deep Sea Dragon, which is no problem, `cause we have Airships! Build a small fleet of Airships, fly over the Sea and build an Asura gate.
There is a giant Area too which connects Tyria with Cantha : The Depths Of Tyria.(Which are controlled by Primordus) And if all the GW1 Veterans remember the dredge we had in Cantha, they dug a Tunnel from the Shiverpeaks to the Echovald Forest. These tunnels would now logically be controlled by Primordus too and that lets us assume that Cantha has a Destroyer problem.
That can be used by the devs as a reason, that the Canthan Empire would call The Pact for help (because they already killed a Elder Dragon and the City is feared to be destroyed from the ground because of a big invasion from Primordus who smells a big fountain of magic or whatever), which they know of, from the Zephyr Sanctum or the Order of Whispers.

That leaves us with the question of when to get to Cantha.
I think this question is very Story and Elder Dragon related. We need a reason why to go for Primordus for example and not for one of the other Elder Dragons.
In Season 1 of the Living World Mordremoth was revealed to us.
My guess is that in Living World Season 2, he will be properly introduced to us in the Origin of the Sylvari Arc.(which is also my guess)
Going for the Head of this new threat in season 3 or 4 would be rushing things and i would be honestly disappointed by A-net. First we have to get a feeling of this new threat before attacking it and that can take a lot of seasons in the Living Story.
So Mordremoth is out of question, the Deep Sea Dragon obviously too, that leaves us with Jormag, Primordus and Kralkatorrik.
First Jormag, i personally don`t like the thought of going for Jormag, because of the Kodan. They fled south because Jormag was too much of a kitten and they were probably almost extinct if you count how many they are now.
I like the thought of them taking a break, settle down, rebuild, regenerate and come back as a playable race and then go for Jormag.
So its Primo and Kralka, i remember hearing in an interview that Kralka would be next after Zhaitan.(Don`t remember who was interviewed or when it was, sry for that)
So why not Kralka? I`ll tell you why not, if we kill Kralka, it would open a path to Elona, and Elona is a continent full of Undead. So.. who would want that? I think we have seen enough Undead for a time thanks to Zhaitan. You could bring them as a playable race but that wouldn`t work well, because Undead in Guild Wars are always bound to powerful necromancy, like a Lich or a Dragon (obviously) and are controlled by them and that doesn`t fit in that Great Hero Of Tyria picture that our characters are.
So Primordus seems the most reasonable one and he is the best choice as an antagonist that would lead us to Cantha and let us unite with them.

These are just my thoughts of how things will or should be going, pure speculation based on more or less logical thinking.

There is only one more thing i want to say related to how the Devs are handling our enthusiasm and questions about Cantha and Elona.
Please just keep staying silent about that topic! I think it is awesome how you handle it, keep staying silent until you release it. It would make a great impact the moment you release it! And i think I would actually cry tears of joy if that would ever happen.

I hope some of you actually understood what I talked about and i hope this topic will keep on going so we can show A-net and NCSoft that Cantha is needed!
[sry for my bad english grammar by the way]

Nick.6972:

Is Factions main theme more Chinese, Japanese or Korean sounding, just wondering.

A mix – Tengu are Japanese, for example. The problem is China, Japan and Korea are all have tension and people do not want to upset any of them.

Dusty Moon.4382:

Nick.6972:

Is Factions main theme more Chinese, Japanese or Korean sounding, just wondering.

A mix – Tengu are Japanese, for example. The problem is China, Japan and Korea are all have tension and people do not want to upset any of them.

Do you have proof of that? that someone would actually care about a videogame having a mix of more than 1 culture, even if they have tension, wouldnt that help them to show at least a part of the world that they are tolerant even if they dont like it? I keep reading stuff like that and I think it is total nonsense. (no offense)

nomad.7210:

Dusty Moon.4382:

Nick.6972:

Is Factions main theme more Chinese, Japanese or Korean sounding, just wondering.

A mix – Tengu are Japanese, for example. The problem is China, Japan and Korea are all have tension and people do not want to upset any of them.

Do you have proof of that? that someone would actually care about a videogame having a mix of more than 1 culture, even if they have tension, wouldnt that help them to show at least a part of the world that they are tolerant even if they dont like it? I keep reading stuff like that and I think it is total nonsense. (no offense)

look around, ask ppl, go outside (i know, it’s scary).
there is your proof, he doesn’t have to provide proof when it’s right there.

sorudo.9054:

nomad.7210:

Dusty Moon.4382:

Nick.6972:

Is Factions main theme more Chinese, Japanese or Korean sounding, just wondering.

A mix – Tengu are Japanese, for example. The problem is China, Japan and Korea are all have tension and people do not want to upset any of them.

Do you have proof of that? that someone would actually care about a videogame having a mix of more than 1 culture, even if they have tension, wouldnt that help them to show at least a part of the world that they are tolerant even if they dont like it? I keep reading stuff like that and I think it is total nonsense. (no offense)

look around, ask ppl, go outside (i know, it’s scary).
there is your proof, he doesn’t have to provide proof when it’s right there.

So your saying because the majority of people thinks that, it`s true.
Sorry but i grew up learning to have my own opinion.
If you look at the politics and economy in eastern asia you`ll see that China is one of the rising giants in economy and i dont believe they will stop their progress because of a feud with other cultures or countrys. It is much more likely that they will get more tolerant and open up even to old rivals because of profit. The main asset of Economy is money and profit, everybody wants to get more money because money, that means Economy, rules the world. Not politics. If those Countrys realise that and believe me they already have realised it, they will put their feud aside and start exchanging. It already is happening even if it happens slowly.
If you dont believe me just remember in which year we live in and try to find the right information through the internet.
Remember -> Economy -> profit = money = World
—I`m not saying nobody will feel offended, there will always someone feel offended but at some point nobody will care because the right people got their money out of it.

thaooo.5320:

It is a game. It is not real life. It takes inspiration from real life, just like all art. If anyone gets upset from tasteful artistic inspiration, they need a reality check, as this does not affect them in any way, shape or form.

Art is being censored.

You, sir, deserve a medal.

Now look at which 2 countries are involved. China and Korea.

Do not let dictatorships censor art as well as information.

Well…how ’bout a plaque? XD

China isn’t a dictatorship, but it is highly authoritarian. And it has been known to be “generous” with its censorship. Anyone remember Tank Man?

South Korea, where NCSoft is from, is actually democratic and enjoys a relatively high level of personal freedom. North Korea on the other hand…

Obsidian.1328:

chemiclord.3978:

Obsidian.1328:

chemiclord.3978:

Even if it’s (2) then what exactly would you propose Arena.net have done instead? NOT make Guild Wars 2?

Yes.

Then you’re being wholly irrational and unreasonable. There is absolutely no way they DON’T make a game. That’s just ridiculous.

Not really.

If a publisher orders you to not include most of your previous work, should you bow out? Absolutely. How would you react if an art dealer tells you to only show a 3rd of your painting? ANet could have simply refused, lost NCSoft as a publisher, and waited until they found another. Does that suck? Yes. Does it mean a lot of people might have to take a pay hit? Yes.

But at least they get to keep their integrity.

I’m not sure you understand the exact nature of Arenanet / NCSoft business arrangement. I’m pretty sure NCSoft is MUCH more than simply the publisher of this game….Arenanet is a subsidiary of NCSoft (i.e. NCSsoft is technically it’s owner). You can’t say NO and bow out of that arrangement like a petulant 7 year old.

Brother Grimm.5176:

Obsidian.1328:

chemiclord.3978:

Obsidian.1328:

chemiclord.3978:

Even if it’s (2) then what exactly would you propose Arena.net have done instead? NOT make Guild Wars 2?

Yes.

Then you’re being wholly irrational and unreasonable. There is absolutely no way they DON’T make a game. That’s just ridiculous.

Not really.

If a publisher orders you to not include most of your previous work, should you bow out? Absolutely. How would you react if an art dealer tells you to only show a 3rd of your painting? ANet could have simply refused, lost NCSoft as a publisher, and waited until they found another. Does that suck? Yes. Does it mean a lot of people might have to take a pay hit? Yes.

But at least they get to keep their integrity.

I’m not sure you understand the exact nature of Arenanet / NCSoft business arrangement. I’m pretty sure NCSoft is MUCH more than simply the publisher of this game….Arenanet is a subsidiary of NCSoft (i.e. NCSsoft is technically it’s owner). You can’t say NO and bow out of that arrangement like a petulant 7 year old.

Petulant child…nice way to frame your argument. =D

Here, I’ll reframe it for you:

You can say no and bow out of that arrangement so you can, you know, keep your artistic integrity intact, and not fold like a frightened lamb because a big company is holding a wad of cash over your head.

Obsidian.1328:

Brother Grimm.5176:

Obsidian.1328:

chemiclord.3978:

Obsidian.1328:

chemiclord.3978:

Even if it’s (2) then what exactly would you propose Arena.net have done instead? NOT make Guild Wars 2?

Yes.

Then you’re being wholly irrational and unreasonable. There is absolutely no way they DON’T make a game. That’s just ridiculous.

Not really.

If a publisher orders you to not include most of your previous work, should you bow out? Absolutely. How would you react if an art dealer tells you to only show a 3rd of your painting? ANet could have simply refused, lost NCSoft as a publisher, and waited until they found another. Does that suck? Yes. Does it mean a lot of people might have to take a pay hit? Yes.

But at least they get to keep their integrity.

I’m not sure you understand the exact nature of Arenanet / NCSoft business arrangement. I’m pretty sure NCSoft is MUCH more than simply the publisher of this game….Arenanet is a subsidiary of NCSoft (i.e. NCSsoft is technically it’s owner). You can’t say NO and bow out of that arrangement like a petulant 7 year old.

Petulant child…nice way to frame your argument. =D

Here, I’ll reframe it for you:

You can say no and bow out of that arrangement so you can, you know, keep your artistic integrity intact, and not fold like a frightened lamb because a big company is holding a wad of cash over your head.

NCSoft owns ANet and GW2. It is their property. If they say that they want an aspect of the game done in a certain way of course individual employees, potentially even every employee, could quit. This would change nothing. NCSoft could/would just hire replacements and continue with their vision for their game.

Now if NCSoft were just ANet’s contracted publisher there might be some wiggle room, but at this point ANet is not much (if any) more than a department within a larger corporate structure.

Ashen.2907:

Obsidian.1328:

Brother Grimm.5176:

Obsidian.1328:

chemiclord.3978:

Obsidian.1328:

chemiclord.3978:

Even if it’s (2) then what exactly would you propose Arena.net have done instead? NOT make Guild Wars 2?

Yes.

Then you’re being wholly irrational and unreasonable. There is absolutely no way they DON’T make a game. That’s just ridiculous.

Not really.

If a publisher orders you to not include most of your previous work, should you bow out? Absolutely. How would you react if an art dealer tells you to only show a 3rd of your painting? ANet could have simply refused, lost NCSoft as a publisher, and waited until they found another. Does that suck? Yes. Does it mean a lot of people might have to take a pay hit? Yes.

But at least they get to keep their integrity.

I’m not sure you understand the exact nature of Arenanet / NCSoft business arrangement. I’m pretty sure NCSoft is MUCH more than simply the publisher of this game….Arenanet is a subsidiary of NCSoft (i.e. NCSsoft is technically it’s owner). You can’t say NO and bow out of that arrangement like a petulant 7 year old.

Petulant child…nice way to frame your argument. =D

Here, I’ll reframe it for you:

You can say no and bow out of that arrangement so you can, you know, keep your artistic integrity intact, and not fold like a frightened lamb because a big company is holding a wad of cash over your head.

NCSoft owns ANet and GW2. It is their property. If they say that they want an aspect of the game done in a certain way of course individual employees, potentially even every employee, could quit. This would change nothing. NCSoft could/would just hire replacements and continue with their vision for their game.

Ironically, ANet had a rather large exodus of devs in ‘08-’09. Wonder what they were unhappy with…

“their vision for their game”…right. You mean ANet’s vision and game? So glad people like NCSoft call the shots in today’s MMO ‘verse, and no one fathoms questioning that. Someone like Chris Robertson(regardless of what the future holds) should probably be knighted and given some kind of Nobel prize. Because he’s obviously one of the very few with the balls to stand up for his vision.

Obsidian.1328:

Ashen.2907:

Obsidian.1328:

Brother Grimm.5176:

Obsidian.1328:

chemiclord.3978:

Obsidian.1328:

chemiclord.3978:

Even if it’s (2) then what exactly would you propose Arena.net have done instead? NOT make Guild Wars 2?

Yes.

Then you’re being wholly irrational and unreasonable. There is absolutely no way they DON’T make a game. That’s just ridiculous.

Not really.

If a publisher orders you to not include most of your previous work, should you bow out? Absolutely. How would you react if an art dealer tells you to only show a 3rd of your painting? ANet could have simply refused, lost NCSoft as a publisher, and waited until they found another. Does that suck? Yes. Does it mean a lot of people might have to take a pay hit? Yes.

But at least they get to keep their integrity.

I’m not sure you understand the exact nature of Arenanet / NCSoft business arrangement. I’m pretty sure NCSoft is MUCH more than simply the publisher of this game….Arenanet is a subsidiary of NCSoft (i.e. NCSsoft is technically it’s owner). You can’t say NO and bow out of that arrangement like a petulant 7 year old.

Petulant child…nice way to frame your argument. =D

Here, I’ll reframe it for you:

You can say no and bow out of that arrangement so you can, you know, keep your artistic integrity intact, and not fold like a frightened lamb because a big company is holding a wad of cash over your head.

NCSoft owns ANet and GW2. It is their property. If they say that they want an aspect of the game done in a certain way of course individual employees, potentially even every employee, could quit. This would change nothing. NCSoft could/would just hire replacements and continue with their vision for their game.

Ironically, ANet had a rather large exodus of devs in ‘08-’09. Wonder what they were unhappy with…

“their vision for their game”…right. You mean ANet’s vision and game? So glad people like NCSoft call the shots in today’s MMO ‘verse, and no one fathoms questioning that. Someone like Chris Robertson(regardless of what the future holds) should probably be knighted and given some kind of Nobel prize. Because he’s obviously one of the very few with the balls to stand up for his vision.

Those who hold the money get to call the shots. You can’t just say no to those sorts of decisions. It’s how most video game development works. And like that other guy said, NCsoft aren’t just the publisher meaning that they hold even greater control over the game and the company itself.
The reason Chris Robertson doesn’t have to worry about any of that is because he managed to get millions through crowd funding. Not everyone is capable of doing that and since the game isn’t even released we don’t know how successful that method is, either. Games released through crowd funding have been pretty lackluster so I don’t have high hopes for Star Citizen either.

Artistic integrity means nothing when the choice is between having your game funded or not. My suggestion to you is to never pursue a job in the video games industry because you’d never be able to find/hold a job with that state of mind. It’s not how things work.