Guild Wars 2

I haven’t played this game in a while, due to a combination of getting bored with it and something that, until now, I couldn’t quite place my finger on. As I realized just a few minutes ago, that something is the clash between my completionist-ness (which wants me to get max rank in PvP and WvW, every skin, and every achievement) and my dophamin receptors (which, as dophamin receptors are supposed to do, retract if doing the same thing over and over, which basically means that playing too much GW2 causes my brain to force me to stop enjoying it for a while). Normally, what I’d do is play it for a while, take a break, and then come back a few weeks/months later when I decide to play it again, play it a ton over a few weeks/months, so on and so forth until I’ve 100% completed the game, and then take it off the roster and replace it with some other game I have. However, a problem has arisen in that this game is online-only. This basically makes me super-paranoid that I have only a finite amount of time to complete the game, and makes me play it long after it stops becoming enjoyable before eventually snapping and quitting the game for a longer period of time, if not permanently.

This isn’t a problem with single-player games since I have all the time I need, or games that use Steam servers since those things aren’t going anywhere for a LONG time. With Anet’s servers, however, I don’t know. What’s this game’s predicted life? Long enough for me to get my completion-ness done? Will they keep the servers around for only a few years? Ten or more? Until the company goes bankrupt and then some other person comes in and creates their own server a la Phantasy Star Online?

The game will probably be around for awhile. Data miners have found titles for characters played up to seven years. Also GW1 is still going, so I’d say just as long as GW1 or even longer.

Actually, the data-mined Titles go up to 10 years. But, that tells us nothing about longevity. The fact that Guild Wars (One) is still up and running tells a lot more. No one can predict the future. Play if you so desire, don’t play if it is not something you wish to do. If you have issues with ‘completionist’ tendencies, you might seek other avenues for relief.

Good luck.

It’s impossible to say for sure because there are a huge number of factors that go into it. The game could still be going in 15 years time, like Ultima Online, or it could be closed down in a few years due to lack of interest. Although that seems to be relatively rare for games that actually get off the ground. Even Star Wars Galaxies kept going for 6 years after the update which made ‘everyone’ rage quit.

But it’s safe to say Arenanet intend to keep it running for many years yet. GW1 was actively developed for 7 years and is still going today, 2 years after it’s last new content was released.

(Also it’s funny you mention Steam games as ones you don’t have to worry about. This concern is exactly why I avoid using Steam if I can. I’m willing to accept the risk of servers shutting down as a necessary part of playing an MMO but I hate the idea that whether I can play my single player games is entirely controlled by whether a 3rd party chooses to keep them on their servers. I want to be able to go back to a game 10, 15, 20 years after it came out if I feel like it, not find that I’m not allowed to pay the copy I bought (or rented, technically) because not enough other people kept playing it.)

GW1 is still up out of obligation. GW1 died when GW2 released. Log in to GW1 now and you’d be hard pressed to find 100 people online across the entire game, but ArenaNet promised GW1 players they would not close the GW1 servers for X amount of time, so GW1’s servers are run from out of the pocket of GW2’s success.

Having said that, GW1 went strong for a good 9 years, it was only the release of GW2 and the mass-migration of players from 1 to 2 that really killed off GW1

As far as longevity goes, I thing GW2 in general will be up for a very long time, if GW1 is any indication. However, as your question relates to completion, I think it’s important to look at the game as a thing that changes semi-frequently, not just something you can realistically do all of. (Which is part of the idea of the Living World, that the game changes, including things that are temporary, not just permanent additions.)

Although, as of Living Story Season 2, they’ve steered away from hitting temporary content so hard and towards making things you can put off and play on your schedule, which should be excellent for players who want everything. Taking a break this season is a lot less weighty a decision than it was last season.

For the majority of players GW2 will live until another AAA F2P/B2P mmo comes out to steal them away. If I was pushed for what that game would be, I’d say EQNext. Maybe Blizzards “titan” project but that project was restarted/possibly canceled so who knows when it will come out or if it’s even an MMO anymore. The Division is a less likely candidate since it’s a shooter and Ubisoft will somehow screw up monetizing it, but it is another big one that I see people looking forward to.

Until then other games that release will just continue to chip away at GW2 as people get bored.

For as long as players play.

The system is set so it takes less and less resources the smaller the number of concurrent players, so it can go until a minimum threshold.

The servers will remain until ArenaNet can no longer make a profit out of the playerbase. This likely entails both GW1 and GW2 at the same time, with combined profit notes.

In other words, as long as players buy stuff, the servers will remain online because Anet’s higher ups’ pockets are continued to being filled. And because it seems people continue to buy just about anything on the gemstore, it also seems that the servers will last a long time.

Now, the real question that I feel needs to be asked is: how long will GW2’s playerbase remain large? It’s easily possible to hold a game off of a small group of monetary supporters (for GW2’s case, those who’re buying all those gemstore skins and other items), but just because servers are up doesn’t mean the playerbase is large.

Those whom aren’t focused solely on the checklist achievements, grind, and WvW (or sPvP, I suppose), I don’t expect to remain long. I know I’m growing ever disheartened by the game.

A very long time.

Unless NCSoft decide to shutdown GW2, it’ll be up for a very long time.

But the playerbase might not keep remaining large.

laokoko.7403:

A very long time.

Unless NCSoft decide to shutdown GW2, it’ll be up for a very long time.

But the playerbase might not keep remaining large.

God, don’t you ever mention NCSoft forcing games to close.

Still boils my blood to this day that they pulled the plug on City of Heroes

around next year, with games like everquest next, black desert and skyforge i see little to no reason to keep playing this game

Aivirth.7123:

around next year, with games like everquest next, black desert and skyforge i see little to no reason to keep playing this game

Didn’t people used to say the same thing about ESO and Wildstar?

Stooperdale.3560:

Aivirth.7123:

around next year, with games like everquest next, black desert and skyforge i see little to no reason to keep playing this game

Didn’t people used to say the same thing about ESO and Wildstar?

Yeah .. but those games have been released now .. and like always the killer games are
those that haven’t been released yet

Btw.: what is Skyforge .. never heared about that one .. is Archeage already out of
the next Killergame list ? ^^

yep, just like they said the same about wow and warhammer online. i lol’d when i heard about eso being a gw2 killer and after the preview, i gave the game 10 months tops to get f2p and another year or so to finally tank. but that’s just my opinion. the only game i can see getting dangerous for gw2 on the wvw side is Camelot Unchained, since most WvW players i know are actually DAoC veterans and will most definitely look into that one.

Aivirth.7123:

around next year, with games like everquest next, black desert and skyforge i see little to no reason to keep playing this game

Right, and if Aivirth quits, the game is doomed.

GW 1 is still going …. will be 10 years old in April 2015.

GW 2 has a longer potential life span, IMO. This base question is the root of why expansions are NOT being talked about by Anet….yet.

Beldin.5498:

Stooperdale.3560:

Aivirth.7123:

around next year, with games like everquest next, black desert and skyforge i see little to no reason to keep playing this game

Didn’t people used to say the same thing about ESO and Wildstar?

Yeah .. but those games have been released now .. and like always the killer games are
those that haven’t been released yet

Btw.: what is Skyforge .. never heared about that one .. is Archeage already out of
the next Killergame list ? ^^

So, what I’m seeing throughout posts is that the game’s lifespan is likely quite long, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll want to keep playing. So many people will leave the game for other MMOs that the player base will get small and only the most hardcore players will stick around. The end result being a very long lifespan for the game, but one in which so few players are around that it stops being fun.

Par for the course in this genre, I suppose. In a game where there is no end, no place in which the game says “Great, you did everything we have! Feel free to head on over to some other game now!” things will of course be left in the dust for the next game of its type. I’m not immune to the effect; I plan to check out Kingdom Under Fire when that comes out myself.

That may be the problem with MMOs as a concept. There’s infinite game, but it can only exist as long as people keep playing it. You can go back to Skyrim or Dead Rising or Dynasty Warriors whenever you feel like it, and the most you’ll miss is some slight anxillary stuff, like achievements or co-op were the servers to go down. MMOs, on the other hand, never return once they’re gone. In the end, only the very best few MMOs remain on the map for more than a year or two. Or perhaps the luckiest ones.

A sad fate for many a good game, huh?

GW2 was only created because ArenaNet had a load of new features planned for GW1, but they were so extreme, they thought it would just be easier to make GW2, so they can be cleanly implemented, and give them a fresh start, so technically, GW2 didn’t need to exist, it exists for the fun of it. In theory, GW1 could’ve kept on going, with no issues for even longer. GW1 was 7 years old when GW2 came out, so GW2 will live for at the very minimum, 7 years, unless something apocalyptic happens, like the entire playerbase quits all at once or something, which is very unlikely.

tl’dr: More than 7 years.

Personally, I think GW2 will go for a little over 7 years, then we’ll see either a major, major revamp/update for GW2, or GW3. GW3 would probably be better economically, for ArenaNet, because GW2 created a lot of publicity and hype for the company, which also attracted a lot of income, and it gives all the players a fresh start, which is always nice and refreshing.

I REALLY doubt that GW2 will have anywhere close to the lifespan of GW1.
Players are leaving now since they are sick of the same content after the first tumultuous 2 years.
The only reason GW1 lasted that long is because of Xpacs and meaningful difficult content as well as a great story. Not zerg and stack n smack.

Well based on these forums the life-span of the game was passed about two years ago.

But yeah, I doubt it will die in the near future. It were “supposed” to die both with the release of ESO and Wildstar and yet it is still very much alive, so I doubt any of the coming MMOs will do much either.

SLthethird.3562:

Beldin.5498:

Stooperdale.3560:

Aivirth.7123:

around next year, with games like everquest next, black desert and skyforge i see little to no reason to keep playing this game

Didn’t people used to say the same thing about ESO and Wildstar?

Yeah .. but those games have been released now .. and like always the killer games are
those that haven’t been released yet

Btw.: what is Skyforge .. never heared about that one .. is Archeage already out of
the next Killergame list ? ^^

So, what I’m seeing throughout posts is that the game’s lifespan is likely quite long, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll want to keep playing. So many people will leave the game for other MMOs that the player base will get small and only the most hardcore players will stick around. The end result being a very long lifespan for the game, but one in which so few players are around that it stops being fun.

Par for the course in this genre, I suppose. In a game where there is no end, no place in which the game says “Great, you did everything we have! Feel free to head on over to some other game now!” things will of course be left in the dust for the next game of its type. I’m not immune to the effect; I plan to check out Kingdom Under Fire when that comes out myself.

That may be the problem with MMOs as a concept. There’s infinite game, but it can only exist as long as people keep playing it. You can go back to Skyrim or Dead Rising or Dynasty Warriors whenever you feel like it, and the most you’ll miss is some slight anxillary stuff, like achievements or co-op were the servers to go down. MMOs, on the other hand, never return once they’re gone. In the end, only the very best few MMOs remain on the map for more than a year or two. Or perhaps the luckiest ones.

A sad fate for many a good game, huh?

Except that now, with the mega server, even if the population is low at least the PvE game will go on indefinitely. It just don’t require millions of people.

Anyway, I don’t think it’s as bad as it’s being made on the forums. People have been saying this game is dying since 3 months after launch.

My guild has doubled in size in that time.

The best and shortest answer?

It will continue to live until it doesn’t, because no one can predict the future.

AA is coming out in a few days, pretty interesting situation

Zackie.8923:

AA is coming out in a few days, pretty interesting situation

Oh yeah .. because it will be a killer when everyone notes that it is just a free demo and
else you have to buy a subscription because of the labor system.

Also open world pvp seldom really had a big success in the west, in the end it turnes
out to a gankfest and people leave.

And Black Desert .. the same .. also open world Pvp .. and its also a real grinder where
you don’t get much exp from questing and you have actually to grind mobs to level.

Ahh .. and btw. this is also funny :
http://www.wildstar-online.com/en/news/megaservers-are-coming-to-wildstar/

Stormcrow.7513:

Players are leaving now since they are sick of the same content after the first tumultuous 2 years.

How would your opinion change and those “leaving players” flock back if an expansion was released? Anet has a long term goal here and I think it certainly takes into calculated consideration that players will leave and come back if properly motivated by new content.

I’ve quit playing for several months multiple times since release….being able to do so and come back into the game with minimal disruption is one of the advantages of the no subscription fee model.

The Wildstar post actually claims that MEGASERVER increases their server capacity? I fail to see how that can even be twisted into a remotely true statement….

It’s too early to tell at this point. check back with this sort of question when they’ve done their third feature patch.

Seriously, I’m not kidding, asking this question now is like asking how long a game is going to last prelaunch you dunno yet because we can’t gauge by the way they are doing their current updates because we simply don’t know what the updates will be.

Well if we kill one dragon every 3 years and there are six it falls somewhere in the area of way too friggin’ long! Speed that story up ANet, we’d like to see it finished before we’re all old and gray.

SLthethird, if you want the servers up just to “complete” the game then the lifetime will be long enough and does not matter.

The lifetime will be long enough as for completion you don’t need a lot of players. Due to the Megaserver system ArenaNet should be able to scale the infrastructure (servers, network) to the amount of active players so no need to shut down the servers completely unless the last player really left.

Does not matter as the Living World concept means that the game constantly changes so to complete the game you have to play daily (well, very frequently). So completing the game will not be possible. LW season 2 does cut down so far on the permanent changes so maybe completing the game will be less impossible.

My prediction:

Old school MMO’s (and games in general) are going to seriously recede into the background when the Oculus Rift is released next year.

I just won’t have time to waste on a boring retro game like GW2 (and many other games, for that matter like Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3) because the Oculus will take up all my time.

Unless GW2 can somehow manage to port itself into the Oculus – in which case it might be enough of a radical revamp to warrant sticking with it awhile longer.

ipan.4356:

My prediction:

Old school MMO’s (and games in general) are going to seriously recede into the background when the Oculus Rift is released next year.

I just won’t have time to waste on a boring retro game like GW2 (and many other games, for that matter like Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3) because the Oculus will take up all my time.

Unless GW2 can somehow manage to port itself into the Oculus – in which case it might be enough of a radical revamp to warrant sticking with it awhile longer.

I don’t think it’s too hard to implement oculus into the game. And imagine how much more immersive and addictive it will be, being in that beautiful world.