Guild Wars 2

So my main concern other than any time an MMORPG releases a new profession I think the expansion should include a character slot with it, is this:

The precedent this move is setting by Anet with their expansion packs. Based on this new model it would appear that Anet will merge all content each time an expansion pack comes out into a single game. Core game + expansions for expansion price.

If this is the case that is fine and great for new players that will end up spending $50 for all content instead of $100+ for the content from the loyal fans.

It seems weird to not do something cool for the long time players that have supported the game by purchasing the game, maybe even more than once for some players, and for the players that have continued to support the game through using real cash in the gem store. New players have invested no money into the game. They have no loyalty to the franchise or Anet, and have yet to show they will stick with the game long term and/or purchase items through the gem store with real cash.

So why give these players all these advantages and do nothing for the loyal fans that support the game with money on a monthly basis through the gem store and have already shown they are sticking with the game? I just don’t see the logic with this honestly. If I was going to pre-purchase the game the only value is in the $100 version, but at this point there is no way I will drop $100 on this game until Anet shows the same loyalty to its users as the users have over the years to Anet. Including all the years people bought items in Guild Wars the original game even though we received next to no content updates over the years waiting for GW2.

They aren’t required to do anything, just as any game company isn’t required to compensate you when they release a “game of the year edition” 3 years later with all the dlc for less than the cost of the original vanilla game.

True they are not required to do anything, but, they COULD have done a bit more for people that have played since the beta days.
People who have been faithful supporters of Guild wars 1 and 2 and Arenanet.

For the record, I have bought HoT, but I still think it’s a little on the expensive side !

Ok, real world a second: this game came out with 5 slots and 8 classes. Players have either picked a few classes to ignore for years or they have become accustomed to buying slots if they wanted to play all of them. Ok, maybe somepeople wipe a slot from time to time to try something new.

ALL of these strategies are as valid for HoT as they were for the base game so what has changed?

Nothing.

Nike.2631:

Ok, real world a second: this game came out with 5 slots and 8 classes. Players have either picked a few classes to ignore for years or they have become accustomed to buying slots if they wanted to play all of them. Ok, maybe somepeople wipe a slot from time to time to try something new.

ALL of these strategies are as valid for HoT as they were for the base game so what has changed?

Nothing.

Except that they’re being asked to pay $50 to ignore a class they never had the option of playing before, when they had open character slots. So no, it’s not the same and it won’t ever be the same, no matter how much you or any fanboy pretends it is.

sure most of us have purchased other character slots and this can be done through the gem store without the use of real money depending on how much you play of GW2, but that doesn’t change the fact that as far as value goes that new players are receiving a way better value than the current players that have invested into the game.

Arena doesn’t have to do anything but the precedent they are setting is giving greater value to players who have never spent a dime on the game, than to those that invest into the game on a regular or semi-regular basis.

It is making it so players will be more hesitant to invest into further expansions if they model continues.

So say Arena releases a Second expansion pack. They decide just like with HoT to now only bundle the new Expansion with HoT and with the base game and sell it for $50. So veteran players pay $50 to get the expansion added yet a new player can go and get the base game and two new expansions for $50, when the veteran spent $59 on the original, $50 on HoT, and $50 on the new expansion. How is that cool that the people that support the game would spend $159 for all that content where the new player that hasn’t done a thing for Anet ever gets that same content for $50.

Its about value and about loyalty to long time players that support the company. People can say Anet owes us nothing, but without us, the players, they would not exist, and if they Guild Wars 1 fans had not been incredibly loyal even with zero content or updates coming from Arena the last few years we may not have seen a Guild Wars 2.

You’ve already received that value*. It’s value is now $0.
Period.
*The core game not individually priced items. It is also not illegal or “bad” to sell "items’ bundled and labeled “not for individual resale”

flatline.3716:

sure most of us have purchased other character slots and this can be done through the gem store without the use of real money depending on how much you play of GW2, but that doesn’t change the fact that as far as value goes that new players are receiving a way better value than the current players that have invested into the game.

And if that were really true you’d have people lined up saying they’re gonna buy HoT, fire up the brand-new baby-fresh account with its five empty character slots and play that… never mind the complete blank slate where all their account bound advantages accumulated over the last 3 years are…

A new account isn’t actually worth much to a veteran player. But my God some veteran players think its a HUGE bargaining chip they should be able to trade back in…

Yes, ArenaNet’s marketing gnomes should have given at least the appearance of rewarding loyalty. Its a dumb play on the most basic level I’ve come to expect from most companies and ANet specifically. But I find the upward spiraling feedback loop of nerd rage just as stupid and tedious.

In certain instances it can be true. I purchased another account a while back because it was a much better deal than purchasing character slots, and then I went and made some purchases with cash in the gem store because I purchased the game at a cheap price.

I would of purchased HoT for all of my accounts if the price had been reasonable, now I won’t be purchasing it at all. At least in the near future.

Also this is the first time I have seen someone, other than like a Gamestop, put up a game for pre-order without so much as a release window.

I have been supporting Anet since the first beta test for Guild Wars, which was later named Prophecies. Anet always included character expansions slots, except Eye of the North, which cost $30 instead of $50 like Factions and Nightfall. They also gave items even if it was only one or two or three regardless of what tier you purchased, and not only that but we received things like extra storage tabs for free. Maybe Anet does have to do those sort of things, but they have in the past and that is why Anet and Guild Wars became a beloved franchise. Sure they can change their business model, that is their prerogative, but it is than our prerogative to change with them and not be happy about it or support it.

flatline.3716:

New players have invested no money into the game. They have no loyalty to the franchise or Anet, and have yet to show they will stick with the game long term and/or purchase items through the gem store with real cash.

They invested money into the game by buying the game just like you did when you first purchased it. Who’s to say new players will not spend any real cash in the gem store? You? Do you have some program that watches who purchases what and how long have they been a member for? I’m sure many players that have recently purchased the game have already spent money on gem store items. Some people are just so rich that they would rather buy gems to convert to gold instead of farming or even just buy a legendary seeing as that is one of the longest and most expensive things you will invest in.

If these new players enjoy this game then I don’t see why they wouldn’t (just like most of us) buy things from the gem store. They are new players and to say they have yet to show that they will stick around is just silly. They are new just like you and me were at some point in time. This game has a lot to offer and many people have stuck with it since day one. If so many players have stuck with it for so long how can you even say new players will not do the same thing for years to come?

briggah.7910:

flatline.3716:

New players have invested no money into the game. They have no loyalty to the franchise or Anet, and have yet to show they will stick with the game long term and/or purchase items through the gem store with real cash.

They invested money into the game by buying the game just like you did when you first purchased it. Who’s to say new players will not spend any real cash in the gem store? You? Do you have some program that watches who purchases what and how long have they been a member for? I’m sure many players that have recently purchased the game have already spent money on gem store items. Some people are just so rich that they would rather buy gems to convert to gold instead of farming or even just buy a legendary seeing as that is one of the longest and most expensive things you will invest in.

If these new players enjoy this game then I don’t see why they wouldn’t (just like most of us) buy things from the gem store. They are new players and to say they have yet to show that they will stick around is just silly. They are new just like you and me were at some point in time. This game has a lot to offer and many people have stuck with it since day one. If so many players have stuck with it for so long how can you even say new players will not do the same thing for years to come?

I am saying current players have proved they are loyal and are making purchases. You don’t know what new players are going to do. They are an unknown. Wouldn’t it pay off more for Arena to show loyalty and good will towards their loyal fans than to the unknown fan that may not stick with the game? Arena had always done right by long time fans with their expansions in the past. Well until now that is.

flatline.3716:

In certain instances it can be true. I purchased another account a while back because it was a much better deal than purchasing character slots, and then I went and made some purchases with cash in the gem store because I purchased the game at a cheap price.

I would of purchased HoT for all of my accounts if the price had been reasonable, now I won’t be purchasing it at all. At least in the near future.

Also this is the first time I have seen someone, other than like a Gamestop, put up a game for pre-order without so much as a release window.

I have been supporting Anet since the first beta test for Guild Wars, which was later named Prophecies. Anet always included character expansions slots, except Eye of the North, which cost $30 instead of $50 like Factions and Nightfall. They also gave items even if it was only one or two or three regardless of what tier you purchased, and not only that but we received things like extra storage tabs for free. Maybe Anet does have to do those sort of things, but they have in the past and that is why Anet and Guild Wars became a beloved franchise. Sure they can change their business model, that is their prerogative, but it is than our prerogative to change with them and not be happy about it or support it.

I am guessing you mean Pre-purchase, rather than Pre-order. You have been a fan of ArenaNet since pre-Prophesies, yet never seen someone offer Pre-purchase without a release date. You must have forgotten the Pre-purchase offer for Guild Wars 2 in April, while the release date was announced in June.

I guess consumers can choose to support/purchase the expansion before release, and obtain Pre-purchase perks, or wait until after release for possible discounts.

Good luck.