Guild Wars 2

$50 for a new players is so reasonable… why we need to pay full price for expansion.

its like you having a Big Mac. and you want a Coke. you have to pay a Big Mac Meal price…….

if you are veteran already purchased think about. you happy to pay a full Meal price to JUST have a Coke?

Again, it’s a lot about perception. I don’t see it this way. I view it as paying or not paying $50 for HoT. Giving the base game away free to new players doesn’t factor into it for me.

How are you sacrificing for new players? With or without the base game bonus, it was going to cost $50 either way.

Ayrilana.1396:

How are you sacrificing for new players? With or without the base game bonus, it was going to cost $50 either way.

That, what is written, not always the truth.

some must die so that others may live ..maybe ? the prepurchasers are the pioneers that will make the game eventually more affordable for you and me! #heros

If you think Arena.net is outright lying to your face to try and bleed $10 out of you… then the consumer relationship you have with Arena.net is toxic beyond repair and you should just leave for good.

That’s not a dismissal, that’s not an insult. Nothing that can be said from anyone is going to mollify your rage, and coming back here is only going to make you angrier. Maybe you just need to wash your hands of the whole thing and never look back.

because they need target to new players. thats why they set up price at $50…
expansion and core. make worth for new players

Ayrilana.1396:

How are you sacrificing for new players? With or without the base game bonus, it was going to cost $50 either way.

so you prefer spend a meal price to buy a coke….???? at Mcdonalds

Changeling Dash.4782:

Ayrilana.1396:

How are you sacrificing for new players? With or without the base game bonus, it was going to cost $50 either way.

That, what is written, not always the truth.

JUN YANG.4328:

so you prefer spend a meal price to buy a coke….???? at Mcdonalds

no, on contrary, I believe that the core-game price IS inside of that 50$ somewhere. I don’t know what that price is for Anet, but it is there.

Changeling Dash.4782:

JUN YANG.4328:

so you prefer spend a meal price to buy a coke….???? at Mcdonalds

no, on contrary, I believe that the core-game price IS inside of that 50$ somewhere. I don’t know what that price is for Anet, but it is there.

Except it’s not.

JUN YANG.4328:

$50 for a new players is so reasonable… why we need to pay full price for expansion.

its like you having a Big Mac. and you want a Coke. you have to pay a Big Mac Meal price…….

if you are veteran already purchased think about. you happy to pay a full Meal price to JUST have a Coke?

But that’s the thing, I don’t have to pay the meal price to get just a Big Mac and a Coke.

And I would only pay the meal price for something if the meal price is cheaper than the sum of the items in the meal that I wanted in the first place.

And in the case of the Big Mac meal being the same price as the Big Mac and Coke separate, I get a bonus then. The fries. Meals at McDonald’s come with fries.

Changeling Dash.4782:

JUN YANG.4328:

so you prefer spend a meal price to buy a coke….???? at Mcdonalds

no, on contrary, I believe that the core-game price IS inside of that 50$ somewhere. I don’t know what that price is for Anet, but it is there.

Not necessarily. Grocery stores constantly have sodas on sale at such a price that on the soda alone they lose money. But the items they purchase when they come into the store make enough profit that they make up the loss of money from the soda.

So they could value HoT at $50 and take the loss on the base. Knowing enough new players will buy the Deluxe or Ultimate editions and others will purchase copious amounts of gems during the time that they play.

for us that core is useless… include or exclude make no different.

so the logic is the same. new player pay Big Mac Meal price included bugger, fries, coke.

we pay Meal price for Coke ONLY simple is that…

you want??

Changeling Dash.4782:

JUN YANG.4328:

so you prefer spend a meal price to buy a coke….???? at Mcdonalds

no, on contrary, I believe that the core-game price IS inside of that 50$ somewhere. I don’t know what that price is for Anet, but it is there.

JUN YANG.4328:

for us that core is useless… include or exclude make no different.

so the logic is the same. new player pay Big Mac Meal price included bugger, fries, coke.

we pay Meal price for Coke ONLY simple is that…

you want??

Changeling Dash.4782:

JUN YANG.4328:

so you prefer spend a meal price to buy a coke….???? at Mcdonalds

no, on contrary, I believe that the core-game price IS inside of that 50$ somewhere. I don’t know what that price is for Anet, but it is there.

What you’re not understanding is what a bonus is as you’re under some idea that the core game is part of the price which it isn’t. I suggest looking it up. The free core game is a bonus on top of the $50 expansion for new players.

Wow what a terrible analogy.

It’s more like every other MMO is doing. If you buy the current EQ game you get every single EQ game that came before. If you buy the original WoW and the current update, you get all the updates in between free.

I’m not sure why people are so attached to the idea that they’re paying more, or not getting something. If the expansion was always going to be $50 then you’re not paying more for it. If the original game was already being sold at times for $10, then it was likely not worth marketing separately anyway, and adding another barrier of entry to new players.

Vayne.8563:

Wow what a terrible analogy.

It’s more like every other MMO is doing. If you buy the current EQ game you get every single EQ game that came before. If you buy the original WoW and the current update, you get all the updates in between free.

I’m not sure why people are so attached to the idea that they’re paying more, or not getting something. If the expansion was always going to be $50 then you’re not paying more for it. If the original game was already being sold at times for $10, then it was likely not worth marketing separately anyway, and adding another barrier of entry to new players.

Come on Vayne, You’re obviously intelligent. You don’t have to agree with it, but there is a perception created by poor marketing that there’s less value for an existing customer.

Pretty Pixie.8603:

Vayne.8563:

Wow what a terrible analogy.

It’s more like every other MMO is doing. If you buy the current EQ game you get every single EQ game that came before. If you buy the original WoW and the current update, you get all the updates in between free.

I’m not sure why people are so attached to the idea that they’re paying more, or not getting something. If the expansion was always going to be $50 then you’re not paying more for it. If the original game was already being sold at times for $10, then it was likely not worth marketing separately anyway, and adding another barrier of entry to new players.

Come on Vayne, You’re obviously intelligent. You don’t have to agree with it, but there is a perception created by poor marketing that there’s less value for an existing customer.

I agree that the way it was released and handled could have been done better. I agree there is a perception that it’s unfair.

I disagree that it’s unfair. It’s pretty much everyone else is doing, because you have to remove whatever barriers to entry you can for new players. It’s a business decision, not a slap in the face to veteran players in my opinion.

As for the perception, I’m not really sure how far that perception extended, even with all the publicity. We’ll find out soon enough if Anet tells us how many preorders there are.

Here’s the economic equation.

• ANet decides they will make more money from new players if they value the core game at $0. They don’t go F2P because that means an endless supply of free accounts for RMT kittens and for laurel farmers, which would upset the equilibrium of T6 mats on the TP. So, they tie the “free” GW2 core to a HoT purchase..
• If ANet is correct, the new player equation favors them.
• However, say some veterans choose not to spend the $50 they would otherwise have spent (very important here). The number of new players they gain that they would not get without the “bonus” has to exceed the number of non-paying vets for the equation to pay off.

So, just how many vets are cheesed off enough to never pay unless Anet relents? If you pay later, you’re the one relenting. I’m certainly seeing posts from the usual suspects in these threads, along with posts from others I’ve never seen. The numbers might or might not rival the numbers who protested the 4/14 trait system — which did get changed. I’m pretty sure they don’t rival the protests against the Ascended horror, which kind of did and kind of didn’t get changed.

Then there’s the possibility that this is just people engaging in one of humanity’s oldest predilections, trying to get more for less. If people were concerned about the principle of the thing, they’d be challenging whether HoT is worth $50 at all, not missing and poaning about Anet trying to hook new gem store customers with the hope that they might catch a whale or two.

Regarding vets “subsidizing the new player bonus?” Get real. ANet values HoT at $50 and GW2 core @ $0. You wouldn’t be subsidizing anything.

Ayrilana.1396:

How are you sacrificing for new players? With or without the base game bonus, it was going to cost $50 either way.

The price of the packaged core game for new players is being covered by someone – and you can be sure that someone is not Anet.

IndigoSundown.5419:

Regarding vets “subsidizing the new player bonus?” Get real. ANet values HoT at $50 and GW2 core @ $0. You wouldn’t be subsidizing anything.

If Anet truly valued core at 0, they would offer it as a free download in order to hook up new players. They don’t. Currently you can’t buy core from Anet at anything less than $50.

No, ANET need to sacrifice for new players, I am a consumer of their product not an employee. I payed for the game and buy gems, that’s all the support they need from me.

It’s their responsibility to market the game, attract new players and keep the existing players happy, especially long term players (active) as they are the bread and butter of the game at the end of the day (as of any product).

The price strategy they have chosen is especially cynical as it pushes ppl towards the most expensive product.

Astralporing.1957:

Ayrilana.1396:

How are you sacrificing for new players? With or without the base game bonus, it was going to cost $50 either way.

The price of the packaged core game for new players is being covered by someone – and you can be sure that someone is not Anet.

No. There’s no cost being covered by the players. What part of the concept of a bonus do you not understand? You also don’t realize the types of sales that companies can potentially do and what the benefits are for doing so.

Ayrilana.1396:

No. There’s no cost being covered by the players. What part of the concept of a bonus do you not understand?

What part do you don’t understand? The cost of the bonus is always covered by someone – and it’s always the customer, not the seller. The “free if you buy” kind of bonus is never free, it’s just its price has been moved onto something else, to give you an illusion you receive something for free.

Astralporing.1957:

Ayrilana.1396:

No. There’s no cost being covered by the players. What part of the concept of a bonus do you not understand?

What part do you don’t understand? The cost of the bonus is always covered by someone – and it’s always the customer, not the seller. The “free if you buy” kind of bonus is never free, it’s just its price has been moved onto something else, to give you an illusion you receive something for free.

The cost of the free bonus is zero. Therefore it’s not covered by anyone….or everyone, doesn’t really matter since it’s zero.

and who’s to say whether it is truly a ‘bonus’ or not?

XeoShock.7094:

and who’s to say whether it is truly a ‘bonus’ or not?

Regina Buenaobra.6193:

To clarify: $50 is the price of the expansion. We included the core game as a free bonus to make it easier for new players to get into it.

Straylight.7529:

XeoShock.7094:

and who’s to say whether it is truly a ‘bonus’ or not?

Regina Buenaobra.6193:

To clarify: $50 is the price of the expansion. We included the core game as a free bonus to make it easier for new players to get into it.

Truly

I find it kind of a brave move to bet so heavily on new players when so few of them stick around, according to statistics. I’d hedge my bets and look after the veterans too, they’re a proven thing.

It’s so funny that something as simple as: 40$ for old players, 50$ for new players would’ve solved everything and no more complains would appear.

I have a question though, what if it was 40$ for new and old, would there still be rage? Like demanding a price like 30/40 for old/new.

Is it the 50$ price tag the actual problem or that the price is the same for old and new players?

Straylight.7529:

The cost of the free bonus is zero.

It is not. It costs Anet something to offer that bonus. They run a business, not a charity – they wouldn’t have offered it if they didn’t think that cost would pay off. And it can pay off in only one way – from money that come from customers. In the end, everyone that buys the bundle pays that cost, but not everyone receive the bonus. Thus, there’s a group of players that subsidize the bonus for others without getting anything in return.

When you see the “free bonus” offers, you have to remember that they are free in name only. Somebody does pay for them.

Astralporing.1957:

Straylight.7529:

The cost of the free bonus is zero.

It is not. It costs Anet something to offer that bonus. They run a business, not a charity – they wouldn’t have offered it if they didn’t think that cost would pay off. And it can pay off in only one way – from money that come from customers. In the end, everyone that buys the bundle pays that cost, but not everyone receive the bonus. Thus, there’s a group of players that subsidize the bonus for others without getting anything in return.

When you see the “free bonus” offers, you have to remember that they are free in name only. Somebody does pay for them.

It pays off by attracting new players. They are more likely to purchase HoT when they get the core game for free. Once in game they might buy gems.
The cost of the core-game is zero if you purchase HoT. If I (as a veteran) buy HoT I pay 50$ for HoT and nothing else. It’s really not that hard to grasp. It seems you have reached the stage where you desperately want to be unhappy/offended.

If it really costs them nothing, why wouldn’t they give it away to the whole world?

Imagine, them giving away 6 billion core game accounts. Surely that would cost something? Obviously it does. Each and every active account costs them something. That cost per account is subsumed in the $50 you need to pay to get it for “free”.

Straylight.7529:

Astralporing.1957:

Straylight.7529:

The cost of the free bonus is zero.

It is not. It costs Anet something to offer that bonus. They run a business, not a charity – they wouldn’t have offered it if they didn’t think that cost would pay off. And it can pay off in only one way – from money that come from customers. In the end, everyone that buys the bundle pays that cost, but not everyone receive the bonus. Thus, there’s a group of players that subsidize the bonus for others without getting anything in return.

When you see the “free bonus” offers, you have to remember that they are free in name only. Somebody does pay for them.

It pays off by attracting new players. They will purchase HoT as a result and maybe even buy gems. The cost of the core-game is zero if you purchase HoT. If I (as a veteran) buy HoT I pay 50$ for HoT and nothing else. It’s really not that hard to grasp. It seems you have reached the stage where you desperately want to be unhappy/offended.

but who’s to say whether it is truly a ‘bonus’ or not?

How do you know you are just buying HoT when it is the same price as HoT + Core?

Like basicly is in any post, a new player has a better deal than a vet player. If you can’t see that or happy with it it’s fine. The other vets arent.

XeoShock.7094:

Straylight.7529:

Astralporing.1957:

Straylight.7529:

The cost of the free bonus is zero.

It is not. It costs Anet something to offer that bonus. They run a business, not a charity – they wouldn’t have offered it if they didn’t think that cost would pay off. And it can pay off in only one way – from money that come from customers. In the end, everyone that buys the bundle pays that cost, but not everyone receive the bonus. Thus, there’s a group of players that subsidize the bonus for others without getting anything in return.

When you see the “free bonus” offers, you have to remember that they are free in name only. Somebody does pay for them.

It pays off by attracting new players. They will purchase HoT as a result and maybe even buy gems. The cost of the core-game is zero if you purchase HoT. If I (as a veteran) buy HoT I pay 50$ for HoT and nothing else. It’s really not that hard to grasp. It seems you have reached the stage where you desperately want to be unhappy/offended.

but who’s to say whether it is truly a ‘bonus’ or not?

How do you know you are just buying HoT when it is the same price as HoT + Core?

Because the cost of the free bonus is zero. Therefore the 50$ can be attributed to the expansion. Everyone who pays 50$ gets HoT. Those who don’t have the core game simply get it as a free bonus.

If new players had to pay 50$ + another 20$ (for the core game) for a total of 70$ then it wouldn’t be free. But that is not the case.

Straylight.7529:

XeoShock.7094:

Straylight.7529:

Astralporing.1957:

Straylight.7529:

The cost of the free bonus is zero.

It is not. It costs Anet something to offer that bonus. They run a business, not a charity – they wouldn’t have offered it if they didn’t think that cost would pay off. And it can pay off in only one way – from money that come from customers. In the end, everyone that buys the bundle pays that cost, but not everyone receive the bonus. Thus, there’s a group of players that subsidize the bonus for others without getting anything in return.

When you see the “free bonus” offers, you have to remember that they are free in name only. Somebody does pay for them.

It pays off by attracting new players. They will purchase HoT as a result and maybe even buy gems. The cost of the core-game is zero if you purchase HoT. If I (as a veteran) buy HoT I pay 50$ for HoT and nothing else. It’s really not that hard to grasp. It seems you have reached the stage where you desperately want to be unhappy/offended.

but who’s to say whether it is truly a ‘bonus’ or not?

How do you know you are just buying HoT when it is the same price as HoT + Core?

Because the cost of the free bonus is zero. Therefore the 50$ can be attributed to the expansion. Everyone who pays 50$ gets HoT. Those who don’t have the core game simply get it as a free bonus.

If new players had to pay 50$ + another 20$ (for the core game) for a total of 70$ then it wouldn’t be free. But that is not the case.

Ok you either work for Anet or are oblivious to what is right in front of you… There are 2 parts of my last comment, look carefully.

I beginning to wonder: if Publix or Payless had a forum, they would receive this many amount of flamers. Would customers complain every time they had a bogo or summer sale. “I just bought those shoes or chicken last year and now they’re free/half off! I demand a refund!” or would people even complain to Walmart when the movie they bought at $26 ends up in the $5 bin a year or so later?

I can understand that people don’t want to pay the $50 now cause of lack of information. That’s cool. I see pre-purchase for people who are DEFINITELY going to buy it regardless of content (or lack thereof). I don’t understand the people who downright won’t buy it cause they think $10 more is too much for an expansion that will support GW2 till the next expansion release.

For the add on of the base game: It’s business. Keeping the old while trying to snag new blood. Makes good sense. The other option would be selling base game for $10 and $50 for expansion.

Straylight.7529:

Because the cost of the free bonus is zero.

We have already agreed that it is not (yes, even you, where you agreed that it has to be paid off by increased sales). It’s nothing more than a market speak. It’s not free unless you can get it for free. And you can’t, you have to pay $50 first.

vikkival.2459:

I beginning to wonder: if Publix or Payless had a forum, they would receive this many amount of flamers. Would customers complain every time they had a bogo or summer sale. “I just bought those shoes or chicken last year and now they’re free/half off! I demand a refund!” or would people even complain to Walmart when the movie they bought at $26 ends up in the $5 bin a year or so later?

If they specified that some customers, by the store’s discretion, cannot get the discount from the same sale? You bet the screams would be high, and stores would be burning.

Astralporing.1957:

Ayrilana.1396:

No. There’s no cost being covered by the players. What part of the concept of a bonus do you not understand?

What part do you don’t understand? The cost of the bonus is always covered by someone – and it’s always the customer, not the seller. The “free if you buy” kind of bonus is never free, it’s just its price has been moved onto something else, to give you an illusion you receive something for free.

Then you don’t have an understanding of what a bonus or sale is. I guess you assume that the costs from a buy one gent one free sale gets passed onto the customer. I guess you assume that anything that gives you 33% more gets passed onto the customer.

vikkival.2459:

I beginning to wonder: if Publix or Payless had a forum, they would receive this many amount of flamers. Would customers complain every time they had a bogo or summer sale. “I just bought those shoes or chicken last year and now they’re free/half off! I demand a refund!” or would people even complain to Walmart when the movie they bought at $26 ends up in the $5 bin a year or so later?

I can understand that people don’t want to pay the $50 now cause of lack of information. That’s cool. I see pre-purchase for people who are DEFINITELY going to buy it regardless of content (or lack thereof). I don’t understand the people who downright won’t buy it cause they think $10 more is too much for an expansion that will support GW2 till the next expansion release.

For the add on of the base game: It’s business. Keeping the old while trying to snag new blood. Makes good sense. The other option would be selling base game for $10 and $50 for expansion.

Question: we all know there are 75% sales often. In fact one came out the next week after I bought the game.

How much complaining do you hear about the 75% sales? IT IS NOT ABOUT THE PRICE!!!!!!!

Astralporing.1957:

Straylight.7529:

Because the cost of the free bonus is zero.

We have already agreed that it is not (yes, even you, where you agreed that it has to be paid off by increased sales). It’s nothing more than a market speak. It’s not free unless you can get it for free. And you can’t, you have to pay $50 first.

You can’t have everything for free. You get the core game as a free bonus when you purchase HoT. Is HoT free? no, it costs 50$. Is the core game free? Yes, but only when you purchase HoT. That doesn’t change the fact that you get the core game for free.

It wouldn’t be free if a new player had to pay another 20$ on top of the 50$ in order to play HoT.

Ayrilana.1396:

Then you don’t have an understanding of what a bonus or sale is. I guess you assume that the costs from a buy one gent one free sale gets passed onto the customer. I guess you assume that anything that gives you 33% more gets passed onto the customer.

Of course it gets passed on the customer. The sole reason beyond this is after all to increase income for the seller.

Astralporing.1957:

Straylight.7529:

Because the cost of the free bonus is zero.

We have already agreed that it is not (yes, even you, where you agreed that it has to be paid off by increased sales). It’s nothing more than a market speak. It’s not free unless you can get it for free. And you can’t, you have to pay $50 first.

vikkival.2459:

I beginning to wonder: if Publix or Payless had a forum, they would receive this many amount of flamers. Would customers complain every time they had a bogo or summer sale. “I just bought those shoes or chicken last year and now they’re free/half off! I demand a refund!” or would people even complain to Walmart when the movie they bought at $26 ends up in the $5 bin a year or so later?

If they specified that some customers, by the store’s discretion, cannot get the discount from the same sale? You bet the screams would be high, and stores would be burning.

I don’t understand. What “same sale”? The addition of the base game? You still technically get it. But if you choose to create a new account the expansion is locked to that account but you would still get the “same sale”.

Menadena.7482:

vikkival.2459:

I beginning to wonder: if Publix or Payless had a forum, they would receive this many amount of flamers. Would customers complain every time they had a bogo or summer sale. “I just bought those shoes or chicken last year and now they’re free/half off! I demand a refund!” or would people even complain to Walmart when the movie they bought at $26 ends up in the $5 bin a year or so later?

I can understand that people don’t want to pay the $50 now cause of lack of information. That’s cool. I see pre-purchase for people who are DEFINITELY going to buy it regardless of content (or lack thereof). I don’t understand the people who downright won’t buy it cause they think $10 more is too much for an expansion that will support GW2 till the next expansion release.

For the add on of the base game: It’s business. Keeping the old while trying to snag new blood. Makes good sense. The other option would be selling base game for $10 and $50 for expansion.

Question: we all know there are 75% sales often. In fact one came out the next week after I bought the game.

How much complaining do you hear about the 75% sales? IT IS NOT ABOUT THE PRICE!!!!!!!

For you, not anyone else cause everyone is different, what is it about?

Astralporing.1957:

Ayrilana.1396:

Then you don’t have an understanding of what a bonus or sale is. I guess you assume that the costs from a buy one gent one free sale gets passed onto the customer. I guess you assume that anything that gives you 33% more gets passed onto the customer.

Of course it gets passed on the customer. The sole reason beyond this is after all to increase income for the seller.

No. It does not. Sorry.

vikkival.2459:

I don’t understand. What “same sale”? The addition of the base game? You still technically get it. But if you choose to create a new account the expansion is locked to that account but you would still get the “same sale”.

And you’d have bought an “expansion” that wasn’t an expansion, leading to the argument some people here are pushing that HoT isn’t an expansion but the new basic game.

Basically, you can buy it as a complete game, or as an expansion. One of those options offers more than the other. It’s no consolation to people who want an expansion that they can get better straight up value for money for buying a new game. They want an expansion.

Why do we need to sacrifice ? Why instead does Anet not have to make a compromise ?

JUN YANG.4328:

$50 for a new players is so reasonable… why we need to pay full price for expansion.

its like you having a Big Mac. and you want a Coke. you have to pay a Big Mac Meal price…….

if you are veteran already purchased think about. you happy to pay a full Meal price to JUST have a Coke?

I’m really hungry now. -_-

Random.4691:

Why do we need to sacrifice ? Why instead does Anet not have to make a compromise ?

I don’t want $50 worth of stuff. I don’t need financial parity to make up for the money I originally spent 2.5 years ago. I just want something —- anything, really — to recognize my role as a veteran player in helping make GW2 what it is today. A skin? A special mini? Hell, a $10 character slot? I don’t know. Just make a token effort to convince me that the last two-and-a-half years of my GW2 play hasn’t been a massive waste of time and money. Until Anet makes that token effort, I will not be purchasing HoT.

Manasa Devi.7958:

vikkival.2459:

I don’t understand. What “same sale”? The addition of the base game? You still technically get it. But if you choose to create a new account the expansion is locked to that account but you would still get the “same sale”.

And you’d have bought an “expansion” that wasn’t an expansion, leading to the argument some people here are pushing that HoT isn’t an expansion but the new basic game.

Basically, you can buy it as a complete game, or as an expansion. One of those options offers more than the other. It’s no consolation to people who want an expansion that they can get better straight up value for money for buying a new game. They want an expansion.

It’s of the same value if you can get the same offer a new player is getting. A new player will get base game with expansion, and you can also get a new base game with expansion ‘or’ add expansion to your current account. Whichever you like but it’s the
‘same’ besides the fact that the first offer is more desirable towards new players.

Edit: As I re-read your post I realize I just said the same thing lolz!
The way I see it, there is no ‘straight up value’. The value according to Arenanet is $50. No matter if you’re new or an old player, you’re all paying $50. All of you will be able to get the base game and expansion if that’s what you desire. If getting the base game included is of more value to you, then do it. If the expansion is good enough for you then take it. Regardless the options are there and everyone pays the same. Even if they did add a bank slot or lower the price. New people would still get the base game at the same lower price as you so I don’t see any solution to this other then blocking new players out completely from the deal.

2nd Edit: Grammar~

Random.4691:

Why do we need to sacrifice ? Why instead does Anet not have to make a compromise ?

A compromise would’ve been so easy, even profitable if done the right way.

Something like this:

1. Free base game for new players, free “veteran pack” for existing players.
2. Add “veteran pack” to gem store some months after release like they did with the digital deluxe update for the original game.
3. Profit from all those new players who can’t live without the veteran pack.
4. More happy players.

The “veteran pack” can be a character slot and one or more unique shinies.