The longer anwser is the new DE type mechanics are a vast improvement over quest hubs and could help the genre immensly if other devs follow suit by getting rid of quest hubs and replacing them with something a lot more fun.
I would like to add too that Arenanet will not depend solely on cashshop purchases to future fund the game. As in GW1 they will release expansions and quite likely DLC's of various types to keep the game fresh and the revenue coming in. They will not lower the price of the original game for a very long time either. People are enticed to pay the full price due to the lack of a sub fee. The Cash shop though will add additional revenue, how much is anyones guess at this point.
On a side note - anyone know what they spent to develop the game? With 1 million boxes sold I would say they are off to a good start but thats still only $50 or $60 Million. They may need another million or so boxes sold to turn a decent profit.
no game has died from rabid fanboyism. They die on their own merits. All you need to do is play a game to tell if it is bad or not. I think this article places a bit too much importance on fanboys forum posting habits contributing to anything relating to a games success or failure.
First off ArenaNet has never once said they plan to rival WoW nor have they said their game is the end all of MMOs. Anet has maintained the fact that they have and will make a game that people like to play and is fun. Now that said.... coming from one who has played every beta and now the headstart and launch of the game... it is one heck of a fun game to play! There is NO ! to be found. The dynamic events are unlike anything you have seen in other games. Sometimes you might be heading down a path and near a town, a child runs up to you "Help, there is fighting on the bridge" the child says. Head to the bridge and Bam an event starts or is in progress. The random npc conversations alone has more time put into them than what most MMO companies put into 80% of their game. It takes some getting use to because much about the game is unlike what you have seen or played in other MMOs, but once you get use to the play style it IS a super fun game to play! So far this game has changed what I expect from MMOs in the future.
I love the game, but the way they are handling communication between dev and player is pretty horrible.
Those that say they use twitter and facebook, that is not communication. Those are 'extras', that those of you that decide to subscribe to may use. Not everyone in the world wished to open their privacy to FB and twit.
ANet has a game site, it has been closed since release, nothing goes there of any worth other to sell the game because they don't want bad news to hurt sales currently, let's keep it real. And that fact has now got me worried, they haven't released any valid form of communication with their stamp on it, because they don't want to be held accountable for some reason. Why?
Fix the forums, and start communicationg like a reputable company and not a bunch of teenagers texting. Total fail for a company that has put out such a great product.
If you start touting a game as a MMO saviour you are setting yourself up for a very big fall. Take the game for what it is and enjoy it, trying to set it up as some paragon of the genre is a fruitless exercise.
Games have died from Fanboyism I am afraid, AC2 players had a lot to do with that games demise for example. You can listern to the fanbase too much. Giving players what they want assumes they know what they want, most do not.
Those who are talking about dev communication, you do realise that once a MMO is launched major changes are not going to happen over the space of a few days just because you posted on Twitter?
I can't speak for an entire genre - but for ME, It was the MMO savior.
I had given up on MMO's. I truly had. I was burned out by the same game with different lore and skins. The names were changed and the places the same. Some were more sandboxy, but just weren't for me.
I played EQ, EQ2, WoW, Warhammer Online, Lotro, EvE, Aion and RIFT. My poor friends and family followed me from game to game after I promised that each of them were goning to be "it".
I felt like such a fool. No more, I had given up and figured that the genre had just stagnated and there was nothing left for me.
Guild Wars 2 was my MMO savior.
Maybe you can say exactly what features is making the game stand out and be the savior of MMORPGs for you? Because I keep playing it, an altough a solid ThemePark MMO, it doesn't seem that special.
Dynamic Events are nice but not revolutionary, they feel quite similar to Rifts and Public Quests. Same with the heart quest.
Game is class and strictly level based with the twist of weapon based skills. Altough interesting, really not revolutionary.
Crafting is pretty much as in other games.
Game does not have a subscription fee but does have a cash shop like any F2P game.
Story quests are nothing new and quite juvenile, the one's in SW:TOR were far better.
Combat is fast paced but still TAB target based. TERA's combat is more innovative and even DCU had better combat.
WvWvW is nice but I would prefer faction based because that would make more sense.
So all in all the game is nice but I am just not seeing what all the fuss is about.
I love the game, but the way they are handling communication between dev and player is pretty horrible.
Those that say they use twitter and facebook, that is not communication. Those are 'extras', that those of you that decide to subscribe to may use. Not everyone in the world wished to open their privacy to FB and twit.
ANet has a game site, it has been closed since release, nothing goes there of any worth other to sell the game because they don't want bad news to hurt sales currently, let's keep it real. And that fact has now got me worried, they haven't released any valid form of communication with their stamp on it, because they don't want to be held accountable for some reason. Why?
Fix the forums, and start communicationg like a reputable company and not a bunch of teenagers texting. Total fail for a company that has put out such a great product.
Actually there was a big discussion about this a few months back. originally Anet wasnt even going to have their own forums for the game and were going to let the community kind of run it themselves through things like GWguru. After a big debate about it, and a lot of people requesting they have official forums they decided to change it. It'll be up soon, but just keep that in mind that we almost had no official forums at all.
The reason everyone thinks GW2 is so good, is because its predecessors were so bad. Just go down the list of MMO's that were released before GW2 launch. (This does not include MMO's released 5 years ago, which includes WOW. The time gap seperates these ideas)
Or better yet, just think of those big name MMO's we all thought were going to be amazing wow killers, yet ended up being nothing or exactly the same.
SWTOR - Terribad.
RIFT - It was a remake of WOW.
FF14 - Terribad.
Secret World - Just Ok.
Tera - Asian MMO (need I say more?)
Anyways, the List can go on and on. The point I'm trying to make, is that GW2 is riding on the terribleness of the games before it. GW2 is not a ground breaking MMO. It isn't even close. Right now though, people have two options. You can go back and play WOW, or you can play GW2. There is nothing else. Anyone playing anything else is clinging to antiquated dreams.
Since almost every gamer in the world has played WOW, I'm going to assume a lot will be playing GW2. As for people sitting around and 'waiting' for that ground breaking MMO, you wont see it for many years to come.
Not got into GW2 yet it's on it's way, i have been trying to stay away from the hype as most ppl i have seen in different forums over the years are always looking forward to the next big MMO, already i am seeing this in comments made in regards to GW2.
As i have mentioned with any new game i try to avoid the new hype as ppl get themselves into a frenzy over how great a game is going to be, and when there are a few issues that inevitably arrise that frenzy leads to a hate for the same game very quickly.
With most reviews i try to find a middle ground between the blind fanaticism and the absoloute hate that a game generates and that normally gives a better base line to how good/bad a game is.
The OP seems to fall into the same trap off setting a new game on a high pedestal there will never be a game that is going to be able to have the impact off wow in it's beginings as there is far more choice for ppl, with GW2 it will stand on it's own merit's and once the general fanaticism/hate dies down it will get to it's base line of players, some will move onto the next big thing others will find a new home for themselves and support the game and it's inevitable expansions.
Neither group are right or wrong so just try to enjoy yourselves in the majesty of the worlds that you get to play in.
I also despise the amount of rabidness this game apparently induces, not just on forums but basically everywhere.
Even if you dare to post that guild rosters and chat are not working you are immediately called an immature child who should learn to relog until it works, because the replying person has never had any issues with the greatest game of all-time and the saviour-of-us-all.
It's ridiculous, just talk about issues and opinions you have in an honest way.
Feel free to use my referral link for SW:TOR if you want to test out the game. You'll get some special unlocks!
I love the game, but the way they are handling communication between dev and player is pretty horrible.
Those that say they use twitter and facebook, that is not communication. Those are 'extras', that those of you that decide to subscribe to may use. Not everyone in the world wished to open their privacy to FB and twit.
ANet has a game site, it has been closed since release, nothing goes there of any worth other to sell the game because they don't want bad news to hurt sales currently, let's keep it real. And that fact has now got me worried, they haven't released any valid form of communication with their stamp on it, because they don't want to be held accountable for some reason. Why?
Fix the forums, and start communicationg like a reputable company and not a bunch of teenagers texting. Total fail for a company that has put out such a great product.
I think part of the reason they closed their forums is to snuff out any criticism it might generate. That also kills of effective player feedback for now. It's the problem with NCsoft games, they want what's in your wallet, but don't want to know what's in your head.
Nice Read I was looking to grab the game but am just not in the mood to pay $10-15 for some sub par look tis is sinner and cooler than what you had so go get it. Most of the contnet you buy is just not worth the money like wow pumps out and that game has become he 4yr you can play wow now and there is no thianking
GW2 looks weet but I agree there is will not as they say break the mold and become the mmo king or savior. It will be intersting to see how this game works out in the long run. Will be it like SWTOR? now going F2P or like Terra or Rift. I like Eve - online, 15 a month and good content that gets updated on a decent schedule.
Is Guild Wars 2 the MMO savior? No. It's another decent addition to the genre's library, but we're going to need to see real innovation, combined with perfect timing and the kind of passion we haven't seen in fifteen or more years, before anything else bceomes a blockbuster hit that draws everyone's attention to the medium, once again.
"This is life! We suffer and slave and expire. That's it!" -Bernard Black (Dylan Moran)
I love the game, but the way they are handling communication between dev and player is pretty horrible.
Those that say they use twitter and facebook, that is not communication. Those are 'extras', that those of you that decide to subscribe to may use. Not everyone in the world wished to open their privacy to FB and twit.
ANet has a game site, it has been closed since release, nothing goes there of any worth other to sell the game because they don't want bad news to hurt sales currently, let's keep it real. And that fact has now got me worried, they haven't released any valid form of communication with their stamp on it, because they don't want to be held accountable for some reason. Why?
Fix the forums, and start communicationg like a reputable company and not a bunch of teenagers texting. Total fail for a company that has put out such a great product.
I think part of the reason they closed their forums is to snuff out any criticism it might generate. That also kills of effective player feedback for now. It's the problem with NCsoft games, they want what's in your wallet, but don't want to know what's in your head.
You kids amuse me. Either of you ever have anything to do with GW1 or pay any attention to info about GW2 before it came out? Gw1 has been around for years and was quite succesful. Do you see an official forum for it? Didnt think so. They actually kind of let the community do their own things and build their own forums and sites around the game. Sites like Guild Wars Guru became a main source of information, and the devs were even active there.
They were planning on doing exactly the same with GW2. When they said so a couple months back, there was a big argument about it. After awhile Arenanet decided to listen to the demands of some, and said they will go ahead and have official forums. Considering it wasnt even originally going to exist, and it was like one of the last things before launch where they said "OK we will add that too", its pretty low on their list of priorites, but it will get fixed in time. Theyre just working out other issues, like stuff that actually matter IN the game.
You guys act like GWGuru and things like google dont exist or something. Anyone with half a brain can find whatever information they want about the game, as well as reviews, both good and bad. But noooo it must be a conspiracy to stop any bad press about the game because we all know every MMO lets their official forums fill up with bad mouthing and criticism of their games anyway.... lol
I love the game and it has kept my attention more these past few days then several other MMO's before it. It really is a breath of fresh air. Long term I know they will have exciting things going on, in terms of events and WvW match ups. For a non-subscription MMO, it is really hard to go wrong.
Well, regardless of how we feel about exaggeration for emphasis, one clear "win" of this title--to me--is the loss of several traditional griefing avenues.
Without "tagging", several of Blizzard's most complained-about community griefer vs player issues just aren't even possible any more. No loot arguments. No race-for-the-fresh spawn. No more serious issues with overcrowding. Outdoor bosses make a comeback in MMOs, without the original issues.
I consider that aspect a big plus of this title.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
Well, regardless of how we feel about exaggeration for emphasis, one clear "win" of this title--to me--is the loss of several traditional griefing avenues.
Without "tagging", several of Blizzard's most complained-about community griefer vs player issues just aren't even possible any more. No loot arguments. No race-for-the-fresh spawn. No more serious issues with overcrowding. Outdoor bosses make a comeback in MMOs, without the original issues.
I consider that aspect a big plus of this title.
I'll agree with this. So far, I like the game. I have my issues with it, but overall, they haven't hindered my experience that much.
Just like food, games rely on basic ingredients and each developer studio takes the same ingredients and makes their own dish. For me, GW2 is full of flavor, but to be honest it's got nothing I haven't seen before. Nor did I ever need it to.
Most if not all games have marketing presence. The level of marketing for GW2 felt about right each persons threshold of market saturation is going to be different so suggesting that GW2 was overly hyped can easily be disputed too.
GW2 isn't going to be for everyone and the ideology that any MMO that comes out is labeled as The Savior or Not The Savior of MMO's is equally as unappealing as suggesting that a certain game is over hyped.
It would appear that a lot of Gaming really comes down to expectations, desire to play within the games design and whether or not the game appeals to your play style. Any element of a game can be questioned, but its going to be up to the gamer to decide if its their fit.
The Old Timers Guild Laid back, not so serious, no drama. All about the fun!
www.oldtimersguild.com An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it. - Jef Mallett
I don't think any true fan would have the remotest problem with the assertion that GW2 won't be the "savior" of the MMO genre, whether such a statement is supported with reasonable arguments or in the form of the standard unsubstantiated troll proclamation. This is simply because no real GW2 fan (not read fanboy) has made such an assertion in the first place. I suppose one could perhaps toggle interpretations of personal claims that GW2 will be just the MMO individual fans have been waiting for in their desolate phase of MMO burnout to be claims of MMO salvation; but I think the implications those arguing against GW2's salvation intend to derive from such interpretations are then falsely attributed.
It quickly becomes the standard strawman: claiming that fan A said Y through a mingled interpretation, and then refuting Y instead of original X claim.
But I think the OP knows this. He seemed very reasonable and wrote a very good article. The whole savior bit was mostly a provocative catch phrase.
Great article, this helped to reestablish my confidence in this website, I got so sick of the INSANE hate I constantly saw on this site's comments section I stopped using it. Although I definitely agree with you that GW2 isn't the savior of the genre, I can see how it is for some people. For those who were beyond tired with the current build that was being used since WoW came out and really popularized it, it certainly is the savior. But for the rest, me included, who aren't sick of it yet, it isn't the savior. I will admit I was wrong about the game, I bought it yesterday and am enjoying it, but it doesn't feel like a breath of fresh air like it is for many. It just feels like another great mmorpg to release. I definitely like how casual it is and of course that it's f2p, so I can enjoy this game and still play SWTOR, which is my main mmorpg of choice. Yes I play and love SWTOR still, so eat s**t if you have a problem with that. But all I can say is that the whole savior thing, as usual, comes down to opinion alone.
I'd also like to point out that this article really has less to do with GW2 and is more of a public service announcement asking posters to be more responsable, thoughtful and reasonable. Honestly, an article like this--minus the particular game affiliation--should be published once daily because, unfortunately, the VAST majority of posters do not fall under the category of responsable, thoughtful and reasonable.
An article like this once every so often is only seen by a small group of posters and will mostly only resonate with those who already make thoughtful and reasonable posts. Although I suppose it can be argued that the people this article is really aimed at, the extreme fanboys and their corresponding haters, cannot be changed by a mere article, if at all.
Comments
The short answer is no, its only a game.
The longer anwser is the new DE type mechanics are a vast improvement over quest hubs and could help the genre immensly if other devs follow suit by getting rid of quest hubs and replacing them with something a lot more fun.
I would like to add too that Arenanet will not depend solely on cashshop purchases to future fund the game. As in GW1 they will release expansions and quite likely DLC's of various types to keep the game fresh and the revenue coming in. They will not lower the price of the original game for a very long time either. People are enticed to pay the full price due to the lack of a sub fee. The Cash shop though will add additional revenue, how much is anyones guess at this point.
On a side note - anyone know what they spent to develop the game? With 1 million boxes sold I would say they are off to a good start but thats still only $50 or $60 Million. They may need another million or so boxes sold to turn a decent profit.
I love the game, but the way they are handling communication between dev and player is pretty horrible.
Those that say they use twitter and facebook, that is not communication. Those are 'extras', that those of you that decide to subscribe to may use. Not everyone in the world wished to open their privacy to FB and twit.
ANet has a game site, it has been closed since release, nothing goes there of any worth other to sell the game because they don't want bad news to hurt sales currently, let's keep it real. And that fact has now got me worried, they haven't released any valid form of communication with their stamp on it, because they don't want to be held accountable for some reason. Why?
Fix the forums, and start communicationg like a reputable company and not a bunch of teenagers texting. Total fail for a company that has put out such a great product.
If you start touting a game as a MMO saviour you are setting yourself up for a very big fall. Take the game for what it is and enjoy it, trying to set it up as some paragon of the genre is a fruitless exercise.
Games have died from Fanboyism I am afraid, AC2 players had a lot to do with that games demise for example. You can listern to the fanbase too much. Giving players what they want assumes they know what they want, most do not.
Those who are talking about dev communication, you do realise that once a MMO is launched major changes are not going to happen over the space of a few days just because you posted on Twitter?
Maybe you can say exactly what features is making the game stand out and be the savior of MMORPGs for you? Because I keep playing it, an altough a solid ThemePark MMO, it doesn't seem that special.
Dynamic Events are nice but not revolutionary, they feel quite similar to Rifts and Public Quests. Same with the heart quest.
Game is class and strictly level based with the twist of weapon based skills. Altough interesting, really not revolutionary.
Crafting is pretty much as in other games.
Game does not have a subscription fee but does have a cash shop like any F2P game.
Story quests are nothing new and quite juvenile, the one's in SW:TOR were far better.
Combat is fast paced but still TAB target based. TERA's combat is more innovative and even DCU had better combat.
WvWvW is nice but I would prefer faction based because that would make more sense.
So all in all the game is nice but I am just not seeing what all the fuss is about.
My gaming blog
Actually there was a big discussion about this a few months back. originally Anet wasnt even going to have their own forums for the game and were going to let the community kind of run it themselves through things like GWguru. After a big debate about it, and a lot of people requesting they have official forums they decided to change it. It'll be up soon, but just keep that in mind that we almost had no official forums at all.
Isn't this YOUR opinions about these games ?
Isn't everything YOUR opinion..
Opinions may be diffrent if you ask me..:)
Not got into GW2 yet it's on it's way, i have been trying to stay away from the hype as most ppl i have seen in different forums over the years are always looking forward to the next big MMO, already i am seeing this in comments made in regards to GW2.
As i have mentioned with any new game i try to avoid the new hype as ppl get themselves into a frenzy over how great a game is going to be, and when there are a few issues that inevitably arrise that frenzy leads to a hate for the same game very quickly.
With most reviews i try to find a middle ground between the blind fanaticism and the absoloute hate that a game generates and that normally gives a better base line to how good/bad a game is.
The OP seems to fall into the same trap off setting a new game on a high pedestal there will never be a game that is going to be able to have the impact off wow in it's beginings as there is far more choice for ppl, with GW2 it will stand on it's own merit's and once the general fanaticism/hate dies down it will get to it's base line of players, some will move onto the next big thing others will find a new home for themselves and support the game and it's inevitable expansions.
Neither group are right or wrong so just try to enjoy yourselves in the majesty of the worlds that you get to play in.
Nice article.
I also despise the amount of rabidness this game apparently induces, not just on forums but basically everywhere.
Even if you dare to post that guild rosters and chat are not working you are immediately called an immature child who should learn to relog until it works, because the replying person has never had any issues with the greatest game of all-time and the saviour-of-us-all.
It's ridiculous, just talk about issues and opinions you have in an honest way.
Feel free to use my referral link for SW:TOR if you want to test out the game. You'll get some special unlocks!
I think part of the reason they closed their forums is to snuff out any criticism it might generate. That also kills of effective player feedback for now. It's the problem with NCsoft games, they want what's in your wallet, but don't want to know what's in your head.
Nice Read I was looking to grab the game but am just not in the mood to pay $10-15 for some sub par look tis is sinner and cooler than what you had so go get it. Most of the contnet you buy is just not worth the money like wow pumps out and that game has become he 4yr you can play wow now and there is no thianking
GW2 looks weet but I agree there is will not as they say break the mold and become the mmo king or savior. It will be intersting to see how this game works out in the long run. Will be it like SWTOR? now going F2P or like Terra or Rift. I like Eve - online, 15 a month and good content that gets updated on a decent schedule.
"This is life! We suffer and slave and expire. That's it!" -Bernard Black (Dylan Moran)
You kids amuse me. Either of you ever have anything to do with GW1 or pay any attention to info about GW2 before it came out? Gw1 has been around for years and was quite succesful. Do you see an official forum for it? Didnt think so. They actually kind of let the community do their own things and build their own forums and sites around the game. Sites like Guild Wars Guru became a main source of information, and the devs were even active there.
They were planning on doing exactly the same with GW2. When they said so a couple months back, there was a big argument about it. After awhile Arenanet decided to listen to the demands of some, and said they will go ahead and have official forums. Considering it wasnt even originally going to exist, and it was like one of the last things before launch where they said "OK we will add that too", its pretty low on their list of priorites, but it will get fixed in time. Theyre just working out other issues, like stuff that actually matter IN the game.
You guys act like GWGuru and things like google dont exist or something. Anyone with half a brain can find whatever information they want about the game, as well as reviews, both good and bad. But noooo it must be a conspiracy to stop any bad press about the game because we all know every MMO lets their official forums fill up with bad mouthing and criticism of their games anyway.... lol
Momo sucks, I have proof.
Well, regardless of how we feel about exaggeration for emphasis, one clear "win" of this title--to me--is the loss of several traditional griefing avenues.
Without "tagging", several of Blizzard's most complained-about community griefer vs player issues just aren't even possible any more. No loot arguments. No race-for-the-fresh spawn. No more serious issues with overcrowding. Outdoor bosses make a comeback in MMOs, without the original issues.
I consider that aspect a big plus of this title.
Self-pity imprisons us in the walls of our own self-absorption. The whole world shrinks down to the size of our problem, and the more we dwell on it, the smaller we are and the larger the problem seems to grow.
I'll agree with this. So far, I like the game. I have my issues with it, but overall, they haven't hindered my experience that much.
Most if not all games have marketing presence. The level of marketing for GW2 felt about right each persons threshold of market saturation is going to be different so suggesting that GW2 was overly hyped can easily be disputed too.
GW2 isn't going to be for everyone and the ideology that any MMO that comes out is labeled as The Savior or Not The Savior of MMO's is equally as unappealing as suggesting that a certain game is over hyped.
It would appear that a lot of Gaming really comes down to expectations, desire to play within the games design and whether or not the game appeals to your play style. Any element of a game can be questioned, but its going to be up to the gamer to decide if its their fit.The Old Timers Guild
Laid back, not so serious, no drama.
All about the fun!
www.oldtimersguild.com
An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it. - Jef Mallett
I don't think any true fan would have the remotest problem with the assertion that GW2 won't be the "savior" of the MMO genre, whether such a statement is supported with reasonable arguments or in the form of the standard unsubstantiated troll proclamation. This is simply because no real GW2 fan (not read fanboy) has made such an assertion in the first place. I suppose one could perhaps toggle interpretations of personal claims that GW2 will be just the MMO individual fans have been waiting for in their desolate phase of MMO burnout to be claims of MMO salvation; but I think the implications those arguing against GW2's salvation intend to derive from such interpretations are then falsely attributed.
It quickly becomes the standard strawman: claiming that fan A said Y through a mingled interpretation, and then refuting Y instead of original X claim.
But I think the OP knows this. He seemed very reasonable and wrote a very good article. The whole savior bit was mostly a provocative catch phrase.
I'd also like to point out that this article really has less to do with GW2 and is more of a public service announcement asking posters to be more responsable, thoughtful and reasonable. Honestly, an article like this--minus the particular game affiliation--should be published once daily because, unfortunately, the VAST majority of posters do not fall under the category of responsable, thoughtful and reasonable.
An article like this once every so often is only seen by a small group of posters and will mostly only resonate with those who already make thoughtful and reasonable posts. Although I suppose it can be argued that the people this article is really aimed at, the extreme fanboys and their corresponding haters, cannot be changed by a mere article, if at all.
My response to this article
http://www.mmorpg.com/blogs/swordmark45/082012/23804_Guild-Wars-2-My-rebutal-to-the-Devils-Advocate-article
A MMO is like life. It is something to cherish and enjoy upon in it journey. So why race to the end of it. In life at the end you die.