See the thing is, nothing in life is free. You'll pay for the $50 game, and the $xx expansions. Then they will come out with xxx number of expansions to try to make more money just like EQ1 did which in turn killed the game. If you think youre really playing a "free" game, you got another thing comin.
You still pay a monthly fee, its just that they call the monthly fee "expansions". Man people are such suckers.
The difference though is that you dont have to buy the expansions. Sure, you will probably then have fewer people to play with as characters progress through the expansions, but if you really can only afford $50 you will still be able to play.
Its an interesting financial model, i'm not going to praise or criticise it until I see it in action, at the moment anyone who does is guessing...
---sig--- currently training 'hoping for more sci-fi mmorpgs' to level 5
---sig---
PvE in general is pretty lame, if you think long and hard about it. You are spending your time beating a severely gimped AI that would lose to a well trained monkey. Best not to think too long and hard why you are wasting time playing games in general actually...
Originally posted by ramadin See the thing is, nothing in life is free. You'll pay for the $50 game, and the $xx expansions. Then they will come out with xxx number of expansions to try to make more money just like EQ1 did which in turn killed the game. If you think youre really playing a "free" game, you got another thing comin. You still pay a monthly fee, its just that they call the monthly fee "expansions". Man people are such suckers.
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In a way you are partially correct. However, they are not saying it is a free game. They are saying no monthly subscription fees. And no, they will not be coming out with an expansion per month. The general consensus on the guild wars sites/forums is 1-2 expansions per year. The price will be between 20-50 dollars each. Each expansion pack is a new "chapter" in the game, which will unlock the next phase in the storyline. And you are NOT required to purchase the expansion packs. Their website states that any major event will be able to be playable by anyone, regardless of expansion packs. The use of expansion packs is integrated with the storyline. If you don't care about progressing the story, then don't buy the exp pack. It's really that simple.
For example, EQ2 costs approx $20 (rounded for ease of example) per month in fees. That's about $240 dollars per year, plus expansion packs (which are inevitable) and the purchase of the game. GW, on the other hand costs $49.99 to buy the game, and $0 for monthly fees. If they release 2 expansion packs per year at say $50 (over-estimating to ensure maximum price shown) is $100 per year. And you don't have to buy an exp pack.... ever, if you so choose.
Therefore, if you buy EQ2 without any exp pack, it will cost approx $240 per year (plus game purchase in first year, and whatever exp packs they release).... and that is US dollars for non-Americans. GW will cost approx 49.99 to buy, and at most around $100 per year, again in US dollars.
Now, which is the better deal for a game with comparable graphics, a great world/storyline, GvG concept, and much more? Hmmm.... I'll just take a shot in the dark and say GW. So who's the real sucker? The guy paying around $240 per year plus extras, or about $100 per year plus extras...
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Originally posted by ramadin See the thing is, nothing in life is free. You'll pay for the $50 game, and the $xx expansions. Then they will come out with xxx number of expansions to try to make more money just like EQ1 did which in turn killed the game. If you think youre really playing a "free" game, you got another thing comin. You still pay a monthly fee, its just that they call the monthly fee "expansions". Man people are such suckers. -----------------Censored------------------
hmm u seem stupid... when u pay a monthly fee u give then xx amount of money and what do u get in return the ability to play the game u already bought.... GW if u say a exspansion is a so called monthly fee.. u are not required to buy any of them and the exspansions.... if u do buy them u add more chapters to the story therefore giving u more game content at a cheaper price then a monthly fee game..WoW 50 bucks to buy then 15 dollors a month after 6 months thats 90 dollors where as guild wars a exspanshin that well proble come out every 6-9 months is only gonna be 30-50 ... hmm spending 50 dollors and playing GW for as long as i want for free.. or buy almost any other mmorpg for 50 and pay a minimum of 15 a month ....
GW site states that they intend to keep up the income using expansion packs. That is fairy obvious.
But thay also state thatplayers with only the basic game could play indefinitely and competitive against all-buyers... I'll have to see this one.
Nevertheless, one thing for sure. I'm a warcraft LOVER, and the only reason I didn't pick WoW is the monthly fee. I cannot spend 20 bucks each month, when I intend to play the game for many time, (and im not a very hardcore gamer, so I'm not going to be 24x7 plugged into the game for sqeezing my money).
But I'm undoubly going for GW. They have got my money. And I'm sure there are many other ppl like me. Also, as the game is not true MMO, but a mixture of MMO and small party questing, server costs should be lower than the behemoths needed to keep it up with the (in-)famous 600.000 copies sold by WoW.
I hope this post helps to explain some of you about why is GW to be a profitable project
one of the reasons of the not monthly fee is that the data send and recieved from the servers to the players is minimalised. That way they cut the costs for a big chunk. When playing with 7 other ppl in a mission you send your data to them, and not the server so much im guessing. This way they prevent boss camping, waiting in line etc., but this way it does remove the fun of being able to play with 50 other ppl at once in a battle field vs monsters.
But who know's, maybe they'll do make a battlefield like that in the future. the game is not finished yet, and it might still be an option for the dev's
OK then let me clarify for you simple minded people. Its free because no one would pay a fee to play this game and/or its geared more towards kids who dont have a credit card to pay monthly fees. Basically Diablo in 3D.
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Diablo in 3D? Hmmm, that doesn't sound bad at all. Thanks!
OK then let me clarify for you simple minded people. Its free because no one would pay a fee to play this game and/or its geared more towards kids who dont have a credit card to pay monthly fees. Basically Diablo in 3D.
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Diablo in 3D? Hmmm, that doesn't sound bad at all. Thanks!
How many poeple Play computer games? Ok not what percentage of those people do you think are willing to pay to play on a MMORPG? My guess is less than 0.1% That's a lot of people but still not that many when you compare it to the total number of people playing. Now lets break it down somemore. Out of all the people that play how many play Fantasy type games? Now how many of those are willing to pay to play an MMORPG? The player base is getting much smaller. Now Guildwars isn't charging a monthly fee because they realise that they can get more people to actually buy and play the game if they don't. I for one wouldn't have even of looked at it if they were going to charge a monthly fee. As for expansion pacts, it's my understanding that they won't be required but you won't have access to the new content. Finally, why ask why? Why not just be greatful that they aren't charging you to play this game and be happy about it.
I completely disagree. The MMORPG playerbase is a large one. Its a multi-million dollar industry, and the reason you are seeing alot of MMOs coming out, is because the gaming industry is starting to catch on. Its especially large in Asia.
Anyway, we should probably let this topic die now..
Yeah if you're so suspicious, leave the game alone - just to hear from your friends how good it is and how fun to play!
Btw Anarchy online is also free, you could even download and play the game for free for 2 years. What could be against that, they just try to let you try it and hope you'll but the expansion packs if you want more.
The same counts for GW. Apart from the (free) streaming downloads, I expect new areas to become available with every expansion pack. So they'll earn their money, worry not! And I think it's more fair than games you'll have to pay for. Parents give the game to their children, perhaps not knowing you have to pay a fee every month, which may accrue to over 150 bucks a year. NEXT to the cost of the game and expansion packs!!
Originally posted by Blizzagen The MMORPG playerbase is a large one. Its a multi-million dollar industry, and the reason you are seeing alot of MMOs coming out, is because the gaming industry is starting to catch on. Its especially large in Asia.
You make an valid point. I do find one major problem. They are treating it a lot like the regular gaming industry. A lot of MMOGs that are out nowadays, look a lot like every other MMOG that is out. There isn't much that is really original anymore. That's why I am anticipating GW so much. It has a lot of new concepts and ideas that make it a fresh game.
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I think that's actually a really smart move. By opening the opportunity to those without credit cards, they are diving into almost a whole new market, a whole new audience they would have probably never had if they had chosed to have a monthly subscription. I think by doing this, ArenaNet's going to make up the money loast through the lack of monthly fees with the money gained through a new audience that scarcly had the opportunity to play a MMORPG without a credit card. Good move, in fact, i like it
well if im repating something i am sorry i missed it in the flames.... bright flames....burning....oh the game the reson they can have the game w/o the monthy sub. cost is that thy just have the game clinest network and host the game themseves (think kinda how bittorent works) that also gives them the possablity to stream new content into the game with out have to have every one restate the client or server down time. well this is how i understand it corretct me if i am wrong
The game will probably sell more copies than most MMO's, because there is no monthly fee. People are much more willing to buy a game that only has an upfront cost. Personally, I will never buy an MMORPG, that has a monthly fee. Maybe I'm cheap (I am), but I don't want to feel pressured to play a game. I play to have fun.
Also, they've said that the Expansions will be released eveyr 6-9 months, and they won't be mandatory. Ie. You won't need the expansion to compete. Most of the people playing Guild Wars will probably buy the expansions though, which will more than cover the cost of running the game.
And I may be wrong on this last point, but I belive that the way they have the servers set up (stream, instanced areas, etc...) makes the game easier to run, thefore cheaper. Don't hold me to this last part though, this is just what I've gathered from reading sources, could be wrong.
well i personally think that streamlining new game material into ur comp while playing is certainly more efficient and time saving then waiting for 10 mins-an hour(depending on ur conection and comp specs)for new material when u could be workin urway up the tournament ladder or bashing ghouls with an ugly stick....just my opinion
They also run the game in Districts you'll notice. Each town has 12? districts. Each area has several sections. And there are alot of open fields of battle that go to new ones if you walk far enough.
Basically, they run each district or area as their own "servers" they are sperated. This is one of the big money savers as it lowers bandwidth, AND it makes lag almost null, because each area contains certain players. And because of how it's set up, it makes it a breeze to get from one spot to another!
This is where I put some wierd trademark for myself, well my trademark is a picture of me owning you.
Originally posted by Jonneh They also run the game in Districts you'll notice. Each town has 12? districts. Each area has several sections. And there are alot of open fields of battle that go to new ones if you walk far enough.
There are as many Districts for a town as is needed at any given time, during the WPE there were about 100+ districts in Lions Arch, but at some times during BWE's there may only be a few districts.
Comments
See the thing is, nothing in life is free. You'll pay for the $50 game, and the $xx expansions. Then they will come out with xxx number of expansions to try to make more money just like EQ1 did which in turn killed the game. If you think youre really playing a "free" game, you got another thing comin.
You still pay a monthly fee, its just that they call the monthly fee "expansions". Man people are such suckers.
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The difference though is that you dont have to buy the expansions. Sure, you will probably then have fewer people to play with as characters progress through the expansions, but if you really can only afford $50 you will still be able to play.
Its an interesting financial model, i'm not going to praise or criticise it until I see it in action, at the moment anyone who does is guessing...
---sig---
currently training 'hoping for more sci-fi mmorpgs' to level 5
---sig---
PvE in general is pretty lame, if you think long and hard about it. You are spending your time beating a severely gimped AI that would lose to a well trained monkey. Best not to think too long and hard why you are wasting time playing games in general actually...
In a way you are partially correct. However, they are not saying it is a free game. They are saying no monthly subscription fees. And no, they will not be coming out with an expansion per month. The general consensus on the guild wars sites/forums is 1-2 expansions per year. The price will be between 20-50 dollars each. Each expansion pack is a new "chapter" in the game, which will unlock the next phase in the storyline. And you are NOT required to purchase the expansion packs. Their website states that any major event will be able to be playable by anyone, regardless of expansion packs. The use of expansion packs is integrated with the storyline. If you don't care about progressing the story, then don't buy the exp pack. It's really that simple.
For example, EQ2 costs approx $20 (rounded for ease of example) per month in fees. That's about $240 dollars per year, plus expansion packs (which are inevitable) and the purchase of the game. GW, on the other hand costs $49.99 to buy the game, and $0 for monthly fees. If they release 2 expansion packs per year at say $50 (over-estimating to ensure maximum price shown) is $100 per year. And you don't have to buy an exp pack.... ever, if you so choose.
Therefore, if you buy EQ2 without any exp pack, it will cost approx $240 per year (plus game purchase in first year, and whatever exp packs they release).... and that is US dollars for non-Americans. GW will cost approx 49.99 to buy, and at most around $100 per year, again in US dollars.
Now, which is the better deal for a game with comparable graphics, a great world/storyline, GvG concept, and much more? Hmmm.... I'll just take a shot in the dark and say GW. So who's the real sucker? The guy paying around $240 per year plus extras, or about $100 per year plus extras...
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hmm u seem stupid... when u pay a monthly fee u give then xx amount of money and what do u get in return the ability to play the game u already bought.... GW if u say a exspansion is a so called monthly fee.. u are not required to buy any of them and the exspansions.... if u do buy them u add more chapters to the story therefore giving u more game content at a cheaper price then a monthly fee game..WoW 50 bucks to buy then 15 dollors a month after 6 months thats 90 dollors where as guild wars a exspanshin that well proble come out every 6-9 months is only gonna be 30-50 ...
hmm spending 50 dollors and playing GW for as long as i want for free.. or buy almost any other mmorpg for 50 and pay a minimum of 15 a month ....
Well...
GW site states that they intend to keep up the income using expansion packs. That is fairy obvious.
But thay also state thatplayers with only the basic game could play indefinitely and competitive against all-buyers... I'll have to see this one.
Nevertheless, one thing for sure. I'm a warcraft LOVER, and the only reason I didn't pick WoW is the monthly fee. I cannot spend 20 bucks each month, when I intend to play the game for many time, (and im not a very hardcore gamer, so I'm not going to be 24x7 plugged into the game for sqeezing my money).
But I'm undoubly going for GW. They have got my money. And I'm sure there are many other ppl like me. Also, as the game is not true MMO, but a mixture of MMO and small party questing, server costs should be lower than the behemoths needed to keep it up with the (in-)famous 600.000 copies sold by WoW.
I hope this post helps to explain some of you about why is GW to be a profitable project
Regards
L.
one of the reasons of the not monthly fee is that the data send and recieved from the servers to the players is minimalised. That way they cut the costs for a big chunk. When playing with 7 other ppl in a mission you send your data to them, and not the server so much im guessing. This way they prevent boss camping, waiting in line etc., but this way it does remove the fun of being able to play with 50 other ppl at once in a battle field vs monsters.
But who know's, maybe they'll do make a battlefield like that in the future. the game is not finished yet, and it might still be an option for the dev's
-greetz
-greetz
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Diablo in 3D? Hmmm, that doesn't sound bad at all. Thanks!
-----------------Censored------------------
Diablo in 3D? Hmmm, that doesn't sound bad at all. Thanks!
To tell the truth, it sounds fantastic to me!
L
How many poeple Play computer games? Ok not what percentage of those people do you think are willing to pay to play on a MMORPG? My guess is less than 0.1% That's a lot of people but still not that many when you compare it to the total number of people playing. Now lets break it down somemore. Out of all the people that play how many play Fantasy type games? Now how many of those are willing to pay to play an MMORPG? The player base is getting much smaller. Now Guildwars isn't charging a monthly fee because they realise that they can get more people to actually buy and play the game if they don't. I for one wouldn't have even of looked at it if they were going to charge a monthly fee. As for expansion pacts, it's my understanding that they won't be required but you won't have access to the new content. Finally, why ask why? Why not just be greatful that they aren't charging you to play this game and be happy about it.
I completely disagree. The MMORPG playerbase is a large one. Its a multi-million dollar industry, and the reason you are seeing alot of MMOs coming out, is because the gaming industry is starting to catch on. Its especially large in Asia.
Anyway, we should probably let this topic die now..
Yeah if you're so suspicious, leave the game alone - just to hear from your friends how good it is and how fun to play!
Btw Anarchy online is also free, you could even download and play the game for free for 2 years. What could be against that, they just try to let you try it and hope you'll but the expansion packs if you want more.
The same counts for GW. Apart from the (free) streaming downloads, I expect new areas to become available with every expansion pack. So they'll earn their money, worry not!
And I think it's more fair than games you'll have to pay for. Parents give the game to their children, perhaps not knowing you have to pay a fee every month, which may accrue to over 150 bucks a year. NEXT to the cost of the game and expansion packs!!
So: thumbs up to the GW dev team!!
El/Mo >>--------->
Cast your vote: The importance of character customisation
You make an valid point. I do find one major problem. They are treating it a lot like the regular gaming industry. A lot of MMOGs that are out nowadays, look a lot like every other MMOG that is out. There isn't much that is really original anymore. That's why I am anticipating GW so much. It has a lot of new concepts and ideas that make it a fresh game.
Win XP Pro
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1 Gig PC3200 DDR400 RAM
120 Gig Ultra ATA HD
30 Gig EIDE HD
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SoundBlaster Live! Gamer 5.1
8X DVD+/-RW
_dark_rider_
well if im repating something i am sorry i missed it in the flames.... bright flames....burning....oh the game the reson they can have the game w/o the monthy sub. cost is that thy just have the game clinest network and host the game themseves (think kinda how bittorent works) that also gives them the possablity to stream new content into the game with out have to have every one restate the client or server down time. well this is how i understand it corretct me if i am wrong
It's free because they decided to design a game that doesn't require a monthly fee. Simple.
The corollary of that is the following:
Many other online games require you to pay a montly fee because that's what the people who made them set out to build. Equally simple.
The game will probably sell more copies than most MMO's, because there is no monthly fee. People are much more willing to buy a game that only has an upfront cost. Personally, I will never buy an MMORPG, that has a monthly fee. Maybe I'm cheap (I am), but I don't want to feel pressured to play a game. I play to have fun.
Also, they've said that the Expansions will be released eveyr 6-9 months, and they won't be mandatory. Ie. You won't need the expansion to compete. Most of the people playing Guild Wars will probably buy the expansions though, which will more than cover the cost of running the game.
And I may be wrong on this last point, but I belive that the way they have the servers set up (stream, instanced areas, etc...) makes the game easier to run, thefore cheaper. Don't hold me to this last part though, this is just what I've gathered from reading sources, could be wrong.
They also run the game in Districts you'll notice.
Each town has 12? districts. Each area has several sections. And there are alot of open fields of battle that go to new ones if you walk far enough.
Basically, they run each district or area as their own "servers" they are sperated.
This is one of the big money savers as it lowers bandwidth, AND it makes lag almost null, because each area contains certain players. And because of how it's set up, it makes it a breeze to get from one spot to another!
This is where I put some wierd trademark for myself, well my trademark is a picture of me owning you.