It would be refreshing to see an mmo launch less than six months after its been announced. Hell at this point id be happy with a year. Dragging out info and building up hype over the course of 2+ years is getting really annoying. It sucks because everybody is doing it.
Meh, tell me when there is a free trial. Seriously..."When it's ready"? F*ck you... Sh*t is getting stale everytime I see that phrase.
Would you rather have a release date that continuously gets pushed back?
Release date? What release date? There is a release date? Where? Exactly... huh? wut? hype? yeah? no? HUH?!?! I'm just as annoyed as everybody else with them telling us "when it's ready". Then again, who isn't? But then again, why do you care?
Meh, tell me when there is a free trial. Seriously..."When it's ready"? F*ck you... Sh*t is getting stale everytime I see that phrase.
Would you rather have a release date that continuously gets pushed back?
Yes, with a listed reason specifically why it's being pushed back. "We had an issue with disconnects" or "Feature X is giving our development team some trouble."
Some transparancy and honesty would go a long way in this market the way it is. Also, if you don't have any clue when your game is going to be done... don't dedicate a website to posting up hype videos for a year and a half. Tell us it's ready when it's ready, then you won't have to tell us that it'll be ready when it's ready. 6 month announcement is more than enough.
Meh, tell me when there is a free trial. Seriously..."When it's ready"? F*ck you... Sh*t is getting stale everytime I see that phrase.
Would you rather have a release date that continuously gets pushed back?
Release date? What release date? There is a release date? Where? Exactly... huh? wut? hype? yeah? no? HUH?!?! I'm just as annoyed as everybody else with them telling us "when it's ready". Then again, who isn't? But then again, why do you care?
That's exactly what it is. It's ready when it's ready. That means there is no release date just yet, but considering that they're having CBT sometime this year, there will be a release date sometime soon.
EDIT: And personally, I'm fine with a 2012 release. At first I was upset, but I figured if they need the time, they should take it. I want this game to be the best it can be.
My reasoning is that how can you have a closed alpha testing period, then a closed beta test, and open beta test inbetween all that continue to fix bugs then get ready for a release all in 6 months time? Sorry but I think 2011 release is really being unrealistic as much as we all want to play.
It would be refreshing to see an mmo launch less than six months after its been announced. Hell at this point id be happy with a year. Dragging out info and building up hype over the course of 2+ years is getting really annoying. It sucks because everybody is doing it.
You clearly don' t understand the value of 2+ years of free advertising and world-of-mouth hype that can be generated. Why would or should they hold back announcing a game? Just so you can't get hyped about it? Getting hyped about it is the point of marketing and then selling boxes. Sorry if this breaks your pretty bubble world, but marketing and making a profit are important aspects of MMO games. They have to balance this against releasing pre-maturely, but there are financial consequences of releasing a game prematurely as well.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
My reasoning is that how can you have a closed alpha testing period, then a closed beta test, and open beta test inbetween all that continue to fix bugs then get ready for a release all in 6 months time? Sorry but I think 2011 release is really being unrealistic as much as we all want to play.
My reasoning is: RIft did it and still managed a highly polished release.
Besides, I don't think anyone is saying a 2011 release is inevitable, merely that it is possible. It depends on how polished GW2 is going into CB and how much work there is to be done based on feedback afterwards.
My reasoning is that how can you have a closed alpha testing period, then a closed beta test, and open beta test inbetween all that continue to fix bugs then get ready for a release all in 6 months time? Sorry but I think 2011 release is really being unrealistic as much as we all want to play.
They've been doing closed alpha for a couple of years now. They test all the components of the game as they come online and tweak them continuously instead of waiting for the game to be done (TM) before starting the testing phase. Closed beta is the only time-consuming step coming up, but that can be done in three or four months since they'll have been playing the hell out of it internally up until then. Open beta is mostly for marketing and stress testing. It shouldn't need more than a month or two.
Six months for an open and closed beta is not unrealistic. The question is, how much longer will the closed alpha last? It's unlikely it will be in June since there are still two race and one profession reveal still to go, not to mention, all things PvP. I'm expecting closed beta to begin mid-fall and the open to start next March. Release day will be late April to coincide with GW1's birthday.
I hope I'm waaaaaaay overestimating though because I'd like to see the Guild Wars 2 CE box under my tree this Christmas. On the other hand, a 2012 release means a few more mini-pets for my HoM...
They've been doing closed alpha for a couple of years now.
.... snip...
Lets gets things straight. No they haven't been done closed alfa for a couple of years! As I have stated earlier in this thread.
Eric Flannum writes on the guru on 6 of may
"Hey all, just wanted to clarify something. When Jon mentions something being pre-alpha you shouldn't draw any conclusions about how far into development the game is. We've stated that we will have closed alpha and beta tests this year and we are most definitely on track for that."
I'd go with believing the NCSoft investor report. If I remember correctly, in another investor report they were saying beta would likely be 2011 instead of 2010 while Anet was still acting like the game was coming out 2010.
Originally posted by SBE1 Originally posted by Foomerang It would be refreshing to see an mmo launch less than six months after its been announced. Hell at this point id be happy with a year. Dragging out info and building up hype over the course of 2+ years is getting really annoying. It sucks because everybody is doing it.
You clearly don' t understand the value of 2+ years of free advertising and world-of-mouth hype that can be generated. Why would or should they hold back announcing a game? Just so you can't get hyped about it? Getting hyped about it is the point of marketing and then selling boxes. Sorry if this breaks your pretty bubble world, but marketing and making a profit are important aspects of MMO games. They have to balance this against releasing pre-maturely, but there are financial consequences of releasing a game prematurely as well. reality is that people become desensitized from overexposure. there is a window of time that will suspend a consumers hype. film promoters get it, politicians get it, pretty much every other entertainment medium including other video game genres get it. but for some reason, mmos do this 2+ year of buildup and in all honesty its just too much. dynamic events? who cares anymore im sick of hearing about it. personal story archs? good thing i found out about that 3 years in advance /rolleyes
reality is that people become desensitized from overexposure. there is a window of time that will suspend a consumers hype. film promoters get it, politicians get it, pretty much every other entertainment medium including other video game genres get it. but for some reason, mmos do this 2+ year of buildup and in all honesty its just too much. dynamic events? who cares anymore im sick of hearing about it. personal story archs? good thing i found out about that 3 years in advance /rolleyes
and btw pretty bubble world? lol
What you said.... is so true. The marketing people started salivating over MMO marketing curves. They started showing stuff earlier and earlier and creating weekly shows and what not....
Unfortunately when no game has delivered... no marketing curve will save it. The over hype will backfire. It creates unrealistic expectations that will only create waves and ripples of customer disappointment.
I would like to see shorter and sweeter stuff. Followed by earlier open betas for MMO's. Or run the open beta for a month or so in bursts. THEN announce more features and stuff....
Its all good in words but in action no mmo has held well VS its hype in the last 3 years.
reality is that people become desensitized from overexposure. there is a window of time that will suspend a consumers hype. film promoters get it, politicians get it, pretty much every other entertainment medium including other video game genres get it. but for some reason, mmos do this 2+ year of buildup and in all honesty its just too much. dynamic events? who cares anymore im sick of hearing about it. personal story archs? good thing i found out about that 3 years in advance /rolleyes
and btw pretty bubble world? lol
What you said.... is so true. The marketing people started salivating over MMO marketing curves. They started showing stuff earlier and earlier and creating weekly shows and what not....
Unfortunately when no game has delivered... no marketing curve will save it. The over hype will backfire. It creates unrealistic expectations that will only create waves and ripples of customer disappointment.
I would like to see shorter and sweeter stuff. Followed by earlier open betas for MMO's. Or run the open beta for a month or so in bursts. THEN announce more features and stuff....
Its all good in words but in action no mmo has held well VS its hype in the last 3 years.
I think you guys are right that people get tired after too much time of hype. But I think the amount of people who are following GW2 closely and who do get tired of the drawn out marketing will still buy the game. I think the company thinks it is worth it to draw it out because for every hardcore fan that gets tired, they reach maybe 2 new gamers who didn't know about the game. I think that is the way they are thinking.
Working closely with half of the world's biggest publishers and marketing departments (I have to as game trailers = marketing budgets) I can guarantee you.... without a shadow of a doubt...
That no marketing person that comes up with massive executive decisions has ever played an MMO before. 99.99% of the entire marketing divisions are their friends of someone who came in from a different industry or a non-gamer enthusiast trying to learn.
There is this wrong preconception that everyone in the games industry understands games and gaming and thus makes logical decisions based on stats, facts and common sense.
NO......
This is not true and you would think that massive companies would make more clever marketing decisions but they do not.
This is happening it will keep happening and our only hopes lies in those less incompetent than others... I won't say any competent or incompetent company names but I am sure you can think of marketing fiasco's....
I hope that sheds some light. Often people here bank on marketing having logic and a good plan. If only that was the case...
I think the release it will be second half 2012 (i.e. 1 year distance), untill there im starving to death
Considering the fact that they're having CBT before the end of the year, and they're right on track, I'm assuming OBT (which I am most definitely taking part in!) by around February/March and a release right after that. If not right after then a month or 2 after.
I think the release it will be second half 2012 (i.e. 1 year distance), untill there im starving to death
Considering the fact that they're having CBT before the end of the year, and they're right on track, I'm assuming OBT (which I am most definitely taking part in!) by around February/March and a release right after that. If not right after then a month or 2 after.
As I remember, I interperted the financial report before this one as saying something like: the game should be done this year but the launch (the income from the launch) will mostly be in 2012. That made me think that they are signaling a launch in maybe feb. Then i would add a few months to that for unexpected things which seem to happen every game. So my speculation have been a launch before july 2012. But ofcourse this is all guesstimations.
Comments
Does anyone know if the Financial Quarter are equal to Calendar Quarters for NCSoft?
This was a good read too: Guild Wars 2 Beta This Year, Says NCSoft
"We'll have a major presence at Gamescom (Aug. 17-21) this year where we plan on stealing a few headlines."
2012 won't it be the end of the world?
Meh, tell me when there is a free trial. Seriously..."When it's ready"? F*ck you... Sh*t is getting stale everytime I see that phrase.
Would you rather have a release date that continuously gets pushed back?
It would be refreshing to see an mmo launch less than six months after its been announced. Hell at this point id be happy with a year. Dragging out info and building up hype over the course of 2+ years is getting really annoying. It sucks because everybody is doing it.
Release date? What release date? There is a release date? Where? Exactly... huh? wut? hype? yeah? no? HUH?!?! I'm just as annoyed as everybody else with them telling us "when it's ready". Then again, who isn't? But then again, why do you care?
Yes, with a listed reason specifically why it's being pushed back. "We had an issue with disconnects" or "Feature X is giving our development team some trouble."
Some transparancy and honesty would go a long way in this market the way it is. Also, if you don't have any clue when your game is going to be done... don't dedicate a website to posting up hype videos for a year and a half. Tell us it's ready when it's ready, then you won't have to tell us that it'll be ready when it's ready. 6 month announcement is more than enough.
That's exactly what it is. It's ready when it's ready. That means there is no release date just yet, but considering that they're having CBT sometime this year, there will be a release date sometime soon.
EDIT: And personally, I'm fine with a 2012 release. At first I was upset, but I figured if they need the time, they should take it. I want this game to be the best it can be.
My reasoning is that how can you have a closed alpha testing period, then a closed beta test, and open beta test inbetween all that continue to fix bugs then get ready for a release all in 6 months time? Sorry but I think 2011 release is really being unrealistic as much as we all want to play.
You clearly don' t understand the value of 2+ years of free advertising and world-of-mouth hype that can be generated. Why would or should they hold back announcing a game? Just so you can't get hyped about it? Getting hyped about it is the point of marketing and then selling boxes. Sorry if this breaks your pretty bubble world, but marketing and making a profit are important aspects of MMO games. They have to balance this against releasing pre-maturely, but there are financial consequences of releasing a game prematurely as well.
Most probably will come out in 2012.... My bet goes for Spring 2012...
will see.....
While I appreciate a bug free game, I want it now!!! .... I am still playing the same games from 2005, come on!
Uhh... what?
2012 is the way to bet, no telling when, but spring sounds possible still
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
no evidence at all
-- but Ive been assuming it will be 2012 for the last 2 years heh
ever since I saw this, from their financials in Feb 2009
EQ2 fan sites
My reasoning is: RIft did it and still managed a highly polished release.
Besides, I don't think anyone is saying a 2011 release is inevitable, merely that it is possible. It depends on how polished GW2 is going into CB and how much work there is to be done based on feedback afterwards.
They've been doing closed alpha for a couple of years now. They test all the components of the game as they come online and tweak them continuously instead of waiting for the game to be done (TM) before starting the testing phase. Closed beta is the only time-consuming step coming up, but that can be done in three or four months since they'll have been playing the hell out of it internally up until then. Open beta is mostly for marketing and stress testing. It shouldn't need more than a month or two.
Six months for an open and closed beta is not unrealistic. The question is, how much longer will the closed alpha last? It's unlikely it will be in June since there are still two race and one profession reveal still to go, not to mention, all things PvP. I'm expecting closed beta to begin mid-fall and the open to start next March. Release day will be late April to coincide with GW1's birthday.
I hope I'm waaaaaaay overestimating though because I'd like to see the Guild Wars 2 CE box under my tree this Christmas. On the other hand, a 2012 release means a few more mini-pets for my HoM...
Lets gets things straight. No they haven't been done closed alfa for a couple of years! As I have stated earlier in this thread.
Eric Flannum writes on the guru on 6 of may
"Hey all, just wanted to clarify something. When Jon mentions something being pre-alpha you shouldn't draw any conclusions about how far into development the game is. We've stated that we will have closed alpha and beta tests this year and we are most definitely on track for that."
I'd go with believing the NCSoft investor report. If I remember correctly, in another investor report they were saying beta would likely be 2011 instead of 2010 while Anet was still acting like the game was coming out 2010.
reality is that people become desensitized from overexposure. there is a window of time that will suspend a consumers hype. film promoters get it, politicians get it, pretty much every other entertainment medium including other video game genres get it. but for some reason, mmos do this 2+ year of buildup and in all honesty its just too much. dynamic events? who cares anymore im sick of hearing about it. personal story archs? good thing i found out about that 3 years in advance /rolleyes
and btw pretty bubble world? lol
What you said.... is so true. The marketing people started salivating over MMO marketing curves. They started showing stuff earlier and earlier and creating weekly shows and what not....
Unfortunately when no game has delivered... no marketing curve will save it. The over hype will backfire. It creates unrealistic expectations that will only create waves and ripples of customer disappointment.
I would like to see shorter and sweeter stuff. Followed by earlier open betas for MMO's. Or run the open beta for a month or so in bursts. THEN announce more features and stuff....
Its all good in words but in action no mmo has held well VS its hype in the last 3 years.
Games Developer / Game Trailer Director
I think you guys are right that people get tired after too much time of hype. But I think the amount of people who are following GW2 closely and who do get tired of the drawn out marketing will still buy the game. I think the company thinks it is worth it to draw it out because for every hardcore fan that gets tired, they reach maybe 2 new gamers who didn't know about the game. I think that is the way they are thinking.
Working closely with half of the world's biggest publishers and marketing departments (I have to as game trailers = marketing budgets) I can guarantee you.... without a shadow of a doubt...
That no marketing person that comes up with massive executive decisions has ever played an MMO before. 99.99% of the entire marketing divisions are their friends of someone who came in from a different industry or a non-gamer enthusiast trying to learn.
There is this wrong preconception that everyone in the games industry understands games and gaming and thus makes logical decisions based on stats, facts and common sense.
NO......
This is not true and you would think that massive companies would make more clever marketing decisions but they do not.
This is happening it will keep happening and our only hopes lies in those less incompetent than others... I won't say any competent or incompetent company names but I am sure you can think of marketing fiasco's....
I hope that sheds some light. Often people here bank on marketing having logic and a good plan. If only that was the case...
Games Developer / Game Trailer Director
I think the release it will be second half 2012 (i.e. 1 year distance), untill there im starving to death
Considering the fact that they're having CBT before the end of the year, and they're right on track, I'm assuming OBT (which I am most definitely taking part in!) by around February/March and a release right after that. If not right after then a month or 2 after.As I remember, I interperted the financial report before this one as saying something like: the game should be done this year but the launch (the income from the launch) will mostly be in 2012. That made me think that they are signaling a launch in maybe feb. Then i would add a few months to that for unexpected things which seem to happen every game. So my speculation have been a launch before july 2012. But ofcourse this is all guesstimations.