Curse

Lawnmower · Aug 11, 2010, 07:04 AM // 07:04

I don't know how much Guild Wars still sells at retail, but I could imagine that the retail sales will almost get killed completely once Guild Wars 2 is released.

It seems to many of us now, that GW2 will be a very different game from GW1, maybe for better or worse, we will have to see when that time comes, but I personally applaud it, because there is already a Guild Wars, and doing the same thing one more time, just with better graphics seems lazy and boring to me. Like a false sense of security, because change can be scary.

But because GW2, will be so different, there is suddenly this wonderful possibility that GW1 does not need to die, even if it won't get updated. A great way of doing this would be to include the original game, when GW2 gets released.

Valve did a great thing when they bundled, Half-Life 2, and Episode 1, when they released the Orange Box. They saw the benefits of the long term effects, and how the increased value of giving customers a great way to experience the previous game, for free, would further their customers loyalty. And it was not like Half-Life 2 was a small game that nobody bought. It's without a doubt one of the biggest and most important gaming releases of the last ten years.

If GW1, was included as a digital download, on a small USB stick, or something, people would most likely go back and complete, or at least play GW1 for a while, making sure that GW1 would remain healthy.

Why would people go play GW1, when they have GW2? Well, obviously because GW1 will offer something different, and while the graphics are not something to brag about anymore, the tech and philsophy is still great.

Gamers who come during the GW2 days, will be able to explore what happened 200 years ago, and see how it began, and unlock things. It will be perfect, and another way for Anet to win lots of brownie points.

Long term, I am absolutely 100% certain that gamers will commit to GW2, because they see what the developers did to keep the previous game alive. Nobody wants to spend hundreds of time in an online RPG, if they are scared that it will die out soon.
That is why you have tons of people going to online forums asking for the most popular online games. It's like a guarantee that the game will remain healthy and have a population for a long time.

Resting on it's laurels and saying that it's "not needed" is a false sense of security, that will be tarnished by the coming of Diablo 3, SWTOR(and the legions of fans who will follow that game, regardless of how good/crappy it is) and Cataclysm(which is shaping up to be a bloddy fantastistic game!).

So all in all; Give this one for free, think of the long term benefits, and for your fans who wish to keep playing GW1, for time to time. While we can still play in an empty world if you choose to keep the servers up, it will not be very much fun. It's very little you have to do to keep it alive. You don't have to update it.
Just push a tiny bit for the health of GW1. You don't have to bundle Factions/Nightfall/EOTN, if you don't want to, but I think that would be even more amazing.
If GW does not sell anymore I don't see a need of why not. You're not going to make money on a dead online game, that's for sure, but if it's alive and well it will strengthen the reputation of the company, and Guild Wars as a very long lasting brand.
So many people blindly bought Starcraft 2, because it went without saying that it would stay alive for a very long time, simply because of the original.

I searched for this subject and could not find any threads like it. Sorry if it has been discussed before!

Anon-e-mouse · Aug 11, 2010, 07:24 AM // 07:24

The collector's edition of Starcraft 2, included a USB with a copy of Starcraft 1 + Brood Wars on it.

_Woozie · Aug 11, 2010, 08:10 AM // 08:10

You've got a lot of good points there, Lawnmower.

I know I will still be playing Guild Wars 1 (as well as Guild Wars 2) once the sequel hits. I love this game and it'd be great to keep it alive for as long as possible.

I can easily imagine being in a GW2 guild with nothing much happening and then someone suggesting we go have a session of GW1 action, expanding the whole "Guild Wars experience" incredibly. It'd be great to have a sense of an active joint community.

jonnieboi05 · Aug 11, 2010, 08:34 AM // 08:34

I know I will definitely continue playing GW1 alongside GW2. IMO, they should bundle GW1 + GW2 as a sale to try and push more revenue.

HoM??

Mintha Syl · Aug 11, 2010, 08:39 AM // 08:39

I think it's interesting. I'll be playing gw1 as well for a lot after gw2 release, and I don't want to see it die.
Though lots of people are buying gw1 only for the HoM, to have gw2 benefits, I think this tendency is gonna stop if they see there's no real reward for it (and that's what I think will happen). If ever they won't be making profit from this game anymore, giving prophecies for free would not only get people again into gw1, but probably many players, starting with proph, will get interested and buy the rest (factions/nightfall/eotn); and that would greatly help profits. It wouldn't happen if you give the complete game for free, but with prophecies only I could really see it happening.

HigherMinion · Aug 11, 2010, 08:49 AM // 08:49

It may create a bit more space and less panic on GW2 servers

Zaxan Razor · Aug 11, 2010, 09:15 AM // 09:15

I can see that being a good idea - but look at it this way:

They will want the initial player base to be big at launch, and they are hoping to attract a lot of new players who have not played GW 1.

Now, if you bundle GW 1 in with GW 2 a lot of people are going to think; "well, maybe I should play through the first game before playing the new one?"

I dunno about you, but it took me around two years to finish GW 1.

They're not gonna do it.

Masmar · Aug 11, 2010, 09:25 AM // 09:25

2 years is a loooong time

HigherMinion · Aug 11, 2010, 09:30 AM // 09:30

2 years isn't normal

It would only really take about a week to complete Prophecies for a regular player. SOmeone who wanted to a grasp of the lore on Tyria would probably be a hardcore player.

gremlin · Aug 11, 2010, 10:03 AM // 10:03

Well it would give me a second gw1 account so I wouldn't complain, or I could give it as a gift to a friend.

Whether I will be playing it much depends on gw2.
I am hoping that 2 will be so good the forums will be filled with posts saying you remember that old turkey GW1 wasn't it awful compared to this.

When I really got going on gw1 any other game social activity sleep etc was secondary, it was probably 8 hours of gw in the week and probably 14 hours gw at weekends.

If that happens with gw2 I just wont be able to do much more that look into gw 1 occasionally.

Femmefatal · Aug 11, 2010, 10:17 AM // 10:17

If you put lipstick on a pig it's still a pig and that is all GW2 is going to be...GW1 with lipstick. It's just another donkey milking ploy to get more money out of the unknowing. Sure it'll have some changes but not enough to give it a complete makeover just some lipstick and maybe some eyegloss (graphics) and it will be the same boring game GW1 is now. Until they start adding real content like upgraded weapons stats, armor stats like real rpgs do it then it'll never be what GW1 was upon release.

I'd still be playing the greater games like Everquest and WOW if they didn't charge $15 a month to play them. Because they have what I like best....something to play for and go after. Once you have a 15^50 weapon and runed out your plain jane armor of the same stats as Obsidian armor there's nothing else to play for except the titles which are useless save a handful like wisdom and treasure hunter and even those aren't worth squat once you have max weapon and max armor runed out.

GW1 was fun when it was new and unexplored but that didn't take long and then it's just redundant bs. You can tell because of all the solo farmers now. The end game isn't PVP it's just becoming a redundant farmer and whining about nerfing their favorite easy farming builds. That's all GW is anymore. I often wonder what the hell they are farming for? They don't have anything more than I have except a numerical value of gold or umpteen jillion ectos that are useless unless you are just so vain you gotta have a 15^50 torment weapon instead of a 15^50 plain old weapon. You don't even get to see the damn weapons in towns and outposts and who the hell has time to look at anything when you're rushing through the content?

But Barnum was right a fool and his money are soon departed.

Mintha Syl · Aug 11, 2010, 10:38 AM // 10:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Femmefatal

If you put lipstick on a pig it's still a pig and that is all GW2 is going to be...GW1 with lipstick. It's just another donkey milking ploy to get more money out of the unknowing. [...]
I'd still be playing the greater games like Everquest and WOW if they didn't charge $15 a month to play them. Because they have what I like best....something to play for and go after.

You know, some people just plays for fun....nad many like this game exactly because you don't have to play running behind a lvl/powerful item to have fun. Peopple who doesn't like this agme has plenty of choice around. Even for free. Sure, they're boring grinding games but you have something to catch, right?

ChaosWarrior · Aug 11, 2010, 10:46 AM // 10:46

I think this is a good idea... but I don't really wanna pay more money, just because gw1 is included.
Good thing you brought this up =)
They would look great together

Angel Killuminati · Aug 11, 2010, 10:54 AM // 10:54

I'm going to be moving to GW2, leaving GW1 in the past. Onwards and upwards, there's only so much you can do on a game and I've pretty much rinsed GW1 dry.

Older games always still get players, and GW1 will be the same, simply because of the no internet fees. So I wouldn't worry there.
A great game will always attract new players. I know of a young lad who got out Return to Castle Wolfenstein from his dads game collection, and he's addicted to it already. A 9 year old PC game.

I fully intend to leave GW1 though, there is nothing here anymore that can fully satisfy me. I want to restart afresh in a new PvE and more importantly PvP rich environment.

Dr Kris · Aug 11, 2010, 11:22 AM // 11:22

Great idea thumps up

and ye I think there are many people that will still play gw1 even when gw2 release. I mean just look from this points, the game is very balanced (there are some gimicks) but thats for players that are just getting in pvp and learn

(this is pvp view). As I see I stoped playing the game for 2 months when I came back more and more gvg guilds were made and people almost started to play active like in good old days. I play the game for 4yrs. And just a offside comment gw2 graphic is not rly good as I though, they made it more for 3+ year. So ye +1 graphic for gw1, -1 for gw2.

Sarevok Thordin · Aug 11, 2010, 12:18 PM // 12:18

I support this. For the new blood GW2 will attract, GW1 can get the lore lovers attention.

Nerel · Aug 11, 2010, 12:20 PM // 12:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Femmefatal

If you put lipstick on a pig it's still a pig *snip*

I'd still be playing the greater games like Everquest and WOW if they didn't charge $15 a month to play them. *snip*

But Barnum was right a fool and his money are soon departed.

The features you bemoan, such as the ease in which players have in gaining max equipment and armor (as opposed to grinding for months always in search of gear better than everyone else has) is actually a SELLING POINT of the Guild Wars franchise, a deliberate design decision that appeals to many and lends itself well to casual play styles.

I think the quote you want is "a fool and his money are soon parted" it actually means something other than what you said... and it was Thomas Tusser, not P.T. Barnum ("There's a sucker born every minute").

majoho · Aug 11, 2010, 12:38 PM // 12:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Femmefatal

If you put lipstick on a pig it's still a pig and that is all GW2 is going to be...GW1 with lipstick. It's just another donkey milking ploy to get more money out of the unknowing. Sure it'll have some changes but not enough to give it a complete makeover just some lipstick and maybe some eyegloss (graphics) and it will be the same boring game GW1 is now. Until they start adding real content like upgraded weapons stats, armor stats like real rpgs do it then it'll never be what GW1 was upon release.

I'd still be playing the greater games like Everquest and WOW if they didn't charge $15 a month to play them. Because they have what I like best....something to play for and go after. Once you have a 15^50 weapon and runed out your plain jane armor of the same stats as Obsidian armor there's nothing else to play for except the titles which are useless save a handful like wisdom and treasure hunter and even those aren't worth squat once you have max weapon and max armor runed out.

GW1 was fun when it was new and unexplored but that didn't take long and then it's just redundant bs. You can tell because of all the solo farmers now. The end game isn't PVP it's just becoming a redundant farmer and whining about nerfing their favorite easy farming builds. That's all GW is anymore. I often wonder what the hell they are farming for? They don't have anything more than I have except a numerical value of gold or umpteen jillion ectos that are useless unless you are just so vain you gotta have a 15^50 torment weapon instead of a 15^50 plain old weapon. You don't even get to see the damn weapons in towns and outposts and who the hell has time to look at anything when you're rushing through the content?

I guess you didn't know what GW was before you got it then because it's always been marketed as a non-loot oriented game - if you like shinies there's always diablo 2 or something.

Morphy · Aug 11, 2010, 12:38 PM // 12:38

....I actually like this idea.

Lithril Ashwalker · Aug 11, 2010, 12:42 PM // 12:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by gremlin

Well it would give me a second gw1 account so I wouldn't complain, or I could give it as a gift to a friend.

great idea, most of us already have an account anyway and the majority of us will be buying gw2 anyway because we had gw1. Great way to spread the word... Now gw just needs a gw commercial to finally wipeout WoW