Curse

Zahr Dalsk · Sep 29, 2009, 07:45 PM // 19:45

Any new prospective customer will simply buy GW2. The assumption will be that GW1 probably has a dead / negligible community and the new scrub player doesn't want to play alone, he wants to play with other terrible PUG players. Thus, he will buy GW2.

If GW1 got constant skill updates (like, a couple times a week); not balances, just updates to shake the game up constantly and keep things fun, and there were some developers assigned to just keep making new content on a fairly regular basis, then I think they could keep a player base going. Keep GW2 balanced, by all means, but give GW1 lots of interesting and regular changes, even if it occasionally leads to temporary balance issues.

But yeah, they'd need to be releasing new content periodically. Add a new mission here and there somewhere in all that blank map space, vaguely related to the story. (Or even not at all.) Add new events such as, say, letting the Alliance Battles thing switch even further and have stuff like actually taking over the enemy city, add some sort of interesting AB battles to reclaim it.

If they did that sort of thing, I think that yes, absolutely, they could keep GW1 going. And then, with that regular content going out to keep the player base involved, periodically release new expansions so that you also get that new money coming in.

Add benefits for doing things in GW2 into GW1. Not things that will give an edge to GW2 players if they start playing GW1, but just things that, if they started playing GW1, would give them a head start on catching up to long time GW1 players. That way, if, say, a guy who bought GW2 beats the main GW2 campaign, he unlocks a bonus in GW1. Say, a large level boost and several unlocked skills on character creation. A bunch of gold. Etc. Things to push him towards buying GW1 and trying it out (thus Anet gets money from him for buying GW1). Stuff like that, to encourage GW fans to purchase both GW1 and GW2, regardless of which one they started out on.

I think that could work.

Arkantos · Sep 29, 2009, 07:54 PM // 19:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daesu

At the moment, GW2 being a bigger success than GW1 ever did is still an unproven assumption. Certainly that is the hope, but the future is not set in stone and there is no absolute guarantee of success.

Why so anxious to discard a proven profit-making franchise for a hopeful but yet unproven one? As long as the product line is still profitable, why discard it when they can hire resources to continue milking profits from it? What do they fall back on if GW2 turns out to be a disaster with stagnant growth after a year or 2?

I never said GW2 is going to be a bigger success than GW1 ever was. I'm saying that when GW1 is 6 years old and GW2 is released, GW2 is going to make more money than a 6 year old GW1. If I'm wrong, you can come back and call me out on this.

Yes, GW1 is a proven profit-making franchise, but by the time GW2 is released, it's going to be old and much less profitable. Sure, there will still be some people playing it, but chances are there's going to be a lot more people playing GW2 than GW1. Every game eventually dies out, and after 6 years and a sequel, it's going to be GW1's time.

I don't want ANet to spend money and time on supporting the prequel to their new game. I want them to spend their money and time on the new game to ensure quality.

Quote:

1) Making content for GW1 will be cheaper, but they can sell it for comparable price to customers.

2) GW2 is shiny and everything and will probably not include new graphics card. It is hard to imagine for hardcore gamer, but not everyone is going to pay ~500$ to play $50 game. GW1 on the other hand runs on pretty much anything average.

3) GW2 and GW1 are different enough to appeal to different demographics. It just makes sense to get as much market as possible.

1) They should focus on their new game, not spend money and time on their old. As I said, every game eventually dies out, and GW1 having a 6 year run is probably a lot better than ANet ever expected.

2) ANet has already stated that they're making it so people with lower end computers can still play (much like GW1), so I don't see where you're going with this.

3) While that is true, GW2 is going to be making more money than an old GW1. From a business standpoint, it just wouldn't make much sense to take time and money out of GW2 and put it into an old game. ANet isn't Blizzard, they aren't a huge company, and I really can't see them keeping up with 2 games.

PlasticBlue · Sep 29, 2009, 08:09 PM // 20:09

Well, I think they'll keep supporting GW1 like they do now. With some larger updates once and a while.
And I wouldn't mind that. I'm sure I'll want to play GW1 from time to time once GW2 comes out. Just to have a feel of "the old days", maybe get some titles I still need, do a dungeon with some friends.
But my attention would be on GW2 and I hope that ANet's will too.

Maybe even, once we find out what we get with our HoM, people will buy the campaigns they don't have yet to go unlock this or that special feature?

Anyway, I'd like to find out what GW2 is like, before deciding if GW1 needs more campaigns or new content.

notskorn · Sep 29, 2009, 08:55 PM // 20:55

This was really the decision that they made when they decided to create GW2 instead of releasing Utopia in its full form. That means that this thread is really very pointless.

Daesu · Sep 29, 2009, 09:18 PM // 21:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arkantos

I never said GW2 is going to be a bigger success than GW1 ever was. I'm saying that when GW1 is 6 years old and GW2 is released, GW2 is going to make more money than a 6 year old GW1. If I'm wrong, you can come back and call me out on this.

Yes, GW1 is a proven profit-making franchise, but by the time GW2 is released, it's going to be old and much less profitable. Sure, there will still be some people playing it, but chances are there's going to be a lot more people playing GW2 than GW1. Every game eventually dies out, and after 6 years and a sequel, it's going to be GW1's time.

Not all brand new games are going to earn a profit. In fact, most of them ended up in failure.

It would be interesting to see if a new chapter of GW1 would bring in more profits than GW2 itself or vice versa. As for me, I would probably wait to see if GW2 is going to be a success before moving into GW2.

Whether we buy a new GW1 chapter or GW2, it is all the same money to ANet anyway. Besides, they should have a backup if GW2 fails.

Dzjudz · Sep 29, 2009, 10:15 PM // 22:15

I would rather see them work on GW2 expansions than GW1 expansions after the release of GW2.

HawkofStorms · Sep 29, 2009, 10:33 PM // 22:33

This poll is excellent proof that most of the armchair quarterbacks here would drive a company into the ground.

The Scorpion Knight · Sep 29, 2009, 11:07 PM // 23:07

No, they should just stick to working on Guild Wars 2.

jammerpa · Sep 29, 2009, 11:08 PM // 23:08

No

12 chars

Ccat · Sep 30, 2009, 12:33 AM // 00:33

It's not a matter of whether they should or shouldn't. They won't.

Haven't read the thread btw.

CyberNigma · Sep 30, 2009, 04:36 AM // 04:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ccat

It's not a matter of whether they should or shouldn't. They won't.

Haven't read the thread btw.

I hope you didn't vote then, since it's about what you think they should do and not what you think they will do.

I have a feeling a lot of people voted on what they think ANet will do and not on what they think ANet should do, which are two entirely different things.

I, personally, voted yes that they should create more expansions even though I think that ANet will not create new expansions. Other people confusing the two issues (not pointing to the post I replied to at this point, but in general) probably tainted the poll, even just to represent the ones that actually voted.

I thought I saw some posts earlier that had /unsigned with the reason being that ANet won't do it (not the reason being that the poster thinks ANet shouldn't do it).

EDIT: I have no idea whether they could afford to put new life into GW1 or not. Most likely neither does anyone here, no matter how much they think they know from the outside. Having understood that I don't know how sound their business structure is on the inside I say go for it. Ultima Online may not be number one (or two, or three lol) but they're still kicking. Admittedly it has a subscription fee, but ANet chose to be different. Hopefully the financing model isn't limited the game. If it is then GW2 will be in the same boat anyhow.

I'd also like to point out that WoW is a pretty unique beast for many reasons. One of the reason is instead of trying to re-boot (like everquest or any other MMO/Online game with 2 in it), they have no qualms about completely re-inventing parts of the game. Anyone that compares WoW now to when it first came out can tell you that. They have no problem copying other ideas from other games if it makes their game better somehow. There's nothing wrong with that.

I think ANet could go the same route. If it's too much to introduce 2 new classes every expansion and all the new skills, find another way to do it - whether it be brand new mechanics, new content, whatever. Any problem they have now won't be magically fixed in GW2 in a way that couldn't be implemented in GW1. Making GW more like the other MMOs isn't really a fix if that's what they're planning (and nobody really knows till preview weekend anyway). There's something to be said about a company that can continue to work on and fix their product compared to the many companies that realize they need to give up on it and start from scratch. History may repeat itself.

CyberNigma · Sep 30, 2009, 05:32 AM // 05:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arkantos

I never said GW2 is going to be a bigger success than GW1 ever was. I'm saying that when GW1 is 6 years old and GW2 is released, GW2 is going to make more money than a 6 year old GW1. If I'm wrong, you can come back and call me out on this.

Yes, GW1 is a proven profit-making franchise, but by the time GW2 is released, it's going to be old and much less profitable. Sure, there will still be some people playing it, but chances are there's going to be a lot more people playing GW2 than GW1. Every game eventually dies out, and after 6 years and a sequel, it's going to be GW1's time.

I don't want ANet to spend money and time on supporting the prequel to their new game. I want them to spend their money and time on the new game to ensure quality.

1) They should focus on their new game, not spend money and time on their old. As I said, every game eventually dies out, and GW1 having a 6 year run is probably a lot better than ANet ever expected.

2) ANet has already stated that they're making it so people with lower end computers can still play (much like GW1), so I don't see where you're going with this.

3) While that is true, GW2 is going to be making more money than an old GW1. From a business standpoint, it just wouldn't make much sense to take time and money out of GW2 and put it into an old game. ANet isn't Blizzard, they aren't a huge company, and I really can't see them keeping up with 2 games.

I agree with you about games dying. Most do and some stay for a long time without being number 1(see Ultima Online and Runescape). I wouldn't put too much into GW1 having a 6 year run. Technically, you are right, but GW1 was effectively killed after 2 years with a little bit of an extension with Eye of the North. GW2 was announced in March of 2007. Two to two and a half years for an online game like Guild Wars doesn't seem too great (as good as it was). It had a wonderful start and was going pretty strong. Admittedly some crazy-assed PvE nerfs drove a lot of players to other games, but they still had a continuous influx of players. After Eye of the North it's pretty much been on cruise control much like Starcraft has over the years. It's got good replay value, but it's not the same as when it was getting ANet's full attention. This also means you have the prospect of GW2 being killed after two years as well if they decide to start over again.

GW1 will have a long run, probably longer than 6 years, maybe 10 or more years if they don't kill it off. GW1's real life though ended after a short 2-2.5 years. There's no indicator that GW2 will do any better. The sad thing is I don't even think the market will decide GW2s fate as I don't think it really decided GW1s fate. I don't think that being on life support is the same as having a life. GW1 is on life support, with a few caring caretakers (Linsey and crew) trying their best to keep it going. They could always recharge it if they wanted to, assuming NCSoft would even let them.

Scary · Sep 30, 2009, 06:10 AM // 06:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Obrien Xp

Do you think that Anet should add more gw1 expansions after gw2?

Personally I'd like it but I know it'd be useless. However, I'd like to see a larger team devoted to gw1 after gw2 is stable, and have more of the larger updates once a larger team is available.

It would be nice if they did. Couse, if they do you can always fall back on
a game that is easy to play as single player and can give you some
unstressed hours.

But as mentioned, the most of us will go to GW 2, and I can't imagine people
will stay in GW1 unless there are some advantages that can be used for
GW2.

Joandir · Sep 30, 2009, 06:35 AM // 06:35

I think Anet will be concentrated in GW2 support.

Gorebrex · Sep 30, 2009, 07:11 AM // 07:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zahr Dalsk

Any new prospective customer will simply buy GW2. The assumption will be that GW1 probably has a dead / negligible community and the new scrub player doesn't want to play alone, he wants to play with other terrible PUG players. Thus, he will buy GW2.

If GW1 got constant skill updates (like, a couple times a week); not balances, just updates to shake the game up constantly and keep things fun, and there were some developers assigned to just keep making new content on a fairly regular basis, then I think they could keep a player base going. Keep GW2 balanced, by all means, but give GW1 lots of interesting and regular changes, even if it occasionally leads to temporary balance issues.

But yeah, they'd need to be releasing new content periodically. Add a new mission here and there somewhere in all that blank map space, vaguely related to the story. (Or even not at all.) Add new events such as, say, letting the Alliance Battles thing switch even further and have stuff like actually taking over the enemy city, add some sort of interesting AB battles to reclaim it.

If they did that sort of thing, I think that yes, absolutely, they could keep GW1 going. And then, with that regular content going out to keep the player base involved, periodically release new expansions so that you also get that new money coming in.

Add benefits for doing things in GW2 into GW1. Not things that will give an edge to GW2 players if they start playing GW1, but just things that, if they started playing GW1, would give them a head start on catching up to long time GW1 players. That way, if, say, a guy who bought GW2 beats the main GW2 campaign, he unlocks a bonus in GW1. Say, a large level boost and several unlocked skills on character creation. A bunch of gold. Etc. Things to push him towards buying GW1 and trying it out (thus Anet gets money from him for buying GW1). Stuff like that, to encourage GW fans to purchase both GW1 and GW2, regardless of which one they started out on.

I think that could work.

Sad but true.

A couple times a week? DAMN! When will there be time to test, let alone the amount people it would take, and they'd have to work pretty damn fast to keep that pace. Name me a fairly major MMO that does that, please.

A large level boost? Not necessary. I have a level 9 in pre fairly often, and occasionally, 12(dont care about 20 in pre, so I dont bother). A bunch of gold... Golds not too difficult to come by. Find a really nice item for your lowbie(not necessarily a gold), and merc all similar items, check collector items(that arent better than what you have), see if its more profitable to sell the trophies, or to sell the collector item, and do that, in Prophecies. In Factions, and a little less so in Nightfall, they pretty much throw money/xp at you, so "a bunch of gold" as a bonus isnt necessary.

I think they should keep it going, but they wont, since theyll want to devote their resources to GW2. When they finally give up on GW1, I think they should release an offline version, so we can still play if we want.