Curse

upier · Apr 26, 2009, 11:49 PM // 23:49

I've brought up this a few times in my posts and I thought it might be interesting to start a thread to focus just on this issue.
To start, I'll quote wiki:

Quote:

Brand loyalty, in marketing, consists of a consumer's commitment to repurchase the brand and can be demonstrated by repeated buying of a product or service or other positive behaviours such as word of mouth advocacy. True brand loyalty implies that the consumer is willing, at least on occasion, to put aside their own desires in the interest of the brand. Brand loyalty has been proclaimed by some to be the ultimate goal of marketing.

Brand loyalty is more than simple repurchasing, however. Customers may repurchase a brand due to situational constraints, a lack of viable alternatives, or out of convenience. Such loyalty is referred to as "spurious loyalty". True brand loyalty exists when customers have a high relative attitude toward the brand which is then exhibited through repurchase behaviour. This type of loyalty can be a great asset to the firm: customers are willing to pay higher prices, they may cost less to serve, and can bring new customers to the firm. For example, if Joe has brand loyalty to Company A he will purchase Company A's products even if Company B's are cheaper and/or of a higher quality.

An example of a major brand loyalty program that extended for several years and spread worldwide is Pepsi Stuff. Perhaps the most significant contemporary example of brand loyalty is the dedication that many Mac users show to the Apple company and its products.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand_loyalty
I find this explanation to be completely sufficient for the purpose of our discussion.

What I am interested in is - are you loyal to (or interested in) Guild Wars because it's Guild Wars OR because it's actually a good product?
Did anything change in how you view GW?
Will that influence your decisions regarding GW2?

To start it off - my view on GW has changed. I started off as a VERY loyal customer. I would introduce other players to this game or buy GW-related material (stuff like magazines that contained info on GW, ...) just because it was GW-related.
Once C3 arrived - my view towards GW changed a bit. Despite the fact that I still supported the brand, I started to question the product. Once GWEN was released - I made a conscious decision to not support the brand any longer. So, the only reason why I do have GWEN, is because I received it as a gift. And looking back - I feel I made the right decision in not buying it.
This also means I currently also have no interest in further supporting the GW-brand UNLESS the quality of the product rises to meet my demands. Thus, regarding GW2, I will be following previews to determine if the game is actually worth purchasing or not instead of just blindly purchasing it.

I still play GW. But I don't really play it because it would be superb, I play it because I don't feel there are games out there that would offer me the same (or better) experience than GW.
If I were to find such a game - I wouldn't hesitate switching.
(Before I get tons of replies telling me how destructive such behaviour is - of course this led to modifying the way I play this game. Most noticeable in the quantity of my playtime.)

So, how about you?

Sarevok Thordin · Apr 26, 2009, 11:59 PM // 23:59

I like GWs because it's different and fits what I want to play, not to mention there are no regional boundaries, like some OTHER games out there.

drago34 · Apr 27, 2009, 12:02 AM // 00:02

Great post upier. I still play it from time to time thanks to always being able to put it down and come back when I want to. I do however think that the positive game time I had with guild wars in the beginning will play a role in purchasing GW2.

Obrien Xp · Apr 27, 2009, 12:07 AM // 00:07

I play it because it fits my style, nothing anet has done to it has made me dislike it at all.
I will buy any content for it that I can from a retail store, not online.
I'm sold on gw2.

Verene · Apr 27, 2009, 12:13 AM // 00:13

I like GW because I find the game enjoyable. I don't normally like MMOs at all but the differences between GW and the others I've tried (WoW, FFXI, Ragnarok) got me addicted to it.

I'm actually somewhat iffy on GW2 so far. We don't know much about it, but it seems that a lot of the things that I like so much about GW are being done away with. So I don't know. I'll see when it gets closer to that game coming out.

snaek · Apr 27, 2009, 12:15 AM // 00:15

i guess you can say i'm loyal to gw the game...anet the company not so much.

they have changed direction so much over the years, that gw isn't quite the same. its hard to be loyal in such a situation.

Kyosuki · Apr 27, 2009, 12:22 AM // 00:22

I'm Loyal,and always will.
Even when I was playing WoW for 6 months,when people would talk shit on GW,I would protect it and talk shit about WoW

-Sonata- · Apr 27, 2009, 12:25 AM // 00:25

I've never been loyal to a "Brand". I've been loyal to great products, but never the maker. Gaming, or otherwise. Just like for clothing, I purchase what I like regardless of who made it. If it's a great product, I'll spread the word. If it isn't, chances are I'll forget about it the next day.

To use another example; For years I have, or was, loyal to my cable and internet service provider. Their service was exceptional, above all previous services I had prior. When someone would ask me what I use I would inform them of who, but most importantly, I'd tell them why.

That was until very early this year when, for whatever reasons, the service truly began to degrade. Service outages without any explination, customer service that was once outstanding turned into an automated game of phone tag. A spike in pricing and overcharging me on my bills (talk about fuzzy math). I didn't hesitate in dropping all their services and switching to the competition. The name behind the service isn't what I need. The service itself is what I look for.

Certainly you do "get what you pay for" in this world. Certainly some brands, in whatever market, are often far more exceptional than others. However, I've always been someone who shops around for the best deals in the best of both worlds to best suit what I am seeking in whatever product I'm shopping for.

So carry that to the gaming world. I wouldn't care if Anets brand name was behind Guild Wars, or someone elses. It could be EA for all I care. I play(ed) Guild Wars because the product was exceptional...and still is in my opinion.

I'll choose to buy, or not buy Guild Wars 2, based not on the Anet label, but on the quality of the game. It's simple for me - If Guild Wars 2 is a great game I enjoy playing, based on beta, or from a trial, I'll invest the money into it. I'll be happy and thankful for a the quality. I'll show my support for the game, I'll tell people about it. If Guild Wars 2 shows me nothing new and nothing worth the investment, it won't be the first time I've passed on a game.

Gun Pierson · Apr 27, 2009, 12:29 AM // 00:29

Yes I'm loyal to a brand. I look for quality and support/aftercare and in this case also contact with the playerbase.

I was loyal to Blizzard for like a decade until 3 of their employess (Jeff Strain, Mike O'Brian, Patrick Wyat) started their own campany: Anet. They had their own great view on a free to play mmo, with new technologies and stuff: GW. They didn't agree with Blizzard's approach anymore.

They were involved in the games I played for years, like warcraft and starcraft series and the wonderful infrastructure (at that time) called Battle Net.

Yes, something changed, I can't really explain it in detail as it would take too long.

I recently bought Warhammer: dawn of war2 and for 50 euros I'm having the best gaming experience since Prophecies. It's like diablo but in space with space marines and I was surprised by the quality and the new rts approach with lots of rpg elements in it.

I'm more looking forward to Diablo3 than GW2 atm. This was not the case 6 months ago.

I feel trapped a bit. Anet saying we don't have many recources left for gw1, we're working on the best mmo evar. At the same time they say, look you wanted storage etc., we provided it, look how nice and talented we are. Yes, but we don't get actual content anymore.

The MTG model is fantastic, but it seemed too complex to keep producing chapters for GW1. I feel trapped again as GW2 is in a way the next chapter.

We'll see.

sph0nz · Apr 27, 2009, 12:41 AM // 00:41

LOYALTY? My loyalty isn't with Guild Wars itself. It is with ArenaNet!

AtomicMew · Apr 27, 2009, 12:49 AM // 00:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by sph0nz

LOYALTY? My loyalty isn't with Guild Wars itself. It is with ArenaNet!

Unfortunately, I know what this means. CG was fail after season 1.

CronkTheImpaler · Apr 27, 2009, 01:04 AM // 01:04

I dont think Guild Wars has existed as a brand long enough to have garnered Brand Loyalty. They have put out 3 campaigns and an expansion of sorts. The examples given in the OP are brands that have built strong customer loyalty and have grown it through years of quality products backed by GREAT customer development and advertising.

If guild wars continues to GROW and DEVELOP new products while retaining its current customer base while building on it, say 3-5% anually then id say it is a brand loyalty issue

Cronk

Rhamia Darigaz · Apr 27, 2009, 01:30 AM // 01:30

lol i moved on to FFVII like two whole weeks ago. my favorite character is probably aerith, i can't wait to use her limit break in the final boss fight with sephiroth

(yeah i know that sephiroth is the final boss already, but hopefully that huge spoiler wont ruin the game for me)

i suggest you all move on to new and exciting games too.

Shayne Hawke · Apr 27, 2009, 01:38 AM // 01:38

ANet has been very shady over the years with what kind of product it has sold me. There is one core thing that has remained: this is a non-subscription CORPG. So many aspects of the game seem to have changed from when they first produced GW and through each following release. I can no longer say I am playing GW because it is a "good product," because I have no clear idea of what this product was supposed to be.

Concerning GW2, if I find that it really turns out to be something extraordinary, then I will buy it, and I may additionally have the benefit of having previously played GW. If it turns out to flop, then that's that for my relationship with the GW franchise. My interest in playing GW2 was a lot greater back around the time before the expansion was released, but subsequent changes to the game have left me considerably less interested.

This hurts me inside, because a game as unique as GW should not be something I am disappointed with. I really want to have a good reason to enjoy GW and know that it will be moving in the right direction. ANet gives me no such confidence, and I have similarly low expectations for GW2 because of it.

Antares Ascending · Apr 27, 2009, 02:03 AM // 02:03

..
I'm pretty loyal.

Gw has been very enjoyable for me and has, so far, represented very good value. The loyalty is based on that value so as long as that remains the norm I'm going to stay with NCsoft/Arenanet.

I have no desire to go hopping around hoping to find treasure under a rock
I'm not familiar with. This is a familiar rock, and so far, a good one to pick up.

'throws a rock at Urgoz....oops'

Empress Amarox · Apr 27, 2009, 02:14 AM // 02:14

I was never extremely loyal as to buy stuff just because it was Guild Wars. I played the game because it was good, and then I stopped because it got boring, nothing more.

I told people it was good until it was bad, and then I said the truth when it was asked, otherwise I wouldn't even bring it up.

There are things in the game which I will always continue to praise though. No other game does PvP like Guild Wars does. GvG in GW is something no other game has yet to compare to; however, for me that has simply become not enough for my continued playing.

I stopped playing because GW became boring. I stopped recommending it because it became boring.

If GW2 is a good game, I will buy it. If it is a bad game, or simply to my taste, I won't. No blind loyalty from me.

The only reason I'm around GW at all anymore, is the same reason you mentioned in the OP. There just isn't anything that stacks up to it. It got boring, but it's still amazing quality, especially for as much crap that we give it. It really was a great game, it just wasn't meant to be interesting for so many years, that's all.

I just log on, get my zkeys, change it into ecto or plat, look at my chars a bit, maybe talk to someone on my friends list, log off.

But, right now I'm playing Age of Conan and having fun, so I'm not worried. By the time AoC gets boring for me, maybe GW2 will be out, or perhaps Aion, assuming I'm going to like either of them. And if not, well, you know. I'll just go to something else...

To answer the original question: The only thing that changed for me was the community and repetitiveness of repeated play, with no real new content, and if new content, then nothing that really made any kind of big difference to me, same stuff, different day. Nothing really "fresh" y'know.. That's what GW was when it came out, it was fresh, different. That's what made it good.

Introverted Dimensions · Apr 27, 2009, 03:54 AM // 03:54

I always stop playing GW for a random new mmo/fps for awhile but always find myself coming back to GW. I recently quit WoW and found myself back on GW again. It's boring stuff but I just keep playing it for the same reasons you posted.

Apollo Smile · Apr 27, 2009, 04:10 AM // 04:10

In a way, brand loyalty is one of the reasons I initially got Guild Wars. I held Blizzard Entertainment in high regard so a new company founded by ex-Blizzard lead developers gave me high hopes from the start. ArenaNet did not dissapoint me with the Guild Wars series. This game has many flaws, as does any game, but it was a fantastic first effort on their part. Its obvious they have learned alot about what works and what doesn't. You can feel the passion they have for this game and its upcoming sequel. These guys really love what they do and they truely want to make the best gamer ever. I respect them for that. As far as I am concerned GW2 is the deciding point on where loyalties should lie. You can't tell if a young child is an athlete of not while he is learning to walk.

Improvavel · Apr 27, 2009, 04:25 AM // 04:25

Brand loyalty is crap for people that need to feel they belong to something bigger.

When buying your loyalty should be to your wallet and to what is best to fulfill your needs.

I think you are brand loyal to Anet and GW Upier. You are just a bit tired of a 4 year old game.

Nomme Moon · Apr 27, 2009, 04:28 AM // 04:28

I'll be loyal to GW and ANet when they take the steps towards pleasing those who are loyal.