Back then the MMO market was different. Q2 used to be a good time to release games (right before the summer used to see a lot of sales). But a lot has changed since then.
In the current economy, game companies are trying to make sure and get large revenues from a game as quickly as possible after its release. So, it makes sense that they would aim for Q3 considering it's one of the highest (if not the highest) game retail quarters. Basically, Q2 isn't as reliable of a release quarter as it used to be considering the lack of market stability and the dramatic drop of the average person's expendable income in the global economy. And I'm pretty sure NCSoft has taken all of that into account.
EDIT: But, of course, their release could dramatically change based on what else comes out that year (that year probably being 2011). If Blizzard releases something big, they'll probably move GW2 to the opposite side of the year to compensate sales.
The Christmas rush has 50 AAA titles and 150 AA titles releasing in a 8 week period. They are only hurting themselves because to get that big rush you either have to go overboard with advertising or you risk drowning in all the releases. So no, Christmas isn't as reliable as it used to be. Release the game in the spring/summer when there is a drought of good game, like the companies did for the games I listed, and you don't have to advertise as much to stand out.
And if you are right with your very pessimistic guess of late 2011 for the release, GW2 has more issues than trying to stand out among a flood of other great titles. Team A at Arena Net finished Nightfall in 2006, Team B finished Eye of the North in late 2007. That means they would of had over 100 people working full time on GW2 for 4 years which would mean the budget would be huge and without a monthly fee they would be taking a huge gamble that the game will sell millions and the server and bandwidth fee will stay super low (relatively) like with GW1.
Last edited by wetsparks; May 08, 2009 at 06:07 PM // 18:07..
The Christmas rush has 50 AAA titles and 150 AA titles releasing in a 8 week period. They are only hurting themselves because to get that big rush you either have to go overboard with advertising or you risk drowning in all the releases. So no, Christmas isn't as reliable as it used to be. Release the game in the spring/summer when there is a drought of good game, like the companies did for the games I listed, and you don't have to advertise as much to stand out.
And if you are right with your very pessimistic guess of late 2011 for the release, GW2 has more issues than trying to stand out among a flood of other great titles. Team A at Arena Net finished Nightfall in 2006, Team B finished Eye of the North in late 2007. That means they would of had over 100 people working full time on GW2 for 4 years which would mean the budget would be huge and without a monthly fee they would be taking a huge gamble that the game will sell millions and the server and bandwidth fee will stay super low (relatively) like with GW1.
what i want to know is, why cant they just release ONE screeshot, just one, they dont even have to say anything! how can we NOT think this game is vaporware, as much as i love guild wars - and i still do - i cant help it , why anet WHY!?
well, i have a guy on the inside, and... i hear that gw2 is actually scheduled for 1st oct 09, this is just what i hear, i can post a link concerning where the info comes from and sites where you can pre release at this date later.
well, i have a guy on the inside, and... i hear that gw2 is actually scheduled for 1st oct 09, this is just what i hear, i can post a link concerning where the info comes from and sites where you can pre release at this date later.
Well my "guy on the inside" said this is complete bunk
well, i have a guy on the inside, and... i hear that gw2 is actually scheduled for 1st oct 09, this is just what i hear, i can post a link concerning where the info comes from and sites where you can pre release at this date later.
Interesting date but like someone said earlier, they would not release it on Dec 31st. They would miss the whole holiday season and lose tons of money. But at the same time, I'm sorta thinking sooner then 2011 seeing how they already have a working GW2.
well, i have a guy on the inside, and... i hear that gw2 is actually scheduled for 1st oct 09, this is just what i hear, i can post a link concerning where the info comes from and sites where you can pre release at this date later.
Well, I am on the inside and I would like to tell you all again, please don't believe a retailer's placeholder estimates over and above official sources.
Think about it for a minute. Why would we quietly publish a release date via retail channels rather than announce it all over our website, via our PR folks, and via press a press release?
__________________
Regina Buenaobra
Community Manager
ArenaNet, Inc.
Well, I am on the inside and I would like to tell you all again, please don't believe a retailer's placeholder estimates over and above official sources.
Think about it for a minute. Why would we quietly publish a release date via retail channels rather than announce it all over our website, via our PR folks, and via press a press release?
Well, I am on the inside and I would like to tell you all again, please don't believe a retailer's placeholder estimates over and above official sources.
Think about it for a minute. Why would we quietly publish a release date via retail channels rather than announce it all over our website, via our PR folks, and via press a press release?
I think just narrowing it down to an actual year would restore a lot of faith in people. Surely it would be obvious having been working on the game since supposedly 2007, whether the work left to do would require another full year (2010) to complete?
If there really is that much more left to do, I would rather Anet said it was going to be 2011 or after than give people false hopes of a 2010, or even possibly a 2009 (unlikely, but still mentioned) release date.
Have you guys ever stopped to think what GW1 would be like now, had GW2 not been announced to be in development. No major content since September 2007 (EotN) and no word of a new campaign. Its quite ironic, the little we do know about GW2 is all that keeps a lot of people playing GW1 and visiting sites like this.
Playing the "remember, we announced GW2 before we started it" card to the fans, if you hadn't done so, I believe much interest would have been lost in GW1, assuming the same content route was taking and GW2 was being worked on in absolute secret.
A lot of players now are purely repeating over and over again what they have already done, in the hope it will be worth it come GW2. Take GW2 out of the equation and there would be a lot less stuff going on.
I myself stopped playing last year, because Anet made it impossible to lead a large guild of players, many of which who had played since the first year of release. Having done just about everything, and not being 'hardcore', people logged on less and less and eventually we had to call it a day. This was a former GotW guild which had being growing ever since it started back in 2006. After a year of no new content, we had to call it a day...
I hope so much that GW2 surpasses the expectations of everyone, each day that passes without new information only adds to the expectations. Guild Wars in its day would be an extremely tough act to follow, I hope the guys working on it have it in them to pull this off and make it worth while.
Last edited by elpedro; May 20, 2009 at 11:20 AM // 11:20..
Why would we quietly publish a release date via retail channels rather than announce it all over our website, via our PR folks, and via press a press release?
The same reason Anet continues to work on gw2 in secret with no new info other than lore available comming up on a year after a working open beta was supposedly going to be out?
Every "press release" about gw2 has been about how great its going to be, without anything of substance. Ive heard "oh, we plan to make it a game where...blah blah blah" everyone's tired of the empty talk and hush hush PR tactic.
The same reason Anet continues to work on gw2 in secret with no new info other than lore available comming up on a year after a working open beta was supposedly going to be out?
Every "press release" about gw2 has been about how great its going to be, without anything of substance. Ive heard "oh, we plan to make it a game where...blah blah blah" everyone's tired of the empty talk and hush hush PR tactic.
The same reason Anet continues to work on gw2 in secret with no new info other than lore available comming up on a year after a working open beta was supposedly going to be out?
Every "press release" about gw2 has been about how great its going to be, without anything of substance. Ive heard "oh, we plan to make it a game where...blah blah blah" everyone's tired of the empty talk and hush hush PR tactic.
Vaporware anyone? Who can guarantee us they are putting real work into GW2, maybe the only ones working in GW2 are the writers on the forums who let their imagination run wild...
That's not an official release date. That's an estimate made by Amazon.com as a place holder. As always, don't trust an online retailer to have 100% accurate information about release dates before we have even issued a press release on the official site.
Amazon are promoting GW2 better than anyone else . I think I will take their vague promise and feel good about the future for few moments.
Amazon marketing: It's like Christmas, Santa is coming soon. Get ready all you happy people.
Vaporware anyone? Who can guarantee us they are putting real work into GW2, maybe the only ones working in GW2 are the writers on the forums who let their imagination run wild...
Sure! They have the entire GW development team sipping mojitos and getting pedicures on ArenaNets dime.
It's fairly obvious that their focus isn't on Guild Wars, and we'd know if there had been large staff cutbacks.