Curse

Crom The Pale · Nov 23, 2008, 10:59 PM // 22:59

I think its a reasonable sugest that for GW2 to have any longevity then Anet will need a better source of income than just initial sales of the game.

So if you could buy items for GW2 at the Online Store, what would you buy and how much would you be willing to pay?

For myself I think if they only had items like summoning stones and weapons I would likely not buy any.

However if they had armor that you could customize, I mean really customize with a paint program or even model manipulation, then I would easily purchase something like that. Depending on what level of customization was permitted I could see myself spending $5-$15 for such upgrades.

Scythe O F Glory · Nov 23, 2008, 11:18 PM // 23:18

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..........
no.

fusa · Nov 23, 2008, 11:19 PM // 23:19

I would buy new content (dungeons, missions etc) but not items. If they did sell items in their store, I wouldn't even buy GW2.

If they are hurting for money now (who isn't) then its from no new expansions being released. Originally their plan, if I remember correctly, was to release a new expansion every 6 months, to get people to continue paying to play their game. But for the past year they haven't had a major source of revenue from already existing customers.

I doubt custom crafting to the extent you stated would be feasible since every player would need your new model and artwork. If its done for only yourself, then their is always textmod.

Zinger314 · Nov 23, 2008, 11:21 PM // 23:21

NCSoft is not EA.

(yet.)

caballo_oscuro · Nov 23, 2008, 11:25 PM // 23:25

Ok, so you're suggesting that people be able to have customised artwork? YAy! take the designers work and turn it into something which doesn't fit into the lore of the game...

If they allowed you to apply dye from within the game in a way that makes armours already available in-game custom paint-jobs, perhaps to some extent this would work, but i don't see it as a means of making money.

People wouldn't pay cash for this type of game mechanic. It's as bad as adding high-powered items to the store. Terrible.

/unsigned

Owik Gall · Nov 23, 2008, 11:42 PM // 23:42

This sounds something I'd see in games like WoW. Gimmicky, and over rated. Why do you care more about Anet's finances than your own? Do you want to promote features that will cause many players to waste their budget money? Do you?...

By the way, /unsigned.

Zinger314 · Nov 23, 2008, 11:43 PM // 23:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Owik Gall

This sounds something I'd see in games like WoW. Gimmicky, and over rated. Why do you care more about Anet's finances than your own? Do you want to promote features that will cause many players to waste their budget money? Do you?...

By the way, /unsigned.

The difference is that WoW's gimmicky features which you have to pay for, like Name changes or server transfers, have an actual use.

Konig Des Todes · Nov 23, 2008, 11:50 PM // 23:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crom The Pale

So if you could buy items for GW2 at the Online Store, what would you buy and how much would you be willing to pay?

Only "items" I would like to see (for other people's uses) would be character slots, name changes, and appearance changes. However, the name and appearance changes are more things that belong in-game and a money sink in-game.

IMO, the online store is fine how it is. Only "items" (meaning weapons/armors/cons) that deserve to be put up there are the special weapons (like the GotY weapons, EN preview weekend weapons, etc) which are not that good but are perfect for "basic" weapons of usage for heroes and new characters and the like.

Yawgmoth · Nov 23, 2008, 11:55 PM // 23:55

If you could buy GW2 items from an online store I may not buy the game at all!
What a terribly retarded idea, I'd much rather play a subsription based game then, one thats fair for everyone.

They should make money by releasing big high quality content packages regularily. That's the best business model imaginable.

Miss Persephone · Nov 24, 2008, 12:00 AM // 00:00

I think the OP has a valid point, ANet had to abandon the campaign model in GW1 so its reasonable to expect that they won't rely soly for revenue on new chapters/expansions for GW2.

Having said that, I think you do need to be careful not to end up having a huge in-game store that offers the coolest weapons and armors because you lose the incentive to play the game if you can just buy everything for real world cash.

Useful game additions, like more storage would be nice. I'll be happy to pay for more character slots as we do now. Some new Guild Hall designs (purely for aesthetics and not for GvG use) would be sweet. If they go ahead and remove the lvl 20 cap then I think there is a case for paying for name changes, like in WoW. All out of inspiration now.

Lord Armotag · Nov 24, 2008, 12:19 AM // 00:19

books based on the lore anyone?

HawkofStorms · Nov 24, 2008, 12:21 AM // 00:21

LOL at all the people going "a.net would never sell weapon skins for money."

They already have.

It's called the BMP.

Cale Roughstar · Nov 24, 2008, 12:59 AM // 00:59

No.

However, if they had things like more character slots and more storage (at cheaper prices than now) I would think about it.

Veripare · Nov 24, 2008, 01:10 AM // 01:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cale Roughstar

No.

However, if they had things like more character slots and more storage (at cheaper prices than now) I would think about it.

Cheaper prices than now? A character slot is only 9.99$

Yang Whirlwind · Nov 24, 2008, 01:11 AM // 01:11

I would buy the game and any following expansions they published,- just like I did for GWI.
Anything else: no thanks!

Crom The Pale · Nov 24, 2008, 01:15 AM // 01:15

It's safe to say they will not be following the model of GW and releasing new chapters/expansions as the sole means of money.

Since we know they are not planing, at this point, in having a monthly fee then the only other source of money would be to sell game items/features in the online store.

So what would be a reasonable item/feature for them to sell?

So far I have heard :
Storage,
Character Slots,
Guild Halls,
Name changes

Would a mini-pet be worth real money to anyone?
What other game features/items/ect could they sell without disrupting the games playablity?

vandevere · Nov 24, 2008, 01:17 AM // 01:17

I would pay for extra character slots and extra storage. I'm not too sure about anything else though...

Lykan · Nov 24, 2008, 01:47 AM // 01:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yawgmoth

If you could buy GW2 items from an online store I may not buy the game at all! .

Ditto.
If theres one thing I really hate its those games where you can buy your way to the top. (no im not counting gw goldsites, i mean legally)

aTT!kus · Nov 24, 2008, 01:56 AM // 01:56

any special items or skins should ONLY be available in game for in game money. char slots, name changes, or collectors edition things i could see paying $5-$10 for though in the store

Scythe O F Glory · Nov 24, 2008, 02:19 AM // 02:19

Even if you could buy items in the store, they would have no value as a vanity item. It doesn't show skill or experience (or time spent farming) to have an item that can be bought. All it shows is that you have RL money to waste. And then there's the other 10% of GW that buys things for their looks. Those would be the only people to buy the items, and that's not nearly enough to make a profit.
So, /unsigned.